chrisk217 Posted February 12, 2005 Share Posted February 12, 2005 Who are the dancers (male or female) with the best technique? It does not matter if they are not very expressive or charismatic, just who do you think have the most pure and well developed technique? Link to comment
Daniil Posted February 12, 2005 Share Posted February 12, 2005 Well, only looking at the technique in the way of looking at the "amount" of doing somebody technical things I can say: Tetsuya Kumakawa If your looking for the best technique AND form (this means a goodlooking style) then I can offer you: Mikhail Baryshnikov Link to comment
richard53dog Posted February 12, 2005 Share Posted February 12, 2005 Gillian Murphy and Sofiane Sylve Link to comment
BalletNut Posted February 12, 2005 Share Posted February 12, 2005 Tina LeBlanc (expressive and charismatic too! ) Vanessa Zahorian Merrill Ashley Joan Boada Angel Corella Mikhail Baryshnikov Link to comment
Dansuer85 Posted February 13, 2005 Share Posted February 13, 2005 Julie Kent From what i've seen, Michelle Wiles and also David Hallberg Link to comment
Hans Posted February 13, 2005 Share Posted February 13, 2005 From currently performing dancers...I'd say Larissa Lezhnina, Michelle Wiles, and Maxim Belotserkovsky. Among the recently retired...Elisabeth Platel and Isabelle Guérin. Are Manuel Legris and Laurent Hilaire still dancing? I'd put them on here, and I know you're all sick of this by now, but I just have to say Sizova one more time Oh...and although I never saw her, Pierina Legnani seems to have been quite formidable...wine with your adagio, anyone? Link to comment
dancersteven Posted February 13, 2005 Share Posted February 13, 2005 I ahve to echo Malakhov, I recently got to see "Wild Men of ABT" on DVD, and we watched some of the dancing frame by frame (I know, cruel, I couldn't stand watching myself that way!), but Vladimir was never in an incorrect position. . . S. Link to comment
Clara 76 Posted February 17, 2005 Share Posted February 17, 2005 What about Chan Hon Goh? Also, Yoko Ichino... Clara 76 Link to comment
Leigh Witchel Posted February 17, 2005 Share Posted February 17, 2005 The purest technique I can think of was on a comparatively lesser known dancer - Steven Hyde from Winnipeg and ABT. I don't know what it is that David Moroni did there, but all the dancers I knew there were trained to have technique that was as developed as their body would allow. We all used to watch Steven in class whenever we wanted to know how a step was done. He was the best classroom dancer I can recall. Link to comment
MakarovaFan Posted February 17, 2005 Share Posted February 17, 2005 Vasiliev, Sizova and Terekhova Link to comment
lampwick Posted February 17, 2005 Share Posted February 17, 2005 Jose Manuel Carreno holds his posture better than most Link to comment
Cygnet Posted February 17, 2005 Share Posted February 17, 2005 Retired ballerinas: #1 - I. A. Kolpakova, Dame Merle Park, Terekhova, Komleva, Tchyentchikova, Maximova, Makarova, Cynthia Gregory, Carla Fracci (for the Romantic style), Merrill Ashley, Suzanne Farrell, Allegra Kent, Melissa Hayden, Evdokimova, Patricia McBride, G. Kirkland, Chauvire, Shelest, Semenyaka and Haydee. ****************************************** Recently retired ballerinas: Asylmuratova, Ayupova, Platel. ****************************************** Retired best supporting soloist: I. Tchyistyakova (may not count here, but I give her honorable mention for being an exemplary dancer). ****************************************** Ballerinas currently in action: Julie Kent, Ananiashvili, Murphy, Alexandrova, Pavlenko, Tarasova, Rojo, Zanowsky, Lezhnina, and Ferri ****************************************** Should've made principal by now but hasn't: I. Zhelonkina (another honorable mention). ****************************************** Man still moving: M. Baryshnikov ****************************************** Retired men: Vasiliev, Fernando Bujones, David Wall, Sir Anthony Dowell and Wayne Eagling. ****************************************** Men currently in action: Jonathan Cope, Roberto Bolle and Tzisarkidze. Link to comment
Ari Posted February 17, 2005 Share Posted February 17, 2005 Strange that no one has mentioned Kyra Nichols. She had, in her heyday, the most well-rounded technique of any ballerina then performing (at least among the ones I saw). Link to comment
carbro Posted February 17, 2005 Share Posted February 17, 2005 Recently retired ballerinas: . . . Ayupova . . .<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Oh, tell me it isn't so!!!! Link to comment
Cygnet Posted February 17, 2005 Share Posted February 17, 2005 Recently retired ballerinas: . . . Ayupova . . .<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Oh, tell me it isn't so!!!! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hi Cabro! I sincerely hope not as well. She's still listed among the Principals on the Maryinsky website, but she's been absent from the stage for a very long time. In recent years she was treated like a quaint relic from the past vs. the "new" Kirov generation and style. I learned she moved to Helsinki with her family months ago. They may not have updated the roster. If she's retired, she went out very quietly (like Altynai). Disappointing, huh? Can someone confirm whether she's still dancing or not? Thanks! Link to comment
Ballet lovers Posted February 18, 2005 Share Posted February 18, 2005 Zhanna Ayupova is pregnant now. We also hope she will come back soon to dance but nobody knows if she wants this ! Link to comment
ToThePointe Posted February 20, 2005 Share Posted February 20, 2005 Jose Manuel Carreno holds his posture better than most His pirouettes are simply amazing. I've never seen a more textbook turn. Link to comment
fandeballet Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 My list is........... Retired: Bujones, Barishnikov, Dowell, Cynthia Gregory, Merrill Ashley, Natalia Markarova, Gesley Kirkland, when she was on her "A" game.( even though she fell a bit too much for me, and her career was shortened considerably by various problems) Peter Martins. He did the best James(?) in La Sylphide I ever saw...........(underrated???) Active: C. Acosta, H.Cornejo, A.Corrella, J.M. Correno,Alina Corciecu, Gillian Murphy, Jenni Semogi(NYCB), Tamara Rojo, Laurante Hiliare(POB). Link to comment
Pamela Moberg Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 Fine, brilliant, I appreciate a dancer who can at least perform the steps, is it not the most important thing? We want an Odile who does not flounder at fouette 17 and then wobbles about, trying to improvise desperately. But, and here is the but, is technique so desperately important? What about interpretation of a role? Why all this fuss about technique? If you want to see weird stuff, there is always the Olympic games gymnastics or the circus for that matter. No, any day, give me an ADEQUATE Technique and I mean people who can hold a balance, jump cleanly and execute a couple of turns without veering off centre. When I want real weird stuff there are the sports channels on TV. When I watch ballet, I want a total experience, there must be art and an artistic interpretation, musicality, acting, sense of period - when for example older ballets were choreographed, there were no six o'clock arabesques - so respect that. There is always - in all arts - a bit of poetic licence, but do not abuse it. I thought we were discussing ART! Sorry to shout, but it seemed appropriate in this case. Link to comment
richard53dog Posted March 5, 2005 Share Posted March 5, 2005 Fine, brilliant, I appreciate a dancer who can at least perform the steps, is it not the most important thing? We want an Odile who does not flounder at fouette 17 and then wobbles about, trying to improvise desperately. But, and here is the but, is technique so desperately important? What about interpretation of a role? Why all this fuss about technique? If you want to see weird stuff, there is always the Olympic games gymnastics or the circus for that matter. No, any day, give me an ADEQUATE Technique and I mean people who can hold a balance, jump cleanly and execute a couple of turns without veering off centre. When I want real weird stuff there are the sports channels on TV. When I watch ballet, I want a total experience, there must be art and an artistic interpretation, musicality, acting, sense of period - when for example older ballets were choreographed, there were no six o'clock arabesques - so respect that. There is always - in all arts - a bit of poetic licence, but do not abuse it. I thought we were discussing ART! Sorry to shout, but it seemed appropriate in this case. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Pamela, I couldn't agree more. There are folks for which technique is the primary consideration, but I'm not in that group. what initially drew me to ballet (and opera, theater, and other performing arts) is expression and communication. More than exceptional technique I want a performer to GIVE me something. Not to say that I can't be impressed by an ice cold dancer, working in a vacuum, with a very impressive technique, but that is the exception for me rather than the rule. And this feeling of communication is still what keeps me captive. You can at me on this, I'm in agreement with you! Richard Link to comment
fandeballet Posted March 5, 2005 Share Posted March 5, 2005 Most of the dancers I listed, also were known for their interpretive abilities!!!!! I think it is possible to talk about technique, apart from the artistic side. Link to comment
chrisk217 Posted March 5, 2005 Author Share Posted March 5, 2005 Fine, brilliant, I appreciate a dancer who can at least perform the steps, is it not the most important thing? We want an Odile who does not flounder at fouette 17 and then wobbles about, trying to improvise desperately. But, and here is the but, is technique so desperately important? What about interpretation of a role? Why all this fuss about technique? If you want to see weird stuff, there is always the Olympic games gymnastics or the circus for that matter. No, any day, give me an ADEQUATE Technique and I mean people who can hold a balance, jump cleanly and execute a couple of turns without veering off centre. When I want real weird stuff there are the sports channels on TV. When I watch ballet, I want a total experience, there must be art and an artistic interpretation, musicality, acting, sense of period - when for example older ballets were choreographed, there were no six o'clock arabesques - so respect that. There is always - in all arts - a bit of poetic licence, but do not abuse it. I thought we were discussing ART! Sorry to shout, but it seemed appropriate in this case. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Pamela, maybe when I asked the question I did not make myself clear. My english is not very good and sometimes that leads to misunderstandings. When I say technique I don't mean spectacular pyrotechnic leaps or things like that. I am talking more about the ideal clean execution of everything from the simpler step to the most challenging. I understand technique as a component of beauty and isn't beauty art's main purpose? In that respect, Leigh Witchel's answer about the "best classroom dancer" was very close to the spirit of my question. Christine Link to comment
Pamela Moberg Posted March 5, 2005 Share Posted March 5, 2005 In reply to Chrisk 217, first of all I must say that nobody, and I do mean nobody, would misinterpret your English. Unfortunately, one gets no inkling from where the poster comes (pity, I think), but you are crystal clear! As for myself, I started learning English at the tender age of ten, now I speak it, read it and write it as well as Swedish, actually I read English better than Swedish. As for Leigh, yes, he has a point and I agree with him. Sometimes one sees a young dancer, perfect in every way, turnout is perfect, adagio pleasing, jumps high and small jumps neat, turns multiple and steady - yet, this dancer leaves you stone cold - you see a spectacle of classroom exercises - there is no soul. Maybe, this could be a question of maturity. Some youngsters are extremely self- conscious and dare not project themselves and shield themselves behind bravura feats. Never having been shy in the least myself and often regarded shy people as some kind of stuck up idiots, I have now come to the conclusion that shy people often are frightened of what others might say. This also, I think, applies to dance, some dancers adhere strictly to the rule book and dare not show their personality. Dont get me wrong here, by "showing personality" I do not mean mannerisms. We are all different, in everyday life, and as dancers, but of course, as a performer, demands are put upon you, demands which you would not find in daily life. Link to comment
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