Comments on: The ballet “Concerto Barocco”: different dancers bring something completely different

By: Gringo

Gringo — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 18:51:25 +0000

That is the first time I had seen ballet set to Bach’s music. I couldn’t place the name of the piece- another commenter informed us it was Double Concerto- but I knew the music by heart.

Very graceful.

By: Faith2014

Faith2014 — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 03:25:37 +0000

The dancers in the 1951 video look like they’re enjoying themselves.

By: Sheryl Bryant

Sheryl Bryant — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 03:16:30 +0000

What a lovely palette cleanser from all the daily news! I read each of your ballet essays and forward them to my sister-in-law, who is a former dancer. And is also a big lib, so I’m hoping she may cruise around your site when she visits. 🙂

The last video is so effective to me because they look like they are almost creating a dance to just some music that is playing in a studio somewhere. It looks natural and flows so differently than the other videos. I know it is hard work and also hard work to make it look effortless. The contemporary dancers seem much more athletic (not in a horrible way), and the earlier dancers are just so skinny in their legs!

By: neo

neo — Sun, 14 Oct 2018 17:21:10 +0000

Sometimes with ballet videos the music is patched in later. That can make for a synchronization glitch. I have no idea whether it was done for any of these videos, though.

By: Ben David

Ben David — Sun, 14 Oct 2018 15:56:04 +0000

Thanks very much for this – a breath of fresh air after being dragged through the sewers by the Dems.

In the 1951 clip I don’t think a single leg rose as high as in the other 2 clips. And the arms and the faces went along with the music.

Also the smaller stage (necessitated by early television?) actually improved the visual composition, which suits the music. In the other 2 clips the chorus groups were sort of out there in the void.

By: Cicero

Cicero — Sun, 14 Oct 2018 14:45:48 +0000

I appreciate that you have written about the negative aspects of ballet, Neo, but I missed them or do not recall them. I was also speaking about the broader world’s neglect of these. I don’t read most of your ballet pieces because ballet does not interest me.

I would only allow a son to play football if he wanted to punt or place-kick. Thus I would also veto a daughter’s desire to dance ballet.

By: Kai Akker

Kai Akker — Sun, 14 Oct 2018 14:07:16 +0000

Interesting videos, but heck, that is one challenging choice of music. Difficult even for Balanchine dancers, even Suzanne Farrell, to measure up to the Double Concerto (my own personal favorite of Bach’s). I see several others here had a similar response. Those in the first video seemed so off-pace I wondered if it were a video/audio recording issue, or even distance from the camera? Once heard a great timpanist describe how his position at the back of certain deep stages requires him to hit his beats a hair early so the sounds hit the violinists (and the audience) at the right moment. Hard for me even to imagine getting that right!

By: MHollywood

MHollywood — Sun, 14 Oct 2018 13:34:44 +0000

I did not read the post. I decided just to watch the vids as a news cleanse.
I watched the first after hearing what the ballerina said about how perfect it is. I wondered to myself, “Maybe it’s my lack of sophistication, but they do not seem to be with the music. They are a half a beat too late on everything and KLOMPING like today’s runway models.” This music pours right into the heart–and their dancing was annoying for missing the beat and being so pretentious about it Then I saw the next two vids. Then I read what Neo said. OK!
This is precisely why we come here to this blog – to see that we are not alone in being with the beat of the universe when so many of our contemporaries miss it.

By: powderburns

powderburns — Sun, 14 Oct 2018 06:17:15 +0000

I’ll keep an eye out. My sister had anorexia, but she got better, sort of. Never meant to make light of it, just an observation.

I have been proper fasting, for two years. I always thought weight loss was 90% exercise. But in my befuddled old age I have discovered diet is most of it.

Like your work.

By: neo

neo — Sun, 14 Oct 2018 04:17:25 +0000

powderburns: I lived in the ballet world for decades, and I also taught ballet. Yes, some dancers are naturally thin. But some are not naturally thin at all, and many of those have eating disorders. Eating disorders are quite rampant. Some people do not get thin despite tons of exercise, and the thinness required to be a dancer is extreme. See this, this, and this.