Nothing Personal
It's called show business, not show fun.
So while I know nothing about ballet proper, I do know something about Tchaikovksy. Hearing the full mature soprano bel-canto singers in the Valse des flocons de neige (Act II Scene 2 No.9) turned my stomach. This has been, and always should be: children - specifically, boy sopranos.
On a lighter note, the pas de duex in the beginning of the video was very nice, but I must say all the whatever going on in the background is distracting. (After letter B - Act I Scene II no.8 Scène: Une forêt de sapins en hiver)
Another musician! Awesome. What do you play?
In my experience the “voices” (as we ignorant dancers sometimes refer to them) can either make or break Snow. I’ve only heard it performed live once and they did use a children’s choir but it was both boys and girls. I’m sure when it’s sung correctly it sounds exactly right, like most of Tchaikovsky. But you’re right that if it’s sung by the wrong people, or in the wrong way, even if they have great voices it sounds melodramatic and overdone and like a big, fluffy joke. Which is how ballet often looks these days, what with its only mainstream presence being in the hearts and minds of grade school girls with tulle-drenched dreams.
This particular production has a few nice moments in terms of choreography but yeah, there are some places where it’s a bit frenetic. It’s a regional company and the school fills out the extra dancers so there’s some pressure to give the kids more to do than would probably be choreographically ideal.
For the most masterful Snow choreography I’ve yet seen, go to Lincoln Center and see NYCB’s Nutcracker. It’s worth seeing for the genius in Snow and Flowers alone, but even overall I think it stands above most productions.
