145 replies to this topic

[brbropus39]

Everyone seemed to enjoy the Most Handsome Male Dancers discussion, so I thought I'd start a similar search for the most beautiful female dancers.

I've decided upon Julie Kent, Stella Abrera, Janie Taylor, and Irina Dvorovenko. (In no particular order)

[Alexandra]

Nice topic!  I don't have a candidate for THE most beautiful dancer, but I'll nominate Veronika Part as one of the reigning beauties.  If the Very Recently Retired are allowed, I'd also say Asylmuratova and Elisabeth Platel.

[drbacc]

brbropus39, on Dec 7 2004, 07:18 PM, said:

Everyone seemed to enjoy the Most Handsome Male Dancers discussion, so I thought I'd start a similar search for the most beautiful female dancers.

I've decided upon Julie Kent, Stella Abrera, Janie Taylor, and Irina Dvorovenko. (In no particular order)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

ANN DITCHBURN --National Ballet of Canada in the 70's and  80's: If there are more beautiful ballerinas than her, it would be too scary to contemplate. She danced with Karen Kain in Gisele; Also, she played in a not too well known movie that frequently appears on the movie channels SLOW DANCING IN THE BIG CITY with Paul Sorvino  (Nominated for Golden Globe Award as Anne Ditchburn)--which has appeared on TMC, FLIX, SHOWTIME & ENCORE-LOVE STORIES and TMC, appearing 14 times in March.  Described as a "divine ballerina" in a major movie review and  "lovely dancer and choreographer" in Variety magazine, she had parts in  4 other movies  (Curtains, Six Weeks, I am a Hotel, Coming Out Alive) and was dancer/choreographer in A Moving Picture, Mad Shadows, Kisses and others; she was one of the rare female choreographers during the 70's, I am informed. A Moving Picture was described by a Toronto newspaper as the ultimate in a sexy, sensual fantasy, shown on  A&E, winning several awards and seems to be highly regarded. Another ballet, Edna in the Afternoon,  toured the USA and Canada. There have been a few requests on the movie message boards wondering  what became of  her.  I have never been able to find any clear photos of her, newspaper or magazine articles or a complete biographical sketch, though I am sure many exist from those days.  She is in a few movie posters, one great profile shot of this lovely enchantress slow dancing on the roof top, with her "diamond crown tiara," but without the wings, this time.  Hopefully, some Canadian ballet fans know far more about her life. Her name is Ann Ditchburn in Canadian Ballet, and Anne Ditchburn in the movies (no one yet knows why) She was a real "spellbinder" from what  I've seen.  Adorned  with her fine lace scarf, more exotic than a headscarf has a right to be, she performed her enchanting dances on a Manhattan rooftop and throughout the movie, with  her trademark scarf appearing even from  one very early photo.  Although she has been described as a "world-renown" choreographer and a 'renegade' choreographer,  from comparatively  less biographical information on her,  I am uncertain as to how she is viewed by the world ballet community. I am not uncertain as to how I see her.  Neither am I sure if she has been authenticated as a genuine miracle of Canadian beauty, but she is.  If interested in the exact schedule of her ballet movie, the easiest way is to type in Paul Sorvino who starred in the movie and about the 5th one down you will see his movie schedule for each month, (14 times in 3/05)--the movie has some flaws, is overly criticized even by those who love the movie, but has great music and dancing and the never to be forgotton "divine ballerina."  This lady ( in the '78 movie, bd 1948 or 1949--2 sources)  may have  the single most beautifully designed face I have ever seen on a human being and critters, too, and, bejeweled with her magnetically brilliant and expressive eyes, one that I never tire of studying; [ not one (eye), rather, face that I never tire of... just wanted to get that straight]--a beauty that goes beyond beauty, beyond forms, beyond the delight of the senses--a "dangerous," but NOT PERILOUS  beauty that inspires (my 1st muse!) and captivates the heart.  But, if one word describes her best, it could only be--LOVELY-- lovely to the nth power,  (fathomlessly lovely is a tongue twister, so forget that one, patient reader) Fortunately, her work will be there for the ages, because "A thing of beauty is a joy forever."  Yet, I sometimes wonder, does such beauty make us all miserable?  Cervantes's knight errant, Don Quixote,  must have had this in mind when he proclaimed, "The reason for the unreason with which you treat my reason, so weakens my reason, that with reason, I complain of your beauty."  (post 33 other beautiful ballerinas @ Ann) and (discussion begun under - Recent Performances - Slow Dancing in the Big City 6/14/05 & us.imdb

Edited by drbacc, 17 November 2005 - 07:43 AM.

[mohnurka]

I'd like to add several. Not all of them are dancing currently, but anyways...

(in no particular order)

Lezhnina
Makhalina
Chenchikova

and several others I'll add later.  

[brbropus39]

I'm going to add Sylvie Guillem to my current list. At first, I didn't include her just because I wasn't sure what criteria I was using, whether or not I think she's beautiful for her dancing or for her actual looks and features. I've decided, though, that she deserves to be mentioned for her dancing AND her features. I think she has a very interesting, and perhaps exotic look about her.

I am also going to add Alina Cojucaru. From photos I have seen of her, I thought she had a young and girlish look, but after I saw her in the Royal Ballet's Sleeping Beauty, I found her absolutely stunning.

[Old Fashioned]

I second Lezhnina.  Those dimples are just too cute.

Others:
Chan Hon Goh
Kyra Nichols
Helene Alexopoulos
Martine van Hamel
many others...

[Herman Stevens]

Tamara Karsavina.

Sometimes I have a hard time stopping looking at those pictures.

She looks so beautiful.

[canbelto]

Glamourous, sexy, even dangerous: Tanny LeClercq, Maya Plisetskaya, Irina Dvorovenko, Sylvie Guillem, Diana Vishneva

Sweet, charming, girlish: Alina Cojocaru, Alla Sizova, Patricia McBride, Gelsey Kirkland

All-around beauty: Altynai Asylmuratova, Alicia Alonso, Olga Spessivtseva, Carla Fracci, and Alla Shelest

Hmm, I notice that all my all-around beauties happen to have very dark hair  

[BalletNut]

In no particular order:

Julie Diana
Sabina Allemann
Julie Kent
Susan Jaffe
Jenifer Ringer
Carla Korbes
Pascale van Kipnis
Rachel Rutherford
Sofiane Sylve
Alina Cojocaru
Margot Fonteyn
Zhanna Ayupova
Altynai Asylmuratova
Maria Alexandrova
Anastasia Yatzenko
Isabelle Guerin
Deanna Seay

I think that's all.  

[oberon]

Helene Alexopoulos, Carla Korbes, Judith Fugate, Pauline Golbin, Jenifer Ringer, Miranda Weese, Amanda Edge, Alexandra Ansanelli...Saskia Beskow!

[Alexandra]

Herman Stevens, on Dec 7 2004, 05:13 PM, said:

Tamara Karsavina.

Sometimes I have a hard time stopping looking at those pictures.

She looks so beautiful.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ah, we are allowed to vote for the dead!  I think if I had to pick Most Beautiful Balleriina of All Time, I might just vote for Karsavina.

[carbro]

Alexandra, on Dec 7 2004, 10:10 PM, said:

Herman Stevens, on Dec 7 2004, 05:13 PM, said:

Tamara Karsavina.
Sometimes I have a hard time stopping looking at those pictures.
She looks so beautiful.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Ah, we are allowed to vote for the dead!  I think if I had to pick Most Beautiful Balleriina of All Time, I might just vote for Karsavina.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, ditto for me!
Several of my picks (generally of the dark-haired variety) have already been named, but where oh where is Maria Calegari?  And also on the fair side, but not a ballerina, I think Nina Fedorova may be simply the Great Ballet Beauty of our -- well, my -- time.  With her almond eyes, high cheek bones, full lips; slender, curvy legs so long that they seemed to sprout from her ears . . . breathtaking.

Oh, and Marianna Tcherkassky!

[Drew]

It's been said already several times, but I can't help myself -- Karsavina, Karsavina, Karsavina.  There are some photos in Kochno's book that are so unbelievably beautiful that when I look them...well, I can hardly believe it.   The book is actually in storage right now, but one or two of those images remain very much with me.

[perky]

Alla Shelest
Tanaquil LeClercq
Margot Fonteyn
Patricia McBride
Lourdes Lopez
Pauline Golbin
Sofiane Sylve

[Ari]

Hmmmnnn, no one's mentioned Allegra Kent.  One of the all-time great beauties, with her otherworldly aura.