Ballet, dance (and books) and trigger warnings

[trog]

On 13/01/2023 at 16:37, Sim said:

I grew up watching Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote flatten each other in various ways, and lots of other cartoons where bad things happen.  Am I all messed up?  A matter of opinion, but I don't think so!!

 

Me too and I like to think I turned out OK. My favourite program was The Samurai, here is a colourized version of one episode, but it was in b/w. Trigger warning - a one of the Koga ninja (the baddies) gets his arm lopped off in the opening credits (about 30 seconds in). I've never had the urge to lop someones arm off - I'm more of a shower curtain guy 🤣

 

 

[LinMM]

Oh thanks for that reminder Silke H 

Id forgotten I have read the original of Grimm’s Cinderella a very long time ago in English and as a student in German. I came across the Struwwelpeter as a student too so was older then and rather liked the illustrations!! 
An auntie had given me a copy of the complete Grimms fairy tales when I was about 9 and the one that most gave me the creeps  was the Bluebeard tale of which there is also a version by Perrault. 
Yes I suppose growing up in the 50’s these rather blood thirsty tales were considered okay for children but I think I must have been a bit odd because it wasn't the bloods and guts aspect which bothered me so much as to whether justice was served or not!!! 
I don’t remember crying or having nightmares as a child at any of these but it was the story of Heidi that upset me a lot I do remember crying when reading that book. 
The other book that moved me to tears when growing up was Ian Serrailier’s the Silver Sword which also gave me the ambition to go to Poland eventually achieved when 24!!! Though Chopin motivated that trip just as much I think. 
 

I do think the quality of childrens books has improved tremendously in the last 30 years though so I think there are too many truly excellent books to choose from ahead of Grimms tales now if I was bringing up or teaching a young child now. 
I still haven’t bought that book the Boy the Mole the Fox and the Horse  (or similar title) after the film was shown on tv over Xmas. It’s such a lovely book I have to have it and hope get the chance to read to some friends grandchild in next few months!! 

 

 

[Pas de Quatre]

I adored The Silver Sword too. There was an excellent TV adaptation, probably BBC, in the 1960s.

[LinMM]

Yes I saw that too! And was in love with the person who played Jan lol!! I think it was Frazer Hines who went on to have a very good career. 
 

Actually just thinking about the content of the Silver Sword I’m pretty sure this book could be singled out for a trigger warning these days though it’s not read so much I think. The 50’s were closer to the Second World War so people still very much still coming to terms with all the aftermath of that back then. 

Edited January 16, 2023 by LinMM

[balletfanatic]

3 hours ago, Silke H said:

Oh yes, Struwwelpeter book is another scary one.  The story where the boy doesn't want to eat his soup and dies eventually...

And the one where the boy sucks his thumb and a very scary character cuts them off with scissors - it would be banned for sure these days or children reading it by mistake would be in therapy afterwards!

[SplitSoul]

I think trigger warnings/age recommendations can be valuable in certain circumstances. I was glad I saw a content warning before booking tickets to Mayerling (not a ballet I know) for my then 8 year old daughter.

 

On the other hand, art, literature, music, dance etc can be a fantastic way of helping to process and understand the world. For an orphaned person (say) to see that their situation is not unique, but that it crops up in stories all the time can be very powerful for a child. Often the orphan "wins" in the end. It shows the orphaned person that they are not alone with their problem. While it might trigger one orphan, it may very well help another.

 

Censorship is absolutely not appropriate.

[maryrosesatonapin]

On 15/01/2023 at 19:39, Dawnstar said:

I have yet to see Like Water For Chocolate, having had covid when I was supposed to see it live, and am hesitating over whether to see it at the cinema as I gather there's a mass outbreak of magical food poisoning & I'm not sure I want to see that in close up.

Did you go, Dawnstar?  I really enjoyed the ballet overall except for THAT scene which overshadowed everything for me, and was unnecessarily graphic.  I thought of you as I watched.

[Dawnstar]

31 minutes ago, maryrosesatonapin said:

Did you go, Dawnstar?  I really enjoyed the ballet overall except for THAT scene which overshadowed everything for me, and was unnecessarily graphic.  I thought of you as I watched.

 

I couldn't go tonight as I was at Sleeping Beauty. I still haven't decided whether or not to go to the encore on Tuesday.

[maryrosesatonapin]

6 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

I couldn't go tonight as I was at Sleeping Beauty. I still haven't decided whether or not to go to the encore on Tuesday.

If you do go, stop watching at the wedding scene near the beginning.  If you were with someone they could tell you when it was safe to look again. It was quite gruesome.  But the rest is well worth watching.  I think Francesca Hayward in particular suits a cinema screening because you can see her beautiful face close-up.

 

[Dawnstar]

I was going to ask when to look away. Though I hope it'll be fairly apparent, when a wedding feast appears on stage. If I go I'll go with my mother but as she's already booked I might not be able to sit with her & she can hardly notify me at a distance!

[maryrosesatonapin]

10 hours ago, Dawnstar said:

I was going to ask when to look away. Though I hope it'll be fairly apparent, when a wedding feast appears on stage. If I go I'll go with my mother but as she's already booked I might not be able to sit with her & she can hardly notify me at a distance!

I was going to try to time it so I could let you know in minutes, but the relay got disturbed and had a flickering screen and stop-started so I couldn't do that.  It's when there is a long table facing the stage side-on with a cake on it.  There are other feasts later but they are safe to watch!

 

[Dawnstar]

@maryrosesatonapin I saw LWFC this afternoon. I ended up watching scene 2. I decided that not watching it would be even worse than watching it, as I've been worrying about it since I first read the synopsis of the novel when the ballet was announced. I decided it was unlikely the reality could be any worse than what I'd imagined & as it turned out I didn't find it as bad as I'd feared. In fact I found Rosaura's illness in Act III worse, though that may have been partly because it was Mayara Magri & as she's one of my favourite femalre dancers I didn't like seeing her acting that scene/character - similar to seeing her getting hanged in Frankenstein!

[maryrosesatonapin]

On 24/01/2023 at 20:59, Dawnstar said:

@maryrosesatonapin I saw LWFC this afternoon.

I'm so glad you had a good experience, Dawnstar.  I agree, Mayara Magri looking so pale and wan was disheartening!

[Dawnstar]

I wasn't surprised that Magri & Morera changed back into their Act I costumes, wigs & make-up for the curtain calls, given those were distinctly more flattering than their respective final looks!

[art_enthusiast]

Morera was so brilliant in her pas de deux with the incredible Joseph Sissens, as the young Mama Elena (that costume really suited her!) I personally would love to see them both dance together more.

The makeup for Rosaura in Act 3 is very skilfully done, really makes you genuinely concerned for her health.