Ballet

Is the growing trend of reconstruction ballet--ballets that are intended to reconstruct historical versions of ballet productions--a response to the trend of increasingly nontraditional versions of classic ballet, such as productions like Matthew Bourne's "twists" on Swan Lake/Sleeping Beauty/the Nutcracker?

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youtube.com/watch?v=ZVQTJFPqvjE
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youtu.be/5JAxgFe4hpE
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video.disney.com/watch/sorcerer-s-apprentice-fantasia-4ea9ebc01a74ea59a5867853
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It's probably one of the motivations. There's a similar trend in theatre like with the introduction of "OP" in Shakespeare.

I think it's a push back against minimalist productions and non-traditional productions, but it's also an attempt at recapturing what has been lost from those ballets over the past 100+ years. In the case of Sleeping Beauty, for instance, almost all modern productions (even those that don't deviate from the traditional set-up) have lost the extensive mime choreography from the original versions. The Ratmansky Sleeping Beauty restored almost all of it, resulting in a more narrative-based Sleeping Beauty compared to what normally appears on stage.

In addition to the loss of most mime, modern productions of classic ballets often use different endings and characters than they did in the past, which can radically change the tone of the story and erase or alter various themes and meanings that used to be there. To use Sleeping Beauty as an example again: in many modern productions, Carabosse is either killed/destroyed by the breaking of the curse, or otherwise punished by the king, queen or Lilac Fairy, or doesn't factor into the story after Act I at all. In the original production, Carabosse is invited to the wedding as a gesture of forgiveness, and she pays her respects to the family who pay her respect in turn. Ratmansky restored this ending which brought something new... err well, technically something old, but new for most audiences.

There's also the lavish factor. Most ballet companies, especially American companies, no longer do productions with incredibly lavish sets and costumes and huge casts. The Ratmansky Sleeping Beauty had incredibly lush, detailed costumes, expensive and historically based sets, and huge casts that required bringing in dozens of local dancers in addition to the ABT dancers.

And it's also bringing back a different style of ballet that is rarely seen on stage anymore, and restoring the original steps intended for the music.

The video from the actual production is gone from Youtube sadly, but compare this preview of the Ratmansky reconstruction of the Jewel fairies: youtube.com/watch?v=ZVQTJFPqvjE

To a modern version: youtube.com/watch?v=QHAtRMjA7OM

is Misty Copeland actually good?

You know what's the most successful movement in classical music in the last century? Not dodecaphonism, not serialism, not new simplicity, not even minimalism. It was historically-informed performance music. Play pre-romantic music with period or reconstructed instruments, the same way they would have played back then. It's huge. Everybody loves it. Period instruments are gorgeous. Now in the middle of all that, someone (and this has gone under the radar) reconstructed Mendelssohn's performance of Bach's Saint Mathew's Passion with the same orchestra that he used in the 19th century (with clarinets instead of oboes da caccia etc.), complete with all the romantic stuff, vibratos, bel canto singing. When I listened to it I thought why not extend the concept of historically informed performance to all periods and behold, there's an orchestra that does just that (can't remember the name), playing Brahms and Berlioz with the natural horn and all. So people reject the modernist garbage. I wouldn't be surprised if they started generalizing the principle of authenticity that to all forms, genres and periods now. Now they DESPERATELY need to rescue Wagner's operas from the hands of the leftist cultural termites.

What's worse is when they change the choreography around. For example many times Copland's Rodeo isn't performed with DeMille's specific choreography.
youtube.com/watch?v=AKChyxd9MnM

>Now they DESPERATELY need to rescue Wagner's operas from the hands of the leftist cultural termites.
Yeah, reggietheater is pretty shit.

She's okay to fine depending on the role. She was promoted to principal several years too early, since she hadn't, and still hasn't in many respects, mastered the skills necessary for principal roles. Same with Hee Seo. Copeland in particular was promoted after a massive, almost 2 year PR media campaign that spun a great media story; her willingness to do whatever Kevin McKenzie, artistic director of the American Ballet Theatre company, wanted also helped--like (and god, how I wish I were joking) submit to choreography that involved having her breasts grabbed and smacked around in one of Liam Scarlett's most ridiculous pieces ever. Not shockingly, the dancer who refused to do this--Sarah Lane--has yet to be promoted to principal, despite showing much more technical skill than Copeland. Doesn't help that Lane garnered negative attention for speaking out about how the Black Swan film makers tried to act like Portman did almost all her dancing, when it was actually Lane.

I will say that Copeland has decent presence on stage, though that's helped by the wild cheers whenever she steps out, but I wouldn't consider her great or outstanding.

I will also say that most fellow dancers are, to be blunt, tired of Misty's wobbly claims about her experiences at ABT and the hype she gets despite lackluster performances. I follow a lot of dancer's on their social media pages and it's interesting to see how few of them interact with Copeland on the level of their other peers, especially in terms of cheers/support for premieres and debuts.

ABT is coming back to Detroit next year and they've already noted that Copeland will be performing as Juliet in 2 out of the 4 performances. It will be interesting to see if she does, lately she keeps having to drop out because of injuries. I felt terrible last year when news media made a big stink about "Misty Copeland dancing in Detroit!!!!" in Sleeping Beauty, without confirming that Copeland was only going to be dancing Princess Florine, a role that appears for 5 minutes, and only for 1 show. I believe after the negative press they got when the cast list went up, they added 2 more performances for her and created a wait list for people that wanted to switch tickets, since all the shows were sold out.

I had bought tickets months before and ended up seeing her in the show and I swear, some of the dancers half-rolled their eyes when she got massive cheers for almost everything she did.

That post was pretty reasonable until you revealed your power level

I hate when you can tell the choreography isn't the original, especially when the music is meant to match up with specific steps and movements.

Now that you mention it, there is a company in Europe who puts on historical versions of operas, down to using the same lighting that would have been used in the 18th and 19th centuries (although they use artificial candle light for safety reasons). I watched a few videos and it's such a wholly different experience. I know some of them were on DVD but I can't remember the name of the company now.

Speaking of Lane, here's the video that clearly shows she did the dancing work: youtube.com/watch?v=drS0XgRdlQc

Favorite unusual ballets? I've recently gotten into Fall River Legend.

And for Swan Lake, Ratmansky restored the original concept of Odile. She's not meant to be a "black swan" counterpart to Odile's white swan, but Rothbart's wicked daughter.

although I still dislike his addition of the projection of Odette reacting to Siegfried's declaration of love to Odile at the ball.

It's simply economically viable. Nouve-riche burghers will pay for an "authentic" (for this is one of their watch words) performance over an intellectually stimulating one.
It's "grass-roots" (another word they love) ballet, an idealised stage free from the "drama" of international ballet company intrigue.
My estimable opinion, reject the "classic" arts and embrace Wagner's *complete* work of art, anime. The music, voice acting, choreography, seamless integration of the real (cast events, merchandising) with the unreal (the anime itself) is a fulfillment of the Maestro's dream. If Wagner was alive today, he would make anime.

You have to be over 18 to post on this site.

I see you are shocked to the core. Hating anime (despite being on a site created for the sole purpose of discussing anime) yet realising that everything I've said is true, you blindly lash out, but I must inform you that your post does not engage with mine on even the most basic argumentative level. If you had alleged anime of being "over-commerciased" or claimed that "design by committee" undermines the artistic process then you might've been able to begin the sundering of my ship, but alas, you merely resorted to the most basic of insults concocted on Veeky Forums.org.

I don't hate anime. On the contrary. I just think that there are rules against people under 18 posting here. I could be wrong though.

don't respond to the troll

I have made a number of posts on both /mu/ and Veeky Forums arguing for anime as the culmination of the Maestro's desires, yet each time I am called a troll or an underage idiot.
If someone does no attempt to match me idea for idea instead of merely shunning my words, I will have no choice but to to see you all as either troglodytes or actively malicious.

I know it's supposed to be humorous, but does anyone else just fucking love the falling feathers affect from the Trockadero version of Dying Swan?

youtube.com/watch?v=DcHxW82Eeik

...

I don't understand anything in this thread. Stop making me feel like a brainlet.

I ought to go to see a production at some point. Last city I lived in had a well supported orchestra but no equivalent ballet company, and currently I'm living about 12 hours drive or more from a major city so it may be a while.

>user aspires to higher forms of art

In the meantime enjoy Dubstep Symphony.

Upon analysis it's actually a battle between convention and modernity. The entire orchestra made up of dozens of musicians versus 2 modernists.

Either way it's next generation

youtu.be/5JAxgFe4hpE

Keep in mind these are the top of the top human musicians

>innocence
>you'll never
>be mine

An anime opera wouldn't be that bad. Lotte Reinger animated the Magic Flute decades ago.

Nigga animated orchestra was done in America, feature length, in the 1940's

youtu.be/kgTCHX6dQTQ

video.disney.com/watch/sorcerer-s-apprentice-fantasia-4ea9ebc01a74ea59a5867853

Are there any local companies in your area? I was surprised at the quality of a local children's company, which sometimes even got adult guest dancers from nearby cities for special roles. You should also check local theaters to see if any of the low-tier Russian troupes come around (Russian National Ballet and Moscow Festival Ballet; they're not stunning, and don't play with an orchestra, but since most of the theaters they go to are cheap it's usually only $30-40 per ticket).

What don't you understand?

>that dude's thighs

you're gonna get crushed

yes

Sounds magnificent, any examples?

Bump