Friday, June 25, 2010

La Danse on DVD- pre-order!!

BUY HERE

The Paris Opera Ballet is one of the world’s great ballet companies. The film follows the rehearsals and performances of seven ballets: Genus by Wayne McGregor, Le Songe de Medée by Angelin Preljocaj, La Maison de Bernarda by Mats Ek, Paquita by Pierre Lacotte, Casse Noisette by Rudolph Nureyev, Orphée and Eurydice by Pina Bausch, and Romeo and Juliette by Sasha Waltz. The film shows the work involved in administering the company and the coordinated and collaborative work of choreographers, ballet masters, dancers, musicians, and costume, set, and lighting designers.

Monday, June 21, 2010

And We Will Dance on DVD


And We Will Dance  is a film that is at the same time dance-focused, yet thematically universal. And We Will Dance shines the spotlight on dance and the arts at the nationally-known venue, the North Carolina School of the Arts (NCSA). The film is directed and filmed by nationally-recognized artist Steve Childs and traces the lives of four students in NCSA's School of Dance.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Nike JUST DO IT dancer vs ballerina ad

Ballet - Maria Kochetkova & Daniil Simkin - 'Le Corsaire' Pas de Deux

Cecchetti vs. Vaganova Continuing Ballet History

By Angelika Stegmann

vaga

 

When I started to teach in this country, I quickly realized that the dancers were trained in a different school than I have been trained in. Growing up in the Russian School founded by Agrippina Vaganova I was not familiar with the Cecchetti Method, which is widely spread throughout the U.S. I was curious about the difference of styles and their history.
The difference is quite subtle but enough to throw a student off the path. Arm positions have different numbers; for instance, the fifth position en haute in Cecchetti is the third position in Russian. As long as the name is the only difference, the dancer still knows how to execute this. But when it comes to how to hold the head at every given moment, it becomes trickier and the dancer needs to concentrate.
It makes sense that there are only slight differences in the style considering both schools’ beginnings. Born in Rome, Italy, the dancer and ballet master Enrico Cecchetti (1850 – 1928) came to St. Petersburg to teach at the Imperial School in 1887. He had debuted as a dancer at La Scala in Milan when he was twenty-years-old and had toured Europe as the best dancer known in his time until he settled in St. Petersburg, at least for a while, to mesmerize the audience with his strong leaps, multiple pirouettes, and flashing beats. The Russian audience, which was more accustomed to watching grace, charm, artistry and personality, welcomed the firework of energy Cecchetti and the ballerinas Carlotta Brianza and Pierina Legnani brought to their attention.
Eventually, Cecchetti was engaged as ballet master at a time when the Franco-Danish-Russian School influenced by the Swedish Christian Johannson dominated the schools. For a while, there were two separate schools, much to the confusion of everyone. In 1902, Enrico Cecchetti moved on to teach in Poland, went on tour with Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, and eventually opened his own school in London.
Meanwhile in St. Petersburg the young Agrippina Vaganova (1879 – 1951) had first struggled through her years at the Imperial Ballet School only to gain respectful success as a dancer. At the height of her career in 1916, Vaganova retired from the stage to give her undivided attention to teaching.
One year later, the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 threatened the future of the ballet. Many Russian dancers fled the country and settled in England and France but Vaganova stayed in what was now Petrograd and later Leningrad, and refined her teaching methods. The Russian ballet master Nicolai Legat had started to incorporate Cecchetti’s speedy pirouettes and various entrechats into the graceful fluidity of the Russian style. Vaganova continued and combined all the different styles of her days with her own rich knowledge and insight. With her book “Basic Principles of Classical Ballet”, published in 1934, she put down her legacy. Her method became the basic method of the Soviet Choreographic School and in the last decade won more and more followers in the U.S.

 

Friday, June 18, 2010

A Determined Ballerina, Propelled to the Top


 
Andrea Mohin/The New York Times

Natalia Osipova will perform with Ballet Theater in “The Sleeping Beauty.”

Thursday, June 17, 2010


Ballerina from Watford wins diploma spot at Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow

Teenager Natalie Carter outside The Centre, South Oxhey, 
where she is a member of the Gypsy Booth College and School of Theatre 
Arts.
Natalie Carter from Watford will start a three year diploma at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow.

Ballerina Natalie Carter will become the first British girl to train for a full diploma at a prestigious Russian ballet school.
After a gruelling first year at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow, during which she got to grips with the language and an unforgiving class timetable, Natalie has passed her exams and secured a spot on a three-year diploma course.
Natalie's mother Sue said: “She loves it, absolutely loves it.”
Natalie, 17, was invited to apply for the Bolshoi after impressing Svetlana Adyrkhaeva, a former principle dancer at the Russian school, when she saw the teenager perform with The Gypsy Booth School and College of Theatre Arts in South Oxhey last year.
She was placed on a preliminary course designed to bring her technique up to other girls' standards as she had not come from a dancing background, attending Watford Grammar School for Girls.
However, in the past 12 months Natalie suffered a number of injuries to her stomach, foot and hip, which forced her to stop dancing for several weeks.
But she was able to prove herself to her teachers and win the chance to train for a full diploma at the school.
Natalie will return home to Belgrave Avenue, Watford, for the summer holidays later this month before beginning the course in September.
Sue added: "I am obviously bubbling with pride that Natalie has secured her place, but more relieved and excited for Natalie as I know how much this meant to her and how hard she has worked during the year and to get back to fitness for these exams."

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Frederick Wiseman Ballet Documentary on PBS

Set aside two hours for a date with La Danse: Le Ballet de l'Opéra de Paris, Frederick Wiseman's masterpiece about one of the world's greatest ballet companies, the Paris Opera Ballet. The exquisite verite film is airing on PBS's Great Performances on Wednesday June 16 at 9 pm EST, with a repeat performance on Friday, June 18. (Or (check local listings).




 PHOTO: Nicholas Le Riche and Laetitia Pujol in 'The Nutcracker.' Courtesy Zipporah Films

The ever-brilliant Wiseman uses his camera to observe daily classes, rehearsals, and performances, and to explore the company's sumptuous home, the Palais Garnier opera house, with its gilded corridors, velvet-clad theater and Marc Chagall ceiling, and its ancient labyrinthine underground chambers and brightly lit rehearsal studios. But best of all, Wiseman bears witness to the ballet's cadre of remarkably gifted and disciplined young dancers, spending time in rehearsals and watching the performances of Nicolas Le Riche, Marie-Agnès Gillot, Agnès Letestu and others performing seven ballets, including: Genus by Wayne McGregor, Paquita by Pierre Lacotte, The Nutcracker by Rudolf Nureyev, Medea by Angelin Preljocaj, The House of Bernarda Alba by Mats Ek, Romeo and Juliet by Sasha Waltz, and Orpheus and Eurydyce by Pina Bausch. La Danse is Wiseman's 38th film in a career that has spanned 40 years of documentary filmmaking. If you can't make the broadcast, you can still enjoy the trailer.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

ABT Ballerina Is Attacked
Original Link

Natalia Osipova 

Two muggers attacked Natalia Osipova, a major international ballet star, as she left an  American Ballet Theater performance early Tuesday morning, striking her in the nose and stealing her bag, Ms. Osipova’s agent said.
She had attended a performance of Ballet Theater’s “Sleeping Beauty,” in which she is to dance Saturday night, at the Metropolitan Opera House and was crossing Amsterdam Avenue on her way home when she was mugged, said the agent, Sergei Danilian. “Two guys just came from her back and they hit her and they took her bag,” he said. “She was so brave and so smart — she didn’t scream,” he said of the 5-foot-4 Ms. Osipova.
She had left her passport and money at home and her computer at the Met, but the muggers got away with her point shoes and a small hammer used to shape them. The Met doctor is to examine her on Tuesday, Mr. Danilian said, and would determine whether she could dance full-out during an afternoon rehearsal or just walk through it. She will “absolutely, no doubt,” perform on Saturday, Mr. Danilian said. The police also went to the Met to interview her, he said.
Ms. Osipova, who is Russian, is a star of the Bolshoi Ballet and in her second season as a guest artist with Ballet Theater. She is known for her theatrical flair, prodigious leaps and detailed performances. After Saturday, Ms. Osipova will next perform with the company in ”Romeo and Juliet” on July 10.

hi, i was wondering if you knew any ways to improve an arch in a dancers feet... please let me know :) thanks

I found a good answer at all experts.com for you since I wasn't aware of anyway to make the actual arch better - also therabands are great for preparing your feet:

There are several things you can do to improve and strengthen your feet, but unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to change your bone structure. You can better prepare by doing a lot of plie releves, rolling your ankles in circles (both directions) and pointing and flexing your feet, articulating through the foot. These exercises, if done consistently over a period of time (improvements will take a while to notice. . .) will help your foot to be the best it can be. But there is no changing your foot into a highly arched foot--as I said, you cannot change bone structure. When it is time to begin pointe work, you will want a shoe that fits you properly and helps you to be all the way up over the box. Keep practicing and be patient! Good luck!

Ask me anything

Sunday, June 13, 2010

From Ballet Russe to Bat Girl!

 From Ballet to a Batcave!

Yvonne Craig was originally trained to be a ballet dancer and was a member of the corps de ballet of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in the 1950s before she took the roll of Bat Girl in the 60's.

Visit her fan site at Yvonne Craig and order a signed copy of her book From Ballet to the Batcave and Beyond here

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Lauren Froderman's assisted Arabesque in penchée on So You Think You Can Dance!

Earlier this week, 60 swans flocked to the Royal Albert Hall in celebration of English National Ballet's 60th anniversary.

Polina Semionova is to perform. I wish we could be there!!

Read the full article at Ballet News Blog


Robert Griffin Photography

Friday, June 11, 2010

Kingston Guardian - June 10, 2010

A young ballet prodigy is ready to learn from the best after winning a place at one of the world’s top dance schools. Benji Pearson, a student at the Wimbledon Village School of Ballet, will take up a place at the Royal Ballet School. Benji - who only started taking ballet lessons last year - will begin at the school in Richmond Park in September.

The 11-year-old, who lives in Wolsey Close, Kingston, has already performed at the Royal Opera House and is set to appear with Russia’s Bolshoi Ballet this summer.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Here are some amazing photos of some amazing up and coming dancers from San Diego Academy of Ballet (Kiril Kulish of Billy Elliot also trained at SDAB before he went off to Broadway).

Click Here

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Stage Make-Up!!!

Mehron Theater Make Up

Many large productions including Blue Man Group, Cirque du Soleil, The Metropolitan Opera, and The American Ballet Theatre depend on Mehron products to look their best.
Check out their weblink above! I love this stuff. I'm going to try it for cirque and ballet. Will keep you updated!