pugbee Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 Hi! I think I remember a similar question on an old thread, but I couldn't find it on a search. So... A fellow teacher and I have planned a group trip for some of our girls (ages 12 and up) to see the Trocks later this year. However, yesterday we were told by someone else at the studio that it was a highly inappropriate thing to take young girls to see. I have never seen the Trocks, but I thought I knew what to expect until these comments were made. I would love to hear from any of you (especially parents) who have seen them lately, and have two cents to contribute to this argument. Thanks! Quote Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 Sure, the Trocks are fine for teens to see. As long as they understand that what's being presented as parody and satire, then they'll be fine. There's nothing particularly off-color in the Trocks' humor, compared to the content in today's pop music, music videos, and written matter. In fact, compared to many commercials, the Trocks are pretty innocent amusement. The only trouble with watching them was voiced by a Young Dancer here not long ago: "I realized that this guy was better on pointe than I am!" Quote Link to comment
Alexandra Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 I agree! They are squeaky clean (at least, what I've seen) because they're presenting ballet as it was in the 1950s. More or less. Their "Swan Lake" and "Raymonda" and "Go for Barocco," to name but three, are also brilliant satires. You might have a discussion afterwards and have them see how many of the jokes they got -- it may very well teach them something about the "real" versions of the ballets, and performing styles (what not to do!) and why people would think that, oh, waving at the audience or doing a tumbling routine during a variation is funny. I'd love to hear their reactions -- I hope you'll post them! Quote Link to comment
PleeA Posted August 31, 2004 Report Share Posted August 31, 2004 I saw the Trocks a couple years ago, and I would not hesitate to take young teens to see them. I thoroughly enjoyed the show, and was actually quite amazed at how good some of these guys were! It was very entertaining and quite funny. Take the kids and have a great time! Quote Link to comment
BW Posted January 16, 2005 Report Share Posted January 16, 2005 Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+ Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo Track this topic | Email this topic | Print this topic kellyisthebestintheworld Today, 12:05 AM IP: 66.114.153.172 | Post #1| Member Group: Teens Posts: 82 Joined: 24-September 04 From: Everett, Washington Member No.: 5,428 connection to/interest in ballet:Ballet Student Location::Everett, WA Warn: (0%) Have you guys heard of them? probably. They're prefoming Swan Lake. I think it's weird that they are doing pointe and wearing tutu's because it's a company with only guys. Is this popular now? The paper today said that it's been around for 31 years! What do you guys think of them? http://archives.seattletimes.nwsource.com/...14&query=ballet -------------------- "Everything else had been changed by the cancer- her face, her hair, her body- but those long fingers, those delicate dancer hands were untouched and exquisitely beautiful" -Sam from a Time for Dancing Mel Johnson Today, 12:15 AM IP: Private | Post #2| Ballet Master Group: Administrators Posts: 15,252 Joined: 25-October 98 From: Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY Member No.: 24 connection to/interest in ballet:Museum curator, ballet teacher. Location::Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY Warn: (0%) Kelly, the Trocks are a very well-known company who deal mostly in satire and parody of ballet and its conventions. The thing is that these guys are really, really GOOD at ballet. If they were just bad, and made fun of ballet, then it wouldn't be funny. It's a curious paradox that the best fun that can be made of anything is made by those who are very, very good at it. -------------------- Mr. Johnson Ballet Talk Ballet Master/Ballet Alert! Writer Dance_Scholar_London Today, 02:39 PM IP: 213.78.70.11 | Post #3| Bronze Circle Group: Member Posts: 467 Joined: 11-June 04 From: London Member No.: 4,996 connection to/interest in ballet:Dance Academic Location::London, UK Warn: (0%) They are not only excellent technical dancers but there is a lot of emotional dancing going on. They have fantastic mime and facial expression. I think they are a good mixture of ballet technique, acting and mime Personally, my favorite is the "Dying Swan". There are constantly feather falling off the costume - it is H I L A R I O U S!! I hope to see them live on stage soon kellyisthebestintheworld Today, 03:10 PM IP: 66.114.153.172 | Post #4| Member Group: Teens Posts: 82 Joined: 24-September 04 From: Everett, Washington Member No.: 5,428 connection to/interest in ballet:Ballet Student Location::Everett, WA Warn: (0%) OH! I thought they were making fun of ballet. I might go see them now! -------------------- "Everything else had been changed by the cancer- her face, her hair, her body- but those long fingers, those delicate dancer hands were untouched and exquisitely beautiful" -Sam from a Time for Dancing Dance_Scholar_London Today, 03:36 PM IP: 213.78.70.11 | Post #5| Bronze Circle Group: Member Posts: 467 Joined: 11-June 04 From: London Member No.: 4,996 connection to/interest in ballet:Dance Academic Location::London, UK Group: Member Posts: 467 Joined: 11-June 04 From: London Member No.: 4,996 connection to/interest in ballet:Dance Academic Location::London, UK Warn: (0%) Well it is fun to watch them. It is classical ballet with a very contemporary "gendered" edge. Quote Link to comment
Mel Johnson Posted January 16, 2005 Report Share Posted January 16, 2005 Kelly, it is no more making fun of ballet than Saturday Night Live is about making fun of acting. It's real ballet that happens to be very funny! Quote Link to comment
kellyisthebestintheworld Posted January 16, 2005 Report Share Posted January 16, 2005 I love SNL! I get what you're saying. Quote Link to comment
mohnurka Posted January 16, 2005 Report Share Posted January 16, 2005 Well, I've watched both DVDs of Les Ballets Trockadero almost every day for the past several weeks . They're definitely worth seeing! You can buy both DVDs on Amazon.com. I wish they'd record more performances, though of course I'd go to live performances as well if I could. The dancing is indeed superb. If it was just vulgar exaggerations and making faces, it would be horrible. However, the parodies are very fine and subtle. If you are a true balletomane, you'll enjoy the Trocks all the more. Understanding ballet will let you appreciate their parodies even more because you'll notice what makes certain poses, movements, etc funny. On the two DVDs that have been published, the following pieces are performed: Program 1 (pink covered DVD) 1. Swan Lake -- mostly Act 2 (the first time the Prince meets Odette) 2. Le Corsaire Pas de Deux 3. Go for Barocco 4. Dying Swan 5. Raymonda's Wedding Extra features: interview with artistic director Tory Dobrin. Program 2 (blue covered DVD) 1. Les Sylphides 2. Grand Pas de Quatre 3. Yes Virginia, Another Piano Ballet 4. Dying Swan (danced by another performer than in Program 1) 5. Paquita Extra features: a 10-15 min (I think) backstage movie. It just shows clips from backstage of the theatre, the dancers putting on make up, wigs, etc.... Besides the great dancing, the music also adds to the parodies. For example, in the Le Corsaire pas de deux, in places the music very subtly adds little extreme sounds (sorry, I'm not very good at describing ). Again, the music is played VERY well and beautifully, but it also has elements of parody in it. Other hilarious moments include a brief playing (2-3 seconds) of pond sounds (e.g. frogs croaking, crickets chirping) in Swan Lake . Oh, and the pseudonyms of the dancers! Those are chosen with great humour as well. Each dancer in the company (and there are only 15 or 16 in all) has a pseudonym for the female roles and another for the male roles. Some include -- Sylphia Belchik, Ida Nevasayneva, R.M. (Prince) Myshkin... And if you know Russian, these names will be even funnier. Belchik -- comes from belka which means squirrel. Prince Myshkin was a character of the great Russian writer Dostoyevsky... Nevasayneva -- comes from 'never say never' (but that's English ). There are many more. Since all the dancers are male, the jumps are breathtaking. After all, men can jump much higher and stronger than women! This is amusing when in Paquita, the ballerina jumps veeery high . It's still beautiful. Besides classical ballet parodies, the Trocks also perform parodies on modern ballet. For example, Yes Virginia, Another Piano Ballet is a parody on Jerome Robbins. Go for Barocco is on Balanchine. All the styles are great. My favorites are Pas de Quatre, the Dying Swan with Maya Thickenthighya (Program 2), Paquita, Les Sylphides, Le Corsaire,... actually I might as well name them all . The only piece that I can't say I'd watch as many times is the Dying Swan with Ida Nevasayneva (Program 1). Though it's still funny, the rest of the pieces performed seem to be a bit better. The personalities that the dancers portray are also quite varied. Colette Adae/Vassisdas Pinski always makes me laugh non-stop when she chews throughout the ENTIRE Les Sylphides. In Paquita, Adae performs the only male role, and portrays how it seems that the male dancer really shouldn't be in the ballet, and seemingly is there just to lift, turn, etc the ballerina (though we know it's not just for that -- but it's a parody!). Olga Supphozova's control, dignity and proud carriage in Paquita are wonderful. Anyways, the Trocks homepage is here. You can explore the site to read more about the dancers, their repertoire, and more. Hope that helped! Quote Link to comment
kellyisthebestintheworld Posted January 17, 2005 Report Share Posted January 17, 2005 thanks for all the information! Quote Link to comment
Redbookish Posted January 17, 2005 Report Share Posted January 17, 2005 Knock knock - theatre historian here: The other thing about the Trocks for balletomanes is that they embody 'living history'. That is, through their parody, they can actually tell you a lot about past and current ideas and attitudes about ballet. I think they're good at catching really accurately the differences between various historical balletic styles and choreographies of ballet (Romantic, classic, modern ballet etc), and then amplifying them through parody. And I always think that if you can combine fun (watching the Trocks) with insight & learning about your art form, then isn't that a bonus in life?! Kate Quote Link to comment
mohnurka Posted January 17, 2005 Report Share Posted January 17, 2005 Yes . They're just a pleasure to watch. I watched a bit of Tchaikovsky pas de deux yesterday, and then watched the Trocks. And laughed harder . Quote Link to comment
DreadPirateRoberts Posted January 17, 2005 Report Share Posted January 17, 2005 There was a wonderful piece in the New Yorker a week or two ago about the Trocks... I should have been more diligent, and made it up to NYC to see them, but as usual my calendar got the better of me. I'm not sure how long this link will last, but here is the article: http://www.newyorker.com/critics/dancing/ Thanks, Kate, for that insightful point about "living history". This is off topic, but I was thinking the other day about the brilliant parodies by Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, et al, namely This Is Spinal Tap and A Mighty Wind among others. To make a long story short, a friend's son saw Spinal Tap and asking his dad and me about the era of Heavy Metal -- point being that his first exposure to that bit of pop music history was the parody. I never thought of Spinal Tap or other sorts of parody like that as being history of a sort -- fun, inventive, and exaggerated, but (as you point out) true to the original, too. Thanks for sharing that idea... Quote Link to comment
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