Jordan Levin for the Miami Herald reviews the Miami City Ballet's performance of Les Patineurs, along with Duo Concertant.<BR> <A HREF="http://www.herald.com/thispage.htm?content/doday/entertainment/arts/content.htm" TARGET=_blank>http://www.herald.com/thispage.htm?content/doday/entertainment/arts/content.htm</A> <P>See below for the link to the article<P><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited November 13, 2000).]

Sorry Maggie - when I click on the site given it says "page not found" - Miami City Ballet is a fine company. I have a tape of the Royal Ballet, I believe, dancing Les Patineurs, and delightfully too.

Here's the full link.<BR> <A HREF="http://www.herald.com/content/today/entertainment/critics/dance/digdocs/036463.htm" TARGET=_blank>http://www.herald.com/content/today/<BR>entertainment/critics/dance/digdocs/036463.htm</A> <P>The Herald's kind of a pain to get the full link.<P>The review is not in line with anything I heard about the performance, but heh, different strokes!<p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited November 15, 2000).]

The review says "Duo Concertant is more intangible and depends more on individual performances for its appeal. But as danced by Jennifer Kronenberg and Eric Quilleré, it has an unforgettable mystery and depth."<P>I don't understand this. What is meant here about individual performances? Does this Balanchine work allow each dancer to ad-lib?

It's the other side of the coin from the miniscule National Endowmwnt for the Arts budget. US patrons are very, very generous otherwise the US Arts would be in deep trouble.

Of course I haven't seen this production, but last spring older daughter's dance school did Les P. as one of the ballets for the Spring Showcase. It was nicely done and I thought a good performance vehicle for the student dancer. I've never seen the piece performed by professional dancers.

Forgive me - but - I don't understand what is wrong with a luncheon and performance to raise money for charity? <P>This is a fairly common event in the United States....some for even much more money. It is not uncommon for a political event to be $10,000 per invitee.<P>We were invited to an outdoor supper in a very large tent before a symphony performance to benefit the symphony. And likewise the opera, etc.<P>Hospitals do it, girls and boys clubs, and so on.......it is really quite an everyday thing.

To return to the MCB performance, I noted the absence of discussion from the reviews of the absence of a live orchestra...a victim of MCB's current budgetary crisis. It is interesting to me that newspaper critics are unlikely to forgo the opportunity to comment on the assets and liabilities of a live orchestra, but say nothing about replacing live musicians with tape.<P>The program itself strikes me as one that pushes the comfort zone of MCB -- Patineurs and Raymonda on the same program, plus Duo Concertante -- and one that I would find quite enjoyable.

An interesting point you raise Francis. Critics here often comment on the poor sound quality when taped music is used, even when it seems acceptable to me.<P>Sadly, the worst I heard was the tape for the Martha Graham Company's 'Appalachian Spring'. It's a piece of music I admire greatly and it was so bad it was a distraction .

That is an interesting point Grace!<P>As I had never seen the ballet performed prior to seeing the students last year, I can't comment on how authentic (or not) this particular piece was.<P>On the other hand, it is entirely possible that proper permission was granted.<P>hmm. I'll have to go hunt for the program and see what it says; perhaps that will give a hint?

<---------has the tape of Les Patineurs<P>Grace - I should have used the word "unusual" rather than "wrong" - this kind of activity is not at all unusual in the United States.

Perhaps the sound quality of the recording was so well done, and the sound design within the theatre so well done, that the recorded music aspect was not so readily noticeable as to bring attention to itself.....as a bad recording would.