BW

Thanks for the chuckles! :grinning:

Another Southern writer, that I happen to love, is Lee Smith. Here's a link to some information about her on Amazon: Lee Smith.

When I was living in West Virginia one year, I went through a serious "Southern" phase - oh yes, and a Civil War phase, as well. We were in the most south eastern part of the state and "Yankees" were still discussed, over breakfast and The General Lewis Inn.

Definitely not a one.

Like vagansmom, if I find an author I really enjoy I due tend to try to read other boosk by them, ASAP. After finishing Bel Canto - which I loved - I picked up The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett and liked it quite a bit, as well. I'll spare you my views on the similar themes in two very different stories. Just finished The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold, two nights ago. Read the first chapter in the chiropractor's waiting room, thinking it was rather appropriate - don't let that first chapter stop you in your tracks...keep going, it's worth it. I'm looking forward to her heaven - for those of you who've read the book.

I love this thread, though I often forget to keep an eye on it. It's a great book list in the making!

Thank you all. :yes:

I'll keep you posted its the mom. According to Victoria Leigh the film has not been released yet on video. Perhaps it will come to an "art house" at some time. Hmm, perhaps a nice note to some of the theaters that show Independent Films in the area?

I'm with Alexandra on her three reasons - however, I'm with carbo on the not even clapping unless I thought it was worth clapping for....but, then again, I have "wimped" out and very lightly put my hands together once or twice, just to be polite.

Take your daughter, she'll absolutely love it! :grinning: The more someone knows about ballet - the classics - the more laughs will be had, but even without this background the Trocks are a lot of good fun! They're pretty darn good, too. :bouncing:

Yes, Paul, many, many thanks for taking the time and choosing that poem to post.

Farrell Fan, no doubt you are right about the "for the most part, thankless job" - but the "wins" on his part must make up for it, one would think.

And I'll send a message to vagansmom for you.

silvy, check out today's links. There's a post with a link titled Dance Cuba...

Thanks to Ari's links page, I read this article in the Miami Herald about this documentary and wondered if it was available on video yet.

I don't think the article states when the film was made. I'd love to see it.

I do tend to agree with your generalizations, Ed.

That said, I am wondering if this movie star vs actor thing is more common now than it was, say 30 or 40 years ago? Or, is it just the bell curve effect due to tremendously large number of movies that are being produced these days?

I also think it's amazing that the film ROTK nominated for best film with none of the actors nominated, for that alone, I think a Best Picture would vindicate their work.

So, here's a challenge. How would YOU structure the ad campaign for this program? Who are you trying to entice? How will you hook them?

I had sort of liked the blood spattered pointe shoe for Romeo and Juliet...

How does one show what the ballet is all about in an ad? Certainly not through ABT's naked torso approach that we discussed last year. Ideally a nice video clip that newspaper readers could click on and watch?

Finally saw The Company today and I had mixed feelings about it. On the one hand, I expected more - and was quite surprised when it ended.

What I did enjoy has been mentioned here by others - the little "slice of life" parts in rehearsals, the stereotypical AD behavior that was played so well by Malcolm McDowell that got not a few laughs in the particular movie house we were in, and the chance to see at least a little bit of the Joffrey Ballet.

If I could change anything it would be to forget the plot and to have just made it more of a documentary and to, of course, have seen much, much more dancing.

Neve Campbell was fine - she did well in her acting parts, but it was obvious that when she fell in that horrible Blue Snake ballet that the dancer who took her place was a thousand times better...but Campbell's lack of ability didn't bother me so much as the absolute unreality of that bathroom in her apartment!! :rolleyes: What young dancer do you know who can afford a set up like that - unless of course her bossy mother and step father were loaded to the max and had it built for her...

And I am 100% with you vagansmom about that final ballet of The Blue Snake - that made the whole build up laughable. That was really bad, in my opinion. To make matters worse the fact that this was the finale (rather than an example of what bad choreography dancers have to put up with in their working lives) and the movie showed "Arpino" and his ballet mistress reacting as though they thought they'd died and gone to ballet heaven.:speechless: This is the only part that really made me have the urge to say "Blech" as aspirant put it. Otherwise, it was enjoyable - not great, a bit of a let down, but OK for a Sunday afternoon.

However, to end this post on a more upbeat note - again, I did enjoy seeing the Joffrey Ballet because that is something I've never had the pleasure of doing before and I loved seeing Davis Robertson again - having just seen him perform at Symphony Space with Ballet NY. And I think he shows that he can act as well as dance, too.

Great responses - love those stories. And the John Ashcroft vision, as well - too scary! :sweating:

Now I have yet another book to add to my list - the biography of Joffrey. Many thanks!

Thanks to Alexandra's good news spotting, there's a very interesting link today to an obituary written by Patricia Sullivan in The Washington Post that does relate, in part, to ballet.

It's entitled KGB Archivist, Defector Vasili Mitrokhin, 81 and no, Mitrokhin was not a ballet dancer, however he was an archivist who apparently planned ahead because

for 12 years (he) secretly made notes from the Russian spy agency files until he defected to Britain in 1992, died of pneumonia Jan. 23, the British government announced yesterday.

Mr. Mitrokhin's handwritten notes were hidden in his shoes, buried in milk containers under the floorboards of his dacha or under his back garden and smuggled out of Russia by British agents in six trunks. The notes contained multiple revelations on the activities of the much-feared KGB for more than 70 years in the Soviet Union, Europe, Afghanistan and the United States...

If you haven't yet read the whole story, you really ought to - it's intriguing on many different levels.

The part of the article that makes reference to ballet is, as Alexandra already quoted in Links:

Among the disclosures in his files were assassinations, covert operations and a plot to break the legs of ballet star Rudolph Nureyev, who had defected.

I have not yet read Plisetskaya's autobiography (I, Maya Plisetskaya) but I did note that she and Mitrokhin are both born within a year or so of each other...and I'd wager quite a bit that the two certainly knew each other later in life.

Well, now I have two more books on my "Must Read" list.

Anyone have any insights on this subject - the KGB and its "interest" in ballet dancers?

(The utter ineptitude of the CIA in the face of Mitrokhin's first attempt to defect is another theme, for a non ballet related board! )

I loved "Whale Rider" and thought it was a really good, non Hollywood movie. The young girl did a great job as did a number of the other actors...but I understand your having a problem with her winning over someone twie her age...

The Oscars have always struck me as very unreal - certainly they don't usually reflect my view of who should win.

I've not seen "City of God" nor several of the others who've been nominated.

How do the Oscars really work? Whose vote counts? Are there lobbyists in the movie world - my bet is that there are - if not by that name.

Here's what could be called a "dumb" question: Is this the same YAGP that has been around for serveral years? I'm guessing it must be and that since they had so many non American competitors last year, that they've changed their name?

There's an article that you can find through today's links forum or click here about Rebecca Wright's new position with The Washington School of Ballet.

I think it's wonderful news! I know there's a great deal of interest, excitement and anticipation, both in the school and in the ballet world in general.

On Saturday's matinee the audience did plenty of clapping and there were a number excited and clearly audible exclamations, but there were no curtain calls, which surprised me. Glad to hear it wasn't that way for each performance.

By the way, in Saturday's I never felt that Runqiao Du's Cavalier was ever in love with Titania. He was definitely her manservant, albeit a very handsome one who certainly knew how to dance with her.

And Jared Nelson's Oberon was along the lines that you are familiar with in your "stately" reading of Midsummer, Leigh... I'm used to Peter Boal in this role, and a similar command is what I got from Nelson's portrayal.

In looking for this book, it title seems to be: Grace Under Pressure: Passing Dance Through Time and it is available through Barnes and Noble. As far as I can tell it only seems to be available in large pring through Amazon, which seems a bit strange to me.

I attended my first performance by The Washington Ballet today and really, really enjoyed it very much.

Unlike many here, I am not a huge fan of The Four Temperaments, however I really did think TWB did it very well... I found Erin Mahoney and the ensemble in the Fourth Variation to be my favorites.

Sonatine at today's matinee was danced by Brianne Bland, who was anything but bland - and Jared Nelson. It was one that I'd never seen nor do I believe many have seen it in a long time from what Septime Webre said at the outset of the performance. Bland and Nelson seemed to fit with each other perfectly and just as they did Ravel's music.

However, my favorite was A Midsummer Night's Dream. Although I know many are upset about TWB only performing Act I, they did it superbly. These dancers are not only really good technically but they can act! There was so much excitement...the dancers became their roles. To me it wasn't Elizabeth Gaither playing Titania - she was Titania! Gaither and Nelson were perfect as the Fairy Queen and King - absolutely looked and danced their parts. I really believed that Ms. Gaither's Titania, in particular, was truly a magical being. What a beautiful Titania she made...and Nelson's Oberon was just as convincing in his own way - he wore his regal tunic with self assurance and looked as though he'd been born to it.

And of course the athletic and very funny Aaron Jackson was almost a scene stealer as the headstrong Puck!

The four young lovers were also really well cast - each one showed a sense of humor - and my favorite was, again, Erin Mahoney - I think because she had the more complex part out of the foursome and she performed it so beautifully.

As for the Lead Butterfly - Laura Urgelles and Titania's Cavalier - Runqiao Du - what more could anyone ask for?

There were just too many dancers for me to possibly mention by name - but Titania's retinue, the butterflies and fairies, Hippolyta's hounds...all fulfilled their parts very believably and with enthusiasm. And contrary to what I think I read in review, I thought the scenery worked well. The only thing I'd wish for is a different vehicle for Titania's "throne" and perhaps a slightly more delicate flower to be pierced by a less slapstick Cupid's arrow.

I'm not able to delve into technical comments, but I can say with complete assurance that this is an excellent ballet company and one that should be seen by all of you. Their energy is real and their ability to take on roles and become them is something very different from my experience with a number of other well known companies - and they are well worth seeing again and again. It's a company that's alive.

Get thee to The Kennedy Center ASAP!

(Oh - no - though I'm laughing about the Chai tea - please, No! You know, I it took me a while to understand what people meant when they said that.)

Serenade - absolutely if I had to pick only one.

Thanks for the info Dani.