American Ballet

American Ballet Theatre Now [VHS]
$29.95
The American Ballet Theatre came to Taiwan in the year 2000. Unfortunately, I missed it, I was in Bangkok, Thailand; I was planning to move back there for good because all my relatives are there, but didn't make it because I couldn't afford the medical bills there. However, I bought the DVD produced by a Taiwanese company to celebrate the occasion of ABT's present in Taipei, Taiwan with a different title as noted above.

I have just read most of the reviews by AMAZON customers; everybody seems to have different favorite program of the show. I am of no exception, my most favorite item is 'Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1'. I have every reason to like this piece more than the others. The Bruch concerto is one of the most beautiful violin concertos. The choreography complements the music perfectly with lively quick and yet elegant steps and movements. Ethan Stiefel and Ashley Tuttle may have very short solo dance and yet you simply look how graceful and nimble Ethan moves his legs, and you just can't but admire his skill as a dancer. Have you seen him in 'Le corsaire' as the swashbuckling pirate captain's dance steps and then to this palace aristocratic leg movements, and he has complete command of both, don't you admire him for it? Next, Ashley Tuttle whirls herself in nonstop pirouette in betweens jumps up and kicks one leg up behind her back so nimbly and swiftly as if she is weightless. I don't know about you, but for me it's just wonderful to watch both of them. They even have Angel Correla and paloma herrera to support them.
And ,of course, Julie Kent and Robert Hill the second lead couple. Both of them from the ultra modern 'Cruel World' to this graceful classical number, the transformation is complete and accomplished; from the awkward modern steps to the graceful classic. I can detect the contented expression on Robert Hill's face and the accomplished classical movements of Julie Kent. I just love this program, I can't have enough of it, the more I watch it the more I like it.

I said something about Ethan Stiefel in the ABT/Kirov Swan Lake review of his being looking very much like a prince. Here, before the program each star dancer has a chance to express his or her idea about dancing and the ABT. Just look at Ethan's close up, doesn't he look like a character ,a handsome prince for that matter, from a fairy tale, especially those beautiful, trustworthy blue eyes and that proper short haircut, it's the undeniable testimony of my opinion of his being perfect for the role of the prince in the new 'Sleeping Beauty' DVD. He was in his mid twenties in that DVD, He is now 35, and he is not going to get any younger. Please, give him a chance.

Don Quixote / Baryshnikov, Harvey, American Ballet Theatre
$29.99
This particular ballet is what hooked me on ballet. I had watched Swan Lake and was so bored that I fell asleep. Swan Lake reminds me of the philosophy "the Emperor has no clothes". I was ready to swear off ballet until I rented Don Quixote from my local library. I fell in love with GOOD ballet as danced by Mikhail Baryshnikov and Cynthina Harvey. They are magnificent. Now it's true, I may have only felt this way because I had been renting some really lousy ballets like Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and Giselle danced by some not so terrific ballet dancers.

"Don Quixote" allows for lots of solos and duos choreographed by the world's best ballet dancer at the time. His version of Don Quixote is not one of a buffoon but a man who is mentally ill and he treats his character with great respect. I cannot find anywhere in the ballet where Mikhail show him as a buffoon. Sancho, yes, Don Quixote, no. I am in fact, right now reading the original Don Quixote. Cervantes shows Sancho as a buffoon and Don Quixote as mentally not all there. Mikhail loves to read and it wouldn't surprise me to learn that he has read Cervantes and incorporated the personality of these two characters into his "Don Quixote" ballet.

If you want to see a serious ballet, then this ballet is not for you. Mikhail makes you smile if not down right laugh at times. This ballet IS Mikhail Baryshnikov. He has surrounded himself with the very talented ABT ballet dancers and choreographs dances that make you go "bravo!" He graciously brings out the very best in them and definitely gives you the impression that he enjoys dancing with them.

Ludwig Minkus is one of my favorite composers as his music is light and humable not discordant and noisy. I found myself wanting to dance to it instead of turning it off. I thought his music was wonderful but if you want serious, discordant music, then "Don Quixote" is not for you. I recommend for you "Cinderella" with music by Sergei Prokofiev. That was one horrible ballet for me. My nerves were a mess by the time I finished listening to it. It was very discordsnt.

To end this long review, if you like Mikhail Baryshnikov, you are going to thoroughly enjoy "Don Quixote". It's Mikhail at his most talented. It's not just his dancing which is terrific, but also his personality and artistic creation that shines. Well worth having for your ballet collection.

Also please don't miss "Baryshnikov Dances Sinatra". His apache type dance with Elaine Kudo is great. It makes me laugh out loud every time I watch the DVD. This DVD also contains "Push comes to Shove". A ballet written for Mikhail that shows his feelings that dancing is suppose to be fun.

Gloria Hutson

North American Bear Company Rosy Cheeks Big Sister Ballet Outfit
$15.00
Stylish outfit set for our Big Sister dolls encourages dress-up play.

Outfit set includes ballet dress, shoes, and headpiece

Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake / American Ballet Theatre, Murphy, Corella
$24.99
Having seen numerous versions of this work I bought this one on the basis of the many positive reviews, missing that it had been a tv performance transferred to dvd.I should also have picked up on the negative reviews because my perception is that they were accurate, and that those well experienced in this dark work will see too many shortcomings to want this version added to their dvd library.As a record of the principals' performances yes, but little else as the structure is flawed and the work as a whole suffers.
I never like to be critical of a production that involves so many people working hard,and if I had seen this on tv would have enjoyed seeing it as another take on the piece but when it comes to paying for a performance by professionals then objectivity rules.E.g.,the introduction by JFK and explanation of the story by Caroline Kennedy was clearly for an American tv audience and is superfluous otherwise,while the 'intermission' breaks the flow with its interviews of the principals which cuts across the roles they are playing.Both were better left to a dvd bonus features category. The added prologue contributes little except to reveal how silly Rothbart (A) is going to be,while running the end of Act 3 straight into Act 4 rushes the conclusion which is exacerbated by the cuts that have been made. These and the other major cuts in the piece are very disappointing and if the reasons were due to tv constraints as has been suggested, then as a consumer buying a dvd of a major four act ballet (and not viewing it for free) that is unacceptable.
In that context the experienced viewer looking for an integrated convincing and emotionally engaging performance will find more complete and better versions elsewhere.The leads are very talented dancers and go through the steps precisely, but in this work fine technique is never enough and only Rothbart (B), Marcelo Gomes,lit the stage with the emotional charge that should complement each principal's role. The interpolation of a dance for him in Act 3 was a notable highlight (in spite of his costume) but also a reminder of what we were missing otherwise.The naturalistic sets (apart from the Act 3 throne room) were not good, but tolerable if you were focussing on the dancers,as on the occasion when I saw the Bolshoi entrance an audience on a bare stage with only an accompanying piano and cello. But the element which did the cast no credit at all was the stage being starkly over-lit with no attempt at atmospheric mood changes (probably again for HD recording purposes).Given that stage lighting is an art form in itself this was a major flaw which was too hard to ignore, exposing as it did a welter of unnecessary detail that broke the theatrical illusion essential to any stage production,especially in closeups.The dancers deserved better.So my summary would be- this version is pretty,brittle,over-bright,badly cut,precisely performed if un-engaging and another fiddled with for little added value-verging on being a Hollywood musical without the songs.Mention has been made of generic costuming which is colourful but much of it better suited to the Kingdom of the Sweets scene in The Nutcracker.Certainly notable for the most heroic dives ever into the lake at the end,and the surround sound is excellent but the conclusion with sun ascending is pathetic (and a relationship to a particular national flag hard to ignore) so in retrospect no matter how much I enjoy this work I would have passed on this version.