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I'm not there but I'm told it's controversial but very beautiful. Interested to hear the replies on why anyone would mess with it.

sandik - can you be more specific about skills and composition techniques that can be taught?

I totally agree with you Vipa. Those "See The Music" lectures - while often interesting and informative - are demystifying. When the curtain goes up on a work like Concerto Barocco, you're totally in a different place, its own world. After Bach's score is broken down for you that's no longer possible. Or at least it's more difficult to achieve. There's no mystery because you've been told what to expect, even what to think. It's even worse when dancers come out to talk. Turns out they're just people. Not these magic creatures capable of extraordinary, beautiful things. I don't want to know how hard it is or how many hours they spend in the theatre or how much they sweat. It takes away the fantasy. And nothing does that more crudely than ink. For me seeing tattoos, even covered tattoos, makes the experience about that person's life off stage rather than about the ballet they're supposed to be presenting. .

I believe that jump is called coupé jeté en attitude. As to the foot in passé it's what is called over-crossed and is technically incorrect. The box of the pointe shoe should be just under the knee on the inside of the standing leg - only crossed about half way on the standing leg. Sometimes in supported pirouettes there's a fear of the passé leg's knee hitting the partner and one tends to over-cross.

Natalia - I saw Clap Yo' Hands a few years ago at the NYCB with Robert Fairchild. I think they only put it in for one season. I'm told the reason it was dropped so quickly from the original production was that the guy - who has already done 3 PDD - then does his variation and Clap Yo' Hands immediately follows. Very difficult apparently. The ballet is already 40-some minutes long without it, so it is rarely done. Too bad. I thought it was wonderful.

I don't know anything about Gia Kourlas or her background or interests, vipa, and I'm disinclined to spend time trying to find out. Reading her reviews says it all. Agree with him or not, Alastair Macaulay obviously knows something about ballet and enjoys the art form. He also can write. He's capable of giving you a reasonable picture of what he saw and how it made him feel. Writing about dance is like writing about music - basically impossible. Our responses to them go beyond words. But at least Macaulay tries. And in an honorable way. Kourlas has no conscience. She'll say anything. And unfortunately she usually doesn't know what she's talking about. I don't see her Odette/Odile goof as any big jump from her normal writing. Wrong girl. Wrong job.

Your comments, mimsyb, make perfect sense and are written with a clarity that commands respect, whether one agrees with you or not. That is not the case with Ms. Kourlas. Her review substantiates nothing. It's just mean and snarky. I'm convinced she hates ballet and the people who do it. And I firmly believe she should not be writing about ballet. She gets things wrong constantly, because she's never taken the time to learn about an art form she clearly dislikes. I still remember a review of the NYCB where she said it was clear the technical level of the company had dropped since Balanchine's death because so many people fall down. As if in the really good rehearsals they teach you not to slip. Unbelievable.

It's interesting to read all these rave reviews of the Swan Lake performance and then to see Gia Kourlas' sad, mean little review in the NYT. Contrary to all the posts here, she writes the same old stuff she always writes - it was boring, nobody but Gomes was good enough for her, Simkin can't partner, Hallberg was dull, the ballet didn't really start until Gomes came out. Not surprising from a modern dance person. But then she confuses Odette/Odile getting the parts mixed up. What does that say about the standard of dance writing at the NYT? If she can't tell Odette from Odile why would you listen to her about anyone's performance, or the tempi, etc. If they insist on retaining her why not assign her to performances that are more to her taste? That is to say, modern dance.

I recently attended a Traviata at the Met, where I rarely go although I like opera very much. I used the translator on the back of the seat in front of me although I couldn't see anyone else's. I don't know how they do it. No glare, no distraction. I found it very helpful and you don't have to look at it all that much. Once you get the drift you can watch the stage, and it helps enormously to follow what's being said. The person who invited me didn't use hers at all because she knew the opera forwards and backwards, but I felt for those of us who don't know the works very well it's a wonderful help and not distracting to others in any way.

Helene - This ending quote from today's NYT review of Ratmansky's Romeo in London speaks to what I meant about Osipova's company-and-rep hopping. "By contrast, the crowd scenes — where most versions of “Romeo” lapse into cliché — are entirely fresh. The whole production confirms that Mr. Ratmansky is the most gifted choreographer specializing in classical ballet today. Yet you can’t help wanting him to stay in one spot with one company around the year and mold its dancers fully as expressive instruments."

Helene - I'm surprised at myself because I've never read any post by you that I didn't totally agree with. I don't think I can substantiate it, but this one time I don't think I agree with you. While I'm a fan of Ms. Osipova and enjoy her performances very much, there's something about her rabid company-hopping that grates. Maybe it's the "user" quality of it - what else can I get, both artistically and in terms of money. I've never met a dancer who dances for the money. Have you? One also gets a sense of little commitment. This ballet, that company, this city or that one. It makes one wonder what it is she actually cares about. Maybe ultimately it doesn't matter, but there is something about all this that makes me uneasy. A dancer's life is not just about "taking advantage of opportunities offered". That's hedge fund mentality.

Natalia - please post more. Did you see the second program?

Danilova and Doubrovska worked with Balanchine very early in his career. SAB is now run by dancers who worked with Balanchine in the 60's and 70's and who are more familiar with how his ideas and teaching evolved.

Not at all. In the 60's and 70's the State Theatre's stage only had little marks at the front of the stage at Center and Quarter on both sides. They now have 8th marks as well as tiny dots that go all the way upstage. They are far more concerned with lines and spacing than formerly, and while it looks nice and organized there is of course less of the thrust and energy they used to have. You can't have both. Dancers can't move full out if they have to stay precisely in line. It makes them much more careful and more concentrated on following who's in front of them than on what they're actually doing themselves. Balanchine preferred the thrust and energy.

Sorry to hear that the performance wasn't a particularly good one. I imagine different nights/casts did better than others. I can think of quite a few companies that could do with a little of the "academically correct" though. Balanchine performed without precision can be a fright. I happened to dig up the NYCB's "Bringing Balanchine Back" DVD to catch some glimpses of Serenade and that segment (with Darci Kistler) fairs pretty well, but Symphony in C, Symphony in 3 Movements and Western Symphony look all a muddle due to the Corps lack of precision. Energy and speed are there, but no precision. I laugh every time I hear the comments from the Russian dancers about NYCB: "The legs very good. The arms not so good." "Not so good" is putting it mildly - arms at every angle. And different degrees of curvature/straightness. No one seems to realize how much this blurs the choreography and renders it indistinct. Not so good. ;) Pherank - While most people would agree with you that the NYCB "lacks precision" and that their arms are "not so good", I would point out that his ballets are danced the way Mr. Balanchine liked them danced. He was very particular about port de bras in class, hands, and - particularly - fingers, but he was not interested in everyone looking the same - having their arms at the same levels and getting into strict lines. He called it "synchronized dancing" - like the Rockettes, whom he admired for what they did so well. But he was not interested in having his ballets approached that way. He wanted each dancer to dance as big as they could and if the lines weren't perfect, so be it. Same with the arms. Most ballet goers don't agree with him. But they also don't agree with many of the changes he made to his own ballets - like eliminating the birth scene from Apollo. To him the birth was old-fashioned and almost vulgar. He much preferred the condensed, more abstract version he did in the 70's. I myself very much like the Paris Opera approach to Diamonds. With all the beautiful feet and legs shown so well in perfect lines. To me it's more clear than how it's presented over there in NY. But I would never argue with Balanchine's right to present those works however he saw fit.

Isaac is in med school. He hopes to become an anesthesiaologist.

What a lovely girl. That was charming to watch.

An interesting point ktw. I always felt Gamonet's involvement with the company did both those things - attracted the Hispanic community in Miami and Hispanic donors. But I have nothing to substantiate that assumption. Does anyone know where Gamonet is working now?

I'm with you Amy.

While I have serious reservations about the NYCB's adoption of 'dynamic pricing', just try to get a ticket to The Book of Mormon. I have even more serious reservations about the practice of buying tickets and trying to sell them on eBay. Isn't that scalping? Isn't scalping illegal?

Nanarina - You might have confused Johann Kobborg with Sebastian Kloborg who is a soloist with the Royal Danish Ballet. Sebastian is the only child of Eva Kloborg (a Character Dancer with the company) and Frank Andersen (former AD of the company). Sebastian joined the company in 2005 and was promoted to soloist in 2009.

I know this is in the wrong place, but I seem to be on the Bolshoi thing so much these days reading about Osipova and Vasiliev's departure - and I wanted to say to everyone that although I realize it can never replace the real thing - a live performance - I'm very grateful for Youtube and the vast scope of what you can see. Last night I watched Uliana Lopatkina do the variation from Paquita over and over. I was mesmerized. I thought it was extraordinary. The port de bras, the epaulement, chainee turns in 5th - which I don't think I've ever seen before. Then I watched Alina Somova do the same variation - because it was right there - and I thought she was a very good dancer, but the difference was so informative. It was the difference between good dancing and great dancing. I'm very grateful to have the opportunity to see all those things, and very grateful to this site for the opportunity to see worldwide reviews every day. I think it's great.

Natalia - what about Yury Smekalov?

Jayne's response is wise. It's easy to overlook all those hidden expenses. And Eileen doesn't mention dancer salaries. The NYCB has 24 principal dancers. They're probably paid at varying rates, but let's say they make 200K each - that's an expense of 4.8M a year just for the principals.

Just curious. Who were the candidates who would have been incredible?