Nina comes through

Ballet companies across the globe -- except for New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre -- are digging into their archives to bring out videos of past performances to share with the deeply isolated world. All of the videos are not necessarily high quality, but they can be appreciated none the less.

Yesterday's transmission by the Bolshoi Ballet of the premiere performance of Marco Spada provided an incredible lift. It is still available on the Bolshoi's YouTube channel.  This brilliant production with choreography, costumes, and scenery all by the genius Pierre Lacotte of the Paris Opera Ballet is one of the most outstanding new productions in this century. Created in 2014 with Hallberg, Obraztsova, Chudin, Smirnova, Tsvirko, it was originally livestreamed in cinemas worldwide. The Bolshoi has exclusive rights to it for seven years which will conclude some time next year. (We forget where we read that, though.) How great it would be to see this brilliant choreography on the Met stage.

Meanwhile, Nina Ananiashvili's State Ballet of  Georgia has just uploaded to YouTube a video of Nina's Farewell Performance of Don Quixote in 2008. Those of us who remember well Nina's performances of Kitri will see plenty of glimmer of greatness from the old days in this ballerina's performance at age 45. Who else but Nina could manage several tutu changes in the final act and four Basilios...

"N-i-i-na Assol-u-u-ta! N-i-i-na Assol-u-u-ta!" Did you hear it from the left side orchestra at the Met? There was a reason.

 

 

Comments

[C. Hydovitz]

Yes, many of the companies, Zurich, La Scala, Royal, Australian, Berlin, Finish are streaming.
However, San Francisco Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Houston Ballet, Ballet West, Pennsylvania Ballet, Birmingham and National Ballet of Canada among many others are also not streaming any performances. Please don't ding just NYCB and ABT. There may be reasons i.e. legal and streaming rights we may not be aware of. Thanks!

[Haglund]

That's interesting. So many of those companies are required to deal with the same unions as NYCB and ABT. Perhaps that points to the cause of the roadblock.

[Carol Hydovitz]

Hi - just went to watch the Australian Ballets's Sleeping Beauty and received the following message "Video unavailable. This video contains content from The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds." It appears that many of the companies are running into the same problem both internally and internationally.
Thanks

[Haglund]

Thanks for the heads-up. Better watch the Bolshoi's Marco Spada just in case they take it off their YouTube channel on April 7th when they upload Boris Godunov.

There is also the dedicated Bolshoi video channel that you can get by clicking on the icon in the upper right hand corner of the front page of the website where it says "видео".

[Dreamer]

San Francisco Ballet will be streaming a series of ballet performances from its archive. It started with Stanton Welch’s Bespoke. Each performance will be available for one week only and can be viewed on YouTube, Facebook or company’s website.

[Haglund]

Fabulous news! Thanks, Dreamer!

[yukionna]

The Balanchine Foundation is also probably another hurdle.

It would be nice if NYCB could stream some Balanchine though. They have that show they filmed in Paris, for starters.

[Marta]

Hi Haglund,

Thanks for the news about Nina's farewell DQ. I'm headed over to youtube soon! I loved Nina in Swan Lake too. About NYCB in Paris, I think that can be found on youtube too. Marco Spada was terrific on the big screen years ago and was the first time I saw Obratzsova and Chudin. The Bolshoi DQ with Krysanova/Chudin is on youtube too and highly recommendable.

[Diana]

I had a dream that Skylar Brandt and Maria Khoreva danced the two lead roles in Concerto Barocco.

Just a COVID lockdown idle thought.

Stay safe, everyone.

[Michelle Erickson]

Is it possible that some companies run into streaming prohibitions if the performance facility has revenue conflict issues, or whatever?

[Solor]

There are any number of issues that could cause complications - especially if we're talking about in-house archival videos that were never intended for public viewing. Performances that are filmed for broadcast have their own sets of contractual specifications that involve permissions and payments. I assume that if companies are sharing videos they are acting within the appropriate parameters, or they have gotten the necessary waivers.

[Carol Hydovitz]

All may not be available in the US but worth a try...

Stuttgart Ballet "Mayerling" For 24 hours only, from April 11th, 18.00 CET (noon Eastern Time) to April 12th, 18.00 CET

Hamburg Ballet
Thu April 9, 4.30 pm | Sat April 18, 4.30 pm
Saint Matthew Passion
Ballet by John Neumeier
Music: Johann Sebastian Bach

Thu April 16, 4.30 pm | Sat April 25, 4.30 pm
Lady of the Camellias
Ballet by John Neumeier based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas
Music: Frédéric Chopin

Death in Venice
A Dance of Death by John Neumeier based on the novella by Thomas Mann
Music: Johann Sebastian Bach, Richard Wagner
Choreography, Staging and Lighting Concept: John Neumeier

Beethoven Project
Ballet by John Neumeier
Music: Ludwig van Beethoven

Thu May 7, 4.30 pm | Sat May 16, 4.30 pm
Illusions – like Swan Lake
Ballet by John Neumeier
Music: Peter I. Tchaikovsky
Choreography and Staging: John Neumeier

[Haglund]

Thanks, Carol. Is that programing going to be directly on the website or YouTube, Facebook, Instagram? I saw mention of full length programing on the Facebook page which directed viewers to the website. However, I couldn't find anything on the website. Can you help, Carol?

It would be fabulous to see Mayerling. The masterpiece is frequently produced all over the world but has only been presented once by an American company - Houston Ballet.

[Carol]

Here are the links with 2 new great shorts from this morning...

William Forsythe playlist track 1 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLBpVsBpah0

Ludmila Pagliero et Mathieu Ganio, étoiles du Ballet de l'Opéra de Paris dans Caravaggio
https://vimeo.com/56342656

Stuttgart Ballet :
"Mayerling" For 24 hours only, from April 11th, 18.00 CET (noon Eastern Time) to April 12th, 18.00 CET
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk9WDFKf3TjXwk1rf1tgfGg

Hamburg Ballet:

Each of the videos will be available for 48 hours as a free Video on Demand service on their website. Nine days later, each production will be online for another 48 hours.

Thu April 9, 4.30 pm | Sat April 18, 4.30 pm
Saint Matthew Passion
Ballet by John Neumeier
Music: Johann Sebastian Bach

Thu April 16, 4.30 pm | Sat April 25, 4.30 pm
Lady of the Camellias
Ballet by John Neumeier based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas
Music: Frédéric Chopin

Death in Venice
A Dance of Death by John Neumeier based on the novella by Thomas Mann
Music: Johann Sebastian Bach, Richard Wagner
Choreography, Staging and Lighting Concept: John Neumeier

Beethoven Project
Ballet by John Neumeier
Music: Ludwig van Beethoven

Thu May 7, 4.30 pm | Sat May 16, 4.30 pm
Illusions – like Swan Lake
Ballet by John Neumeier
Music: Peter I. Tchaikovsky
Choreography and Staging: John Neumeier

[Haglund]

THANKS, CAROL! Can't wait for Mayerling!!

Hopefully that Hamburg Ballet content will become available at their Video on Demand link https://www.hamburgballett.de/en/news/video_on_demand.php , but right now I'm having trouble getting it to work. It may well be blocked for the U.S.

[Carol Hydovitz]

Sorry Haglund,
My mind has turned to mush from this last month. I think I have permanently
lost brain band width.
This is what I read - "Hamburg Ballet has announced its program of live streaming of John Neumeier ballets. Each of the videos will be available for 48 hours as a free Video on Demand service on their website. Nine days later, each production will be online for another 48 hours."
I know Mayerling is one of you favs. Perhaps the streaming will not be available until that day. Le't hope so!

[Haglund]

Thanks so much!