Articles written by Vio are published on this page. The articles are organized by date with the latest on top. To comment, please fill out the contact form. 

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"Cultivating Audience"

"There is always hope" 

"O Muse.."

"The pursuit of perfection"

~ Coming soon:

"Religion vs. State"

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July.11.10

Words to live by

 

I was writing an article on Johnny Mac and Co. aka – bad boys of tennis and came upon this phrase which I found to be fresh, fun and hmmm –felicitous for optimistic days. We owe it to Marat Safin, a Russian player who retired from active play last fall.

 

"One more day above the ground is a good day. So please all of you do me a favor and enjoy it as much as you can and be good to the people around you, no matter who they are because love and beauty will save the world."

 

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July.3.10

 

 

 

The eternal question ..:)

Graphics by Unknown Artist

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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July.1.10

Girls

 

When it comes to folk dancing (unquestionably in Slavic folk dancing) the men are usually more interesting to watch. But it seems there is a divine connection between ballet and women. There are scores of works of that opinion, ballet is oft depicted by the use of ballerina attributes like the pointe shoes or tutu, when buying street shoes nowadays one can readily find “Pavlova” heels (DKNY) or “Ballerina” flats (S.Edelman) and one doesn’t have to look in the stats books to know more women appreciate our art than men. Everything confirms the feeling. See: ballet -> feelings -> feelings -> women. Possibly every established male dancer is stacked against three equal females. Not bad for the men, but we are talking about the girls now. Our gender has been through more status variations than any other (giggle) and so I think it worthy to constantly examine where we stand. Jokes aside, I think, unfortunately – not where we’d like to. [All, please, take a moment to establish your assessment]

Very soon America might get another female Supreme Court Justice. In the process she’ll be questioned on a host of issues, including abortion rights. In the United States one hears debates over that topic often. Coming here from Austria Roe v Wade was the one US high courts case I knew of. What one seldom hears about is the problem of infanticide, sex-selective abortions and child neglect based on family or sociologic pressure for sons. In various forms the suggestion that it is better to be a man than a woman lives in both rich and poor countries. Nowhere is the situation more tragic than in families that want a son, get a daughter and want to be rid of her. In parts of the world all that has amounted to annihilation of literally generations of women and very unhealthy sex-ratios. It is difficult to think of how, but probably necessary to say it. The infant girls are being smothered; strangled with the umbilical cord or drowned at birth... some lucky ones are only given away. Things that should never happen are happening so often, it’s become the everyday. A lot of this is difficult to fathom, but archaic prejudices and modern economic realities have made it the very existence of some. Besides the baby victims, parents continue to live with the fact of what they have done or were unable to prevent. Some are inconsolable and end up taking their own life. There are also the bachelors unable to find the bride they long for. I imagine lonesome souls that in large numbers could spell trouble.

The problem is small in the US compared to China or India, but just the fact that it even exists here caught me off guard. Until recently I wasn’t aware of how wide spread and serious the situation is and

moreover – that it might be getting worse. Will that happen or will the wrong right itself? I don’t know, but ballet can not afford to lose another million of women! We need their beauty, their sensitivity and their power too. Microfinance wonder stories are almost always those of women. Political leaders know that given the tools women lift their children, families and communities to a better place.

I feel terrible for all those little ones, that were not given a fighting chance!

 

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June.27.10

a little update II

 

I have been busy. But I haven’t even started the yet busy summer and I am already looking forward to vacation. Let's fillip through this update!  

Bellow are a few shots I snapped with my phone while at work shooting on a rooftop above City Hall in New York. Some may give a good perspective of where my work/circus act took place. I sure hope those photographs I was posing for come out good, because I was standing so close to the edge few times I started doubting my life choices. That grin you see on the picture here is actually one I had for about 20 minutes prior..

Happily I amazed a group of children (who might have taken their own pictures of my stunts) and probably knocked out a few ballet stereotypes before they even took hold.

Speaking of children – I look forward to meeting some new classes this summer. The traditional summer courses were not my favorite as a student, but I have to admit what good they were for my education. So I hope to be most caring with my charges and let them not wish they were at the beach. That should not be too difficult. Kids inspire! And what a lovely break they provide from the jaded and insidious ways of adults.

 

  

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June.20.10

Latest Prada collection

 

This is about the latest menswear collection. Usually an area I’m indifferent to comment on, but Prada outdid it’s usual less than masculine aesthetic, adding cartoon-like versions of construction workers, hospital workers and the like to produce heinous/funny looks that beg the question "How do you like me now?" and so I must.

Let us start with the shrunken shoulders. Prada assumes some men may want to wear their jackets three inches too narrow. May be, but too reminiscent of people in a mental institution for my taste. Besides that it is most displeasing to the eye it makes complete waste of this manly feature – broad shoulders, that is widely regarded as good-looking.

I appreciated Miuccia’s bid for simplicity, but I did not think simple and beautiful had to be mutually exclusive. And how are three tone, espadrille/running shoe oxfords simple? In a nutshell the show:

Enter the attractive man. Scratch that – enter the man with fugly physical proportions, who also might be a Mama’s boy since she turned her denim skirt into shorts for him. Not to mention he might have a Napoleon complex and needs chopines that will make 16^th century courtesans jealous.  

 

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June.1.10

a little travel log

 

 

I just returned from a trip to Martha’s Vineyard island. I was there for the creation and first showing of a new ballet.

Before going I was told the place was exclusive, with idiosyncratic ways and filthy rich people. I can’t say I noticed much of that, what I did notice was lovely surroundings and rocky beaches. It was also interesting to see the scene of infamous Kennedy accidents.

The pictures here are from a day I was hanging out on a pier in Oak Bluffs. The first one was just for memory. Than out of the blue appeared a black duck, from below the water, no other bird in sight. "What the duck?!" And I scrambled to get an after shot, before it was gone as fast as it appeared.

 

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May.16.10

In the desert

This picture was inspiration for my DESERT VIOLET pictorial coming this summer. There was an animal going through the dunes and even though I caught the dunes more than the animal it got me thinking what would be fun, life affirming, beautiful or bizarre to see in the desert.

 

Sand, emotional or chocolate kind...

 

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May.14.10

an encounter

 

I had a few musician friends living in Vienna and one of them let me know I was why they were going to be attending the ballet. This happened without them seeing me onstage and I replied I wished I had done that with my dancing. I was young. They told me I should be happy to have done it regardless of how it happened. I will report that I remembered the suggestion and find it to be true.

A minor example here: It was a casual encounter, a conversation was not necessary, but the lady engaged. Maybe she wondered about me. I knew if I said "I am a ballerina" it would alienate me to her. If I said "I dance" she might think I did that in a bar. In the moment I came up with "I do ballet for a living".. Ballet was mentioned yet I remained a normal human being, someone that person could relate to. She seemed at ease, maybe for having figured me out, maybe because she’d never met a ballerina and I didn’t bite. I can’t say she is a frequent ballet visitor now, I never met her again, but she let me know I had given her a perspective. Hopefully she did come to see a show.

 

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May.12.10

 (from '09)

Cultivating Audience

 

Recently I was talking to a company director, someone who grew up in the theatre. The conversation touched on programming, cast and brought us to building an audience. The topic was, until few years ago, mostly absent from my life. It was never mentioned in dance history class. It seems there has not been a time with the same kind of need for audience development. And many will agree with me, or just with the balance sheets of struggling companies the world over, that we need to bring our art closer to people. I’d say closer physically and closer culturally.

Television has the ability to reach so many and so easily, yet that medium remains ballet free. The ticket price to a smaller company production is double the price of a movie ticket and a big company show will be multiple times the price of a movie ticket. There are, of course good reasons for that, but shouldn’t there be as well a more affordable way. For too many, the majority, ballet is still something reserved for rare occasions. Wouldn’t it be nice to have the magic box stream various forms of ballet between sitcoms, game shows and the rest of the television drama plethora. In a way ballet reinvented itself during the 20^th century. But it has been a while since audiences have seen something truly new. Of course the magic of live performance will remain in the theatre! But we can also challenge ourselves and create ballet performances for digital media. Something to take ballet into another realm of possibilities. Putting 19^th century works on video is great, but so far it has yielded little result in breaking clichés about the art form. I am one of the absolute classics lovers but maybe something else is needed to grab new minds into appreciation for ballet.

I have looked around but found no one experimenting in that direction. Surely if there were potential for monetary gain the great business minds will have an incentive to sponsor such efforts. We want to see the venture capitalists go into something so largely unprofitable as art, right...

Respected colleagues of mine would say they think ballet is too sophisticated for many. That may be true, but I can’t be content with the fact that my art will remain foreign to people. I don’t think it is the people we should write off as audience, instead find a way to show what beauty they are missing out on. Invent a new magical way to translate ballet into mass entertainment still worthy of our self respect – sounds like a lot of fun! We need time and recourses, but I have some ideas. Not enough, surely, but a beginning.

 

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May.03.10

a little update

It turns out my Facebook profile is a good place for some behind the scenes pictures, but not everybody is on Facebook. So here are some recent pictures taken before a show in my dressing room.

I haven't posted here in a while, I am sorry. I post some updates with the Facebook application on my phone, but I need help with this website. 

Jan.03.10

Happy New Year

I want to wish everyone a very, very happy and healthy 2010!!

I met few new years in few time zones with people I love and I am grateful for all the people in my life, including you, dear person reading this.

This pic was taken at the party where I met the United States East Coast New Year with lovely people.

Have a blessed year!!

Love,

V.  

Nov.25.09

Thanksgiving

Count your blessings is a beautiful phrase..

For the most part people are thrown back and forth between wanting more and gratefulness for what they already have. I read that during this recession people have embraced volunteerism. Also that the holidays bring people to charity. So it is both good times and bad that can motivate to help others. I hope people won’t need a global crises or major religious celebrations to have a continuous consciousness of the need for action out there. I am thankful for those who have helped and help others.

If you can help, below is a link to an organization that helps abandoned children in Bulgaria:

www.tbact.org 

Nov.20.09

Irina won

A lot of fashion fans in the United States watch "Project Runway". I am one of them and surely I saw the season six finale yesterday. I was a fan of Irina’s throughout the run of the show and I’m happy the judges made the right decision! Althea and Carol-Hannah's collections were strong as well, but did not show as strong vision as Irina’s. Carol-Hannah is the runner-up in my mind. She is self-taught, very talented and deserves all the success. The black head-bands and large knitwear in Althea's collection were an exact copy of something Irina wore herself few episodes ago. Maybe a coincidence, but in the end her work was not as memorable as the other two designers’. I did agree that some color in Irina’s collection would have made it stronger. I hope she considers that in her future work and that I’ll have an opportunity to wear some of her powerful creations. Congratulations Irina!

Nov.12.09

There is always hope

I stumbled upon this a while ago and couldn’t help but save it.

This kind of street art (I think people call it) is just perfect and I wish I knew who drew it and who took the picture. There is something like this, albeit sans a caption on an underpass I often drive by. Many sea animals are drawn on a blue background and it evokes similar feelings.

 Thank you to these artists!

Nov.10.09

O Muse..

It is wonderful to be on either side of inspiration.

Nowadays we don’t call for the ancient goddess to help, but still in many incarnations she is here. From a little bird, to a pattern on a fabric one can sense her touch in the way they make you feel.

People, real and fictional, serve as inspiration all the time. Probably personal example is what has the most power to drive other people to follow.

Two great film performances of actors playing real people – a real treat to watch:

C. Blanchett as Queen Elizabeth I  and V.Kilmer as Doc Holliday

Nov.09.09

The pursuit of perfection

I imagine most who have created an original work have met situations that call for compromise. And ones that call for perfection. As I have spent more and more time experiencing and examining the world I think that it is the person and not their field of work that set the satisfactory standard. With art of course there is the problem that everyone has different opinion.

But for me I’ve found that it’s harder to meet my own standards than those of the observers. Growing up my peers would tell me I was so critical and mistake it for negativity.

In ballet one always improves. And that is the beautiful part. The part where the artist polishes their technique and grows into their persona, establishes their characters.

But it can never only be pretty. There are certain rules and popular views. Politics. Besides that there are trends, of course. Than the melancholics – they will tell you how great the olden days were. And how bad everything is now. And even though ballet is called ballet everywhere, in one company preferred qualities of choice are quite different from those in the next. The directors, the critics, the colleagues.. the list goes on. And you can’t always please everyone.

Yet I try. Until I rebel.

Nov.05.09

Ergo, HEALTH CARE

This subject is very important to me. Three of my Grand parents died of cancer. I had to work hard on avoiding the thought that its inevitable. That if it happens to you – modern medicine is still not good enough to save you. One of my Grandfathers had worked in a mine and that caused his illness, the other had smoked. But my Grandmom had nothing like that to provide a plausible explanation. I searched for answers. I was the one to whom the doctor delivered the official diagnosis. Even though I had asked her in the previous visit, I asked again – why?  I was alone with her and she said that it is good that it’s me – a grandchild. I could tell it’s easier for her. It didn’t have to be “Your mother has cancer”. I remember feeling strength. Somehow, because I was there I felt like I could do something to make it all better. I was positive.

That unfortunately, was not the case, but the feeling that you can do something, that action is being taken is what allows me to sleep at night.

I now know more about cancer, illness and mostly prevention than before, but I’ll lie if I say I am not scared of how incomplete modern medicine still is. I am thankful I wasn’t one of those poor people who had their cough treated with heroin, but just last week I found out that people had suffered serious health problems and even died from a drug I was prescribed and had taken! Needless to say I was disturbed, but what’s worse - I wasn’t surprised.  

Is it the system, is it the drug companies, is it the doctors? To a degree - all of the above.

But now that I’ve thought about how health insurance insures only if you are lucky, let me say I’d like everyone to have it and have it in a way that is truly helpful and unproblematic for the patient and efficient for the system.

A lot has been going on with the health care reform in the United States. Politicians are hard at work at doing what they do best – keeping people’s best interests at heart.

Clearly the case can be made about government running less than perfectly and also everyone would agree that making money off ill people is immoral at best. What I can not get my mind around is – why this great country has such trouble getting it right.

It seems there are too much money to be made.

Wishing everyone best of health!!

11.07.09

P.S. I am hopeful that the bill passed today in the House of Representatives will happily be the long awaited improvement in the health care system in America.

Nov.03.09

Book The Souvenir

There is probably no location that I’ve visited and not obtained a souvenir from. There is a good word in Russian about those items – "bezdelushki" which translates something like "do nothings". But fortunately for the most part I get functional stuff. I like something I can wear or ideally a book. The latter often causing a problem due to its weight. Most will agree overweight baggage is not fun when on a long trip, but those purchases usually make–up for the inconvenience. Especially if they are in the language in which they were written. I must confess, on a particularly fruitful voyage I enhanced my library by seven tomes, all delightfully diverse. Some on very controversial and problematic topics, such as pornography and petrol.

So on a more recent trip I tried to restrain myself. I had few very good reasons: I am running out of space at my place, I am about a month behind on my periodicals, I found my Moms childhood edition of "Faust" which deserves more attention that its getting, I have some more traveling to do and of course - the baggage. In the end I got away with three vintage books – all very small in size and a large music encyclopedia. Four in total and very satisfactory selections. I am positive I’ll be posting an article or two inspired by these entertaining reads. Please forgive the bad picture, it’s the best I could get.