Alexandra Posted May 25, 2003 Author Share Posted May 25, 2003 That's a good point, grace. I haven't had the pleasure of gazing upon Ballet Barbie, but she must be a de-busted version. I hope you all picked up in that press release about the line of "My Size Barbie" clothes? What will those clever people think of next! Ballet Barbie is one thing -- it's probably fine to have the younger set running about in tutus. But much of Barbie's wardrobe seems to have been made by Victoria's Secret and appropriate for a nice dinner out in Las Vegas. THAT should perk up the third grade! Link to comment
Cristina Posted May 26, 2003 Share Posted May 26, 2003 No one has mentioned another possibility Mother Teresa Barbie... the possibilities are endless... I guess this is one way to get the arts to the masses. In my neck of the woods, I actually know people who have finally taken their children to a REAL Nutcracker. Their kids have grown up only seeing the Barbie video, and they finally realized that the real thing may be worth the price...Is it possible that they would not have otherwise taken their kids to a REAL ballet? Cristina:confused: Link to comment
Alexandra Posted May 26, 2003 Author Share Posted May 26, 2003 Welcome, Cristina -- your Mother Theresa Barbie may not be far off, although it does rather limit the fashion possibilities! (Did you read about the Bejart Mother Theresa ballet? ) I hadn't thought about children seeing the video first before ever having seen a ballet -- I haven't seen the video, so can't make a comparison. It does seem a bit backwards. I'd worry that children will find the stage production lacking, especially if they see a very small town production. No special effects, no talking animals, no..... Link to comment
Hans Posted May 26, 2003 Share Posted May 26, 2003 I just had the most horrible idea: Mary, Mother of God Barbie. Comes with a little baby Jesus and "Joseph Ken." Worse idea: Wiccan Barbie. Strange idea: Famous Ballerina Barbie Series! Fonteyn Barbie, Ulanova Barbie, Sylvie Guillem Barbie, Pavlova Barbie...the possibilities are endless! Maybe the stress of four recitals in a row is getting to me.... Link to comment
Petra Posted May 26, 2003 Share Posted May 26, 2003 I had to read the original press release in three sittings - I kept on running to the bathroom:p I don't understand why anyone would want to produce this kind of travesty. Surely it would be cheaper (there's no point in commenting on the artistry involved)to film a live production and add narration / voices or even adapt a live production especially for a children's video. This certainly makes all previous threads on commercialisation of ballet and ballet companies completely redundant. Link to comment
glebb Posted May 26, 2003 Share Posted May 26, 2003 Bringing this back to earth I propose Isadora/Barbie, in Grecian tunic. Mattel has created a new substance to make her body less rigid. Link to comment
Alexandra Posted May 26, 2003 Author Share Posted May 26, 2003 Great idea -- bare feet, with real toes. The Plasma Barbie! Link to comment
Treefrog Posted May 26, 2003 Share Posted May 26, 2003 Um, GWTW, if you are going to move here, you have to get with the (American) program! Go back and reread the press release -- wait, no, I don't want to condemn you to more bathroom trips. Barbie sells; NYCB doesn't. This isn't about ballet; it's about separating people from their money. Link to comment
Treefrog Posted May 26, 2003 Share Posted May 26, 2003 Hey, great! We've already got Barbie's car -- does Isadora Barbie come with the scarf, or does one buy that separately? (I hope people don't find this TOO tasteless -- I mean it more as a comment on American commercialism than in disrespect of Ms. Duncan.) Link to comment
Watermill Posted May 27, 2003 Share Posted May 27, 2003 I don't know whether to laugh or cry when crass commercialism invades high art like this. Though I see some feel it's high art improving crass commercialism. This is naive: the lower motive always wins in the end. As the Chinese say: whether the melon hits the rock, or the rock hits the melon, it's going to be bad for the melon. In this case, Barbie's rock hard epidermis meets Martin's melon-headed thinking. This reminds me of Waiting for Guffman's Corky St Clair displaying his My Dinner with Andre action figures. I know it's apples and oranges, (god what a fruity post!) but it feels like Martins is tying to outdo McKenzie for the Questionable Tie-in Award. (see Issues: ABT for sale) Actually, if you take a good look at Barbie's proportions (minus the Teflon Twin Peaks) the small head, long neck, short torso, very long limbs remind one of what group of dancers? Scene: 1962: In the Nutcracker girl's dressing room, Mr. Balanchine, bestowing a gentle merde on the Candy Canes, spies a new doll lying on a dressing table. Inspired by its form, he cries: "At last! The perfect Dancer!" From that moment on the City Ballet female begins her evolution toward the impossible proportions of the doll. Talk about plastic surgery! So let's not be too hard on Martins...he's just following things to their most unatural conclusion. Can't wait for the Urban Contemporary Barbie in "Sleeping Booty"! With a Wink, Watermill Link to comment
grace Posted May 28, 2003 Share Posted May 28, 2003 unfortunately, i think alexandra's right: I'd worry that children will find the stage production lacking, especially if they see a very small town production. No special effects, no talking animals, no..... Link to comment
Hans Posted May 28, 2003 Share Posted May 28, 2003 Maybe we'll be spared from the likes of "Barbie Giselle"--I wonder how they'd configure that one to appeal to children! Link to comment
Alexandra Posted May 28, 2003 Author Share Posted May 28, 2003 Myrthe would have exciting, fluffy forest animals to play with And they would tear Ken (a/k/a Count Daniel) to pieces if you buy the batteries. Link to comment
carbro Posted May 28, 2003 Share Posted May 28, 2003 A Barbie Giselle is problematic -- daughter of a poor , rural, single mother, dearth of consumer goodies. . . However, consider the possibilities of a Barbie Bathilde!!! Link to comment
Alexandra Posted May 28, 2003 Author Share Posted May 28, 2003 Ah! You've hit upon ballet's great secret. Many of ballet's heroes and heroines have only one parent, especially those in Romantic ballets. I have a New! Improved! lilbretto for Folk Tale that begins, "Muri, a single mother who struggles to raise her two rambunctious sons, Viderik and Diderik...." Link to comment
BalletNut Posted May 29, 2003 Share Posted May 29, 2003 Has anyone considered the possibilities of Barbie Bayadere? If we're going for celebrity Barbies, what about a Volochkova [sp?] Barbie? Judging by what I've seen, it's not too much of a stretch. Link to comment
diane Posted May 29, 2003 Share Posted May 29, 2003 That is a point about kids being disappointed by the "real thing" after they have seen the Barbie-films with talking porcupine and other oddities; not that I have anything against porcupines....;) In fact, some of my little dance-students have seen Barbie in the Nutcracker (or whatever it is called) and insist that it is the _real_ way it should be. (a little girl leaning to dance, dancers who can really fly through the air and that sort of thing) ((This is nearly as bad as the German pop-singer who sang a song to a theme from Swan Lake; with the refrain, "oh, yeah"! )) Ah, well..... I suppose it does help to interest some kids in the real thing, to some extent. -diane- Link to comment
Alexandra Posted May 29, 2003 Author Share Posted May 29, 2003 Think of the possibilities of a porcupine doing multiple pirouettes Link to comment
Hans Posted May 29, 2003 Share Posted May 29, 2003 Now THERE'S a weapon with which to defeat Rothbart! Maybe they should put it into NYCB's production to make it clear how Rothbart dies. Link to comment
Doris R Posted May 31, 2003 Share Posted May 31, 2003 But then... how many little girls have gone to see Sleeping Beauty and look for the three fairies Disney created? (by the way... the newer Barbie Ballerinas don't turn out from the knees, as for the fingers, well the hands aren't all that bad either.) YES!!!! I confess!!! I own several Ballerina Barbies! Help me! Link to comment
Alexandra Posted May 31, 2003 Author Share Posted May 31, 2003 Doris, I think a support group is in order.... Link to comment
Ed Waffle Posted May 31, 2003 Share Posted May 31, 2003 Perhaps group therapy for the various Barbie manifestations? Tough job for the facilitator. Link to comment
Doris R Posted June 2, 2003 Share Posted June 2, 2003 Alexandra -- you're right, and my daughter would agree with you! (I guess this is not the time to admit to the teddies in tutus.) Link to comment
nlkflint Posted June 3, 2003 Share Posted June 3, 2003 I just noticed the added "prologue." If you think this is a joke, or just want to see what it is that is coming out visit http://www.mattel.com/investors/2003_NYTF/...n_Lake_2003.pdf It takes a little time to download. If you are not familiar with the Adobe program and want to zoom in to read the text, hit the little magnifying glass at the top of the page and then click on the page and you can zoom in. ENJOY PS, There is not just a porcupine and a unicorn--there is also Carlita the skunk. I kid you not. "Barbie of Swan Lake” Jumbo Plush Assortment brings the magic of Swan Lake to girls in a soft and cuddly way. With four huggable animal characters from the movie the fun of the enchanted forest goes on and on. The four jumbo plush characters include Carlita ™ the Skunk, Ivan ™ the Porcupine, Lila ™ the unicorn and Odette ™ as the swan. Link to comment
glebb Posted June 3, 2003 Share Posted June 3, 2003 I know I might get my wrists slapped for this (because it's not a ballet Barbie), but if I am going to watch a Barbie movie I would like to see her as each of the women in NINE, the musical. Link to comment
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