48 replies to this topic

[fandeballet]

Two dancers who were constantly good with their balances have been: Cynthia Gregory and Meryl Ashley. Any other choices????????????

[carbro]

I'm not a balance freak, and while I can be impressed by a ballerina's ability to stay up for long periods, she has to maintain a sense of movement throughout. I have to see her breathe, at least. If she looks frozen and stiff, it stops the flow of movement and detracts from the performance.

One beautiful young balancer who seems able to stay on one pointe as long as she likes, but who always keeps the balance in keeping with her overall phrasing is ABT's Michele Wiles. During a recent lecture demonstration, her Rose Adagio impressed me, among other reasons, for her ability to change her gaze, so that she made eye contact anew with each successive suitor, avoiding that typical, awful, glazed-over look we usually see there. And she never looked the least bit unsteady!

[oberon]

Miranda Weese.

[ami1436]

Tamara Rojo and Roberta Marquez.

[atm711]

In 2002 at the City Center I saw Paloma Herrera in a 'Sylvia PDD' that can only be described as awesome---it wasn't just one balance---everytime she struck a pose she could have stayed perched forever, it seemed, and there were no visible swayings.

[Giannina]

I saw Darcey Bussell in "Cinderella" this Jan. and she balanced forever. Spine tingling.

Giannina

[lampwick]

I think it was Viengsay Valdés from Ballet Nacional de Cuba that I saw when they were at City Center last year--in Don Quixote. The most crazy balancing in arabesque--into penchee I've ever seen. The technique of that company blows away anything I'd ever seen.

[Mrs. Stahlbaum]

I saw Viengsay Valdes in DQ in southern California do that same balance. She got a standing ovation right then and there. It was impressive even before she went into the penchee.

Hhmm...on second thought, maybe it was her fouetees that got the ovation. I just remember thinking, "did I just see what I thought I saw? How could it be possible to do that?"

[ToThePointe]

In the video ABT Now, Paloma Herrera's balance in the Don Q pas is amazing. At one point Angel Corella offers his hand, and instead of taking it she just allonges out of attitude to arabesque... and he just gets out of the way. My jaw hit the floor.

[socalgal]

Yes, TothePointe!
I recall Sonia Arova telling me that she had the record for the longest balance in DQ ......until she saw Paloma on that aired performance you are speaking of! Even Sonia could not believe it

[Mashinka]

Margot Fonteyn, Jennifer Penney and Lesley Collier.

[cubanmiamiboy]

Oooh, Miss "V"...naughty, naughty girl....

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related (@ 0.29)
http://www.youtube.c...feature=related (@ 0.33)
http://www.youtube.c...feature=related (@ 3.33, 4.07, 4.29, and BEYOND gravity, 5.06 )

[Hans]

I must add Altynai Asylmuratova to the list: she had a way of holding balances solidly, often amazingly, without interrupting the flow of the choreography and musicality. It was a very skilled, subtle way of including a technical embellishment that really added something to the performance without hitting the audience over the head with it. I really miss that sort of artistry, which I don't think one often sees anymore.

[Mel Johnson]

Merle Park.

[Marcmomus]

Nina Ananiashvili