Buddy

From video clips, Annamk, Kimin Kim does seem to be at the top of his game. Even with my very mixed feelings about the Mariinsky's dealing with the health aspects of its full programming, such as no seat spacing for the audiences, etc., Kimin Kim has, for me, been an inspiration through all of this.

Great, Sim. Thank you. Could I add a brief one, featuring the wonderful ballerina Maria Kochetkova at her balletic finest, which also received a delighted response from both Alexei Ratmansky and Aurelie Dupont. https://www.instagram.com/p/CKHfWRVFR5G/ (thanks to Pherank at Ballet Alert!)

The first one minute forty seconds might cheer one up as well.

Thanks, Ian. That's what can happen to you when you live in Switzerland. 😊 I've been there, half a year, for over thirty years. I like this sort of thing very much, when a dancer relates directly to and interacts with nature's beauty. Thanks also, John. This is quite charming among other nice things.

“They [two new NY City Center works, one by Christopher Wheeldon] reminded me of what I love in dance: the way watching a person move on a stage, to music, can stir something deep inside of you, something you didn’t know was there.” (Marina Haars — Dance Tabs)

Thank you very much Naomi. The Mariinsky will be appearing for the first time.

If I could make a quick general comment, I just started following this topic today. There’s a lot that I haven’t read, but based on some of the opening gala reports this seems to be the best worldwide scenario (performers and audience) for reopening that I’ve yet read about.

Mandy, your's (and the following ones) might well be the first ballet review of a live performance that I've read since all this started. It was a real pleasure and you might have made history (for me anyway). Thanks !

They are probably the most vulnerable because many are elderly. I've briefly chatted with a few over the years and they are lovely and devoted individuals deserving much better than this. Let's hope for the best. "Daily Testing" This is something that I wrote at Ballet Alert! that might have some interest now. It's based on two New York Times articles about practical and reliable daily testing. It seems promising to me but I've not seen much written about it since. New York Times — Gia Kourlas — July 24, 2020 “There’s No Social Distancing for Dancers. How Can the Show Go On?” As I contemplate how on earth dance can return to the stage, I often turn to the podcast “This Week in Virology,” …. They talk about testing. Daily testing....By nature, dancers push through. And they want to be dancing. Apart from a vaccine, daily testing — from home, before leaving for the studio — seems like the only feasible solution for safe rehearsal. Even though paper-strip tests are less sensitive than nasal swab tests, their speed and ease would be a game changer. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/24/arts/dance/safety-protocols-dance-coronavirus.html Gia Kurlas refers to another New York Times article. [Note this article is from the "Opinions" section. It's written by "Laurence J. Kotlikoff and Michael Mina. Mr. Kotlikoff is a professor of economics at Boston University and Dr. Mina is an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.] “A Cheap, Simple Way to Control the Coronavirus” July 3, 2020 With easy-to-use tests, everyone can check themselves every day. One variety, paper-strip tests, are inexpensive and easy enough to make that Americans could test themselves every day. You would simply spit into a tube of saline solution and insert a small piece of paper embedded with a strip of protein. If you are infected with enough of the virus, the strip will change color within 15 minutes. The strips could be mass produced in a matter of weeks and freely supplied by the government to everyone in the country. The price per person would be from $1 to $5 a day, a considerable sum for the entire population, but remarkably cost effective. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/03/opinion/coronavirus-tests.html

It might be worth noting that the Paris Opera is also starting with the two or three dancers on stage at time format. The Mariinsky began like this in July and is doing it again with its reopening this weekend. It may well become part of the new startup norm. I don't know yet what audience spacing the Paris Opera will use.

L' Opéra National de Paris https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/services-and-practical-info/booking-opening-on-8-september?utm_campaign=social-organic&utm_medium=instagram&utm_source=reseaux-sociaux&utm_term=ouverture-8-septembre

The Mariinsky will be resuming "galas" (one or two dancers at a time) this weekend, with checkerboard seating. A week later it will have a full performance, Romeo and Juliet. A week after that, closely dated full performances will begin. All of September will be checkerboard seating. The Bolshoi will begin full performances the beginning of this month with two seats together, then a space. I think the performing arts world will be paying close attention. The Bath guidelines posted above seem to be quite good and will probably be the norm for a while. On a personal note, I like Galas and think that they are a very good idea for now. There's also a lot of flexibility with this format. One step at a time. Maybe a very good idea.

Thanks, Jan. Very lovely. This is what it's all about after everything. One step at a time, for the moment, seems like one very good way to go.

I'm unable to edit my posts, so I'll have to continue in this fashion. Peony, the article does say, “The corps de ballet soon joined rehearsals, and the class size jumped to 30 dancers.” If only 30 dancers were active, then your 10% figure is unfortunately correct. But, it's been stated at several sources that 30 dancers were infected, 27 mildly. It's not likely that all the active dancers were infected, thus more than thirty were probably active. In any case your 10% figure is possibly much closer than my 1%.

Peony, I believe that I read that the Mariinsky dancers number about 200, which would make the three hospitalised closer to 1%.

This is to the Interfax Russia article mentioned in my post above, that I'm unable to enter there. https://www.interfax-russia.ru/northwest/main/okolo-30-artistov-baletnoy-truppy-mariinki-zaboleli-koronavirusom-rospotrebnadzor Google Translate https://translate.google.com

Thanks so much, Ian. I've quoted from this at Ballet Alert! A few things stand out for me. One is the artists' desire to perform, at least Xander Parish's and Olga Smirnova's. Another is the somewhat sympathetic view of what the Mariinsky attempted, contrary to much that I've previously read. Also how much other companies, mainly European rather than American, were hoping for a successful and more immediate return and how the Mariinsky experience hit hard. Another is the desire by companies to push ahead, although the Mariinsky for the moment is stepping back. By the way, according to the Interfax Russia article quoted, three Mariinsky dancers were hospitalised with infection while the remaining twenty-seven fortunately, were reported as being only "mildly" effected.

I just fell into this in the "Spirits Uplifting" category. See if you like it. ( Posted on the internet with the expressed approval of Fiona Joy Hawkins)

Buddy at Ballet Alert! thinks that it might be Anna Pavlova. 😊

"The Swan" -- Canalside London. "Spirits uplifting" because it's so beautiful. Thanks to Jan. Anyone know who she is ? https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/periods-genres/ballet/mystery-dancer-on-london-canalside-audience-passing-canoes/

Cool ! "Grandfather dancing with his granddaughters" (according to follow-up video) (Thanks to YouOverThere at Ballet Alert!)

The seating arrangement is every other seat. All Events July 11-26 https://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbill/?w=0&year=2020&month=7 Nothing in August. Ballet Sept-Feb. https://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/nextplaybill/?type=ballet Here’s Maria Khoreva & Vladimir Shklyarov -- July 11.

Getting things rolling again. Outdoors seems like a great idea. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/15/arts/dance/dance-recitals-pandemic.html (thanks to Pherank at Ballet Alert!)

Lovely, Jan. Thank you. I go hiking as often as I can and I can really empathise with this. A little heavy on the final message, perhaps, but the video is lovely. And to some of us.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-yeXOgD6BU

From the archives. (Where the Hell is Matt? 2012. The series title seems to have changed to "Where the Heck is Matt", a slightly nicer ring to a charming and joyful series of videos.)