Dance in Performance and Rehearsal

2010-08-11T12:03:00.002+10:00

Tamara Karsavina Rehearsing Margot Fonteyn

Rehearsing 'Le Spectre de la Rose'

Rehearsing 'The Firebird'

I particularly love the first image - which gives the tiniest sense of Karsavina's performance in the role.

2009-11-20T22:04:00.002+11:00

Film of Diaghilev Ballet Russe Ballerina Absoluta At Home

Tamara Karsavina arranging things in a doll's house in the garden at home in England (1920s)

A couple of days ago I came across some footage of the great Mariinsky (now Kirov) Theatre and Serge de Diaghilev Ballet Russe prima ballerina, Tamara Karsavina ...

In 'L'Oiseau de feu' / 'Firebird' (1910)

In 'Giselle' with Vaslav Nijinsky (1910)

With Vaslav Nijinsky in 'Le Spectre de la Rose' (1911)

With Vaslav Nijinsky in 'Le Spectre de la Rose' (1911)

With Vaslav Nijnsky in 'Le Spectre de la Rose' (1911)

In 'Les Papillons' (1912)

In 'Les Papillons' (1912)

With Serge Lifar in 'Romeo et Juilette' (1926)

Tamara Karsavina c1960 teaching the ballerina role in 'Le Spectre de la Rose' (1911) to Margot Fonteyn

... doing a variety of ordinary and less ordinary things at home in England in the 1920s, such as arranging things in a doll's house ...

... choosing some material to be made into a dress ...

... reading a letter in her study ...

... exercising and dancing in the garden ...

... and leaving the house for a performance at the Coliseum Theatre in London ...

... turning to take a coat from a maid ...

... as a cat scurries past!

The footage of Tamara Karsavina in these mostly every day activities seems to make her more real and less like simply the great and remote legend of the photographs, memoirs, histories and biographies of the Ballet Russe era.

2009-10-02T20:46:00.002+10:00

One of those What-Might-Have-Been Situations

I came across some very grainy footage recently of a most extraordinary ballet dancer - someone who obviously had the greatest future. Around 16, she'd been taking leading roles in the Mariinsky (Kirov) Theatre while still a student at the school.

The film shows Valentina Semyukova in a pas de deux from 'The Nutcracker'.

She already seems perfectly formed as a dancer, about to enlarge on her technique.

Through the movement, there is a perfect disposition of the forms of her body - creating an continuously exquisite line.

The phrasing with respect to the music is always intelligently considered and placed in an unmannered fashion. Not just following the music but leading purposefully away and then returning to catch the beat.

She is still technically tentative, which is particularly evident in the section involving 'fish dives' - the choreography has been simplified somewhat for the still developing dancer.

Very sadly, Valentina Semyukova died of an unspecified illness at just 17 years of age.

2008-10-12T05:37:00.004+11:00

Serge Lifar (1905-1986) - Last Great Male Dancer of the Ballet Russe de Serge Diaghilev

Lifar in 'Zephir et Flore' (1925)

Lifar and Tamara Karsavina in 'Romeo et Juilette' ?

I've just come across these two clips of Serge Lifar - in the first, he conducts a class at the Paris Opera, and in the second he is performing the last part of 'L'Apres Midi d'un Faune' (choreography after Vaslav Nijinsky, music by ?)

Serge Lifar Musagete sur Comme Au Cinema

2008-10-03T19:15:00.001+10:00

Anna Pavlova - Solo to Rubenstein's 9th Symphony (1916)

Again, I have no knowledge about this footage.

It was taken in California in 1916 at the studio of Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford.

It is extraordinary for the highly emotive second half.

2008-10-03T18:59:00.003+10:00

Anna Pavlova

This film show Anna Pavlova in Grecian costume doing I know not what.

She seems strangely and surreptitiously supported in arabesque at the beginning. And then does a series of traveling bourrees round the stage and off to the wings. Accompanied by a beautiful fluid porte de bras.

2008-10-03T18:48:00.003+10:00

Anna Pavlova - At Home and Traveling

This footage shows Anna Pavlova at home, and on some of her extraordinary travels to take ballet to people all round the globe. I love seeing her going off somewhere by camel!

It comes from a documentary about dance in general. And has Mikhail Baryshnikov as the talking head.

2008-09-14T21:52:00.000+10:00

Frederick Ashton (1904-1988)

When I was a kid living in London, I remember seeing Frederick Ashton as one of the Ugly Sisters in the Royal Ballet's 'Cinderella'.

I recall two things vividly.

The first was the psychologically complex characterization: the warm, teasing, self-centred, loving, vain, vulnerable, shy, sly, nervous ... monster! In comparison with Robert Helpmann's much more broad-brush-stroke panto creation - as the other sibling. Some of all this is captured in the following photos:

The second occurred at the Ball. Each sister was vie-ing for the tall handsome prince as partner, as opposed to the other short ordinary-looking one. Of course Helpmann's tough and go-getting sister wins out. But then cunningly and placatingly whispers something in her gentler sister's ear - drawing a surreptitious but long glance at the diminutive prince's crotch. With a slow lascivious smile spreading over her face!

After the performance, I was introduced to Ashton and asked him to sign a book I'd just been given about his choreography.

Without being able to think just what to say to such a young person, Ashton gently declared that it was raining outside and my book would need a mackintosh (raincoat) to get it home safely.

2008-09-14T02:35:00.003+10:00

Royal Danish Ballet - Ellen Price (1878-1968) in the Opening Solo of 'La Sylphide' (1903)

Elle Price despite what her name suggests was a Danish ballerina. More information about her life and dancing can be found at:

http://www.ballerinagallery.com/price.htm

2008-09-14T02:28:00.004+10:00

Royal Danish Ballet (1906) - Valborg Borchsenius (1872-1949) in 'Zigeunerdansen fra Troubadouren'

2008-09-13T21:25:00.006+10:00

Royal Danish Ballet (May 1903) - Valborg Borchsenius (1872-1949) and Hans Beck (1861-1951) in 'Napoli'

Valborg Borchsenius et Hans Beck - 1900

2008-09-13T21:18:00.002+10:00

Royal Danish Ballet (1902) - Clara Rasmussen and Margrethe Andersen

2008-09-12T04:05:00.004+10:00

Anna Pavlova in an Unidentified Ballet in the 1920s

2008-09-12T04:01:00.002+10:00

Anna Pavlova - 'The Fairy Doll' (1927) Part 2

This is the second part of the sequence of Anna Pavlova dancing in 'The Fairy Doll' in 1927.

2008-09-12T03:50:00.004+10:00

Anna Pavlova - 'The Fairy Doll' (1927) Part 1

Anna Pavlova in her dressing room - 1920s

This is the first of two parts of Anna Pavlova in 'The Fairy Doll' (1927).

2008-09-11T20:30:00.005+10:00

Anna Pavlova - 'Californian Poppy'

Anna Pavlova dancing in 'Californian Poppy' sometime in the 1920's.

The costume very literally realizes the name of the ballet in its 'petals'.

2008-09-11T00:48:00.004+10:00

Tamara Karsavina - More of the c1920 Kirov Class - the Battements and Jettes!

Some more of the footage of Karsavina's c1920 class at the Kirov Theatre.

The battements ...

and the jetes

Hope some more turns up!

2008-08-31T22:01:00.003+10:00

La Goulue - Louise Weber (1866-1929) - Cancan Star of Le Moulin Rouge

2008-08-31T21:19:00.006+10:00

Adolph Bolm (1884-1958) - Famed Ballets Russes Dancer

Bolm and Karsavina in Firebird (1911)

Bolm in 'DanceMacabre' (1924)

This site ...

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.adolphbolm.com/archive/Ballets/DanseMacabre/OB_DanceMacabre_1924_400.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.adolphbolm.com/html/danseur.html&h=579&w=400&sz=15&hl=en&start=4&sig2=iX5CVaUWlH5MrvoXjhr64w&usg=__24mWtPXHh3ySUwM0pnqfh7GmVnw=&tbnid=9JRZL1BnZD-Y4M:&tbnh=134&tbnw=93&ei=a366SKvBFYGaoQTi9r3gAQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dadolph%2Bbolm%2Bdance%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DG

... has tons of photos of Bolm in various ballets and places him in the context of the Ballets Russes and C20 dance in general through listing publications and his papers.

2008-08-22T15:28:00.005+10:00

More 'Footage' of Nijinsky in 'L'apres midi d'un faune'

More footage if Nijinsky dancing in 'L'apres midi d'un faune' has appeared.

I suspect something like Jim Clark's 'poem animation' - see:

http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/poetrylad

What do you think?

2008-08-16T00:17:00.015+10:00

Tamara Karsavina Exercises at the Mariinsky Theatre c1920

Finally I managed to locate the footage of Tamara Karsavina doing exercises at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersberg c1920.

Karsavina in 'Les Papillions'

Karsavina in 'Cleopatre'

Karsavina in 'Firebird'

There is so little film of any of the dancers from the Serge Diaghilev era of the 'Ballets Russes'.

Just fragments of footage of Anna Pavlova, Olga Spessitzseva, Anton Dolin, Alicia Markova, Alexand Alexandra Danilova and a tiny handful of others.

2008-08-08T20:01:00.008+10:00

More of Olga Spessivtzseva (1895-1991) in Act One of 'Giselle'

I've come across more footage of Olga Spessivtzseva as 'Giselle'.

It is also from the only known film of her dancing which was recorded at the Savoy Theatre in London in 1932. Her Albrecht was another Ballets Russes dancer, Anton Dolin.

Anton Dolin in Les Ballets Russes 'Le Train Bleu' (1924)

The two clips below are essentially the same.

However, the first begins a little earlier in the ballet (as Giselle is coming out of her mother's cottage) and ends with Dolin chatting with Spessivtzseva about how much he enjoyed dancing with her.

The second begins with Giselle already out-of-doors and dancing, and ends with Dolin questioning her about identity of the composer of the music (not Adam) of one of her solos.

He is a bit brutally insistent with these questions, and doesn't really take it gently and slowly enough to allow her to consider a response.

2008-08-08T01:37:00.003+10:00

Olga Spessivtzseva (1895-1991) in Act One of 'Giselle'

Another amazing find - of Olga Spessivtzseva in 'Giselle'!

Spessivtzseva is initially being interviewed by Anton Dolin, an old partner. And then dances part of Act One.

As you may know, her career was cut short by madness and hospitalization.

Then later in life she made some kind of recovery - though it may just have been that a 'suitable' medication was found.

She was the perfect dancer, dancing to her inner music own rather than that played by the orchestra.

2008-08-08T01:26:00.005+10:00

Vaslav Nijinsky in 'L'apres-midi d'un faune' (1912)

Unbelievably, I noticed footage today of Nijinsky in 'l'apres-midi d'un faune'.

26 seconds worth, discovered in 2006 in the archive of Louis MAISTRE (1862-1948) and now uploaded onto YouTube by his descendant Christian Comte, with the accompanying information:

'nijinsky original movie of nijinsky dance 1912 film inédit de Nijinsky sur fragment de pellicule découvert en 2006 dans les archives de Louis Maistre http://www.christiancomte.fr'

The legendary dancer's movement seems strangely and evenly fluid, and so slightly unnatural.

And there are a couple of seeming 're-takes', like rap music where the record is being wound back and forward.

2008-06-30T15:09:00.004+10:00

Margot Fonteyn and Michael Somes - 'Ondine'

2008-06-30T15:07:00.001+10:00

Margot Fonteyn - Rehearsing Daphnis and Cloe

2008-06-29T19:02:00.002+10:00

Margot Fonteyn - 'Firebird' (1959)

2008-06-29T18:05:00.001+10:00

Fonteyn and Nureyev - 'Giselle' Act 2

2008-06-28T22:35:00.004+10:00

La Bayadere' - 'Kingdom of the Shades' (Rudolph Nureyev and the Paris Opera Ballet

2008-06-11T21:57:00.005+10:00

Moving Glimpses of Great Dancers - Anna Pavlova (1881-1931)

Anna Pavlova in South Africa (1926) - A Close-Up

Talking to her Swans (1930)

Table Dancing (1920's)

2008-06-11T21:48:00.004+10:00

Moving Glimpses of Great Dancers - Isadora Duncan (1877-1927)

In Redemption (1915)

Isadora Duncan at the Parthenon (1920)

Isadora Duncan on the Lido in Venice (Raymond Duncan 1903)

2007-02-16T15:05:00.003+11:00

Moving Glimpses of Great Dancers - Margot Fonteyn (1919-1991) and Rudolph Nureyev (1938-1993)

'Le Corsaire' (1960's)

2006-10-06T02:32:00.001+10:00

Fonteyn and Nureyev at Work

I've always loved this pic - a quiet contemplative moment between two great artists in the midst of creation.

Or maybe discussing the indifferent trout at lunch!

2006-10-01T04:56:00.001+10:00

Carla Fracci

Just a couple of photographs of Carla Fracci. I saw her in 'Giselle' with Nureyev in Milan, probably round 1973. And in 'Pas de Quatre' bout the same time. So perfect in the Romantic repetory. She could create the period line and atmosphere. Re-creating the period rather than reinterpreting it. A bit like the Royal Ballet, who see themselves as the guardians of the past rather than re-making for now.

And I then saw Fracci in a modern work in 2003! A dramatic piece that could help get round her changed technique.

2006-09-22T05:43:00.001+10:00

Super Piroutte

Technique is nothing in itself but every now and then, well, ... .

2006-09-14T01:34:00.002+10:00

Rex Reid - My Teacher at the Australian Dance Theatre School

Quite by chance in London a few years back, I came across some photos of Rex Reid in a pile being discarded at the Australian High Commission where I was working.

Rex had been a dance teacher of mine at the Australian Dance Theatre School in Adelaide.

He had gone to the British capital as a prodigy, like Robert Helpmann, but in the 1950's. After dancing with Festival Ballet and Ballet Rambert (second shot below - the non-partnering dancer on the left), he formed a company in South Africa with Princess Natasha Watchinadze, a Georgian who had fled the USSR with George Balanchine and Alexandra Danilova in the 1920's.

Princess Natasha Watchinadze, the 'Black Garbo'

I knew Natasha from dinner parties at Rex's in Adelaide. Where she always used to refer to me as the 'person who speaks French'. Natasha would come into the room in a green Chinese silk jacket and gold Arabian pantaloons, preceded by a long and very Auntie Mame-ish cigarette holder, belching smoke from her Gitane. Her face would be whitened and her lips made blood red, the colour to match long fingernail claws.

Natasha would tell of knowing Cocteau, Nijinska (whom she nursed in her final illness) and dancers of the Ballets Russes, and many luminaries of the artistic world of the period.

She was also a friend of Picasso, having a table napkin in which the artist had sketched her then extraordinary almond-shaped green eyes and incribed with the sentence 'I have been seduced by your eyes' (in French). I particularly remember a story of her time in Berlin in the 1930's. Deitrich had commented on the the princess's beautiful bone structure and Natasha told her she had achieved this by having her back teeth removed. Apparently Deitrich followed suite. At which point in the story, Natasha would open her mouth to show a full set of teeth accompanied by roars of laughter.

Rex Reid came from the old school of dance instruction where, with a rapier slashing tongue, the pedagogue would bully students into progress. I recall him correcting a port de bras - 'looks as though you are wearing earrings!!!' - the shoulders were too lifted up and tense.

The last (small) photo is of Rex at the time I knew him. He died only a few years back.

2006-09-09T01:44:00.001+10:00

Makarova in 'Le Lac des Cygnes' at Les Nuits du Louvre

In July 1973, Makarova and Nureyev gave a series of performances of 'Le Lac des Cygnes' in the Court Carre at Le Louvre in Paris. Things went wrong, and, at one point, I remember Nureyev yelling at the dancers from the 'wings' of this essentially outdoor event. Curiously, the most memorable thing for me was this photograph of Makarova as Odette in Act 2.

2006-09-08T16:12:00.001+10:00

Svetlana Berisova

One dancer who (I feel) did not realize the attention or acclaim she deserved was Svetlana Beriosova, perhaps due to her own self-doubts and cancelation record. Lithuanian-born, she spent most of her career with the Royal Ballet. I was lucky to see her in some of her greatest roles: Cinderella in 'Cinderella' and Lady Eldar in 'Enigma Variations' (both by Ashton), and The Hostess in 'Les Biches' and The Bride in 'Les Noces' (both revived by Nijinska from the Ballets Russes/Diaghilev repetoire).

I loved the extraordinary beauty of line (great clear open sculptural forms) and grandure of presentation - so fitted to roles like Aurora in 'Sleeping Beauty', as the photos below show. She had a certain remoteness that, in a curious way, allowed you to read what you wanted into a performance. In this, I am reminded of a famous photo of Greta Garbo, the signature picture for 'Queen Christiana'. The photographer instructed the actress to let her mind go totally blank, and people spent much time talking about Garbo's expressiveness. This is not to say Beriosova was 'neutral' as an artist in a role - quite the opposite.

2006-09-08T02:51:00.002+10:00

Margot and Rudi

A couple of my favorite photos : Margot and Rudi in 'Le Corsaire' and in class.

2006-09-08T02:48:00.001+10:00

Anna Pavlova

Well, what better start than Anna Pavlova (her, in 'Dying Swan' - choreographer: Michael Fokine) - I knew Frederick Ashton who saw this great dancer in Peru in the late 1920's - so two degrees of separation!

2006-09-08T01:39:00.001+10:00

Introduction and Welcome

Hi every one. Welcome!

Just a bit about me first and then I want to share some photos and clips of ballet things that have meant something (or a lot!) to me. I want to see how the blog evolves, rather than impose what it will be all about. This is so I can respond (by quizzes and your comments) to what anyone reading this would like.

The 'me' bit - short and sweet. I studied fine art, aesthetics and literature in my first degree and then went on to linguistics and semiotic theory (in philosophy) in post graduate work, taking a PhD and becoming an academic on post graduate programs at a university in Sydney.

As a pre-teenager and into my early twenties, I studied ballet part-time, principally at the Australian Dance Theatre and The Dance Centre, Sydney.

I later lived in Europe for a number years and voraciously watched a wide variety of classical ballet and comtemporary dance companies.

I would like to put things here about some of the performances and companies I was lucky enough to experience. Among many artists were Fonteyn and Nureyev, Carla Fracci, Carlo Bortaluzzi, Maximova and Vassiliev, Paul Taylor, Judith Jamison, Maya Plissetskaya and Alexandre Godenov, Mischa Barishnikov, Yvette Chavire, Natalia Makararova, Alexandra Danilova and Anton Dolin. Among the companies, the Royal Ballet, the Kirov Ballet, the Bolshoi Ballet,the Australian Ballet, the New York City Ballet, the Netherlands Dance Theatre, a Noh Theatre Company (Japan), ... .

I'd also like to talk about some of the extraordinary people I have met, some of whom were more than a little influential on this art form in the twentieth century. As well as including many of the dancers listed above, there were figures such as Fredrich Ashton, Ninette de Valois, Alicia Markova, ... .

Well, enough!

I just want to start posting and see how it goes!