Comments on: BATTLE OF THE BLONDES: ETHAN STIEFEL’S SWAN-CHASING SIEGFRIED AND DAVID HALLBERG’S SEXY SINISTER SORCERER!

By: TO APPLAUD OR NOT TO APPLAUD at Swan Lake Samba Girl

TO APPLAUD OR NOT TO APPLAUD at Swan Lake Samba Girl — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 17:12:56 +0000

[...] applause during classical music performances that I found to be at least somewhat apropos of our earlier discussion about applause during ballet. They’re a bit different since applause at the wrong time [...]

By: SwanLakeSambaGirl

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 02:06:24 +0000

That's exactly what I thought, Philip! Thank you!

By: Philip

Philip — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 01:01:24 +0000

Applauding during a variation (or at any point in a performance that excites you) at the ballet is a tradition and is perfectly acceptable, and in fact I think virtuosity is built into these pieces just so the audience will react. A dancer who pulls off a triple-whatever will be disappointed if he doesn't hear some bravos.

One ballet that I think should NOT have any applause until the end (of each half) is Balanchine's LIEBESLIEDER. It breaks the mood. But in the big star-vehicle full-length ballets, the audience reaction mid-dance buoys the performer and can really enhance the atmosphere.

The offensive behaviors (talking, eating. cellphones, rummaging thru your purse, snoring, wearing jangling jewelry or too much perfume, unwrapping mints, etc etc) need to be addressed more astutely by the theatres now that a new audience inured to sports events and movie-going are being lured into the world of dance or opera. But: applauding during the dancing is fine: it's part of the show.

By: SwanLakeSambaGirl

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 22:06:24 +0000

That's exactly what I thought, Philip! Thank you!

By: Philip

Philip — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 21:01:24 +0000

By: SwanLakeSambaGirl

SwanLakeSambaGirl — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:12:55 +0000

Thanks you guys!

Anne, I'm so glad someone gets my sense of humor

I know, Taylor & Meg — that guy created such a disturbance. I thought of the dancers too, Taylor — they must have heard him! I mean,anyone yelling that loudly, whatever he was saying, would disturb my concentration. Last night was even more raucous during the Black Swan, because of Bolle. People were really going nuts. I can't imagine what that guy would have thought then.

Ariel — I think I might have been with you when that person whipped out that sub! That or else I saw the exact same thing at another point, because that was what I was thinking about. I've also seen baggies of carrots and celery. Oh and a soda can opened in City Center (during an Alvin Ailey performance). I mean, some people have honestly never been to a performance outside of the movies before and they really don't know.

Katrina, that's crazy about the Hair performance! That's really kind of funny.

And Linda, it's funny, I haven't really been a fan of Paloma much either, but this season she's really growing on me. She is very good with that mime!

Ballet Bag — interesting about the RB version. I'll have to see it. Yeah, here Siegfried has a lot to do in the first part as well. I mean at least in the ABT version, not in the Balanchine. The Balanchine is almost entirely concentrated on Odette and the other swan maidens. I've got to come over there sometime and see the Royal!

Thanks again for all the great comments you guys

By: Taylor

Taylor — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 04:02:59 +0000

I was sitting way up top and when that guy yelled it was SO loud, echoing through the rafters, haha. Who does that?! I couldn't believe it – and I felt bad for the rest of the corps swans who had to come out and dance right after/as he yelled. Very odd that people make their own rules.

The performance itself though was wonderful, as you describe!

By: Linda

Linda — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 02:18:25 +0000

I am glad that Ethan is back! He is lovely in princely roles without being bland. What a treat must have been to see him against Hallberg's von Rothbart.

I am not the biggest Paloma fan but I agree that her Odette/Odille is one of her best roles. She is able to tell the story while also bringing some technical sparks to the performance.

And yeah, the guy that shouted should have go to watch a performance at the Mariinsky. People over there really have a thing for applause.

By: Anne Coburn Whitmore

Anne Coburn Whitmore — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:24:56 +0000

“One thing I really love about him is how, after he became enamored of Paloma’s Odette, he’d run after her as fast as he possibly could, a speed demon, like if he didn’t catch her his life would crumble.”

– wow, and what girl wouldn't want Ethan running after her like that, right?!
Cute, endearing and impassioned descriptive passage – nice!! Thank you for this!

By: Meg

Meg — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:18:59 +0000

I don't understand why common good manners are such a problem for so many people. And I don't understand why some audience members need to express their annoyance with the bad manners of others by being rude in return and creating even more of a disturbance. You're absolutely right that a little respect would go a long way!

By: Katrina

Katrina — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:27:29 +0000

It's not just the Ballet. There's an ongoing thing in Theatre right now. Patti LuPone has now stopped performances twice for audience problems (once during Gypsy and once during her own show) and reccently during Hair, once of the cast members caught an audience trying to record the show (in hair it's like veritually impossible) and took the person's camera and chucked it across the stage.

By: The Ballet Bag

The Ballet Bag — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:23:46 +0000

I agree with you on Paloma's turns, so fast and precise! She and Ethan really impressed me when they did SL over here in March. I like it that ABT's SL gives both Siegfried and Rothbart a bigger role. In the RB's version poor Sieg only has the chance to shine during the Black Swan PD2, not a good thing when a can't-take-your-eyes-off dancer like Bolle is onstage!!

BTW, the applause control freak story... phew!

E.