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This is the most shocking casting replacement ABT has made all season: a company member...replacing an injured company member?!?

Thanks for bumping this topic up...I spent awhile looking through the catalog pdf, which I found to be incredibly interesting; towards page 140 or so there seems to be the "dance" section with beautiful costumes from the ballet in An American in Paris, Singing in the Rain (obviously!) and even a tutu that belonged to Maria Tallchief. I can't even begin to imagine where she's been storing all of this all through the years--there's SO much stuff.

The complete ballet music is on this cd (http://www.amazon.com/Rossini-Donizetti-Ballet-Music/dp/B003X7MBFE/ref=tmm_msc_title_0), a compilation of Rossini and Donizetti's ballet music; it does, however, have the chorus. I believe it's also on one of the Richard Bonynge Fete du Ballet CDs which are a collection of ballet rarities, but those are harder to find. A good portion is also on this cd: http://www.emiclassics.co.uk/release.php?id=15214 without the chorus, but I don't believe it's available in the US. Happy hunting!

She does...it makes her a little hard to listen to, no offense to Sarah. Great to see some of her Giselle though--I liked her in the first act excerpts quite a bit.

Well Le Riche clearly declines as he had just finished one of his own and is fearing the wrath of the stage manager for putting out another one on the stage flooring. That stuff isn't cheap!

Not sure about the orchestra -- that might depend on the local musicians' union's arrangements with the theaters. At Kennedy Center, I thought they used a local pick-up orchestra, although with their own conductors. My aunt was a violist with the Quad-Cities Symphony in the midwest for several decades, and she played under arrangements like that with everything from Moody Blues to touring Broadway shows. The Musicians' union has historically been one of the strongest (toughest?) in the performing arts. I believe the arrangement at the Kennedy Center is one year they use the Kennedy Center's house orch (National Symphony??) and then next they use the NYCB Orchestra, on a rotating basis--this was the agreement between the two musicians unions as a compromise. The NYCB Orch is required to tour WITH the Ballet and play at all Ballet performances, which is what makes touring NYCB so difficult and why this special deal with the Kennedy Center was arranged since they have a longer contract to perform there.

This is true and what I was thinking of when watching--even so Radetsky's variation is beautifully done and so clean. He compares well to most of the more famous principals...and yet he remains a fairly underused soloist.

Ballet dancers smoke for the same reasons anyone else does: they like it and they often become addicted. Perhaps Aurelie doesn't want to be a role model (or doesn't know she is one) and thinks that she shouldn't have to change her behavior to suit other people (I don't think she should feel obligated to at all). It's not like she is a teen star who relies on an impressionable audience base and needs to be squeaky clean in order to avoid enraging parents. She's an adult and most ballet dancers are fairly private about their personal lives.

Well she almost turned the Wedding pas into a mini balance-a-thon (who even knew there were balances to be found in the Sleeping Beauty wedding pas??), which is what made me think of it. Why not give her a built in platform for her abilities? I had a great time...I'm sorry you didn't get to see the company while they've been in the US this time around. I would have been happy to go all week had I the time and extra money!

Last night (6/18) was also interesting and excellent--if for different reasons than opening night. First, I felt the men were more on form. Valdes' partner in Sleeping Beauty, Alejandro Virelles, seemed much more at home in the Florimund variation as opposed to Basil's variation on opening night. He showed a light and effortless jump with silent landings. Similarly, Anette Delgado's partner, Dani Hernandez, in DQ, displayed a new confidence. He was having a great time, partnering her with ease and they nailed the giant one handed lift in the pas, where he proceeded to hold her up in the air for eternity and then walk her around the stage. His solo also showed more attack and finesse. Unfortunately (for me), some of the dancers were cast in the same ballets both evenings, which I was trying to avoid in an effort to see variety while still working around my schedule. Barbara Garcia was Sugarplum again and Arencibia was Odette again. Garcia had some problems in the coda, but she just pushed forward with more velocity, commanding her body in place and everything corrected itself-what a force! I didn't know what to expect with Valdes in Sleeping Beauty; though she was perfectly fine, I did prefer Yanela Pinera on opening night. As a couple though, Valdes and Virelles were much more in synch with each other, and again Virelles was wonderful in his solo. They also managed the fish dives with more grace and tempered the overblown practically upside ending fish dive position (sorry...not so much my taste!). Anette Delgado was excellent in Don Quixote--this was definitely the audience favorite of the evening. Such class from both Delgado and Hernandez. Very happy to have seen them in this; I debated going to see Delgado cast in the Giselle excerpt again just because it was so perfect, but am glad I got to see her Kitri. I wonder why Alonso doesn't do some of Act I of Sleeping Beauty--the Garland Waltz coupled with Aurora's entrace and Rose Adagio would break up a little of the pas de deux monotony. I understand she hasn't changed this program in a long time, but I think it would be a welcome addition instead of the wedding pas de deux.

Well Vishneva and Obraztsova are very different dancers and the ballets themselves are very different. Vishneva, who has an inherent sense of theater and drama, will be at home in the tragedy of Anna Karenina. Obraztsova, petite and ultra classical, is well cast in LHH, which is more of a fairytale. Perhaps you have done so already, but clips of both dancers in the ballets are available to view on youtube. Maybe that will help you make a selection between the ballets as you will get a feel for each dancer and the ballet itself. I don't think you can go wrong with either choice though--both dancers would be my personal first choices to see in their respective ballets. Please let us know your impressions after.

They were missed onstage last night in the Coppelia pas...thanks for searching out so many lovely clips!

Loved it! I thought it was going to more the same Woody Allen when I saw the trailer, but the surprise time warp is genius and it made the movie so much more fun. The actor who played Hemingway played him to the hilt! I also loved Michael Sheen as the pompous know-it-all-even-when-knowing-nothing. On a ballet note: I spent the entire movie trying to figure out if Sara Mearns started an acting career that somehow slipped the collective radar--Alison Pill as Zelda is a dead ringer for Mearns. Did anyone else think this?

Well I've been to a lot of modern art exhibits (using more traditional mediums of artistic expression) where I wonder if the only reason they are there is due wealthy benefactor...so goes the world at this point. Money has never grown on trees for the art world, and this is especially true nowadays. But art should be exceptional, so while I enjoy a nicely cut Armani, I don't think showing it in a museum is particularly worthwhile for anyone.

Oh come now. You may not like it (there are certainly things that don't affect me or appeal to me when I go to a museum), but a lot of fashion IS art, especially haute couture. Look at the great couturiers of the 20th century: Chanel, Dior, Givenchy, Balenciaga moving time wise now with Lacroix, Galliano, McQueen, Tisci. All of them have a tangible point of view that creates discussion, inspires, and is done is the service of reflecting or changing culture and creating beauty. Here are some of the examples from the McQueen exhibit: http://blog.metmuseum.org/alexandermcqueen/objects/ or a recent Dior exhibit: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/evelyne-politanoff/inspiration-dior-fashion-_b_858067.html. Perhaps you are working under another definition of "art museum" than I but I don't see any reason why these shouldn't sit proudly next to any other work of "art." And "wimmenfolk"---really??

I saw this, as well, last month, my comments alone would have surely purchased you a dress! It was such a beautiful exhibit; the amount of detail was absolutely extraordinary and so many of the looks were absolutely timeless. I wish I was in New York to see the McQueen exhibit at the Met--often I see the price tags of designer clothes and go "Really?! You've got to be kidding me" but workmanship that went into the Balenciaga clothes made it clear and I'm sure the McQueen exhibit is no less captivating and stunning.

What a fun opening night! It occurred to me at intermission it was so nice to sit through a mixed "bill/gala" evening and not actively want to die at points due to crummy "modern" choreography/music. Brief thoughts: Anette Delgado--I always knew I would truly love her once I finally saw her live. What a perfect beauty in Giselle. I just want to see her in the whole thing now! Like Natalia reported from DC, Osiel Gounoud and his darling partner Grettel Morejon brought down the house. They were a real pair...a lot of the other dancers seemed to have no connection with their partners, but these two really looked like they loved dancing together. He is definitely going to be the next the It sensation from Cuba; it was hard to look at the other principal men and see the connection between them and Acosta, the Carrenos, Sarabita, Frometa, etc-- they all seem good at one thing--say beautiful epaulment or lovely pirouettes-but no other man has the right mix of all things aside from Gounod. Barbara Garcia was great--women half her age would die for her technique! In looks, she reminds me of Xiomara Reyes especially in the face and in the carriage of their head (no bad thing in my opinion). Sadaise Arencibia was a beautiful Odette...she had the perfect stretch that kept her looking long without turning into a contortionist routine. I think her shoe broke in the last 45 seconds of the pas. Her foot was buckling for awhile and then she gave up on it, but it looked like it was certainly the shoe and not some weird foot issue. Her partner on the other hand looked like an errant Wili with his white cake makeup. It's summer, time to move to a darker shade! Finally...Miss Viengsay Valdes. I was worried about my feelings when I saw her live: I am not fan of circus craziness in ballet, but I've often enjoyed her on youtube as she does display a pure classicism amidst all the astonishing tricks but she was perfectly tactful, imo, and really wonderful! I mean as tactful as one can be holding balances that stretch for eternity. However, it didn't feel like a sideshow ever. In fact, a lot of reviews I've read criticized the company as working solely in service of "tricks" which I don't think could be farther from the truth. Perhaps it's because their technique is more rooted in old-fashioned values that it seems more like instances of bravura rather than the blatant showboating present at a lot of galas. Anyway, one woman in front of me kept giving her mini-standing Os at every opportunity. Anyway...more to come I will be back on Saturday to see the lovely Anette as Kitri and all the other new castings (I think Valdes is doing Sleeping Beauty, and Garcia is Odette??). On a personal note...I got stuck in front of 4 talkers who produced such gems as "Wow I can't do that" (said to Giselle's penchee), "Nice butt" (to Albrecht), "I know this song!!" "What is it" "The Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy!!" amidst all other kinds of constant discussion ("wow" "OMG" "did you see that?" "OH") and cell phone chirping. Repeated glares did not silence them but finally a lady next to me simultaneously SHHHHHHH'd them with me and it did the trick....for about 5 minutes.

I'm rather enjoying the image of the Queen creating an online account and navigating through the ROH website. You have to wonder, is this something they thought of themselves (in which case, they have a rather skewed view of their customers who are likely to use online ticketing) or did some lower Baron of Something-or-Other throw a fit and they were forced to put it in?

It is very tempting (surprised she is doing the weekend matinee rather than opening night)...I am seeing the Valdes Don Quixote Excerpt Spectacular during one of the Magia de la Danza evenings that I am attending, so even if I don't get to her full DQ, I will get a taste!!

I received an email from the Center today about the subscriber Dance 11/12 package...it shows no Vishneva evening and instead we have another round of the Kings of Dance. Perhaps the Vishneva evening will re-emerge in the schedule later? Info below: Hopefully it's more like the original Kings of Dance (which in comparison to Ardani's other programs we have had to suffer through here, was not bad) and less like the monstrosity that was Reflections.

Casting's up!! I appreciate how incredibly detailed it is. http://www.musiccenter.org/events/dance_1011_nacionaldecuba_casting.pdf I am going to wait until after I see them this week in Costa Mesa to decide on casting options.

Wow, did not see that coming, though am not surprised. I did a google search and pulled up this blog entry on his website: http://www.carloslopez.org/Carlos_Lopez_Website/Blog/Entries/2011/5/29_Changes.html which seems to allude to his departure.

Wow, he slices right through the air, doesn't he?

Casting is up finally!!! The Magic of Dance: http://www.scfta.org/home/Media/program%20assets/National%20Ballet%20of%20Cuba.pdf (casting starts on page 6 of the program) Looking forward to their arrival.

Wow! I heard about Gillian/Ethan and Jose/Melanie (Jose picked a beautifully unique ring btw, Hee Seo posted a picture of it on her Twitter), but not Alina and Johan. I wonder if some of the gents in the company are feeling the pressure now?