BW

So DVD's really are far superior even if they are only transfers from older films or videos?

Sadly the only DVD player we own right now resides in this computer!

Food for thought. Thank you!

Luckily, a friend called me to alert me to that mini interview with Suzanne Farrell.

I was particularly glad to see it because I've been reading her autobiography and had never ever seen her dance! I was very helpful to see those clips - it really illustrated what I'd only had a chance to read about before.

I know a young lady who attended her Cedar Island program last summer and loved it... Ms. Farrell is obviously a very interesting and strong personality. I can imagine it would be a wonderful opportunity to study with her.

Hmm, Victoria, good question! I'm only guessing at this point, and will find out tonight or tomorrow for sure...probably the wedding scene but who knows! Pas de dix is for ten people? Could be that one too... I am certain it's not the whole ballet!

I have two ballet books and neither one goes into much detail on it although one does mention some videos...

Thanks Alexandra, I was just looking at that Ballet of the Month section last night!

Can someone tell me what Raymonda is about? Is there a story line?

Perhaps you can even point me in the direction of something to read about it...better yet to see it on video...My daughter is going to have a part in it, and it certainly would be nice to actually see it performed...

Thanks, all.

"Unleash" is the right word to use! I have to say that I found his diatribe/ode to be both interesting and, at the same time, rather funny...

I did find this section to be rather thought provoking:

That generation of dancers, which was so accomplished, didn’t know how to pass it on, did not understand the urgency of the need.

And they had no understanding, it seems to me, of the past. Some of the Fokine repertory comes back, a bit of the Nijinska, occasionally - but I’ve always believed that a company like the Royal Ballet should be full of dancers who know the stylistic differences between Petipa, Nijinska, Balanchine, Massine, Fokine - and also had those works in their bodies, just as any pianist will know his Bach, his Beethoven and Mozart. If you don’t have that kind of general knowledge in your body, even as corps de ballet, everything has to be “retaught” and reinterpreted and further degraded each time. The great thing about Russian tradition is that everything is nursed and looked after, it is rigorously handed down, and there is no fooling around with changing this, changing that - as Ashton has been changed, shall we say. Style is going, so that you must accept dancers kicking their legs up in the air in entirely the wrong places. That occasionally happens in St Petersburg too, of course. But it was interesting that the great Aurora we saw this summer from the Kirov was Janna Ayupova, who was markedly better than that tedious Zakharova kicking her legs up into six o'clock all the time.

And then one looks at a Royal Ballet repertory which brings in ‘Don Quixote’, which the Royal Ballet is never going to be able to dance, not even as well as the Paris Opéra, because they don’t have the right coaching. They have no one who understands the energy, the vigour, the panache.

---

And do wonder if some of what he says here has a basis in truth...I cannot speak with regard to The Royal Ballet...but I ask this question in regard to the ballet world in general. Is there truly a loss of "lineage"...of knowledge being handed down from generation to generation?

Clement Crisp definitely gets the award for Curmdugeon of Critics!

Thanks Alexandra - I enjoyed reading the interview.

[ December 26, 2001: Message edited by: BW ]

I am a neophyte to the ballet world, as I only started attending regularly four years ago.

I did not have the pleasure of attending the ballet, or any form of dance except in plays, as I was growing up... just outside of NYC.

It wasn't until I was just out of college that I attended my first ballet. Although I can't possibly tell you what I saw, I can tell you who I saw - Natalia Makarova. Just to date myself this was in approximaately 1980!

Our daughter truly brought me to ballet when she was quite young, as she loves to dance.

I love the "classics". I can see them performed again and again and there is alwas something new for me to see.

Now, as to what constitutes a "classic" - that's another question! Do you mean Swan Lake, La Bayadere, Giselle, etc., and do you include Balanchine's own version of classic works or Jerome Robbins'?

This topic makes me think of Sylvie Guillam's version of Giselle which brought about all sorts of varying opinions...I thoroughly enjoyed it, but that doesn't mean that I don't also enjoy the more classical or traditional approach to Giselle!

I didn't see Dracula nor The Pied Piper... I really never did read much about Dracula(the one I recall was performed by The Pennsylvania Ballet) but I sure did hear about The Pied Piper!

I enjoy going to The Joyce where I've seen Ballet Tech (now I do think they could use a few new ones!), and I loved Stanton Welch's "Orange"...

I saw Christopher Wheeldon's "Scenes of the Ballet" - sorry if that's not quite the title - and I really thought it was fun...granted someone I am related to was in it.

I have loved Symphony C performed by both NYC Ballet and ABT... And although I admire some ballets for their technical prowess, I don't always like them.

Am I open to "something new"?...Yes. However, possibly because I am such a neophyte, I really want to see all the classics - Raymonda, Paquita, etc.

I hope some other more well versed readers will respond to your post Mme. Hermine.

[ December 20, 2001: Message edited by: BW ]

I'm fairly certain it's the classical one.

Don't anyone tell me anything too terrible about it as I've already ordered the tickets! From what I recalled reading about the performance earlier it did sound good. Sure hope so...

I'll be sure to let the curious know.

Are any of you familiar with this version? "Moscow Ballet" is performing a slightly different Nutcracker at SUNY Purchase's Performing Arts Center on the 28th and 29th...apparently this year they just happened to plan a world peace theme...which is rather timely.

I think that the performers are actually from a variety of companies...I also recall reading that there were a great number of tall men in it which was sort of unusual to note!

Anyone?

Thanks Attitude! Good to hear from a native Aussie.

I haven't seen the photos either...they may actually be very well done for what they are...but to advertise the dancer's merits in the way described for the reasons said, does seem a bit far fetched.

We must always remember that "there's no accounting for taste"!!

Leigh, I think it's safe to say ballet will never become mass media...at least we can hope!

Hmm, maybe we should have Donald Rumsfeld and John Ashcroft pose in their underwear ("cod pieces") so the uninitiated will appreciate their other side...

This sounds like a pretty stupid idea to me. If they want to entice the uninitiated into the ranks of the dedicated ticket buyers, I think that they're heading in the worst direction...and the idea of a webcam that can zero in on a "favorite dancer" - I can't imagine anything worse! Oy!

Voyeurism reaches a new low...or is it high?

The way to educate people to the multifaceted world of ballet is not to take the dancers' clothes off - but to offer lower ticket prices and more performances in a variety of locations...and to allow small groups of students to attend rehearsals with small scale "talks" with dancers of both sexes before and afterwards...to expose them to dance and music is one thing but underwear and stilettos?

Let's hear from some of our posters from Down Under!

Not to drag this thread into the abyss, Michael 1, but I just have to say that I think you hit that proverbial nail on the head in your last paragraph.

Now, back to the orginal topic!

Okay, I feel better now...guess I am not as aware of the details of these dancer's lives. It just seemed so sad to hear about retirement.

I hope Leigh is right about this stage as being not so much a "retirement" but more of a transition into other venues.

As for the teaching aspects, it is good to know that the young men at SAB have the opportunity to study with people like Peter Boal...who I hear is truly a wonderful human being.

Hmm, often do wonder what is happening at SAB with the vast majority of female students...the general murmur is that they are getting short shrift. What do you all think about the "older" female dancers and those that might teach or do teach?

Oh, liebs! Say it isn't so! Those guys are nearing the ends of their careers?! How old are they? I would never have expected that they were nearing the ends of their careers in ballet.

Maybe it's time companies and their adoring public started to accept that with age[what35? }comes the depth of experience that imbues their dancing potentially with much more...

It makes me sad to think that these dancers are ready to be put out to pasture.

What does ready mean anyway?

Meanwhile, down in our nation's capitol, our newly elected Independent Party President and family are taking an active interest in the arts.

Madame President's First (and only) Husband, known in his professional career as the Ultimate Partner or UP, has seen to it that the N.E.A. has been totally overhauled and is ready to fund the arts in our nation's public schools by creating a kind of public works program for retired, former ballet dancers,as well as musicians, actors and other creative artists.

However, UP's special love has always remained the ballet. While performing in New York, UP had the pleasure of getting to know Jumior through his affiliation with the Friends of...Center. The two became fast friends, taking class together when possible, attending each other's weddings and the bar mitsvahs of their sons and, generally, had managed to stay in touch over the years.

UP is determined to see Junior get the funding his ballet company needs - as well as the recognition.

Fashion is one thing - but what are they talking about???

Wonderful to read this - guess it pays to look around here! I was just about to ask about this particular book.

Looks like it will be very helpful for the uninitiated as well as for those who actually dance.

Thanks for the topic.