Who is the one person whom you would least like to have as a ballet teacher? Give reasons (and make it funny .) <P>My teacher from Hell would be Pierina Legnani. I rather have an idea that the class would consist of innumerable fouettés and long, unsupported adagios involving wineglasses . <P>------------------<BR>~Intuviel~<BR><A HREF="http://www.freetown.com/Uptown/HaightAshbury/1055/ballet.html" TARGET=_blank>Balletica</A><BR>

Pina Bausch

grace, have you seen the 50 minute film, 'Rehearsing the Rite' with Bausch taking a dancer in the lead role, who knew the steps, through part of the fine tuning of the finale? The detail of the direction given was amazing. The thing that occurred to me was that there was not much scope for personal artistic expression. Ms Bausch had a <u>very</u> clear idea of what she wanted. Her demonstrations underlined what an astonishing dancer Bausch was. She also got through about 40 fags (cigarettes for our US readers).

Torquemada

Glad you explained that last line, Stuart. In US slang, it would have meant that she had "got through about 40" homosexuals! Interesting idea.<P>------------------<BR>~Intuviel~<BR><A HREF="http://www.freetown.com/Uptown/HaightAshbury/1055/ballet.html" TARGET=_blank>Balletica</A><BR>

NO disrespect to Ms. Bausch, stuart: i meant as a BALLET teacher....<p>[This message has been edited by grace (edited June 02, 2000).]

actually intuviel, when i saw this thread title, i thought you were actually going to NAME some REAL 'teachers from hell'! - funny thing about me is, i can't even remember the bad ones. i have no difficulty waxing lyrical over the good ones though...

Stuart--I would love to see that video. I assume they were rehearsing "rite of spring" . I can only imagine the coaching...I've often wondered, when watching that dance, how the lead dancer would approach it...is it partly structured improv? It has the quality of total spontaneity....it seems like such a "personal", angst ridden dance...I am dying to know how you would coach someone on it. Probably it's like coaching an actor? Do you know where/if I could get a copy of that video...is it available in the states?

stuart: i too would be most interested to see, and to have, that videotape!<P>intuviel: not getting many takers, are you? i think that's because we don't have many active dancers at THIS point in time. and michael montgomery - who could be counted on to get things going - is on holiday on the atlantic coast. that's the atlantic coast of france, of course! - just across the ocean from you.<P>i've told my teenage ballet students they have to join the board, to keep you company! but one is not connected yet, and one is SHY! (toggie, that's YOU!). anyway, toggie is so sweet she wouldn't say a bad word about anyone...especially not her ballet teacher: ME! <P>actually my (next) 'ballet teacher from hell' would be papa taglioni - i think we could all relate to THAT one!

Sadly, I don't think the 'Rehearsing the Rite [of Spring]' video is generally available. I saw it as part of a Goethe Institute season about her work to coincide with the visit of the Company to London and I was told that the tapes had to go back directly to the Company.<P>As far as I can tell there is no improvisation in that final sequence. In fact, the video shows Bausch making sure that every step and gesture is exactly the way that she wants to see it. The dancer has very little scope for self-expression as far as I could see.<P>Here is a link to my ballet.co.uk review of the film:<BR> <A HREF="http://www.ballet.co.uk/magazines/yr_99/mar99/ss_rev_bausch2_0299.htm" TARGET=_blank>http://www.ballet.co.uk/magazines/yr_99/mar99/ss_rev_bausch2_0299.htm</A> <P>Bausch actually danced for Tudor in a season at the Met and apparently he liked to see her on pointe as it caused her a sorrowful expression. My 'Dance Handbook' says that she refuses all invitations to teach, so it looks as though your nightmare won't come about grace.<p>[This message has been edited by Stuart Sweeney (edited June 06, 2000).]

poor intuviel: she keeps trying to get something funny going, and stuart keeps talking about pina bausch. what a downer! <P>

Pina attended The Juilliard School; At a dance dept. event they were showing old archive films of Dance Dept productions. Anyways, they had a clip of Pina in a student production...I don't remember what repertory it was, but since it was the 60's, she was sporting with a beehive hairdo..it was great!! Pina Bausch with a beehive....can you just picture it? I guess it just proves we are all products of our culture....apparently , Pina speaks favorably about here experiences in NYC. I think she danced briefly with Paul Taylor, if I'm not mistaken.

intuviel: i think it's time to give up, don't you??!!! <P>thanks for TRYING!

I don't know, grace. I think I'll start another thread for P. B. and try to come up with some more teachers from hell here ! Your suggestion above is a good one .<P>------------------<BR>~Intuviel~<BR><A HREF="http://www.freetown.com/Uptown/HaightAshbury/1055/ballet.html" TARGET=_blank>Balletica</A><BR>

A real teacher from Hell I would not like to have is Cecchetti. Having my legs swiped at by an old man with a cane as he hurls insults at my feet simply does not appeal to me, even if it did get good results and many people loved his classes. It's just not for me. <P>A fictional one: Lucifer Petipa~ prods you with a pitchfork right into a lake of fire and brimstone if you make a mistake in one of his devilishly tricky allegro combinations, or if you wobble during a satanically slow adagio . <P>I'm tired. I'll come up with some better ones later. <P>------------------<BR>~Intuviel~<BR><A HREF="http://www.freetown.com/Uptown/HaightAshbury/1055/ballet.html" TARGET=_blank>Balletica</A><BR>