BW

What a lovely way to begin the day - by reading everyone's thoughts on why they love to dance - or why their children do! The sun is shining and even if it was not, I think I'd feel happy just reading this thread. I am not a dancer, sadly...though I used to love to dance to Van Morrison et al! However my daughter is a ballet dancer - a young one...and she has always loved to dance. Perhaps it all started when she was a baby and I danced with her in my arms to whatever music I had playing at that moment?

Wow! You all are making me want to run over to the nearest well stocked library or hit up Kultur Video or Amazon.com for their selections! Thankyou Alexandra for all the details which I will be sure to reread when I finally get hold of a copy of Napoli! And Paul and Balletnut and Viviane for your heartfelt descriptions - you've really piqued my interest in seeing a Bournonville ballet!

In total agreement about the need for people to be paid and paid properly! Although I've never been involved professionally in the dance world - anyone that knows me could a test to that! - I do take your points seriously about this and the hard work as well! In regard to funding, I am interested in how it all works because I always find it fascinating to learn how people make a go in the nonprofit world...especially in the arts. I am not the fundraiser type, but I am interested in the "administration" side of things... It's a tough world out there and the arts need all the help we can give them!

Hey, Balletnut, the old Saturday Night Live was anintellectual and meaningful pursuit! However, it was your line about brilliancy that got me: That's what I go to the ballet for.

Hey, Balletnut, the old Saturday Night Live was anintellectual and meaningful pursuit! However, it was your line about brilliancy that got me: That's what I go to the ballet for.

Viviane, I found that site www.bournonville.com but for some reason I couldn't get past the first page! I will try again later. Balletnut, I know absolutely nothing about Bournonville. I am guessing that we just don't "do" him in the USA? I feel as thought I've read about his ballets on this site - probably over in the General Discussion area...and I think I recall reading someones' lament that we really just didn't see much of his work here. You're lucky to be able to "rent" a ballet video! Was it through a video store or did you get it from some wonderful library?

You know I never even considered that side of this subject! Thanks for bringing this upbhough, and I hope that some others in the field will respond...I'm sure they will later on tonight.

You know I never even considered that side of this subject! Thanks for bringing this upbhough, and I hope that some others in the field will respond...I'm sure they will later on tonight.

Vrsfanatic, I stand corrected on the aforesaid misnomer - damn the pre-pros and full speed ahead with "professional"! And I don't mean this sarcastically at all. I beg to say that I was only using the lingo I had picked up in cyberland. I admire both your directness and Victoria's on this subject, and appreciate the fact that both of your programs do send students to this particular competition - all the more reason for my applauding your comments! From what both of you have written, it does seem to me a pity that this competition is open to younger students - say below 15 or so. I wonder about the financial side of things myself... Where does the money go? Are the judges paid for their time...and how can anyone not have a vested interest if one of their own students is competing at the very same time they are sitting in judgement? It would be interesting to know how much is spent on PR, rental of space, guest speakers, etc. I do know that fundraising is in there somewhere too - in donations in kind as well as outright gifts of money...but how much is from the fees the competitors pay? So many questions - so little time! Money dealings aside, I am very thankful that you both took the time to post so thoughtfully on this topic. Many thanks!

Katharine Kanter your valid laments often make me laugh - I suppose it's your way of writing as it cuts so close to the bone! Ronny your comments about the value of technology and its allowing more of a diverse group of people to "view" ballet is something I never would ever have thought of!! I sure hope you can make it to a LIVE performance sometime really soon! You may swoon so be sure to bring smelling salts! ;) By reading everyone'sposts, it has gotten me to think again and worry a bit too, as my own daughter aspires to dance professionally one day... and as a parent one can't help but worry! All in all though, it's Kathleen's point about allowing genius the room to bloom that is the most hopeful of all. Alexandra already reiterated this and more so I won't belabor it too much. It certainly does do one's heart good to hope! And I do think Estelle's suggestion about more companies and school pursuing exchange programs would be wonderful! Which reminds me, I had better get on the phone today about seeing the POB students here in NY in May!

Vrsfanatic, thank you for your very informative response - it has helped me understand the reasons why various schools and individuals may have chosen to attend. The part about the foreign students was an eye opener for me! You obviously are with a preprofessional school and it is interesting to hear how it works in that atmosphere... I know that there are also people who enter the competition who are not with such well organized schools or programs, and I wonder if their approach is somewhat less realistic sometimes? I appreciate your explanation of the finer points - especially the age aspect within the competition as well as your particular program's way of dealing with it. Many thanks!

Viviane, in the United States at the college or university level the first and most basic course for example in Economics would be called "Economics 101" - in other words the "101" lets people know that it is a basic introductory course that will give students a good, solid overview of the subject. Thus, the author titled his book "Ballet 101"....Hope this helps!

Thank you all so much for your posts - it really does help to hear your details. Since I am not that well versed in the ballet world, reading your descriptions of people (many of whom I have seen) really helps me clarify my own feelings, and I also think it will help me to look at the individual dancers differently... It would be great to see a performance with you all and then discuss it afterwards!

Thank you all so much for your posts - it really does help to hear your details. Since I am not that well versed in the ballet world, reading your descriptions of people (many of whom I have seen) really helps me clarify my own feelings, and I also think it will help me to look at the individual dancers differently... It would be great to see a performance with you all and then discuss it afterwards!

I am amazed at that opening line. Such bad taste coming out of our nation's capitol - or at least its newspaper!:rolleyes:

I love your idea for a title: Discovering Ballet! I, too, have Ballet 101 - wonderfully written and not without a sense of humor! Now there is a course I wish I could take! Another thought might just be Ballet 101...or the 3 Bs: ballet basics and beyond... So far I vote for Discovering Ballet or good ol' Ballet 101:cool:

Ah, who is it that doesn't love a poll? The questions themselves are worth the read!

Ah, who is it that doesn't love a poll? The questions themselves are worth the read!

I'm sure anyone could guess my vote: personality that catches my eye is what draws me to "love" a particular dancer...although I do appreciate what my eye sees as a high level of technique...granted my vision's not 20/20. I hope this poll will get many, many votes cast and then perhaps you can publish it and send it off to various artistic directors and their money people!

I'm sure anyone could guess my vote: personality that catches my eye is what draws me to "love" a particular dancer...although I do appreciate what my eye sees as a high level of technique...granted my vision's not 20/20. I hope this poll will get many, many votes cast and then perhaps you can publish it and send it off to various artistic directors and their money people!

Thanks Calliope!

It's great that people in Japan are able to participate. I will have to go check out their website to see exactly where the regionals are held there. So this means that the winners over there, must then come to NY in May - which must be terribly expensive!:eek: I know that the cost of just about everything is much more in Japan, so I am guessing that unless there are some really good scholarships offered there, it must really limit the students who choose to dance to those of a very much higher socio-economic level than the students in the USA. There's no argument that ballet and all its trappings is a very expensive pursuit here but for anyone who is not familiar with life and its costs in Japan, there is a world of difference in what the cost of lessons, studio time, stage rentals, etc., are between our two countries! OK, now that I've digressed(although I do think it's an interesting sub-topic: the whole economic base idea of the competitors), I want to go back to a question that I posed earlier. One that Victoria tried to address: Why are there so many competitors who arrive in NYC for the finals that are really not very good, either technically or artistically? Last year they went on forever! I also would like to know if you think it is important or even imperative that students who are really aiming for a professional career in ballet compete in these kinds of things...OK, let's limit it to YGPA? What makes a teacher encourage a student to do the YGPA ,anddo you think it is a good experience for anyone to go into this competition - and if not anyone, what is the criteria used to make the decision. I am not expecting definitive answers but rather hoping to draw out some discussion on the subject if anyone else is interested!

I'm not familiar with this particular magazine...is it available in most big bookstore magazine sections?

Jaana - your English is excellent and I think you expressed yourself very well! You've all made interesting points that have made me think, which is always a good thing! I'll write more later. I hope others will add their thoughts to this.

I just finished reading two threads in this section: the one entitled something along the lines of "there are competitions and there are competitions" and then the one about "judging" and I began to wonde what the real value of some of these competitions really is. I've chosen YGPA as my topic because it's the only one I've ever seen in action. I attended last year, albeit only a small part of the final rounds in NYC....Much of what we saw was pretty bad...then we went out for dinner and later heard that the really good dancers had been scheduled to come on later in the evening... What is the point of having dancers win in the first rounds when they are really not any good? Why bring these people all the way from wherever it is they're from and make them pay for hotels and transportation when they have absolutely no hope?? And Aubri's post on the "judging" thread was nothing if not upsetting! What value do young dancers really get from this particular competition? I suppose the winners to get offers to various programs and schools... Would they not have gotten these offers if they had auditioned as most people do? I would love to hear some thoughts on this. Thanks.