The Duel (Dollar ballet)

[Anthony_NYC]

I was just listening to the enjoyable score for William Dollar's The Duel (or The Combat), a ballet I haven't seen in many, many years and had all but forgotten even though I used to find it entertaining. If I'm not mistaken, at one time or another it has been in the repertoires of NYCB, ABT, and DTH. Does anybody remember when it was last done by one of those companies in New York? (I see from the archives here that it was done by New Jersey Ballet earlier this year.) Has it dated too badly to revive?

[Dale]

I'm not sure about the companies you mentioned, but it was done last fall at the Miller Theater at Columbia University. I think it it was performed by the dance department, but maybe another student group was using the space.

[rg]

for some reason the DTH staging is not given in the following NY Pub Library listing but you are correct in recalling that staging too. i recall paul russell in the work rather vividly.

here is the listing, tho' it doesn't help w/ learning when it was last done in NYC.

Duel (Choreographic work : Dollar)

Authority Note : Chor: William Dollar; mus: Raffaello de Banfield; lib: Roland Petit after Tasso's poem "Jerusalem delivered"; scen & cos: Marie Laure. Performed by Les Ballets de Paris under the title "Le combat." First perf: London, Prince's Theatre, Feb 24, 1949, Les Ballets de Paris.//First French perf: Paris, Marigny Theatre, June 28, 1949, Les Ballets de Paris.//First American perf: New York, Winter Garden, Oct 6, 1949, Les Ballets de Paris.//New version, perf. under title The duel: New York, City Center, Feb 24, 1950, New York City Ballet; cos: Robert Stevenson.//New version, perf. under title The combat: London, Covent Garden, July 23, 1953, Ballet Theatre; scen & cos: Georges Wakhevitch.//Perf. under title The combat: Scotland: Glasgow, King's Theatre, Feb 2, 1961, Ballet do Rio de Janeiro.//Perf. under title The combat: Tokyo, Yubin Chokin Hall, Oct 7, 1977; Asami Maki Ballet.

[Alexandra]

Washington Ballet revived this about 15 years ago. It seemed very dated to me, one of those dramatic ballets that needs Huge Personalities to carry off.

[atm711]

I saw it performed by a very fine dancer, Colette Marchand, with "Les Ballets de Paris" in NY in 1949. She was a beautiful, feminine woman, and when I saw it, again a year later with NYCB (with Hayden) something was definitely missing.

[Mel Johnson]

I only saw this once, as the pas de deux version designated "The Combat". It was danced by Tania Karina and Ivan Allen when they guested (1962) with my old civic company. Seemed like it would be fun to dance!

[Anthony_NYC]

Washington Ballet revived this about 15 years ago.  It seemed very dated to me, one of those dramatic ballets that needs Huge Personalities to carry off.

That's what it used to get, I think, with dancers like Hayden and--I think--Alonso(?). Anyway, thanks to all, I'm glad to know it hasn't completely vanished. I have only a foggy memory of dancers in crazy headresses mimicking simultaneously both horse and rider, a pas de deux between Tancredi and the dying Clorinda, the latter's dead body suddenly carried away melodramatically--all-in-all, a sort of blessedly brief potboiler, like Spartacus or something, over-the-top fun with a style all its own.

[Alexandra]

That's all I can remember, too! It's funny, because the year that Washington Ballet revived it, it suddenly appeared in other companies as well, and I had a picture of some giant, underground bazaar where people went to find ballets, and they were having a special on "Le Combat."

[Mel Johnson]

Jerusalem Delivered was made into not one, but two silent movies. I remember thinking that a lot of the acting in "The Combat" seemed silent-movieish. In the pas de deux version, Tancred cradles the dead body of Clorinda in his arms and swings her wildly, as in a paroxysm of grief. Next, Orlando Furioso, the ballet.

[Victoria Leigh]

It was in the repertoire during my years in ABT. Primarily danced by Lupe Serrano, who I thought was totally awesome in that role! It's difficult technically, and requires a VERY strong dancer.