BW

Hmm, I saw that versin "for sale" but it was only about three minutes long... I wonder how it was that my daughter's group performed to the music with a recording... Guess I'll have to ask.

How sad to think that the dancers "jeered" at her. Unfortunately, I don't receive the Ovation channel...or I'd turn it on... I'm sure it must be incredibly frustrating for people who either do know, or believe they know, how a ballet should appropriately be staged to watch it performed otherwise.

I would love to get a hold of a recording of the music from this ballet but when I search Amazon it doesn't seem to bring me anything appropriate. Does anyone have any suggestions. I am assuming that it's Ricardo Drigo that is the composer...is this correct? Thanks!

I know we've had some earlier threads on choreography but I'm interested in learning more about what leads a choreographer in his or her art. Yes, in part, what drives them, what is their inspiration, in wanting to create, but, also, how their creative process evolves... Music first? Probably often the case...but if one has been asked to choreograph on a specific company or a group of dancers... What next? Music, body types, abilities... Does one try to observe dancers in class, or ideally performing, first, etc.? I imagine the range of answers could be quite varied on this one.

Can anyone stage an existing ballet? "Can" in the sense of - is it "allowed"...unless there is some sort of copyright or trust involved?

"Classical ballet is so unforgiving." Francis Patrelle ;)

Great Performances PBS: Dance in America presents Lar Lubovitch's Othello "recorded on stage at the San Francisco Ballet. "Desmond Richardson, one of America's premiere dance talents, performs in San Francisco Ballet's production as Othello, with Yuan Yuan Tan as Desdemona and Parrish Maynard as the treacherous Iago... Emil de Cou leading the company's orchestra and Oscar-winning compsoer Elliot Goldenthal ("Frida") lends an errie score based on the Italian tarantella..." In the New York metro area it will be shown on Channel 13, on Wednesday, June 18th at 9:30pm.

Would you say one might equate this phenomenon with that of a "child prodigy"? Yes, thankfully, some do make it into their mature years - their 30's to 80's plus...but I'm sure there are many who do not due to either too much too soon and/or not enough wisdom within their advisors...

Although I have not seen his other films, yet, I have heard of them. If you haven't checked out the Zeitgeist Film site, you might enjoy checking out the "photo gallery" from Maddin's "Dracula" film. Kind of brings back memories of Peter Lorre lurking about... ;) Actually, there are one or two good dance shots.

Yes, I heard him admit to that too, carbo... And he admitted to filming the dancers from odd, oft times, unusual angles - nevertheless, for those of us who are old time Dracula fans, it still holds its allure. ;) I found the concept of ballet being related to silent film and the use of black and white photography...with hand painted splashes of red for, well, you know...and green and gold for money to be rather intriquing, myself. And then there is the thought that this film just might entice the uninitiated into attending a real, live, ballet performance or two.

Oh, dirac, thank you - I feel so much better now! Really... after hearing that interview last night, I'm even more interested in seeing this film. Right now it's in NYC at The Film Forum... I doubt it will make it out to the hinterlands of Westchester County, NY... though there is an art film place up in Pleasantville. Maybe they'll show a Guy Maddin film? I'd better aim for The Film Forum, ASAP!

I guess I'm the only the only one interested in this... Tonight I listened to NPR's Terri Gross interview Guy Maddin on her program "Fresh Air" and I found it quite interesting.. Here's a link Fresh Air for you.

vrsfanatic, many thanks for your thoughtful reply. When I initially posed my question I was actually aiming towards more of the "negative" aspect of creating a "star" within a ballet school...but I like the tack your post takes much better! I appreciate your descriptions - both general and specific - of what makes a successful dancer and wish that this thread could be brought to the attention of more students and parents out there! Thank you!

Kate B this is a good thread for me because it's gotten me thinking... and, yet, I can't easily answer the question. I think as a non dancer, I tend not to dwell upon the feet because unless they're blatantly bad, I might not notice. Generally, it's the big picture that I look at with a number of asides to focus in on the lead dancers and I always do like to check out the corps dancers as well. I admit, I do like to see all of dancer's faces and I do notice and look for their overall line. And I'm with a number of other posters about "feeling" their emotion where appropriate... On another thread, "Teasing Apart the Artisitic Elements", I have admitted to my rather basic desire to be immersed in the performance.

Thanks for this news GWTW, and you'll be there to give us a full report! Perhaps I'll make a trip down there for this new Wheeldon one.

Michael do you mean when you said they were in the same "mode" that you feel their Nutcracker and Swan Lake bring in more people than their other programs? :confused: Does anyone know if NYCB's ticket sales for Swan Lake are really on par with their Nutcracker season? Perhaps I'm really not in the know, but I'd be shocked if this were their second big ticket production.

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet's production "Dracula: Pages From a Virgin's Diary" by the Canadian director Guy Maddin is reviewed in this article fromThe New York Times. Has anyone seen it? If so what did you think? I've no experience with any of Maddin's films though I've read about them. I understand the filming of the ballet dancers is not always exactly what one might hope for in the sense of seeing them at their ballet dancing best...but I'm interested in hearing people's reviews.

Just FYI, Darla Hoover is the Director of the Graded Ballet program at Ballet Academy East in NYC and Jessy (Jessie) Hendrikson has been teaching there lately and acting as a rehearsal coach in Darla's absence for a Balanchine piece that will be performed at BAE's Spring Performances at the end of this month. P.S. Ashley Maher, the second of the three ballet Maher sisters, was with Miami City Ballet and is now pursuing another dance venue.

To follow this line to a slightly different venue - what about the "creating of a star" in a ballet school? Naturally there are different strengths, abliities and talents within a ballet school's student population but sometimes it can appear that 'stars' are being polished for a few years and then they lose their lustre...and a new one is up and shining. Dale, I like your way of describing these more bravura moves as "a facility that should be used as spice, not the meat, of a dancer's art" - spice is nice every now and then when it enhances the main course. ;)

Just a suggestion - you might want to peruse the Issues forum for some ideas.

Point well taken about the elbows! I am pretty certain I'm not guilty of this due to picture taking habits of steadying the camera by holding my elbows in. Giannina, the type of binoculars I bought for ballet, in particular are Bushnell Xtra Wide and if you click on Click on Model #13-0421 4x21 you'll get the details. They actually sell them in the gift shop beneath Lincoln Center, but I'm sure you can order them from any good binocular/camera store. They're not expensive, and they're worth every penny.

Yes, "we" attended last night's performance. Alina Cojocaru was exquisite last night and I couldn't take my eyes off her. I'm, sadly, not capable of giving a well written critique of the performance and had been hoping someone else would start the ball rolling. I had seen La Bayadere several years ago when the Bolshoi came to NYC and had been "wowed" by their production, in particular by the entrance of the shades during the opium dream sequence - that scene, the way they staged it was fantastic...each shade in perfect unison, the way they seemed to step on darkness and criss cross the stage on at least two, if not three, slanted diagonals... They were mesmerizing. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for last night's performance. Perhaps I am being too harsh and my memory is but a pipe dream? ;) But seriously, I didn't find ABT's version to be moving in the way I had The Bolshoi's - at all. I felt their shades were a bit "off" and only too real - in part this was due to the lighting and set, but it was also due to their not being in unison. One was only too aware that they were, alas, mere mortals... The absolute highlight was watching Miss Cojocaru. I think she is made of air and lightening. Also have to admit, that I truly enjoyed watching what appeared to be to me Angel Corella's real joy in dancing with her - and he was pretty good last night himself!

FF, when I read this new thread, I had to laugh! Last night I sat in the dress circle at the Met. and attended La Bayadere with Alina Cojocaru. I used my "opera glasses" AKA Bushnell Xtra-wide's often. I really don't like sitting that high up (I know, I know, it could have been higher and many people like having this angle of view) so I felt that I really needed to use them often. Although I knew it was important to see the big picture when Cojocaru and Corella were on stage together in the dream phase, I felt I had to see her in detail. She is exquisite and I couldn't bear to miss any aspect of her performance. Normally, I do tend to look at the "main" dancers faces as they come on...or if someone is doing something in a solo, or pas de deux I also really do like seeing it "up close" for part of the time... And I, too, have zeroed in on a corps dancer, myself, Farrell Fan. P.S. Extra wide auto focus binoculars make a big difference.

Glad you posted this Watermill, I looked at this commercial, thanks to Ari's post in links, and agree - beautifully done. Has anyone actually seen in on TV? Or isn't it officially out yet? Are they the only ballet company that seems to be really pouring it on via advertising or does it just appear that way? Since everyone is crying, with good reason, budget woes, I'm guessing that the advertising blitz is thought to be key... and in the article along with that clip, it mentions that the fellow who put this tv spot together apparently did some of it "on his own time". That's very nice, isn't it?

dancerscheese, I don't think that anyone is suggesting that one "must"... Some people may like to analyze the performance in order to "see" it in its particulars... In a way, you might like to compare it to reading a novel and discussing it in a literature class - as opposed to reading at home, alone and becoming immersed in the story. I tend to prefer "immersion" myself...but, in part, this is because I don't have a strong technical knowledge of ballet.