Saratoga Springs supports the Bolshoi Ballet while making its point.

 

 

Excellent protest. Now it's time for everyone to sit down and enjoy the show!

Comments

[Dreamer]

The Bolshoi should've never come to Saratoga in the first place. It is hard to imagine the Royal Ballet or the Paris Opera Ballet performing in this type if an outdoor venue in the middle of nowhere. It's just not the right place for the company of this caliber. And besides my personal aversion to political protests at cultural events which, in my opinion, should take place at the more appropriate locations (embassies, city halls or chambers of commerce) and be directed at politicians rather than artists, I am puzzled by the ingratitude of SPAC. After all the Bolshoi is helping SPAC with its budget but instead of a warm welcome it is greeted with angry demonstrations. I hope it won't affect the mood and determination of Bolshoi's dancers to give their best to Saratoga audiences.

[Haglund]

Hi Dreamer. Thanks for stopping by H.H.

You may not be wholly familiar with the SPAC theater. The stage specs were created to match those of the New York State Theater at the request of George Balanchine so that the New York City Ballet could perform there - which they have done quite successfully for many decades. The space and the locale, which is quite affluent, are welcoming to large performing arts groups. Last year the National Ballet of Canada was in residence with its production of Giselle.

There was no ingratitude on the part of SPAC, as you suggested. Peaceful protests are permitted most anywhere in this country by constitutional right, and cultural venues don't enjoy special immunity. Why should they? There was no disruption of the performance at SPAC last night. It looked like an organized, peaceful protest that BOTH supported the ballet and complained about Putin.

[Farmazon]

Thank you Haglund for posting the Ukrainian protest.
Videos of common people in what after all is Europe being bombed out of their apartments
Villages burned down and old folk who have nowhere to go returning to ruins
Priests kidnapped
This is 21 century Europe part of the Western world and culture on which war is being waged with ultra modern technology courtesy of Putin and by Putin and
If you dig deep German state of the art military training camps in Russia
I am glad that the Ulrainians brought it to the attention of the American public
Which has a tendency to live in the clouds oblivious

[Haglund]

Hi Farmazon.

There can't be many literate Americans or Europeans who are unaware of the situation.

Your reminder that this is all happening in 21st century Europe expresses the incredulity of many. How could this possibly be happening in 21st century Europe?

Just a reminder that the protest was not directed toward the Bolshoi or SPAC and that the protesters made an effort to show support for the artists.

[Dreamer]

Hi Haglund,

Thanks for your response. I was aware of Balanchine’s involvement in designing the Saratoga campus as well as the constitutional rights of my country with regards to peaceful assemblies. The only revelation for me was the fact that last year NBoC made a stop in Saratoga. And although it is the major ballet company in Canada it is not in the same league with the Bolshoi. That is why I specifically named RB and POB as an example. Saratoga may be an affluent community but it is still a small and remote place in upper NY. I don’t mean to say Saratogians don’t deserve to see the crème-de la crème of the artistic world I just believe that the Bolshoi should maintain some exclusivity regarding its engagements.

Back to the issue of political protests: nowhere have I suggested that cultural venues should be immune to political protests. I only express my personal unease with such incidents as any political protest tends to create a hostile atmosphere affecting the artists as well as the audience members. What exactly do these protesters try to achieve? It can hardly be about bringing awareness to the situation since Putin and Ukraine have been in the news incessantly.

As far as the statement by Farmazon goes, I disagree that Americans live in the clouds of oblivion. The problem is rather that they often have quite distorted and slanted views of the world affairs as his own comment clearly demonstrates.

[Haglund]

Thanks Dreamer. I just can't agree that SPAC is beneath the Bolshoi Ballet for a performing venue either in size or status. Not only are the NYCB and Philadelphia Orchestra in residence there each summer, the venue hosts world class entertainment acts who normally are looking for a venue the size of Madison Square Garden (e.g. Bruce Springsteen, Elton John) It's not out of the realm of possibility for either the RB or POB to book SPAC, but they rarely come to the U.S. at all.

I would imagine that the Bolshoi dancers and musicians may consider a few days in Saratoga Springs to be a very pleasant experience. The artists who perform there regularly love it. I'm not sure of the source of your impression that it's not worthy of the Bolshoi. When were you last at SPAC?

[Dreamer]

Haglund, I have not been to SPAC but I am quite familiar with another popular open-air venue, the Hollywood Bowl, which also hosts an impressive list of world class performers including the LA Philharmonic, Billy Joel , Yo-Yo Ma and even the Bolshoi Ballet, though the latter performed there almost a half century ago. I admit it’s a lot of fun coming to the Bowl, spreading a picnic blanket, biting into your favorite sandwich while listening to the barely audible sounds of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. Plus you get to see the best fireworks in town. Excellent pyrotechnics compensate for the poor outdoor acoustics. After all, you don’t go to the Bowl to savor nuances of your favorite symphony (for this there is the Walt Disney Hall). You go there to admire the starry sky and enjoy a warm Californian night.

Al fresco venues play an important role in popularizing classical arts but certain categories of performances simply don’t belong there. I find full-length classical ballets not compatible with the beer garden style atmosphere. It’s not that performing at SPAC (or similar outdoor venues) diminishes the status of the Bolshoi but it trivializes the art form and obliterates the uniqueness of the experience. I believe that ballet performances by the companies such as the Bolshoi, Mariinsky, RB or POB should remain exclusive to the world’s best stages.

[Dreamer]

By the way, thank you for creating this blog. You are the best source of information on everything ballet related.

[Haglund]

Thanks, Dreamer. I agree with you about the Hollywood Bowl, but the experience at SPAC is different. Sitting outside in the dark while watching the Wilis chase down their prey last summer raised the level of "spook" in Giselle to a new high. Hopefully, someday you will have an opportunity to visit Saratoga Springs during the summer ballet season. National Ballet of Canada last year, Bolshoi this year -- who knows, maybe the RB will be next.