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Odile Variation Hops on Pointe


aurora

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I am definitely going to watch that documentary.  I didn’t think circus for the fouettes or hops.  For me, tricks refer to over extensions, rather than excellence at specific ballet steps.  

 (would Gillian Murphy’s fan emphasis in DQ be tricks too?)

Edited by Jayne
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7 hours ago, Helene said:

It's so interesting to see what is regarded as "circus" depending on the time.   I find Suarez quite measured, despite her technique, and she doesn't distort.  

Viengsay Valdes is an Alonso protege, and she performs more pyrotechnics than I've ever seen in a Suarez video.  That said I didn't even find Valdes circusy when she held perfect balance and switched from forward to back (or maybe the opposite) arabesque in the last act Don Q PDD without a single balance check or missing a beat of the music, but context is everything, and part of context is the time.

 

Of course. Back in the 80's, early 90's, when I saw Charin-(Suarez)- she was the only one who dared to add spicy pyrotechnics to classical choreo, but as you say...always within an elegant and measured context. Valdes has NEVER been an elegant ballerina, and her promotion was just based on the sudden defection of ALL her contemporaries-(particularly the Feijoo sisters). Until today the Cuban balletomanne community look upon her with a Skorik/Somova criteria. I myself have always avoided her performances, which is why I didn't even bother to go see them in DC.

Edited by cubanmiamiboy
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On 8/2/2007 at 12:28 PM, aurora said:
  cubanmiamiboy said:
Hi, Aurora.. :) .a little while ago i posted the same question here, but in the opposite direction. My whole life i just had seen the series os sautees sur le pointe en arabesque penchee at the BS coda, and when i came to US i found the other versions....

I think it is [a cuban thing]...at least i haven't seen it in any complete production of any big company. For some unknown reason, cuban balletomanes (me included), call the step "vaquita", ( "little cow", God knows why ), and there are always a big expectaction among the Havana public for the Black Swan , in the same level of the 32 fouetees. Aren't they lovely...?

This is the link to the thread i started on that matters...i hope it helps you.

http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=25032

I recently saw the Feijoo/Carreno clip of the BS coda you refer to and I was astounded by her backward hops en pointe.  I really thought this was an interpolation and had no clue it was the traditional vaquita.  Have to say I didn't like it although Feijoo was terrific. She was one of my favorite dancers at Boston Ballet.

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9 hours ago, Marta said:

I recently saw the Feijoo/Carreno clip of the BS coda you refer to and I was astounded by her backward hops en pointe.  I really thought this was an interpolation and had no clue it was the traditional vaquita.  Have to say I didn't like it although Feijoo was terrific. She was one of my favorite dancers at Boston Ballet.

 

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On 7/8/2018 at 9:06 PM, cubanmiamiboy said:

Valdes has NEVER been an elegant ballerina, and her promotion was just based on the sudden defection of ALL her contemporaries-(particularly the Feijoo sisters). Until today the Cuban balletomanne community look upon her with a Skorik/Somova criteria. I myself have always avoided her performances, which is why I didn't even bother to go see them in DC.

Very interesting to read this as I saw Valdes twice on the recent DC tour, and was surprised to see her at all (I thought she had already retired).  I was rather disappointed in her Kitri and her dancing really showed her age.  Arabesques penchees went barely above 90 degrees, she stumbled on her fabled fouettes, there were steps with the corps she marked to pace herself, and overall from the first act she looked tired, nervous, uninterested, or some combination of the three.  Not to say it was completely a waste....she had some great instances of comedic timing and also attempted numerous balances--including one spectacular arabesque held at least 15 seconds where she was practically a statue--but those were isolated moments throughout a three-hour evening.  However, much to my shock I loved her Giselle.  It wasn't exceptionally acted, but it was like in the span of three days she became a decade younger.  Her variations were so free and generous....the Spesivtseva was a master class in control, and her stage presence was unforgettable.  Act I was quite a bit better than Act II, but even in Act II you believed the generosity of her spirit saving Albrecht.  She didn't indulge in any balances or pyrotechnics and didn't need to.  I was shocked that in such a lyrical role, she could be so captivating even if not in the traditional mold for a Giselle.  The Kennedy Center roared for her in that performance in a way they didn't for the opening night (with Sadaise Arencibia in the title-role).  

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