I watched the Royal Ballet's Nutcracker on PBS-SO BEAUTIFUL.<BR> I noticed that the music was played at a MUCH SLOWER pace than I'm used to hearing.<BR>Does the conductor pace the music according to the dancers or co. style of dancing?I noticed for the 1st time,that the RAD style is precise and not as rapid as say the Balanchine method of ballet.They're more straightforward in their movement I think.<BR> I borrowed a book about the SFB ballet;in it a conductor was talking to a dancer about the pacing of the music.Does that confirm anything?

Some conductors -- the very best ones -- do. Others play the music at the tempo they think is right, regardless of whether or not the dancers can actually dance that fast (or slowly).

In my opinion, it is a compromise. While it is true that the dancer may need a change in tempo (either fast or slow), the conductor is also the guardian of the composer's intent. There are dancers who would stretch the opportunity to change tempo beyond all bounds of musical value.<P>I remember Natalia Makarova doing this in the grand pas de deux in Swan Lake. The music was drawn out to the point it was distorted. While it was a treat watching her dance with her wonderful fluid legato plastique, the music had been abused. <P>I think the art of the dancer, musician, conductor, and composer are each of equal value, and each deserving of care. If anything, I see the dancer more in service to the music than the other way around. <P>So while there can and should be some accommodation, not to the point of distortion. In my opinion.<P>As to the style of dancing of the Royal Ballet, I am not sure what you saw was a result of RAD training. The company, as I understand it, at the present time has a great many dancers who are not products of the school of the Royal Ballet.

THATS RIGHT MS B- most of the principals arent products of the school are they?<BR> Maybe it was the music that affected their dancing,or I'm mixing up what I've read about the RAD style w/ what I saw on stage-RAD is SAID to be clean,crisp,without any extra,incorporated movement.<BR> But problably my eye,unlike the rest of yous, is still untrained to the different styles--I just know if it looks pretty!<p>[This message has been edited by angela (edited December 26, 2001).]

As I understand it, the curriculum that is taught at the school of the Royal Ballet is not the RAD syllabus. I have read that the first year or two are, but not the rest of the training.<P>This could have changed since I read about it.

I saw an early morning repeat of the ABT dancing the Sugar Plum Fairy Grand Pas De Deux on Jay Leno.It was lovely but dizzying;extremely rapid and athletic.<BR> Would one say this was do to technique,Jay Leno's band,or just time limits(it was at the end of the show)?

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>I saw an early morning repeat of the ABT dancing the Sugar Plum Fairy Grand Pas De Deux on Jay Leno.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Wow. I knew Jay was a big guy, but I didn't know he was <I>that</I> big.

YEAH Jeff-it was a pleasant surprise;better than posing in a sleazy magazine,eh?

Jeff, I'm not sure Angela got it...

No, but it sounds like Jay did.

The conductors I have been around (the good ones) check with the soloists to make sure the tempo (tempe?) is good for them - and there are subtle variations as different couples, or people do different roles. Also Artist directors weigh in. I watched the Royal Ballet's performance on PBT ( I was a fiend on the remote, switching between it and the Kennedy Center Honors) and I too found it extremely slow. But on the otherhand, the choreography seemed to warrant the slowness of the music.<P>In my highly uneducated way, I must say, I had a hard time watching the thing, as the music was so slow as to be boring, and I thought the choreography better than a cup of Sleepy Time Herb Tea. But in my mind, I chalked it up to perhaps being what the orginal Nut may have looked like with similar choreography to the original - I even wondered if it wasn't so close to the original, that that is why I noted a few things Balachine may have borrowed from his memories of the Russian. (I didn't find mention in the paper of who the choreographer was - and didn't get tuned in on time to see the opening prior to the appearance of Julie Andrews.)<P>The sets beautiful, the dancers lovely, the costumes lovely (though I was ready to strangle Dros with his cape), the lighting probably lovely onstage but difficult for video (I can forgive this, as I am the queen of darkness) but my overwhelming reaction was to want to grab the baton from the maestro, and after beating him over the head with it - stir things up a little.

OOHhhhhhhhhh(LOL)..........<BR>I should have know Jeff meant--WHAT HE MEANT!

And thanks for your insight Babs.<BR>Now did ANYONE ELSE see the ABT on the TONIGHT SHOW(and no more Jeff-like jokes please)??<BR>If so,what did you think of the pace of the music/dancing?