There is a very large school of thought that says for great artistry to be achieved screws must be tightened and aspiring artists and performers must run a gauntlet of fire under their teachers and mentors. Some years ago I was a psychiatric consultant to a world-famous music conservatory, and I saw the effects of this approach: uniformly destructive. So, in answer to your question, I give a resounding 'no'.
Thank you Celia for tonight's movie. Everything about dance, the performing arts fascinates me. About an hour into the video, West Side Story is covered. This one line regarding Leonard Bernstein--"Lenny Bernstein was afraid of two things, God and Jerry Robbins".
That was just what I needed on a very cold, grey, first snow day. I was looking for friends I roomed with in the early 70's from either Joffery or ABT, but of course they were not to be found. In my mind's eye, I saw them dancing though and was totally engulfed in the beauty. Thank you, Celia for this inspired tribute to ballet.
update: I'm adding my thanks for this video I'd never seen. never had an overarching view of Robbins' career. he's at the heart of so much theater and dance I love. I used to sing BYPSY and WEST SIDE STORY scores around the house. and ON THE TOWN, of course. musical theater ain't what it used to be and choreography? rarely worthy of the name.
naming names at huac is unforgiveable and shows what a sleazy careerist Robbins was, as was Elia Kazan. oh, well. it's our national tragedy we'll never recover from. we're not allowed to contemplate. and not loving Montgomery Clift was another act of cowardice it seems Robbins paid for the rest of his neurotic life.
Celia, to get you off of "studying ill-tempered, talented gay Jewish men in the arts in New York after WW2," how about a little dancing through life--https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6ReXhrp5Y4
Out of the shadows of his beginnings the message both silent and spoken by parents both broken was that he wasn't good enough. And he spent a lifetime proving them wrong.
There is a very large school of thought that says for great artistry to be achieved screws must be tightened and aspiring artists and performers must run a gauntlet of fire under their teachers and mentors. Some years ago I was a psychiatric consultant to a world-famous music conservatory, and I saw the effects of this approach: uniformly destructive. So, in answer to your question, I give a resounding 'no'.
I do too. It clear from the Balanchine stories (how well he treated his dancers) that Robbins was just sadistic, and it was not necessary.
who profits from calling an artist a sadist? why play the game of the psychologists, the great sadists of our time?
as a 1978 Grad of The Juilliard School I'm interested: can you divulge the name of the world-famous music conservatory?
Thank you Celia for tonight's movie. Everything about dance, the performing arts fascinates me. About an hour into the video, West Side Story is covered. This one line regarding Leonard Bernstein--"Lenny Bernstein was afraid of two things, God and Jerry Robbins".
That was just what I needed on a very cold, grey, first snow day. I was looking for friends I roomed with in the early 70's from either Joffery or ABT, but of course they were not to be found. In my mind's eye, I saw them dancing though and was totally engulfed in the beauty. Thank you, Celia for this inspired tribute to ballet.
update: I'm adding my thanks for this video I'd never seen. never had an overarching view of Robbins' career. he's at the heart of so much theater and dance I love. I used to sing BYPSY and WEST SIDE STORY scores around the house. and ON THE TOWN, of course. musical theater ain't what it used to be and choreography? rarely worthy of the name.
naming names at huac is unforgiveable and shows what a sleazy careerist Robbins was, as was Elia Kazan. oh, well. it's our national tragedy we'll never recover from. we're not allowed to contemplate. and not loving Montgomery Clift was another act of cowardice it seems Robbins paid for the rest of his neurotic life.
Celia, please keep us posted more on that fog and about people getting sick. Is your thought another pandemic is on the way?
Celia, to get you off of "studying ill-tempered, talented gay Jewish men in the arts in New York after WW2," how about a little dancing through life--https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6ReXhrp5Y4
they influence American culture and notin a good way..... genetic? or from the source of their own cultural or behavioralinfluences?
Out of the shadows of his beginnings the message both silent and spoken by parents both broken was that he wasn't good enough. And he spent a lifetime proving them wrong.
https://vimeo.com/1043569034?autoplay=1&muted=1&stream_id=Y2hhbm5lbHw5Mjd8aWQ6ZGVzY3x7InJlbW92ZV92b2RfdGl0bGVzIjpmYWxzZX0%3D
Just tryin' to steer you away from your gay fixation :- )
Any mentally sound individual should always be open to taking inventory of the forces that have shaped their life. You are no exception.