Author Archives: jsl915@aol.com

“On their night off, Peggy Guggenheim invited the entire company to a party at her palazzo, across the Grand Canal from the Piazza San Marco. Dusk was coming on and lanterns were strung everywhere. Lavish platters of hors d’oeuvres were … Continue reading →

In the current, Summer 2015 issue of Ballet International there’s a lot of coverage of Peter Quanz’s choreography as well as an obit by him on Elena. She brought him to the Mariinsky in 2007 to create the ballet Aria … Continue reading →

Just as austerity in the United States has been a scam designed to funnel money to the one percent, while bringing catastrophe to so many in the balance of society, as well as short-changing societal-at-large needs like education, infrastructure–in other … Continue reading →

I recently read that a teacher of mine in junior high school had gone on to become a principal somewhere else, was now retired and teaching as an adjunct in the education dep’t of a university. And I realized that … Continue reading →

Asia is sending the world better and better dancers. The Mariinsky’s Kimin Kim was guest star with ABT for Solor in La Bayadere–dancing splendidly. He definitely can deepen his characterization, but it was sound and convincing. He has a good … Continue reading →

As a teen-aged ballet lover, I once discussed the early New York City Ballet seasons with Roslyn McDonald, a family friend who went frequently in the early 1950s, when she was studying social work. An influx of men into the … Continue reading →

He delivers another win for the one percent. Disillusioned yet, cheerleaders? The shit is really going to hit the fan if Obama does win fast-track authority, and the bill is finally made public. Oh, he’ll have his legacy all right.

I’m a manual laborer; I only write about ballet for the money. More about that in a little bit.

Got that full circle feeling last Saturday night. There I was at ABT for Sleeping Beauty, Alexei Ratmansky’s production based on the Stepanov notations made at the Mariinsky in 1903. Diana Vishneva was Aurora and Veronika Part was Lilac Fairy. … Continue reading →

Bill Moyers and Bernard Weisberger at commondreams: “Obama often has treated Democrats in Congress as if they’ve been quarantined for Ebola; they’re more likely to get into the White House if they dress up on Halloween as Republicans and go … Continue reading →