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Ballerina's Best Features


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Legs: Alessandra Ferri

Feet: Alessandra Ferri, Julie Kent, Sylvie Guillem, Paloma Herrera

Arms: Nina Ananiashvilli, Darci Kistler

Hair: Darci Kistler, Carla Korbes

Face: Alessandra Ferri, Julie Kent

Eyes: Nina Ananiashvilli, Gelsey Kirkland, Alessandra Ferri

Smile: Alessandra Ferri (yes I'm a big fan)

Back: Natalia Makarova, Svetlana Zakharova

Profile: Julie Kent, Suzanne Farrell

Glamour: Veronika Part, Maria Kowroski

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What a fun topic, how great that it's been revived.

I'm a shoulder person, my votes for most beautiful shoulders (among NYCB women that I know): Helene Alexopolous, Lourdes Lopez, Saskia Beskow.

Tilt of the head: Helene A.

Eyes: Patty McBride, Sofiane Sylvie

Backbend: Karin Von Aroldingen

.....maybe I'll think of more later!

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Arms: I think the best arms I've ever seen are Aurélie Dupont's.

Feet: Guillem's and Ferri's are incredible. But don't forget Tamara Rojo's.

Legs: Marie-Agnés Gillot's and Agnés Letestu's.

Hands: I never look at them as an isolate part of the arms, so may be Dupont's...

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I have never seen Rojo but hope I have an opportunity some day.  If I do, I now know to expect special feet.

I find Rojo to be one of the most stunningly beautiful women out there - made even more so by her ability to transform herself. And yes, then there's her feet....

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I have never seen Rojo but hope I have an opportunity some day.  If I do, I now know to expect special feet.

I find Rojo to be one of the most stunningly beautiful women out there - made even more so by her ability to transform herself. And yes, then there's her feet....

Yes, I do too. She's an actress of the first rate. I have seen her only live. Anyone knows of a film of hers?

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Tamara Rojo is very beautiful from head to toes and a most remarkable actress. In the revival of "Five Brahms Waltzes in the manner of Isadora Duncan" she gave a nuanced fearless performance, precariously balanced on the edge between high art and camp, exactly what Isadora must have been. Amazing to see. IMHO, she should get to do all the hard-to-do-well Ashtons like "Marguerite et Armand" and "Month in the Country" and whatever Lynn Seymour excelled in. There is a video of "5 Brahms Waltzes"; it was broadcasted by the bbc in an Ashton tribute program. Maybe there are other videos also.

Some photos of Rojo (and feet):

http://balletbookstore.com/ballerina/pic/rojo04.jpg

http://balletbookstore.com/ballerina/pic/rojo05.jpg

http://balletbookstore.com/ballerina/pic/rojo03.jpg

http://balletbookstore.com/ballerina/pic/rojo06.jpg

http://balletbookstore.com/ballerina/pic/rojo01.jpg

(photos: Bill Cooper - I'm not very certain what the policy regarding links to photos is - please snip if inappropriate)

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Tamara Rojo is very beautiful from head to toes and a most remarkable actress. In the revival of "Five Brahms Waltzes in the manner of Isadora Duncan" she gave a nuanced fearless performance, precariously balanced on the edge between high art and camp, exactly what Isadora must have been. Amazing to see. IMHO, she should get to do all the hard-to-do-well Ashtons like "Marguerite et Armand" and "Month in the Country" and whatever Lynn Seymour excelled in. There is a video of "5 Brahms Waltzes"; it was broadcasted by the bbc in an Ashton tribute program. Maybe there are other videos also.

Some photos of Rojo (and feet):

http://balletbookstore.com/ballerina/pic/rojo04.jpg

http://balletbookstore.com/ballerina/pic/rojo05.jpg

http://balletbookstore.com/ballerina/pic/rojo03.jpg

http://balletbookstore.com/ballerina/pic/rojo06.jpg

http://balletbookstore.com/ballerina/pic/rojo01.jpg

(photos: Bill Cooper - I'm not very certain what the policy regarding links to photos is - please snip if inappropriate)

Thank you very much Chris. The photos are wonderful. Thank you for the clue. I will try to find Ashton tribute.

By the way, carbro, when I last saw Tamara Rojo performing (last week, in Madrid, partnering opposite Julio Bocca), I realized that, although she has been leaving and dancing in England for ages, she cannot get rid of the trade mark of her first coach, Víctor Ullate. I was astonished. May be the curves are RB, but believe me, her head and eyes were Victor Ullate's.

She was incredibly elegant in Don Quixote pas de deux, not making the typicall tricks you suppose a Spanish dancer do, as quick movements of the head or of the hands. She was absolutely conscious of her porte de tête. Her retiré was incredibly high. Quality and technique. It was a pity that her fouettés were not good enough. But it was paradise!

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Yes, those curves are gorgeous (shall I say "sexy"? - if that is allowed in this board, sorry!! :wink: ). Also I very much like the fact that she is not skinny, but very womanly, yet she does look a ballerina from head to toe. An example that you do not have to be anorectic to be a gorgeous dancer

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Anyone knows of a film of hers?

I’ve seen very few films of Rojo: the already mentioned “5 Brahms Waltzes in the manner of Isadora Duncan”, her Kitri in a Don Quixote opposite Johan Kobborg (broadcasted by BBC in 2002, I think), Don Quixote pdd opposite Rupert Pennefather (from the “Tsunami gala”, in 2005), Black Swan pdd opposite Maximiliano Guerra (from a gala I don’t know), some Ullate works with Tamara still in the corps, and her Blancanieves (I was lucky enough to buy it in Spain… not a great work, to be honest, but nice to see).

I think that Spanish channels could have broadcasted something else recently.

She is a wonderful artist, with a very personal way to be on stage.

I think she has to be seen live to be completely appreciated … yes, this could be valid for all the dancers, but, I think, especially for her: her special energy and charisma cannot be captured entirely by a film. :clapping:

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Legs: Danilova, Guillem

Arms: Krassovska (I noticed this in the movie Ballet Russe, when she is running through Giselle with another older dancer)

Face: Maximova, Dvorovenko

Feet: Rojo, Ferri,

Profile: Verdy, Franca

That's what comes off the top of my head- I'll probably think of more attributes and dancers

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It was a pity that her fouettés were not good enough. But it was paradise!

Belatedly responding - but Grissi, she must have had an off night if her fouettes aren't good enough. She's known to do the Don Q fouttes with her fan, often adding in high-numbered multiples, usually ending with 5 or 6 rotations.

That is to say, when I've seen her do this, I've never thought she was adding 'tricks'.... Her multiples were always perfectly with the music, with loads of character.

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I thought this would be a fun topic to explore. Which ballerina has or had the most beautiful of the following features:

1) Legs

2) Feet

3) Arms

4) Hands

Feel free to add other features if you like.

My favorites are:

Legs: Maximova/Bessmertnova

Feet: Maximova/Ferri

Arms: Makarova/Besmertnova/Plisetskaya

Hands: Makarova/Fonteyn

The OP's list is the best one smile.png

I was just watching a clip of Bessmertnova in Chopiniana, and marvelling again at how beautifully proportioned she is.

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Legs Tanaquil Leclercq, Allegra Kent, Makarova, Farrell

Arms Antoinette Sibley,

Feet, witty Monica Mason

Feet, chaste Ulanova, Lopatkina

Face leclercq, Fonteyn

Eyes Ayupova, LeClercq, Fonteyn, Pavlenko, Julie Diana, Lopatkina

Nose Danilova, Farrell,. Ananiashvili

Breastbone Sarah van Patten

Hands Plisetskaya

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"New" dancers to think about since last we posted on this. Paul, I love your 'breastbone' addition to the list and went looking for pictures of Sarah van Patten to see for myself. That made me start thinking about other less talked about features, such as the small of the back (I haven't come up with the proper candidate for that yet).

I will submit Isabella Boylston for feet, back, and legs and Misty Copeland for instep, hyperextension, and muscles.

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What a fun discussion! For looks only and not for what they do with these body parts, since sometimes extremely gorgeous feet and legs doesn't translate into wonderful footwork and beats.

Face-- Aurelie Dupont, Elisabeth Platel, Ekaterina Kondaurova

Eyes-- Evgenia Obraztsova, Suzanne Farrell, Gelsey Kirkland

Arms-- Nadezhda Gracheva, Aurelie Dupont, Viktoria Tereshkina

Hands-- Julie Kent, Uliana Lopatkina, Aurelie Dupont

Legs-- Laetitia Pujol, Sylvie Guillem, Ekaterina Maximova

Feet-- Sylvie Guillem, Evgenia Obraztsova, Darcey Bussell

Neck-- Diana Vishneva, Alina Cojocaru, Uliana Lopatkina

Back-- Alina Somova, Elisabeth Platel, Altynai Asylmuratova

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Thank you for reviving this topic, Kerry1968. Looks like I missed it the first time.

Hands: Fonteyn did not have pretty hands in repose but she makes you forget that by the way she uses them. Makarova's are beautiful in all respects.

Neck: Makarova

Simply-Gorgeous-From-Head-to-Toe-Award: Moira Shearer

Legs: If anyone mentioned Fonteyn's legs before I missed it. She doesn't have the extra long legs that are fashionable today but hers give the impression of length and are simultaneously slender and curvy, and when she straightens her legs her kneecaps vanish.

Feet: Suzanne Farrell. Not the most beautiful feet, but amazingly natural pointes, as if they were truly part of her body.

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