A Cartoon

[BalletNut]

Today's Bizarro cartoon features ballet:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/bizarro.asp?date=20060215

[bart]

Now THAT'S funny. Thanks for introducting me to this site and cartoonist.

Re: the 129th position. Is this the famous "pas de nez" first performed by Youbetyabootsskaya in the original Petipa-Ivanov production of Swan Lake? I believe this is also known as "pas de bec" in homage to the Swan figure who first danced it.

Watching a dancer take on the enormous challange of 32 consecutive hops "en bec" is still one of the most thrilling memories I have of those wonderful days at the Imperial Ballet. And, remember, that was BEFORE the invention of padded nose-protectors, one of many signs of the deterioration of classical technique in the modern ballet world. Dancers in those days did it bare-nosed (or "bec nu," to be more true to the spirit of ballet). This may have contributed to the early demise of the ballerina depicted in this cartoon.

[carbro]

~ As you can see, bart, your expert commentary leaves me speechless. ~

[ViolinConcerto]

Gee, I thought that the 129th position was the logical extension of the nose-to-knee penchee in 2nd Move. Symph in C that we were discussing recently.