Friday, September 30, 2011

Favorite Things Friday!

Out of Tears...G+G in Jef Billings glam...j'adore!

'The Black Panther/ The Tiger of Tashkent'
Ilia and Katia's sex on ice.

Svetlana Zakharova's interpretation of Carmen

Ulyana Lopatkina's Dying Swan

The Four Seasons of looking hot in tights

White Nights

Kristi's shining moment

Nyah

A whole lotta back motion going on!

John Curry's golden moment

18 comments:

  1. AJ, just wanted to let you know that a second series of Secret Lives of Dancers is being filmed! They mention it in the comments here: https://www.facebook.com/nzballet/posts/270889099608932

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love White Nights! The dance Baryshnikov does to a song by the famous Russian bard Vysotsky is my fav scene of the entire film. A real tear jerker moment.

    Ilia ruins the duet with Katia with those horrible hip gyrations. Def not up to par with his partner's talent. The man doesn't have too much natural rhythm and those rounded shoulders makes me question his Russian training. He certainly did not do ballet as long as the other Russian male skaters.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mischa B! So gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I know that she hasn't been mentioned in a while, but wondered what Aunt Joyce's thoughts are on the Lizzie Leduc rumors. Rumor is that she has left WOGA for Zenith and will be competing as a level 10 instead of elite. Thoughts?

    ReplyDelete
  5. where is your dance moms recap?

    ReplyDelete
  6. This version of Carmen danced by Zakharova is choreographed by Alonso, based upon Carmen Suite, and this is the version that the Russians use. There's another earlier version choreographed by Roland Petit which is generally more plot-driven and more well-received by dance fans. As you can see, the Alonso Carmen consists very little dancing and lots of posing and posturing instead. It is not a serious ballet role for the ballerina, but more of a chance to vamp around. Lopatkina, Kondaurova, and Vishneva are the main Mariinsky ballerinas who dance this role, while Zakharova dances it when she guests there, because she's at the Bolshoi.

    Zakharova is good but overrated dancer because she can't act, and doesn't project emotions or characters when dancing different roles. It always seems to be reaching for higher extensions above everything else, often at expense of dancing on beat to music or have smooth linking/ transition steps in between technique. This is what's wrong with ballet today, and why ballet is a dying art.

    It's all about technical tricks and extensions that distort classical ballet lines. Ballet is moving closer to gymnastics and that is not a good thing. Difficult and pleasing aspects of ballet technique such as petit allegro and footwork are now done shoddily by many ballerinas who seem to only concern themselves with extensions....that is not dancing, that is the domain of the circus as the Russians say.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Just to add to my last post, for a truly great Carmen, watch Tamara Rojo, principal at Royal Ballet, who is actually Spanish. She's a very intelligent and opinionated ballerina, for those who don't know her. This is the Roland Petit version used by Royal Ballet and Paris Opera Ballet. Like I said, this version is superior in choreography and drama

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7yFkz5x8L4&feature=related

    Another good Roland Petit Carmen variation, done by the exquisite half-Vietnamese, half-French Paris Opera soloist Mathilde Froustey.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQQN433gHIg

    ReplyDelete
  8. Baryshnikov and Zizi Jeanmarie in Roland Petit's Carmen, proving older generation of ballet dancers knew how to dance and emote, not just show off technique. Zizi must have been in her late 40s at least in this video.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW7-b-snRn0&feature=related

    ReplyDelete
  9. Not only can Anna Li do a killer bar set, but she owns Carmen ~

    http://youtu.be/y65Nc8QnL38

    Browning's Flamenco number surprised mi; will never look at him as Scott Hamilton's loverchild ever again.

    ReplyDelete
  10. What no Nastia ass kissing? This blog isn't even about sports anymore.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Roza was so over scored in that meet.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ahhhh, John Curry....usually I don't like it when skaters project little emotion in their face, but he is so physically expressive it doesn't matter - the way he uses even his fingertips to finish off movements is beautiful & sublime. A combination of a great, great skater and a great, great program.

    In response to that likely Sergei-fanatic who felt compelled to diss Ilia I post this (not that Sergei was NOT a great skater himself, BTW):

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-hQp1zd00Y

    ReplyDelete
  13. @Anon 2:20 PM

    I found Zakharova's dancing to be fascinating for the things she could do with her body, but that was not MY Carmen, who is a earthy, trashy slut not a cheeky, emaciated princess. I imagine I would like Z. better in parts that call more for a certain regal haughtiness.

    I kind of liked the staging though- loved the silhouettes of the men sitting around the top of the stage.

    ReplyDelete
  14. haha. "sergei-fanatic"? - someone's paranoid. are you ilia's pr person? i'm more of a plushenko fanatic actually. and that video didn't help your case. ilia can jump very well, but grace and rhythm have never been his forte, which is notable when paired with someone as graceful as katia. while sergei was definitely no great jumper, he, like many other soviet trained male skaters, had great lines and impeccable ballet training. don't worry your head about it - i doubt his lack of balletic lines and classical artistry keeps ilia up at night. he seems to do just fine with his hip hop programs these days.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ulyana Lopatkina is a goddess. simply stunning.

    ReplyDelete
  16. @Anon 10:09 PM

    Of course, Plushenko's unprecedented Olympics Platinum medal is all the proof we need of his greatness.

    ReplyDelete
  17. >>i'm more of a plushenko fanatic actually. and that video didn't help your case. ilia can jump very well, but grace and rhythm have never been his forte,<<

    Mr Pot, allow me to introduce Mr. Kettle.

    ReplyDelete