Our windows look out right over that church.
***
In closing, back to the ballet for a moment. . . .
Many of you may be familiar with this ballet under a different name:
Giselle, or Giselle of the Willys, as it is more properly called. A
few changes have been made, but with anything approaching traditions
of choreographing Giselle over the years, it is still obvious that a
great many of the traditional postures, motions or symbolic gestures
in Giselles throughout the years are actually the postures, motions,
and other gestures more commonly associated with ice skating. Quick
reflection, even for those of you who haven't seen it for years will
remind you that the opening sequences of the Willys are in fact some
ice skaters out in a pond in the woods, and that they are obviously,
and basically in a practice session for themselves. . .practicing in
a series of long glides you only see in ice skating. . .and switched
footings that only take place in ice skating. . .which. . .once this
becomes obvious to you, explains the extremely awkward nature of the
opening moves in Giselle, moves that are totally natural in skating,
but were difficult in translation to ballet.
Of course, there is the addition of a romantic theme, one which I am
sad to say I had to leave out of the version I related above, but on
some future occasion I may do another version that includes it.
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