Loscavio had a nice way of making sense of the SFP variation as well. In the pas de deux with Mikko Nissinen she'd manage four "inward" pirouettes at the end of the pas - talk about risky AND exciting.

In the Butterfly(originally Rose)variation, Joanna did the saut de basque-chaine combo from the up stage left diagonal spectacularly. As in SPF she managed to squeeze in too many turns!! Incredibly wonderful.

Have any of you seen her around the Opera House lately? Looks as if she and her husband will be remodeling to include a nursery in their flat!

Best,
DH

Speaking of the saut de basque/chaine combination, Courtney Wright surprised me with the speed and ease of her turns. I'm pleased but not necessarily surprised when a petite dancer can do it, but tall dancers are a different matter. But as I said before, Wright is tall and strong.

Does anyone know how tall she is? I know everyone looks taller onstage, so maybe she's not all that tall, but she seemed so, compared to the other people onstage at the time.

<small>[ 20 December 2002, 01:37 PM: Message edited by: djb ]</small>

I like watching tall dancers move fast, it's so unexpected and exciting.

So does anyone know if there is truth to the rumour that Ms. Berman is expecting twins?

Yes, it's true. Twin boys.

A feature on Jorge Esquivel who has fun as Drosselmeyer (BTW, C.W. Nevius is a really good writer -- he's the only sports writer I read):

<a href=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/12/21/DD26892.DTL target=_blank>More</a>

Yes, I liked the article on Jorge very much. He is someone I have admired as a dancer and a teacher with a special gift for developing teenage male dancers. His students adore him. Today's feature article completely captured his playfulness, wit and captivating charm.

I am troubled, however, by his statement that he left Cuba because he was tired of being a "slave." It is understandable that he would express the need for a change of scenery, especially having achieved such mastery at Ballet Nactional de Cuba, and perhaps wanting to try his hand at some other opportunities that weren't available on the island. That would be the case for anyone who has lived in a small country (Cuba is the size of New York City), where you have danced with the same company for your entire career. But, as the article pointed out, who knows what would have happened to Esquivel had the Cuban company not had a policy of touring the countryside, visiting orphanages and consciously recruiting from the most marginalized populations? To the extent that such "outreach" is done in the United States and in some other capitalist nations, it is done either charitably or cynically--for the purpose of getting grant money tied to affirmative action, and occasionally because the AD is genuinely concerned about changing the racial composition of his or her company to one that more reflects the population as a whole.

A slave is not likely to be the recipient of a car, a home, and the best roles in a ballet company, which in turn get him the national recognition of having his picture put on postage stamps. So, I can only guess that Jorge is using hyperbole because he believes that is what is expected of a Cuban emigre. In this, his adopted country, where he is arguably one of the best character dancers of his generation and certainly a teacher of the first rank, he has a motorcycle--not a car, and lives in a houseboat, not a house. A house in Sausalito these days costs way more than any dancer without inherited wealth or substantial successful investments can afford! No companies that I know of are solvent enough to supply housing or transportation to their dancers.

Carlos Acosta has a very different view of his Cuban revolutionary heritage. In a DM interview several years ago, the interviewer presumed that Acosta would want to remain in the United States because of the so-called material advantages. He laughed, and responded by saying that he wanted to return to his country because that's where his roots, his culture and his family are. Punto final!

If it's true that Alicia Alonso is implacably hostile to Esquivel for having left the company and Cuba, it is certainly not the first time that an AD has felt that way. I think it is unfortunate that Esquivel's use of the term "slave" dovetails so conveniently with what the State Department loves to hear exiles say about a country whose revolution they have vowed to destroy.

Toba it's appropriate that you mention Carlos Acosta's contrasting view of Cuba. I heard him interviewed at the Ballet Association in London and he was keen to make clear that he owed all his success to the Cuban system of free tuition to a high standard. He is always keen to return to his home island, where he is received as a celebrity. As with most countries, Cuba has good sides as well as less attractive ones.

Having aired this issue, which was raised in the article, I think we should now return to the theme of dance.

<small>[ 21 December 2002, 09:03 PM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

What's going on with Drosselmeyer's hat--are any of the SFB costume folks reading this? In one of Jim Sohm's performances, he held it on his head in the street scene, even while trying to pay for his chestnuts. It seemed to fit Peter Brandenhoff just fine, but popped off Jorge's head in last night's performance. Of course, being the showman extraordinaire, Jorge executed a grand pat of his pate to indicate that he KNEW it had "blown" off, and then retrieved it from the snow in with a great arm sweep. I LOVE to watch him, as he introduces a new prank every time he performs, and seems to take particular pleasure in freaking out whoever is playing Mother or Father with little surprises. It seems that the longer into the run, the more giddy everyone gets. I could mention more little extra touches that I've seen others add to the staging, but I don't want to get anyone fired! Anyway, I enjoy it, and at least it keeps it as much fun as can be expected for the cast.

Did anybody see Sarah Van Patten, the new soloist, dance Sugar Plum? I wasn't able to make it to the city to see her, but I've heard such great things about her dancing.

I saw her as the Sugar Plum Fairy. She has beautiful line and flow, but in the performance I saw, she didn't seem to have the stamina required for the pas de deux and was noticeably flagging by the end. I also thought she could have used some variation in dynamics - it was all very soft and flowing, but I didn't see any highlights. However, she's very promising.

<small>[ 30 December 2002, 01:28 PM: Message edited by: djb ]</small>

DJB,because you asked...Yes, I danced opening night "Rose"(now, the Butterfly) for more than ten years. Lew called me the chaines queen...I do love that saut de basque chaines turn sequence! Just a delight to dance that role...it was pure fun for me. I think the Robert O'Hearn production (1967-1985) was the most beautiful of the SFB productions. The costumes and sets were absolutely beautiful. The sets had a grandeur and dimension that the present production just doesn't have. I liked Lew's party scene better, too. (This was redone for the present production) Lew's choreography for the Snow Scene corps and his Waltz of the Flowers is still, in my opinion, the best of the many Nutcrackers I have seen live or on video. By the way, Jim Sohm was one of my favorite partners when we danced at SFB.

<small>[ 31 December 2002, 05:20 PM: Message edited by: GN ]</small>

GN, was the O'Hearn production the one in which the flowers' costumes were long, full tutus, that looked incredible in the final tableau? As nice as the current production looks in that pose, the effect of those much more colorful costumes as the giant flower unfolds was incomparably beautiful.

I also liked the old (or "an" old) introduction, with Drosselmeyer modeling the Nutcracker after his nephew - that made sense of the dream.

<small>[ 31 December 2002, 01:28 AM: Message edited by: djb ]</small>

DJB, yes...The colors were golds, salmon pink, cerise, pale blues and purples...exquisite color combinations. The Rose was a golden yellow. Lew's Drosselmeyer was mysterious, but kind. Not scary-looking like the present production.

I'm very curious to see the new production, whenever it actually happens. But I'm going to miss the old Waltz of the Flowers and the entire Snow scene very much.

It's been about a week since I saw Pascal Molat in the Russian Dance, but better late than never. I thought he was wonderful - he's sharing the honor of best in the Russian dance with Chidozie Nzerem now - and I'm looking forward to seeing him in the spring season.

Well, maybe I'll still give the prize to CN, because he's such a warm performer.

<small>[ 31 December 2002, 02:41 AM: Message edited by: djb ]</small>