Playing to the Gallery

[Alexandra]

This is a spin off of a comment made on the Bolshoi in London thread about dancers playing to the gallery -- I thought that was worth a thread of its own. It's another take on our past debates of whether we like mid-performance applause, long curtain calls, and the like.

Do you like it when dancers "sell" a performance or play to the gallery? Is this something that's appropriate in some cases and not in others? Any favorite over the top moments you'd like to share?

[Mme. Hermine]

The closest I can recall right off the bat is a performance of Giselle with Makarova and Godunov, when at the moment that Albrecht is exposed as a cad, I could have sworn I saw the balletic equivalent of the silent film villain's "Curses, foiled again!" in his look toward the audience. I didn't like that, though I liked his dancing.

[Cygnet]

Is this something that's appropriate in some cases and not in others? 

Q: If the AD or choreographer are in the wings, should they control curtain calls?

The 800 lbs. guerilla in the corner is professional ego. For me, an example of inappopriate 'mugging' for applause would be holding balances way beyond the beat than is necessary, just to show off. Another example would be taking inordinate stage time for preparation (ala Ruzimatov in his springtime). Hey, but someone else might think that's great dancing. One man's radical/activist is another's freedom fighter. There's a huge difference between playing to the gallery and dancing for the gallery.

[carbro]

What about the choreographed-in curtain call for the Piccolo var. in Raymonda Variations? I've seen the poor dancer steal onto the stage for her bow to near silence more than once.

Even though she runs on, curtsies quickly and runs off, it's so un-Balanchinian, so I don't really understand why it's there. I've just never seen it omitted so assume it is part of the dance.

Anyone have details on this?

As to other dancers, the more they Milk they less I applaud. Whatever happened to the old maxim, Leave 'em begging for more??? "'Em" refers to the audience, and how much the performer gives -- does not apply to the performer and how much applause they get.

I like a dancer who doesn't slam me in the face with her/his artistry but lets me participate in exploring the possibilities inherent in the role. Very fuzzy line between suggestion and demonstrating.

[Alexandra]

Jacques d'Amboise used to mug outrageously in the curtain calls for the final movement of "Brahms Schoenberg" (great miming: AW, shucks. You want ME to come out AGAIN and bow?) But it seemed so much a part of the piece, I never minded it. I think I'm only bothered if I think the dancer is brave to come out even once for a call, yet comes out again and again. I think, too, that if you like the dancer, you might think the "milking" is adorable, but if you're immune to his or her charms, you'll think it's awful -- as cygnet said above, in a different way.

I don't know about the Raymonda Variations choreographed-in call -- I hope someone does. It does seem un-Balanchine. The one Fokinian reform he seems to have followed is "no curtain calls mid-ballet" (Fokine phrased it much more elegantly.)

[Ari]

This thread had its origins in carolm's complaint about what she considered excessive bowing by the Bolshoi during their recent London season. Marc replied that he didn't think they do this all the time, and that the performance traditions in the company's country of origin ought to be considered. This all reminded me of an interview with Violette Verdy in the summer 1987 issue of Ballet Review that was all about a recent Bolshoi season at the Met. Here's the relevant exchange:

BR:  It was outrageous, the way the Bolshoi stars milked applause during performances and in curtain calls.

Verdy:  No, for them it's not milking.  In Russia there's a tradition of the stage bows being as important as the performance itself.  It's almost an old tradition of theater behavior, in a sense.  You can see it in Nureyev.  It's part of Rudi's personality and it's from his schooling, too.  Also, at times in Russian history, evenings at the theater were the only joys,  the only happy times, the people had, so even the stage bows were a high point.  Audiences didn't want to let the dancers go.

[carbro]

Well, leave it to Violette to put the whole thing in context and to Ari for putting her hands on the right BR issue.

Thanks, Ari!

[Ostrich]

Without knowing near as much as Marc about the traditions of the Bolshoi, I usually enjoy most Russian type curtain calls. No, I don't like the performance to be interrupted, but at the curtain calls it's usually fine. I've always interpreted them as a conversation between the dancers and the audience. There are, of course, those dancers who just don't seem to know when to get off the stage and those who do it with the air of "Clap for me, or else...", but to be fair I usually find they gauge the audience's reaction well and clear out as soon as the volume abates. Then again, I've noticed that most Russians seem to have a certain amount of what looks to many of us like posturing in their behaviour. Even at the Olympic games, I observed, when the names of Russian competitors are announced, an air of "Hear! Hear!" in their acknowledgement of the applause.

It's just a different way of behaving, like the Italians talking with a lot of hand movements.