How do I learn more about ballet?

[Erehwon]

Hey, sorry to post this here but this is the only forum I've ever posted in and I have a really burning question and dont know where else to post this.

 

Someone asked what kind of ballets I like and when I saw that question I thought "I don't know - ballet. What exactly did the person who asked the question mean?"

 

So I bought several DVDs - one of Ashton ballets, one called Chroma, Limen and Infra, Alice in Wonderland, one from the Bolshoi, one from the Canadian ballet.

 

Guys! My mind has been blown for two days! The Chroma DVD is unbelievable!! I've watched it every chance I've gotten! The Ashton! Omg how can such amazingness exist in this world? Mayerling, People, Mayerling!

 

I go to the ballets here in Milwaukee usually twice a year but none have ever moved me like seeing these different styles and amazing choreography. The ballet ends here and I look over at my niece and say, "want to go for coffee?" I finished watching Chroma and couldn't move! I'm not sure I took a breath the whole time!

 

I'm not exactly sure what I'm asking except maybe how do I learn about what's good in ballet? I mean, the ballet here is good because, you know, I appreciate all the hard work they do, but it's always been, "that was nice" not "I am so stunned I can't move." I wonder though if I knew more I would find it excellent?

 

Is there a better place to post this? Am I making any sense? I've pretty much decided I'm going to London in Spring and gamble that the dancers I'd like to see will be in Winter's Tale and Frankenstein, but now I'm kinda sad there won't be more contemporary ones there.

[Jan McNulty]

Erehwon, I am moving your post to a new thread and hopefully it will generate a great discussion.

 

I hadn't realised you were based in Milwaukee!  Michael Pink (the AD of Milwaukee Ballet) was previously the Assistant Artistic Director of Northern Ballet, one of the companies I follow, so I always look out for news of them!

 

Milwaukee Ballet has 2 older NB works in their rep which many long-time fans of Northern Ballet would give their eye teeth to see again - Dracula and Giselle (the one set in the Ghetto).  Have you seen either of these productions?

 

I suppose the obvious way to learn about ballet is to watch as much as possible.  Your reaction to the Wayne McGregor DVD is interesting.  If you look through the various threads on this forum you will find that reaction to his works for the RB is very varied.

 

When you are coming over, the UK is not as big as the USA and it could be worthwhile looking at what Birmingham Royal Ballet, Northern Ballet and English National Ballet are also doing.  Many of the venues they perform at can be done as a day trip from London for a midweek or Saturday matinee.  As well as the Royal Ballet you could also check out what other dance may be on in London at Sadler's Wells, the Peacock (operated by Sadler's Wells) and possibly other venues too.

 

If there is a matinee on in Paris you could also take the Eurostar (train) there for a day trip!

 

And, of course, everyone on the Forum will love to hear the details of your trip!

[alison]

Wow, where to start?  (Well, actually, that's pretty much what you're asking, isn't it?! )

 

As to what kinds of ballet you like, the person might have been thinking historically (Romantic, Classical, contemporary, etc.), contrasting abstract and dramatic works, thinking of different choreographers (Ashton, Balanchine, Cranko, MacMillan, Neumeier, Petipa, to name but a few), or all sorts of other things.  There are various books, some recent, some not so recent, which explain this sort of thing in more detail: I have a flyer here for a new book called The Ballet Lover's Companion, by Zoe Anderson, which at least has the advantage of going right up to The Winter's Tale, although I have no idea what it's like.

 

One thing I *have* found out over the years is that it may not be the ballet which grabs (or doesn't grab) you, but actually the performance.  So you may see a very ho-hum performance from one dancer and wonder what all the fuss is about, but see someone else in a role and think it's the greatest ballet you've ever seen.  And of course no two performances are ever the same anyway: a dancer can be "off" one night and "on" the next time, because they're human like the rest of us.  I would also recommend not necessarily discarding a work you've seen once and not enjoyed: in the case of the "major" ballets there are often different productions/versions which can be as different as chalk and cheese, or you may have got the wrong dancer in it, or it may be that you just weren't ready for/receptive to it for some reason.  There are several ballets I really didn't appreciate the first time around but which have now become some of my favourites; whether it's due to increasing age, knowledge, familiarity or maturity I don't know. 

 

If you were UK-based, I'd probably tell you that your local library is your friend: you can borrow books on ballet and dance (and possibly DVDs from bigger branches), but I don't know whether the situation is the same in the USA.  Another possibility is DVD rental/streaming. 

 

You've mentioned being blown away by various of the DVDs you've bought, and that's something else to consider: watching a performance on screen, where you can get the sort of close-ups you don't get in the theatre means that it is quite a different experience - and of course you have no control over what part of the stage you choose to view, which can be a disadvantage.  Where do you sit when you go to the theatre?  I know that from the cheap seats I clearly miss a lot of the fine detail, but on the other hand I don't think I'd be happy sitting in the front row either.  There are ballets which reward sitting close to, but there are others where you really need to be further away and more elevated in order to appreciate the patterning, etc.

 

Just a few thoughts: I'd better stop and do some work now if I want to be able to eat next month!

[Ann Williams]

What a  thoughtful and useful posting, Alison -  you've probably covered exactly what  a ballet newbie needs.

 

When you get further into ballet, Erewhon, it will be rewarding to read books written by dancers, choreographers, dance historians, critics and the likes.  I particularly love Tamara Karsavina's 'Theatre Street' and Richard Buckle's 'In the Wake of Diaghilev', but these are probably better left until you're more familiar with ballet in general..

 

Meanwhie, its fascinating for us 'old hands' to read the reactions of newcomers like yourself, so please do keep on posting!

[RuthE]

I'm not exactly sure what I'm asking except maybe how do I learn about what's good in ballet?

 

I'm very fortunate to live in London where I have the luxury of having access to live ballet almost whenever I want, although it's a constant labour of love to hunt down cheap tickets that become available (especially when there's a really interesting cast change at the last minute...)

 

I've only been going to ballet regularly for less than four years, and that was as the result of a very deliberate effort to educate myself.  I am a long-time opera fan but a love of ballet didn't happen spontaneously - I loved *some* of the specific few things I saw prior to that, but I really didn't have an appreciation for it as an art form at all.  I decided that I was going to start seeing everything that was on, preferably several times, so I got to understand not only what kinds of repertoire appeal to me but also what dancers - or rather, what KINDS of dancer - I prefer to see in different choreographic styles/types of dramatic role.  Most of the things I saw in my first year or so of regular Royal Ballet attendance have now come round again, or are about to, so I've recently started to feel I have the knowledge to be a lot more selective about which casts, and indeed which ballets, I do or don't want to book for.

 

If I was in your position, without super-regular access to live ballet, I would be doing exactly what you're doing - watching as wide a range of repertoire on film as possible.  In fact those of us who are based near a major company can have a tendency to become a bit blinkered by seeing mostly the work of that company... which you don't have to do.

 

Alison's advice: "it may not be the ballet which grabs (or doesn't grab) you, but actually the performance.  So you may see a very ho-hum performance from one dancer and wonder what all the fuss is about, but see someone else in a role and think it's the greatest ballet you've ever seen" is spot-on.  I'm totally in love with Onegin with the right cast, but the first time I saw it I was so underwhelmed I thought I never wanted to see it again.  Admittedly that first time I saw it was when I was only going to one ballet a year, if that.

[Willie]

I've pretty much decided I'm going to ____________ and gamble that _________________.

 

This is my modus operandi.

 

I am a novice ballet enthusiast.  I go (travel) and gamble (on whether I will like the performance) and learn about ballet (e.g., technique, who are the étoiles, etc.) and decide what kind of ballets I like (e.g. classical, contemporary, etc.).

 

A couple recommended destinations, relatively close to Milwaukee, for performances that tend to be on the “stunning” end of the spectrum.  Toronto and the National Ballet of Canada.  Excellent dancers / performances and they offer pre-performance “ballet talks” which are very educational and entertaining. New York and American Ballet Theatre.  ABT’s principal dancers are some of the best in the world.  You are virtually guaranteed a “stunning” performance.

 

By the way, Michael Pink’s Swan Lake, for me, is on the “stunning” end of the spectrum.

Edited July 24, 2015 by Willie

[toursenlair]

I am glad Willie mentioned the National Ballet of Canada here in Toronto so I don't just sound like I'm thumping the tub for my home team! But yes, you can actually see Winter's Tale here in the fall. Closer and cheaper than London. WAAAAYYYY cheaper now that the Cdn $ is only worth about 78 cents US (waaaaaahhhhh for me, great for anyone coming to visit). You could come from Nov 21-25 and catch two Winter's Tales and one Romeo and Juliet.  Or if you like contemporary, you can come in March and see Cacti, Rubies, and Four Temperaments (and tack on La Sylphide as well). There are even nonstop flights from Milwaukee to Toronto.

 

By the way, I just read the new Zoe Anderson book last week and it is a good survey of the history of ballet with synopses of the major works for each period. It's one drawback: NO PICS!! (really, for a visual art form!!!) But I think you are better off just stocking up on ballet DVDs and watching as much as you can.  Also, there must be a cinema in Milwaukee showing the Bolshoi broadcasts?

 

There is a great line in (the play) Romeo and Juliet: "the appetite grows with what it feeds on". I find this is a good description of ballet!

[alison]

Oh yes, 4 Temps and La Sylphide would definitely be something I'd be going for were I on the other side of the pond!

[toursenlair]

Oh yes, 4 Temps and La Sylphide would definitely be something I'd be going for were I on the other side of the pond!

 

at the rate things are going between the Cdn $ and the pound, soon we will be paying you to come and visit us.

[Dance*is*life]

Mayerling is Kenneth MacMillan not Ashton or did you realise that?  MacMillan is much more dramatic - try a DVD of his Romeo and Juliet or Manon.  Ashton is very special - I adore his La Fille Mal Gardee and have 2 different versiions - older ones though.  As far as I am concerned Nadia Nerina was the greatest Lise in Fille - she was perfect in the part.  I don't think they do Ashton style-wise today with the same understated humour as he meant them to be performed. 

 

I definitely agree with the poster who remarked that individual performances will often make a difference to our reaction to a certain ballet. I fell in love with Cranko's Onegin when I saw the then 50 year old Ekaterina Maximova as Tatiana with London's Festival Ballet company.  I was totally bowled over by her.  I think as we grow more discerning we will get different reactions to higher quality performances.  Sleeping Beauty is meant to be a grandiose ballet - rich visually in scenery and costumes and amount of dancers on the stage and with spectacular dancing.  Seeing a watered down version with a small company is not going to have the same effect.  If you can travel to see the big companies do so - there's nothing like sitting in a beautiful opera house and listening to the live orchestra warming up - just the anticipation fills you with excitement!

[Terpsichore]

.............................

 

I'm not exactly sure what I'm asking except maybe how do I learn about what's good in ballet? ......................................

 

I've been asking myself that question since the 1950s even though I watch about 50 ballets a year not including TV broadcasts and live streaming from London and Moscow, devour just about everything about ballet that is in print or on the internet and take at least 2 classes a week. This is very much a question of taste and temperament and what works for one person won't necessarily work for you There is no consensus as to what is good ballet and what is not but there are a lot of strongly held opinions which I tend to ignore.

 

Here are some guidelines that work for me.

 

1. Ballet is intended for the Theatre   You can get a lot from a DVD, TV programme or live streaming but it is not the same as being in the auditorium. There are several reasons for that. One is that there is so much more to ballet than the dancing. There's the music for a start - especially if there is a live orchestra - then there are the set designs and costumes, the narrative  - all your senses are absorbed. The great Russian impresario Diaghilev understood this because he hired great artists  as well as great dancers for his shows. Another reason is  that ballet is a two way communication. The audience are just as much part of the show as the cast. There is nothing more magical than a curtain call (sometimes rightly called a "reverence") when the crowd is on its feet clapping, cheering and whooping raining cut flowers onto the stage from the balcony to join the mountainous bouquets presented by the theatre management and well wishers.

 

2. Ballet is to be savoured like wine   Because a performance engages all the senses it takes time for the brain to process it all.  I try to limit myself to one or at the most two performances of the same show per season.  That is not always possible with visiting companies because they may be here only for a week or two and different dancers can interpret the same role in very different ways. But I tend to think that watching the matinee and evening performance of the same show (although I have done that from time to time) or even seeing the same show on successive nights is like wolfing down a great claret (or as you are an American a great Mondavi) without appreciating its colours, textures and flavours. Now there are two views on this point and as I said this is what works for me but other ballet goers will argue the opposite.

 

3. Don't be be a Ballet Bore  μηδὲν ἄγαν  Again I am probably not the best person to say this because I don't see read anything like enough books, see anything like enough plays or films, hear enough concerts or watch enough operas. Also, there is nothing I like more than talking ballet, ballet, ballet to another ballet goer. But ballet is just one of several types of theatre and the others are important too. In fact a good knowledge of a play, novel or opera that has inspired a ballet will often help you to appreciate ballet all the more. There are also lots of things outside the performing arts that are worth following.

 

4. You don't have to go to London to see great ballet   I grew up in a suburb of London but acquired my ballet education (such as it is) in Scotland and a year of travelling throughout the USA when I was a graduate student at UCLA. You live in the world's biggest market for ballet and many of the world's best known dancers are Americans though they do not all dance for US companies. The world's biggest companies love to tour in the USA and while they may not make it out to your state they should visit a major metropolis nearby. If you do come to London don't spend all your time in the opera house. Take in some art galleries, parks and public gardens, musicals, concerts and get to know the locals.

 

5. It may help your appreciation actually to do some ballet   It's not compulsory but it works for me even though I am overweight, badly coordinated and three times the age of the average ballet student. I had a few lessons when I was an undergraduate but gave it up when I went to America. Fifty years passed before my next class and I now dance with a group of ladies and the occasional gentleman aged 55 or over. The classes take place in the studios of one of our leading companies and occasionally I have been taught by former members of the company including one of the principals. You learn just how much hard work is involved. If you are unlucky you may even experience some of the pain that dancers endure. You gain a whole new respect for the swans and wilis whom you may well run into in the lifts, corridors or cafeteria.

 

If you want to learn how to get into ballet as an adult in the USA I can recommend two blogs:

• Adult Beginner at https://adultbeginner.wordpress.com/nwritten by a lady in LA and 
• Dave Tries Ballet http://www.davetriesballet.com/started by an Englishman who took his first classes in New Jersey when he was at Rutgers and who contributes occasionally to this website.

You can also get lots of practical tips from some of the threads on the "Doing Dance" forum here.

 

Now if you are interested I am writing a little guide for those who have never been to ballet or are indifferent to the art provisionally called "Will I like Ballet?" for a new publishing business in which I have an interest. If ballet publishing is anything like law publishing it'll take years to see the light of day but if ti ever does I'll let you know.

[Alice Shortcake]

I was introduced to ballet almost by chance in the early 80s. As a regular visitor to the Royal Shakespeare Theatre at Stratford-Upon-Avon I noticed that one of the visiting companies in the winter season was London Festival Ballet with "Cinderella", so I decided to give it a go and have been hooked ever since. There is indeed no substitute for a live performance, but thank goodness for DVDS! There's no way I could afford to see foreign companies on their home turf - even theatre-related visits to London and Birmingham are now a rare pleasure - but thanks to marvels of modern technology I can spend hours wallowing in the glories of the Bolshoi, Paris Opera Ballet etc...

Edited July 26, 2015 by Alice Shortcake

[toursenlair]

 The world's biggest companies love to tour in the USA and while they may not make it out to your state they should visit a major metropolis nearby.

 

That is only true if you happen to live "nearby" Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington DC or New York!

[Terpsichore]

That is only true if you happen to live "nearby" Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington DC or New York!

 

That was where the Royal Ballet went in their recent tour but our other national company Scottish Ballet made it to San Antonio, Houston, Pittsburgh and Charleston as well as DC and Chicago when it took Streetcar to the USA in May.

 

I might also mention (and you will know this better than me) there are two major metropolises in Canada which foreign companies visit.

 

My main point is that there are excellent home grown companies in all parts of North America some of which rarely cross the Atlantic. American Ballet Theater and  New York City Ballet were real eye openers for me when I was a graduate student and I would love to see them again. I also miss Dance Theater of Harlem and Boston Ballet which I saw in London and I would love to see San Francisco Ballet, Joffrey and PNB at least once before I die.