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Attending ballet performances

48K views 202 replies 42 participants last post by  jegreenwood 
#1 ·
As a very new member, I have been really struck by the number of people who post that they enjoy ballet or ballet scores, but have never actually seen a live on-stage performance.

Why is that? Is it that no live performances ever take place in the region where they live? Is it that they fear that, although they enjoy dipping into and out of DVDs or CDs, sitting through two or three hours virtually uninterrupted might be too much? Does ballet have such an effete image that men, in particular, are deterred from going (it's certainly true that, whenever I go, men are a small minority of the audience)? Or is there some other explanation?
 
#9 ·
Checking Fathom Events, which is the company that shows these HD broadcasts in cinemas where I live, we get 1-2 different ballets every month starting in Oct. Plus at least one opera.

In Oct, Tristan and Don Giovanni.

And the Bolshoi Ballet.

And THE SHINING.

Who needs new movies when you have ballet, opera, and Kubrik?
 
#11 ·
As a very new member, I have been really struck by the number of people who post that they enjoy ballet or ballet scores, but have never actually seen a live on-stage performance.

Why is that? Is it that no live performances ever take place in the region where they live? Is it that they fear that, although they enjoy dipping into and out of DVDs or CDs, sitting through two or three hours virtually uninterrupted might be too much? Does ballet have such an effete image that men, in particular, are deterred from going (it's certainly true that, whenever I go, men are a small minority of the audience)? Or is there some other explanation?
My mistake (as a straight male) was not realizing at a younger age how good my pick-up chances were at the ballet. :p

Seriously, I discovered the ballet about 10 years ago, and go frequently. I am fortunate to live in NYC which gives me ready access to the NYCB (where I have a subscription) and ABT plus many other companies.

And yes, if I am watching an evening performance of three short ballets, sometimes I lose focus by the third. But a DVD is not a true substitute for attendance in person. First, only a very small portion of e.g. Balanchine's work is preserved on video. And the camera changes the ballet. I want to choose what I look at on stage. When Balanchine participated in the Dance in America series in the 1970's he adjusted the dancing for the camera, so that is an exception. I don't know how often that is the case.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Anyone who has a problem with going to the ballet because they might be perceived as being effeminate, really has a problem. I once knew a fellow who would not wear pink or purple shirts because it "gave the wrong message". I think anyone should go to the ballet, if they think they would enjoy it.
 
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#24 ·
Just received my tickets for the upcoming New York City Ballet season. Two performances during each of the fall, winter and spring seasons. (No "Nutcracker" though.) Really looking forward to Robbins "Dancers at a Gathering" (set to Chopin). I've only seen it once, quite a few years ago. Also looking forward to a second viewing of Ratmansky's "Pictures at an Exhibition."
 
#26 · (Edited)
As I previously mentioned you certainly are fortunate to be so close to a world-class company. I am sooo jealous. My neck of the woods is south New Jersey; the PA Ballet is a only a half-hour ride for me. I’m a subscriber to this company, which is well-funded and comprised of very talented performers. My main problem with them is their sparse schedule. Of course there is the Nutcracker—all companies roll out the Nutcracker in December—no problem there. After that however, they have nothing in January & February. Looking at the NYCB schedule for those two months, I see they perform on 41 days! (mouth watering)

The PA Ballet doesn’t get rolling again until March (when I’m in FL). I don’t get back until May when their season is just about over. Also, the PA Ballet has experienced a shakeup recently. Last year Roy Kaiser, Pennsylvania Ballet's artistic director for two decades, was replaced for no apparent reason except for the fact that he was doing it for too long. I never had a problem with any of his direction except for a few minor issues such as the sparse schedule and too much Balanchine, which I don’t want to get into now.

The new artistic director is Angel Corella, who has replaced 50% of the cast, some of my favorites! His first traditional story ballet (I like the traditional story ballets the best) was Don Quixote, which I wasn’t thrilled with his choreography . He certainly has the resume to do the job so I’ll give him a pass on that, but it remains to be seen. I’m looking forward to Cinderella this Saturday.
 
#27 · (Edited)
As far as why there are not more men at Ballets, I never understood it. There are certainly plenty of men at classical music concerts. If one likes the music, then what’s the problem? My suggestion to these guys is that if you don’t like the sight of beautiful scantily-clad women, then close your eyes and enjoy the music!
 
#28 ·
My suggestion to these guys is that if you don't like the sight of beautiful scantily-clad women, then close your eyes and enjoy the music!
I suspect that they'd be quite happy with looking at the women - but that the sight of the elegantly dancing male performers in traditional ballet costume would be too much of an affront for their traditional, narrow concept of masculinity.

Such men are not necessarily homophobes but they have a cultural outlook based on rigid gender stereotypes. Traditional classical ballet male dancers superficially reject and so offend those stereotypical attitudes, though anyone with any insight knows that they need as much physical strength as any "masculine" sportsman.

Men who reject ballet on such grounds really don't know what they're missing but, in today's era of greater gender fluidity and openness to new cultural ideas, maybe we can expect such attitudes to begin to disappear.
 
#29 ·
I was on Nutcracker and Swans lake in December and January, really enjoyed...:) But i notice i have to become a ballet lover, its a developing thing, not always complementary with liking classical music...
 
#31 ·
That was the ballet that drew me in as a young guy in Cleveland. I don't remember the company, except it was touring from a city elsewhere - Britain, maybe? My then GF, a ballet aficionado and student of the art as a child, got us tickets for the performance. I was lukewarm about ballet, but willing to go anywhere with her. And then the performance did its work, and I left the auditorium a changed person.
Well, maybe not changed, but I sure enjoyed it. :D
 
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#34 · (Edited)
Well . . . many of the dancers were men.

And the snow produced round after round of applause and cheers. As to what is it made of, the Times had an article last week:

'The Hard Nut'

PREMIERE 1991

COSTUMES Martin Pakledinaz. The dancers wear headpieces reminiscent of swirling dips of Dairy Queen, halter tops and tutus (women and men alike), each printed with an actual snowflake crystal design. "I don't even think about it being a man in a tutu," Mr. Estrada said. "We become the elements."

THE SNOW: WHAT IS IT? Paper punch-outs in the shapes of stars or the plus sign.

SNOW PER SHOW About 20 pounds are used for each performance, adding up to approximately 150 pounds for the run. Much of it is recycled from show to show.

WHY THROW IT? From Mr. Morris: "It's magic, and there was no space left in the rafters."

PROPER SNOW THROWING "It's just punch-holed pieces of paper so we can't have our hands bunched or closed too tightly or else it will thicken and become clumps of snow," Mr. Estrada said. "But we're also dancing so we have to make sure that our hands don't look like balls either. You release a finger, and snow comes out."

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE "Breathing while dancing while these pieces of paper are falling into your face and your mouth," Mr. Estrada said.

IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT YOU "It covers your eyes a little bit," Mr. Estrada said, "so it can just be a blur and if somebody doesn't pay attention and misses a cue, it's a domino affect. It's its own avalanche of chaos."

FROM THE INSIDE "Mark's choreography in general is so intricate and specific, but the way in which he has us traveling in the space and in these very tight canons, the effect can only be realized if we're so concise and precise. It feels like we are the snow."
 
#36 ·
That surely depends on the viewpoint from which you're seeing it. From that of an audience that's paid hard-earned money to be enjoyably entertained, the applause and cheers indicate that the production - including that snow - has succeeded in its purpose. Others may somewhat pompously disagree, but it was the audience that was applauding and cheering and without whose ticket purchases the show couldn't have gone on.
 
#39 ·
I would love to go one day, but studies keep me planted at home. Here's to one day experiencing Prokofiev in real life!
 
#44 ·
I agree he is a genius, but I didn't care for that work (watched on Youtube). Maybe live (or maybe without a cellist live on stage). I felt that the dancers overwhelmed the solo cello.

Bach I think presents a real challenge for choreographers - much of his music is so complex - and so complete on its own. The two Bach ballets that work for me are Balanchine's "Concerto Barocco" (his only Bach based work in the active repertoire) his and Paul Taylor's "Esplanade," both to his orchestral music. I'm sure there are others. Did Ashton ever use Bach?

I watched a live performance of Jerome Robbins' "Goldberg Variations" several years ago. Interesting for a while, but he couldn't sustain it (IMO) for the entire hour plus length.
 
#45 · (Edited)
Many years ago I saw John Neumeier's (Hamburg) ballet version of St Matthew Passion (in which he predictably cast himself as Jesus Christ). Actually, it worked quite well and was an engaging evening perhaps because the nature of that piece lent itself rather more to visual drama than the cello suites. So perhaps Bach can be danced after all. With regard to Falling Down Stairs I agree entirely with your observation above. By the way, SMP also worked better, in my opinion, than Neumeier's ballet to Mahler 3.

If you've never seen L'Allegro, try to. In my view that's Morris' masterpiece (well, one among many) and a perfect synthesis of dance and music. There's some nice footage here:

 
#47 · (Edited)
Just back from an evening of Balanchine. "Allegro Brillante" (to Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 3) and "The Four Temperaments" were wonderful. His one act version of "Swan Lake" (basically a variant of Act II) did nothing for me. It seemed to me as if someone told him the Company needed a "Swan Lake," and he replied "I'll throw something together." Apparently he used Ivanov's choreography as his source. (NYCB now has a complete "Swan Lake" choreographed by Peter Martins.)

And except for Odette, all of the swans were in black! The visual presentation was dark overall without the romance and mystery moonlight can bring.
 
#48 ·
My daughter studied ballet at Palma Conservatoire for some time, thus she loves ballet. We've atended some performances in cinema. I remember a wonderful Romeo and Juliet from Royal ballet in ROH. I'm not an especial lover of ballet (mainly Minkus ballets), but I like it (not as much as operas and concerts).

Next month we'll be visiting London and I've bought tickets for The Sleeping Beauty in ROH. I'm looking forward to atending to that ballet.
 
#50 ·
The nice thing about being 48 is that I don't give a ***** what my male friends think of me going to the ballet. My wife first suggested it so I was on board. Watching the skill, athleticism, and pure artistic abilities of the males and females is amazing.

I can't fathom being able to do such a thing. I probably would have resisted in my twenties but with age brings the ability of enjoying beauty.
 
#51 ·
I like ballet but there isn't much of it performed where I live. I've only attended two stagings, both were The Nutcracker. In addition, I watched a performance of Daphnis et Chloë on YouTube once. I've mainly focused on opera this past year or two but I would like to learn more about ballet and enjoy some of its best works.
 
#52 ·
Seeing it on video is not the same as seeing it live, but it can provide great pleasure. I mentioned in another thread that last month PBS, the U.S. public television network, broadcast two hour long shows of the New York City Ballet. They can be seen on the PBS website for another week or so.
 
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