Mary J Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 I walked by a stationery store this morning and saw a sports version of the Monopoly game in the window. It got me thinking about a ballet-based game, perhaps with ballet companies instead of properties and ballets instead of houses and hotels. What would the utilities be? Instead of Pass Go, it would be ... ? Jail would be... Could the Chance cards be dancers (as guests or permanent members)? It could only be played if ballet music is performed in the background!
Mme. Hermine Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 Many years ago, (sniff and a trace of a tear as she dates herself) there was indeed a board game, which I think was called The Ballet Company and featured a graphic of Patty McBride on the box. Does anyone else remember this?
Alexandra Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 I don't remember it -- you'll have to keep checking ebay to see if one comes up! I like Mary J's idea. I'm going to move it to Anything Goes so more people likely to play will see it (Cross Talk is for dancers-teachers-choreographers, those who do dance).
Alexandra Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 The Chance cards would have to include: Prima Ballerina is injured, Jester out for season, Major Donor dies, Varna Winner accepts contract, those kinds of things. Please add!! The game also could control choreographers' works. That's where the Monopoly could come in. You'd try to get all the major Petipa ballets, or Balanchine, Kylian, whatever. If others couldn't do those works, they'd have no repertory and you'd Conquer All. Great idea, Mary. Any entrepreneur who tries to take this to market -- we'll sue!!!!
Marga Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 Many years ago, (sniff and a trace of a tear as she dates herself) there was indeed a board game, which I think was called The Ballet Company and featured a graphic of Patty McBride on the box. Does anyone else remember this? I remember that game! I was not able to purchase it at the time, but was very curious about it. I thought it would always be available, as most things were back then..... A ballet Trivial Pursuit would work very well, too!
Hans Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 I like the idea of acquiring various ballets. Each token could be a company or director (I know which director we'd all fight over NOT being... ). Or we could do Choreography Copyright Monopoly, in which everybody travels around the board trying to get the rights to ballets and then make other people pay to perform them. I imagine Oriental Avenue would be something by Welch or Duato, whereas Boardwalk and Park Place would be ballets such as Sleeping Beauty and Giselle.
Alexandra Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 Yes, that's the spirit. So if you land on Sleeping Beauty Boulevard (aka Park Place) you have to pay a whopping royalty to the Petipa Trust. If you land on Scheherezade Row, I guess pay a whopping royalty and still not be able to perform the ballet, and be stuck there for three turns while the court cases drag on. (That would work for Graham, too, if we did a Dance version.)
Giannina Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 Ballet "Trivial Pursuit"; that sounds delicious. Alexandra, remember when you used to make up those ballet quizes? You could dig all of those up (oh, lost archives....well just remember them), add a gazillion more, and you've got it. The trick would be finding someone to play it with you. Giannina
Mme. Hermine Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 Then there would be the matter of the game pieces. Hmm. A ballerina, a male dancer, a pointe shoe, a lyre, a tiara, a tutu, others?
Mme. Hermine Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 And if I recall the previously-mentioned ballet company game, there were cards like the Chance cards on Monopoly, where you might for instance turn over a card that said "you gain weight and lose a role" (it was the 60s or 70s...)
Hans Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 These days, it would be "your company says you gained weight as a pretext for firing you because they don't like the way you work, so you sue them and ride around in a limousine while the court date keeps getting postponed...." Alexandra, the Scheherazade Row idea is perfect! And "Go" could be the Nutcracker, every company's cash cow--pass "Nutcracker," survive for another year/turn around the board.
Marga Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 Then there would be the matter of the game pieces. Hmm. A ballerina, a male dancer, a pointe shoe, a lyre, a tiara, a tutu, others? Oooh...I want to be the little ballet barre!
Mme. Hermine Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 This idea has LEGS!!!!!!!!!!!! :grinning:
Mary J Posted November 5, 2003 Author Posted November 5, 2003 Maybe instead of "pass go and collect $100," it could be "passe releve and ..." what?
Alexandra Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 Giannina, the Quizzes are still on the main site here Great ideas, everyone -- keep 'em coming. This may need to be a three-dimensional video game, with Levels. Level 1, you're an apprentice. Level 2, you're a dancer. Level 3, you're a choreographer. Level 4, you're an artistic director. Different chances/opportunities and jails for each Hans, having Nutcracker as Go is brilliant
Guest Steve Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 The "railroads" could be set, lighting, dressing rooms, and stage.
BW Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 Seems to me that "Jail" would be "Physical Therapy" because if you're injured you're out and most injured dancers can be found at their physical therapist's. :shhh:
Mme. Hermine Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 How about a kind of chutes and ladders thing too, where if you land on a certain square you go to the back row of the corps and lose a turn?
djb Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 I like the choreography copyright idea, but why not go all the way and make the Boardwalk equivalent be ALL the Petipa (and Petipa/Ivanov) ballets? Park Place could be all of the Balanchine ballets.
Mel Johnson Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 A problem I see would be assigning a cognate for Baltic Avenue! What would it be, the Complete Collected Works of that AD we'd all rather not be?
Cristina Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 You could have a student version where the chance cards could be roles in ballets. Sorry, you did not get Sugar Plum, let your parents pay $100. Or, the properties could be SI's kids want to get into. The first row would be the regionaly, lesser known SI's. You could work around to the big dogs.... Of course, when would students have time to play? What with many hours of class and rehearsals each week - you could have a travel version they could play while they have down time. It seems there is a lot of waiting around that goes on at SI's and during Nut rehearsals. Maybe not as interesting as the full blown version!!!
Manhattnik Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 You create a bold new version of Swan Lake in which Siegfried and Benno are lovers. Go to Jail. Go directly to Jail. Do not pass Go! Do not collect $100.
Mme. Hermine Posted November 5, 2003 Posted November 5, 2003 Oh, shucks, make it Siegfried and the Jester!
citibob Posted November 6, 2003 Posted November 6, 2003 More gamepieces: * The sweaty tights * The SMELLY pointe shoe * The mirror * The sprung floor * The water cooler * The limping dance teacher
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