Who has the best technique?

[Ostrich]

Coming back to the original topic of dancers with the best techmique, I would like to nominate Valentina Kozlova for beauty of line and execution. Artistically I did find her a bit lacking, however.

[bart]

Related question: are there (or have there been) any dancers whose technique was outstanding but who left you cold in the emotion/interpretation department? if so, why?

[richard53dog]

Related question:  are there (or have there been) any dancers whose technique was outstanding but who left you cold in the emotion/interpretation department?  if so, why?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

OK, I'll bite. There are some of today's dancers that leave me cold, despite good technique. But I'll leave those alone for now.

But from the past, despite her very solid technique, Cynthia Gregory left me extremely cold.

I mostly respond to very expressive, comunicative performers and I got very little from her in that respect I especially disliked her as Giselle.

Richard

[carbro]

Ditto on Cynthia Gregory. Also, I never warmed to Merrill Ashley. I could enjoy Merrill in Square Dance and Ballo, but at a slower tempo, her stiff arms and overly metrical musicality bothered me. Kyra Nichols, until recent seasons, had a bothersome tendency to overshow her effects. Lately, though, that habit has ebbed and I enjoy her more than before.

Men. The generally impeccable Peter Martins seemed very detached from his dancing, and so, therefore, was I. Vladimir Malakhov, another near-flawless executioner, lacks the weight and the masculinity I like in my dancing men.

[Gina Ness]

Well....Cynthia Gregory is on my short list of best dancers (that I have seen perform) of the past fourty years. I personally loved her "Giselle"...

[richard53dog]

Well....Cynthia Gregory is on my short list of best dancers (that I have seen perform) of the past fourty years.  I personally loved her "Giselle"...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Gina,

Something like this is SO subjective. What one person "gets" can be completely "missed" by someone else.

I think it would be astonishing if everyone of this board answered this question and even just two people's responses( I am thinking of a list rather than just one or two choices) matched.

There can be a relatively tiny detail that colors our whole overall perception of something like this.

[Gina Ness]

I understand your point. And I respect your viewpoint. But, it somehow disturbed me to read such a criticism of such a brilliant dancer and I felt the need to defend her. Perhaps if you had been gentler in your wording, or something...You never know who might be reading these boards...I think I'll gracefully bow out now before I get myself into trouble...

P.S. Although, Ms. Gregory would probably be the first to say, "It's fine. To each their own!"

Edited March 7, 2005 by Gina Ness

[Alexandra]

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

I like that definition of technique I think sometimes we think of who does the most, or who is the flashiest, but to be really perfect, to have "ideal clean execution". Now THAT's a dancer. I wonder if anyone but a dancer can really judge this? (Gina, I hope you don't bow out!)