what would be your choice?????

[Guest mic31]

I just finished reading a great book called Dancing from the Heart. The book is the memoir of Frank Augustyn a former dancer with the Nation Ballet of Canada. I was reading about all of his expieriences and ballets that he has been in and it got me thinking.

What solo or pas de deux or other would I love to learn to do myself?

As adults we go to classwe do the barre, the centre work, but wouldn't it be really cool just to learn one of these?

My question to all of you is what would you chose to learn and why?

[Guest tournout]

mic 31,

 

When I was studying ballet seriously (many, many years ago), we were required to take a "variations" class in which we learned dances from many ballets. Unfortunately, I find such classes are simply not offered to us adults. It is a shame because during variations class, I always felt like I was really dancing.

 

In college, I was fortunate to have Elizabeth Carroll (former ABT ballerina) and her husband, Mr. Smith (also of ABT) as teachers. I believe they are both long retired. Ms. Carroll was wonderful about teaching us variations from several different ballets. Oddly, the variations I always dreamed of doing (like from Swan Lake or Don Q.) were not my favorites.

 

Rather, the best for me were ballets I had never heard of or seen at that time. One of my favorites was from a ballet called "Les Patiners." (? -- sorry, no clue about spelling). It was a ballet in which we had to pretend to be skating, actually gliding on ice.

 

Now, I understand everyone wants to learn Balanchine ballets. However, if I had one wish, it would be to learn a few steps from one of the big ballet's grand pas de deux (i.e., La Bayadere, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, etc.)!

[skippy]

I would love to learn some of the dances from Romeo and Juliet. Its one of my favourite ballets and i would give anything to play Juliet. One of my old teachers used to dance with the Royal Ballet and she taught me the dance of the Lilac Fairy. When she showed me the dance i thought i would never manage it but i surprised myself (my pointe work was stronger than i thought). I had only been dancing a year after a four year break because of knee problems, it gave the boost i needed.

 

Has anyone ever seen the film Centre (Center) Stage. If you havent you must get it out. Talk about inspirational. Without ruining what happens in it - thats the kind of dance i would love to be taught. If you have seen the film you may know what i am going on about. If not i shall give you time to watch it so i dont ruin it. :P

[Guest mic31]

I think so far I'd like like to try something from La Sylphide or Gisellle....Romeo and Julliet is a great choise too. there all great. I hope that there are lots of responses to this.

[Guest podiumstar]

I would love to dance the "Dance of the Cygnets" in Swan Lake! It's such a classic and I'd love my technique to be that strong (not that I'm en pointe...).

 

Podiumstar

[Xena]

I can't beleive you danced the LIlac fairy Skippy as I have just this morning learnt the solo variation. I asked my teacher that 'I would love to dance a solo variation, but wasn't sure which one', so she went away and came back with the Lilac fairy.

I am not sure what else I would love to dance. I think I have to watch a lot more ballets and take more notice of what I would love to dance, as I have never had the opportunity before to actually put my dreams into reality.

 

I think next time, Iwould like to dance a demi-character variation though, but its fun anyhow.

[Kate B]

Maybe you're all going to tell me to get off ballet alert because I'd really like to have been in Rambert's Stabat Mater - and I've never done any contemporary work before! The power and the strength of that piece was amazing.

[balletowoman]

I would LOVE to master the part of the lead female dancer in: In the middle somewhat elevated. It's a very dramatic (a bit modern) piece on pointes. All is very cut and clean (so, even harder to perform )

 

Apart from that, all of them in ballet, but maybe in this order:

- Sleeping beauty

- Romeo and Juliet

- Raymonda

- Don Quixote

- Paquita

- Giselle

- Clara in Nutcracker... and so on... and so on... and so on... ;)

[Guest Lolly]

Ooh Balletowoman, I'll second you on learning In the Middle Somewhat Elevated! I would LOVE to dance that...

 

Also the pas de deux from Act I Scene II from Manon - the bedroom/letter one. It is simply gorgoeus.

 

And Romeo and Juliet... the balcony.

 

Monotones as well - wow.

 

And the Fandango from Don Quixote. I have the shoes, I'm ready to go!

 

I can't stop - I want to dance it all!

 

Do we get to pick partners too?;)

[Guest mic31]

wow what a talented and motivated group. I am still trying to settle on just what I want to learn. I've got to dig around more

[Guest mic31]

that would be cool lolly...in a pas de deux who would your partner be?

[psavola]

I'd love to learn every single piece of ballets I can! Especially the classical ones, and anything with Tchaikovsky's music.

If I ever get technically advanced enough, I want to learn pas de deux work, but unfortunately that dream may go unrealized. My school has repertory classes for adults but at least currently no partnering.

 

If I could, I'd love to dance the white swan pas de deux. It has such intensely beautiful music, and lovely choreography totally beyond my skills. ;)

(I've been watching an old skratchy library video tape with an abbreviated swan lake and some other stuff 6 times last weekend. I don't know who dances Odette in that pas de deux, since all the video text is in russian and the video cover has been torn off ages ago, but she is unbeliavable. So eloquent.)

 

Päivi

[Guest Lolly]

mic31, oh my goodness where do I start?! I would pick all my favourite dancers and do one pdd each with them I think. In an ideal world, if I wasn't a tall girl! But this is fantasy so imagine me 6 inches shorter...

 

I'd have the balcony pdd with Johannes Stepanek, Manon with Igor Zelensky, Middle with Roberto Bolle and Monotones with Ivan Putrov and Johannes Stepanek (I really like him so he gets two!) The Fandango couldn't be anyone but David Pickering, he is so good at it I can't imagine anyone else dancing it!

 

I have loads of favorites though, just about anyone from RB would be just perfect!!

 

This might seem a bit strange but if I was a man I would want to do the pas de trois from Romeo and Juliet with Romeo, Benvolio and Mercutio before they go into the Capulet ball.

 

I am off to dream...