Tchaikovsky II, and Idol Gives Back

Here's the full "Hero" painting that I described two entries ago. The Tchaikovsky head is pretty complete; the two dancers and border still need work.

The larger ballerina is taken from a photo of the famous Bluebird Pas de Deux, part of the ballet "Sleeping Beauty" which I was priviledged enough to see S.F. Ballet perform this season. A most yummy and glittery production.

The figure on the bottom left of the painting is one of the Snowflake maidens from the very first production of "Nutcracker"-- in the historical photo I have it looks like she has gigantic cotton balls all over her head and tutu, plus to make sure you get the point, she's carrying a scepter with: gigantic cotton balls! Production values were a little *primitive* in those days.

The ballerinas in these old photos all look around 75 pounds heavier than today's rather anorexic standard (S.F. Ballet is not quite as bad in this department as New York City Ballet; Balanchine set the standard for the rail-thin dancer you see in that company.)

Admit it: you've missed my balletomane musings!

So, in the Grove/Alb. household we're all waiting impatiently for tonight's two-hour extravagaza of "Idol Gives Back." Mainly, we're waiting anxiously to make sure that our hundred or so votes last night helped keep Blake Lewis in the competition. We are unhealthily obsessed with that boy!

And if some poor and hungry children in Africa and the U.S. are helped as well, that's a good thing, although Idol's smarmy self-promotion can't help but be kind of creepy. Truthfully, I don't really trust huge fundraising efforts like these-- I never really believe that the money lands in the right place. There are always horror stories of funds not being spent, etc.

It should be interesting to see the big names trotted out. Any chance to see Kelly Clarkson-- she's another one who totally activates my 13-year-old girl gene.

Okay, I guess that's enuff rambling for one day. I disappear for months and then reappear and can't shut up. Welcome to the wonderful world of blogging.