CriticalDance Forum

A preview article from the NY Timesabout the new Ben Stevenson ballet 'Cleopatra' and its star, the 'flamboyant' Lauren Anderson who Mr Stevenson describes as 'a fiery pistol'. Has anyone seen her in action?<P>This link will remain active until the end of Saturday March 11th<BR> <A HREF="http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/artleisure/030500cleopatra.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/artleisure/030500cleopatra.html</A><P>THIS LINK IS NO LONGER ACTIVE, BUT SEE BELOW FOR OTHER ONES. <P><p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited April 26, 2000).]

Lauren Anderson was a wonderful guest on Voice of Dance's live chat a few moons ago. She claims, jokingly I presume, to enjoy having ice cream for breakfast (Okay, okay, so maybe I set her up for it for those present at the chat). Unfortunately, there is not a transcript of this chat due technical issues... I guess. But I remember her coming across as someone with a fiery and determined personality.<p>[This message has been edited by Azlan (edited April 27, 2000).]

Another review of Houston Ballet's 'Cleopatra'

http://www.bostonherald.com/bostonherald/entr/cleo03142000.htm

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<small>[ 20 December 2002, 09:46 PM: Message edited by: Azlan ]</small>

Houston Ballet's Barbara Bears and Dominic Walsh talked about Cleopatra on the most recent live chat on Voice of Dance. I will post a link to the transcript (if I remember) once it has been edited and posted there.

Lauren Anderson in Houston's 'Cleopatra'. Photo by Drew Donovan

Judith Mackrell discusses the state of narrative ballet, using various examples including the above and William Tuckett's soon to be unveiled 'The Crucible' for the Royal Ballet. She makes the memorable comment at the end, 'Perhaps if the public stopped looking for novels or plays on pointe then choreographers would be freer to do their job. The story ballet may not be dead, just waiting for its audience to catch up.'

Story ballets are by far the most popular here in the UK, which may explain that some 75-80% of dance audiences for the subsidised companies are for ballet and what ballet audiences want is full length story ballets. You can get last minute seats for the RB Triples; the full-lengthers have 2x the number of performances and are always sold out. It's enough to make you despair sometimes. As the rest of world arts enters the 21st Century, I sometimes wish that the UK would enter the 20th.

http://www.newsunlimited.co.uk/Print/0,3858,3980834,00.html

[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited 04-01-2000).]

<small>[ 20 December 2002, 09:47 PM: Message edited by: Azlan ]</small>

Yet another review of Houston Ballet's Cleopatra:
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/features/487460

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Molly Glentzer called Stevenson "the Indiana Jones of Ballet."

<small>[ 20 December 2002, 09:47 PM: Message edited by: Azlan ]</small>

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Molly Glentzer called Stevenson "the Indiana Jones of Ballet."<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>If Ben Stevenson walked on stage and farted, the Houston Chronicle would justify flatulence as as valid statement of artistic vision.<BR><P>------------------<BR>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<BR>Jeffrey E. Salzberg,<BR>Lighting Designer<BR>NEW URL: <A HREF="http://www.suncoast.quik.com/salzberg<BR>" TARGET=_blank>http://www.suncoast.quik.com/salzberg<BR></A>

Here is the transcript of the Voice of Dance chat with Houston Ballet's Barbara Bears and Dominic Walsh, where they talk about "Cleopatra" to some extent:

http://www.voiceofdance.com/Insights/vchat.global.trans.cfm?ChatSchedule_ID=200000 0000000025

And here are their bios:

http://www.houstonballet.org/B_Bears/bbears.htm

http://www.houstonballet.org/D_Walsh/D_Walsh.htm

<small>[ 20 December 2002, 09:48 PM: Message edited by: Azlan ]</small>

does anyone know how many companies are performing cleopatra?

Albrecht, three companies are footing the bill for "Cleopatra." They are Houston Ballet, Boston Ballet and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.<P>Note that it is rare for a ballet company to be asked by two other companies to create a ballet for them. The amount of trust shown by Boston and Pittsburgh in Stevenson's ability to create a ticket-selling narrative is perhaps unique.

An interview with Stevenson as he brings 'Cleopatra' to Boston.

http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/arts_culture/cleo04282000.htm

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<small>[ 20 December 2002, 09:48 PM: Message edited by: Azlan ]</small>

Jeffrey Gantz says that Stevenson's 'Cleopatra' is better than his 'Dracula', but he goes on that, <BR>'Ben Stevenson's choreography, with its flat Egyptian affect, is gimmicky and histrionic.' <P> <A HREF="http://www.bostonphoenix.com/archive/dance/00/05/11/CLEOPATRA.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.bostonphoenix.com/archive/dance/00/05/11/CLEOPATRA.html</A> <BR>