At the ballet
So I've gone off an another ballet bender. I did this two years ago when I wound up watching a batch of ballet documentaries on Netflix and Paris Opera Ballet's "Jewels".
CW/Hulu must have realized I was craving more because this summer I've obsessively watched "Breaking Pointe", their 5-episode reality show about the behind-the-scenes at Ballet West, a ballet company in Salt Lake City, Utah. This is such a frustrating show to watch. I really wish they'd focus more on the dancing and less on the interpersonal relationships. But in a weird way it felt like a classic CW show with all the pretty people and their broken relationships. When they're focused on the dance stuff, I love it and I'm fascinated. I'm also left thinking they edited it weird with people disappearing for whole episodes, which makes it hard to form a opinion of someone. You'd meet sweet and lovable Katie and her boyfriend Ronald in their angst when she's not given a contract and then we virtually never see them. Beckanne's "I'm only 19 but..." thing was made strangely more tolerable for me after reading about her last minute as an understudy debut as Kitri in Don Quixote. I actually quite liked prima Christiana Bennett; I could see why she'd be seen as standoffish, but I didn't see her as bitchy. She acted quite professionally compared to say Allison. I loved her relationship with her husband Chris. He seemed to be the steady and calm one in the pair. Rex and Allison drove me nuts with their on and off again relationship. Strangely when Katie was packing up for her new company she said something strangely apt for both situations that after three years if she couldn't make someone make her see her differently, then maybe it was time to pack it up and change gears. Felt like it suited the Rex/Allison situation as well, although that door is still open after the season's end.
I watched the Bolshoi Ballet's version of Raymonda, one of Petipa's last crowning ballets. They'd streamed it on their Youtube channel for a day after it premiered in theaters around the country. The story revolves around Raymonda who is having a birthday party so everyone is literally invited, including her betrothed the rather dull Jean de Brienne. His Saracen rival is positively obsessed with Raymonda and determined to win her over, but Raymonda refuses him. The counterpoint between the very stately classical ballet dancing for the courtiers vs the character dancing for the exotic foreigners made me distinctly uncomfortable, although I thought Abdul Rakhman was the more magnetic of two male dancers. Raymonda was light on plot, but strangely easy to follow. It was hard for me to think ill of the villain, his abduction attempt notwithstanding. The costumes were gorgeous, from the Hungarian medieval courtiers and knights to the flowing Saracen garb.
I found some other ballet documentaries online. "Royal Ballet: Dreams to Reality" showed all sides of the Royal Ballet from auditioning/training at the White Lodge ballet school to moving to the Upper School and finally joining the company. They interviewed everyone from young students up to former prima Darcy Bussell and Cuban dancer Carlos Acosta. One dancer in the Upper School admitted she was having a hard time finding a ballet company because she was 5'8". To be told "You're a lovely dancer, but we don't have anyone tall enough to partner you" must be depressing after eight years of training. (Contrast that to RZNB's tall and leggy goddess Abigail Boyle who is an inch taller and dancing principal roles -- all depends on the company I guess.)
"Agony & Ecstasy" followed the English National Ballet for three different big productions -- Swan Lake, Romeo & Juliet and Nutcracker. They each showed how difficult it is for companies stretched to limit to put on these big story ballets. They have to bring in extra girls for Swan Lake, freelancers hoping they'll get spotted and get offered a regular place in a company. More often than not, though, the corps de ballet are the worker bees of ballet. If you're really going to be someone, you get spotted early and encouraged accordingly in your career. The tension was palpable in these episodes "Will they make it?" I was relieved when each episode was over, especially Nutcracker, when the artistic director/choreographer spent until practically the last minute changing things around and irritating everyone.
"Secret Lives of Dancers" was what I wanted "Breaking Pointe" to be honestly. They showed the daily grind of rehearsals and performances and touring, but didn't neglect the friendships or relationships. You saw the professional meltdowns, but also the personal breakups. It felt less staged than "Breaking Pointe". There was a slower steadier pace to the dancing sections, so you could appreciate their ability and technique. I couldn't tell whether "Breaking Pointe" didn't get the clearance for the music/choreography or whether they'd just opted for more quicker paced editing. From the interviews, I also get the impression they'd decided to "talk down" to the American audience. Ballet does have a fairly technical language, so I understand why it's difficult to explain (I don't understand all the intricacies of technique), but I feel like there's a way to do it without assuming your audience won't be interested. "Secret Lives" didn't try to explain things as much letting us see their regular day-to-day existence (sewing/breaking in shoes, getting PT treatment, worrying about contracts).
After seeing "Centre Stage" when it was originally in the theaters, it was odd/fun seeing Ethan Steifel as the new artistic director. He retired from the American Ballet Theatre last week with "The Corsaire". He and his fiance Gillian Murphy are considered rock stars in the dance world and you can see how the dancers all were in awe of him. I'd be curious of future seasons of "Secret Lives" if only to see Steifel's plans for the company; Sleeping Beauty had been planned/commissioned long before he was a factor.
CW/Hulu must have realized I was craving more because this summer I've obsessively watched "Breaking Pointe", their 5-episode reality show about the behind-the-scenes at Ballet West, a ballet company in Salt Lake City, Utah. This is such a frustrating show to watch. I really wish they'd focus more on the dancing and less on the interpersonal relationships. But in a weird way it felt like a classic CW show with all the pretty people and their broken relationships. When they're focused on the dance stuff, I love it and I'm fascinated. I'm also left thinking they edited it weird with people disappearing for whole episodes, which makes it hard to form a opinion of someone. You'd meet sweet and lovable Katie and her boyfriend Ronald in their angst when she's not given a contract and then we virtually never see them. Beckanne's "I'm only 19 but..." thing was made strangely more tolerable for me after reading about her last minute as an understudy debut as Kitri in Don Quixote. I actually quite liked prima Christiana Bennett; I could see why she'd be seen as standoffish, but I didn't see her as bitchy. She acted quite professionally compared to say Allison. I loved her relationship with her husband Chris. He seemed to be the steady and calm one in the pair. Rex and Allison drove me nuts with their on and off again relationship. Strangely when Katie was packing up for her new company she said something strangely apt for both situations that after three years if she couldn't make someone make her see her differently, then maybe it was time to pack it up and change gears. Felt like it suited the Rex/Allison situation as well, although that door is still open after the season's end.
I watched the Bolshoi Ballet's version of Raymonda, one of Petipa's last crowning ballets. They'd streamed it on their Youtube channel for a day after it premiered in theaters around the country. The story revolves around Raymonda who is having a birthday party so everyone is literally invited, including her betrothed the rather dull Jean de Brienne. His Saracen rival is positively obsessed with Raymonda and determined to win her over, but Raymonda refuses him. The counterpoint between the very stately classical ballet dancing for the courtiers vs the character dancing for the exotic foreigners made me distinctly uncomfortable, although I thought Abdul Rakhman was the more magnetic of two male dancers. Raymonda was light on plot, but strangely easy to follow. It was hard for me to think ill of the villain, his abduction attempt notwithstanding. The costumes were gorgeous, from the Hungarian medieval courtiers and knights to the flowing Saracen garb.
I found some other ballet documentaries online. "Royal Ballet: Dreams to Reality" showed all sides of the Royal Ballet from auditioning/training at the White Lodge ballet school to moving to the Upper School and finally joining the company. They interviewed everyone from young students up to former prima Darcy Bussell and Cuban dancer Carlos Acosta. One dancer in the Upper School admitted she was having a hard time finding a ballet company because she was 5'8". To be told "You're a lovely dancer, but we don't have anyone tall enough to partner you" must be depressing after eight years of training. (Contrast that to RZNB's tall and leggy goddess Abigail Boyle who is an inch taller and dancing principal roles -- all depends on the company I guess.)
"Agony & Ecstasy" followed the English National Ballet for three different big productions -- Swan Lake, Romeo & Juliet and Nutcracker. They each showed how difficult it is for companies stretched to limit to put on these big story ballets. They have to bring in extra girls for Swan Lake, freelancers hoping they'll get spotted and get offered a regular place in a company. More often than not, though, the corps de ballet are the worker bees of ballet. If you're really going to be someone, you get spotted early and encouraged accordingly in your career. The tension was palpable in these episodes "Will they make it?" I was relieved when each episode was over, especially Nutcracker, when the artistic director/choreographer spent until practically the last minute changing things around and irritating everyone.
"Secret Lives of Dancers" was what I wanted "Breaking Pointe" to be honestly. They showed the daily grind of rehearsals and performances and touring, but didn't neglect the friendships or relationships. You saw the professional meltdowns, but also the personal breakups. It felt less staged than "Breaking Pointe". There was a slower steadier pace to the dancing sections, so you could appreciate their ability and technique. I couldn't tell whether "Breaking Pointe" didn't get the clearance for the music/choreography or whether they'd just opted for more quicker paced editing. From the interviews, I also get the impression they'd decided to "talk down" to the American audience. Ballet does have a fairly technical language, so I understand why it's difficult to explain (I don't understand all the intricacies of technique), but I feel like there's a way to do it without assuming your audience won't be interested. "Secret Lives" didn't try to explain things as much letting us see their regular day-to-day existence (sewing/breaking in shoes, getting PT treatment, worrying about contracts).
After seeing "Centre Stage" when it was originally in the theaters, it was odd/fun seeing Ethan Steifel as the new artistic director. He retired from the American Ballet Theatre last week with "The Corsaire". He and his fiance Gillian Murphy are considered rock stars in the dance world and you can see how the dancers all were in awe of him. I'd be curious of future seasons of "Secret Lives" if only to see Steifel's plans for the company; Sleeping Beauty had been planned/commissioned long before he was a factor.