CriticalDance Forum

I think there are some fat female dancers in the Companny, Of course they have a good technique. In addition there are many old dancers performance principal roles and other good young dancers are out from the principals roles<P>what do you think about it?

Hello Ariana - welcome to the board.<P>I recently saw the Ballet Nacional de Cuba and thought the dancers were splendid. It's a beautiful company. I also enjoy seeing dancers of all different body shapes and types - it makes it more interesting, I think.<P>And the older dancers bring a great deal of maturity and a life time of experience to their roles, so I enjoy that too.<P>We have had a number of threads on these issues - especially in the Issues Forum - so you might want to read some of them. Just click into the Issues Forum and you will see them.<P>Once again, welcome to the board.

I think it's marvelous that BNdC uses older dancers -- they have so much to teach the younger people.

I have the video of Ballet Nacional de Cuba's Giselle with Alicia Alonzo in the title role. She was about 50 at the time, playing a young woman of maybe 17 or 18 and she was totally believable! Despite some not-to-great filming (the Cuban film industry was in its infancy at the time) I still love that video. Allegra Kent once said she'd like to meet Alonzo's gynecologist, I'd like to meet her dermatologist. Like fine wine, she just kept getting better with age.

I have that video too, CranDC - and you are right on both counts, the filming was not very well done, but the ballerina - well, she is magnificant.<P>I had the absolute pleasure of meeting her and watching her take a private class - I wrote about it - in case you didn't get to read it, here is the thread:<P><A HREF=../../../ubb/Forum7/HTML/000163.html><B>Alicia Alonso - My Unique Experience with Her</B></A><P>After the experience of watching her take class and rehearse - I got to see her dance Giselle on two nights. On one of those nights I sat in the third row. I purposely sat so close because I really wanted to absorb this great artist in her greatest role. <P>Just watching her take her bows was extraordinary. As a book I have on her says "her bow is an ode." How true.

Oh yes! Go and read Basheva's story! Its really inspiring!<P>you know..funny tidbit..a little off topic but I'd like to share..as only you dancers/dance enthusiasts will appreciate..on my Christmas vacation I went to visit my mom's friend's older husband who is now in a nursing home. He is a retired concert pianist from Cuba and he is the same age as Alicia Alonso. Anyway..we got to discussing Cuba (I'm going in March) and I said "oh my dream would be to run into Alicia Alonso...etc. etc." He said "Alicia? I used to play for her when I was a teenager, she is a beautiful woman etc. etc." Well as you can imagine my jaw practically hit the floor..and for the rest of the afternoon I kept pressing him for details LOL They were both about 19 and he was apparently her favorite rehearsal pianist..He went on to say all the things we know to be true about Ms. Alonso.."gracious, beautiful, busy etc." It was just a really nice experience to hear this early account first hand..it was pretty neat.

Misa - I like that story - and you're really doing your homework ahead of your trip to Cuba.

Thanks for your great story! And I apologize for the incorrect spelling of Alonso's name and for the atrocity of writing "to" when I meant "too".

I have to say, this only highlights what a mess copyrights are for dance and how little is generally understood about the whole system...

Ballet Theatre needs to lighten up. It IS Alicia Alonso afterall(which apparently counts for nothing.) What a shame.

I wonder how this all works with the Kirov?

DGH

Well, they haven't done "Chopiniana" there since 1995, no? I wonder if they'd consider it a "different" ballet since it's got a different title and ...um.... the Polonaise militaire starting it off anyhow.

What I think is pretty bad is the Fokine estate even selling a city-wide "exclusivity" on a ballet. is there any precedent on that in the music world? I mean, ABT's not even performing Sylphides this year, in fact, when WAS the last time they performed it? It just makes the company and estate look bad.

I don't understand how a ballet from 1907 isn't in the public domain anyway. It should be--small companies perform this ballet all the time. I was really looking forward to seeing this danced by the Cubans.

Its's not like I'd be less likely to buy a ticket to ABT because I've already seen the ballet. What ballet fan would think like that? Maybe I'd be less likely to buy a ticket because I'm angry that I couldn't see the Cubans dance it.

It seems so petty to do this a week before the performances. How insulting to a great artist like Alicia Alonso and her company. They never tour here...and this happens.

Guess we'll have to see Swan Lake (again). Wish someone would regulate that one a bit more. Not that I dislike Swan Lake but really...enough's enough. The Fokine estate should WANT Les Sylphides to be performed more. How about perserving art instead of profit? I bet Ballet Nacional de Cuba does a gorgeous Les Sylphides. Big shame they can't perform it here.

I really wonder if the Fokine Estate would've really stepped up if ABT had kept quiet.

<small>[ 11 October 2003, 06:23 PM: Message edited by: lampwick ]</small>

From the Cuban National Ballet thread:
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rinuku
Member
Member# 2976
posted 16 October 2003 09:11 AM

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kurinuku
Member
Member# 2976

posted 16 October 2003 09:14 AM
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mehunt
Moderator
Member# 460

posted 16 October 2003 02:09 PM

I can sympathize with the writer, I'm considering making a trip down to Southern California to see the company there.