Greetings from Tokyo!
June 8, 2010 · Posted by The Ballet Bag ·
Japan is a balletomane’s paradise: plenty of local and visiting ballet companies, glitzy guest stars (some of them are here on a regular basis) and, of course, the best in ballet merchandise. In the trendiest Tokyo districts flagship dance stores sell premium quality dancewear and ballet shoes, along with – for those more intent on watching ballet than taking class – DVDs, books and glossy magazines like Danza.
During my stay I’ve been surprised by the sheer number of local ballet companies, the quality of their productions and the material they create and distribute to promote them. Generally available at theatre foyers ...
La Fille Mal Gardée Roundup
May 3, 2010 · Posted by The Ballet Bag ·
Yesterday The Independent published an interesting feature on the Royal Ballet’s Liam Scarlett, a young choreographer who wants to challenge the perception of ballet as an art that is “all about tutus and glitter”. We posted this feature on Twitter and Facebook and got interesting reactions. On both channels people hastened to add that ballet has not been about tutus & princesses for years. We agree. It puzzles us that ballet should so often be tagged in this manner when even back in early days there were works that attempted to shift focus from fairy stories to everyday life. Not ...
Cinderella
April 13, 2010 · Posted by The Ballet Bag ·
Is this ballet for you?
Go if: You love the thought of a mashup between The Sleeping Beauty (a classical, grand ballet) and a funny work like La Fille Mal Gardée.
Skip if: Certain people find Prokofiev’s haunting score a tad too moody. And you may want to skip the Ashton version if Panto interspersed with dancing puts you off.
Dream cast:
For Cinderella, a ballerina who can “bend it like Ashton”. For the Prince, a Danseur Noble.
Ivan Putrov as The Prince and Roberta Marquez as Cinderella in The Royal Ballet's production of Ashton's Cinderella. Photo: Bill Cooper / ROH ©
Background
Early versions
There are ...
Romeo and Juliet Roundup
March 21, 2010 · Posted by The Ballet Bag ·
The event? A marathon of Romeos and Juliets at Covent Garden. The challenge? To see almost every cast combination available. The result? A ballet with the feel of one of those great cinematic experiences you just want to prolong. And so for our Roundup this time we decided to match each of these performances to the narrative style of a movie director we admire. If you are as obsessed about ballet as we are or if you are a film buff and would like to explore ballet, here’s an opportunity to choose your perfect “Romeo and Juliet movie”:
Alina Cojocaru + ...
Fun That We Have
March 12, 2010 · Posted by The Ballet Bag ·
Over the past few weeks the big ballet companies have been all over social media flaunting their new seasons, in some cases with fabulous, state of the art, trailers (like San Francisco Ballet and Dutch National Ballet). Hot on their heels and conspicuously earlier comes The Royal Opera House: their next ballet and opera season is wrapped and announced well before the arrival of spring.
There’s one catch though: we’re missing the casting details for the autumn ballets which used to be provided at the same time. While we wait for them, many tweets are being exchanged about dream casts ...
The Royal Danish Ballet
March 5, 2010 · Posted by The Ballet Bag ·
Tradition and heritage are strong words but they fit The Royal Danish Ballet like a glove. They are one of the oldest classical dance troupes in Europe and direct descendants of the Bournonville lineage. With a repertoire that also includes the most prominent choreographers of the 20th century, the Danes have much to be proud of with their home Company.
The Theatre
Combining opera, drama and ballet, The Royal Danish Theatre has long been considered the cultural heart of Copenhagen. Danish theatrical tradition can be traced back to the 18th century and Ludvig Holberg’s comedy series in the Commediehuus (Comedy House) in ...
Tangled Up in Plaid
February 23, 2010 · Posted by The Ballet Bag ·
If I were to write a book called “100 Ballets to See Before You Die” (perhaps there’s a market for that?), La Sylphide would certainly be one of my top 10 picks. It’s a ballet that digs deep, that still has much to say 174 years on. It centers on the pursuit of one’s dreams vs. the harsh reality of life, as James’s bid for the elusive but irresistible Sylph put him on a collision path with bigger forces. In daring to pursue what’s unattainable James manages to destroy everything that was real.
Susanne Grinder as The Sylph and Ulrik Birkkjær ...
KINGS OF THE DANCE SHOWS HOW DANCER-RICH BUT CHOREOGRAPHY-IMPOVERISHED BALLET IS IN THE BALANCHINE-INUNDATED U.S.
February 21, 2010 · Posted by Swan Lake Samba Girl ·
Photo of Desmond Richardson by Andrea Mohin, taken from NYTimes.
So, “Kings of the Dance” made the New York stop of its international tour this weekend at City Center. I was there Friday night. The last time this show toured here several years ago (it is produced by Russian dance promoter Sergei Danilian) there were only four male dancers — Angel Corella, Ethan Stiefel (both of American Ballet Theater), Johan Kobborg of the Royal Ballet in England, and Nikolay Tsiskaridze of the Bolshoi. This year, there were many more dancers and Tsiskaridze was the only one who returned (and, funny, but ...
KINGS OF THE DANCE SHOWS HOW DANCER-RICH BUT CHOREOGRAPHY-IMPOVERISHED BALLET IS IN THE BALANCHINE-INUNDATED U.S.
February 21, 2010 · Posted by Swan Lake Samba Girl ·
Photo of Desmond Richardson by Andrea Mohin, taken from NYTimes.
So, “Kings of the Dance” made the New York stop of its international tour this weekend at City Center. I was there Friday night. The last time this show toured here several years ago (it is produced by Russian dance promoter Sergei Danilian) there were only four male dancers — Angel Corella, Ethan Stiefel (both of American Ballet Theater), Johan Kobborg of the Royal Ballet in England, and Nikolay Tsiskaridze of the Bolshoi. This year, there were many more dancers and Tsiskaridze was the only one who returned (and, funny, but ...
La Sylphide
February 10, 2010 · Posted by The Ballet Bag ·
Is this ballet for you?
Go If: You love Romantic ballets like Giselle but wish the male dancer had a bigger role. You’re slightly OCD and sympathise with James’s determination to possess the ethereal Sylph.
Skip If: “What do you mean the leads never really dance together?” You can’t live without a proper Pas de Deux – preferably full of lifts – in classical ballet.
You should also skip if the ballet you’re looking for is actually Les Sylphides, which has nothing to do – and should never be confused – with La Sylphide.
Dream Cast
The Sylph: She’s a well-known face in our dream ...
