Mar 28 2008
Mao’s poised swan
Lou sent this Swan Lake and wondered how can she keep her balance on her toe on the head of the male dancer? Really amazing. She’s graceful with really nice figure and endless pretty long legs. The gu lei is handsome too. Wondering what Tchaikovsky would think of it when he sees the froggies - you’ll have to wait out the first part. World class? for this genre, yes.
Ruby’s mother one day passing by Beijing’s wenhua gong (or was min zu gong?) in the 1950s and was ordered to get in, Galina Ulánova was to perform, and the hall wasn’t packed. It would be face losing for the fame ballerina, the government reckoned. I took in a ballet by the Japanese in London one year. Synchronize yes, artistic? Not sure. A little lifeless, just like their cars.
Dr. Li recounted his trip to Moscow as Mao’s physician in November 1957, celebrating Soviet Union’s 40th anniversary of founding. One night Khrushchev invited Mao to join him at his special box for a performance. Having never seen a western ballet, ”we arrived late, after the second act had begun, and Mao was bored immediately.”