Dancers with l-o-n-g careers --

[bart]

In the latest (May 9, 2005) New Yorker, Joan Acocella has a short Talk of the Town piece on the retirement (at 66) of Dudley Williams. Williams joined the Alvin Ailey Company in 1964 after dancing with Graham and others. Acocella comments: "Williams is, to his knowledge, the oldest dancer in any larage touring company in the United States." He will continue working with Paradigm, a small troupe founded in 1998, most of whose members are in their 60s.

Baryshnikov and Fonteyn come to mind as examples of dancers with remarkably prolonged careers, but I'm sure there are others. Which dancers in this category have you seen? How did they manage to do it?

[carbro]

Maya Plisetskaya -- is she still doing Dying Swans? She and Alicia Alonso must really be skewing the performance actuarial tables for female ballet dancers all by themselves! No longer performing, of course (at least that we can know of), but Martha Graham (with whom both Williams and Plisetskaya danced ) had amazing on-stage longevity.

Congratulations to an oustanding servant of his art. Williams is testament to the value of the older dancer. Best wishes to him in the next phase of his life.

[Marga]

Well, of course, there's Raisa Struchkova, who died Monday.

Anna Pavlova

Alexandra Danilova

Galina Ulanova

Melissa Hayden

Irina Kolpakova

Natalya Dudinskaya

Alicia Markova

Not exactly in this category (sorry!) but impressive for ballet:

Suzanne Farrell -- considerable staying power, although she didn't make it to 50.

Evelyn Hart (49 years old) is still at it!

And since this thread started with modern dance and the retirement of the wonderful Dudley Williams, I'll mention Merce Cunningham -- over 60 years of dancing under his belt!

How did they manage to do it?

Well, for one thing, I'd say really good genes.

I suspect that Melissa Hayden as well as Evelyn Hart danced into their 50th years on sheer determination.

[sandik]

Carla Fracci -- how long did she perform?

[Estelle]

It seems to me that Carla Fracci still performs from time to time (at least there still were reviews mentioning her a few years ago- well, probably with some roles including mostly acting, but still on stage anyway...)

Among POB dancers, Yvette Chauviré retired at 55, and

Noëlla Pontois at 50. Charles Jude still performs at 51.

[DancingGiselle]

The always amazing Margot Fonteyn.

[Gina Ness]

Let's not forget the fabulous Zizi Jeanmaire!

[carbro]

I'm finding it odd that no one has mentioned Rudolf Nureyev, perhaps the most famous of them all.

Any inklings why this may be so?

[Marga]

I'm finding it odd that no one has mentioned Rudolf Nureyev, perhaps the most famous of them all.

Any inklings why this may be so?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I thought of him right away and I'll let you in my thought processes to explain why I didn't mention him. I found his later performances so embarrassing given his earlier strength, bravura, and amazing stage charisma, that I kind of "vetoed" his candidacy for its lack of quality. That's a terribly bad reason, but my mind (in my second half century of life) works in funny ways sometimes.

Of course, he deserves mentioning, as he is on a par with Plisetskaya and many of the others who danced in their 50s as far as proficiency is concerned. I think it's utterly wonderful for anyone to attempt dancing onstage in front of thousands of people at that age, much less an audience who remembers you when and is examining your every move.

That Nureyev segued into orchestra conducting in his later life is also fascinating and a natural progression for one with his vast talent.

[carbro]

You identified perfectly, Marga, as I couldn't, the very reason why I didn't mention him -- initially, at least. It's a strange mixture of regret and gratitude -- or gratitude bleeding into regret.

[Marga]

I like your phrase "gratitude bleeding into regret" -- the word "bleeding" has a multi-layered appropriateness.

[Marga]

I remembered another Russian veteran: Nina Timofeyeva

She retired at 53. On one of my videos, which includes an 80th birthday tribute to Asaf Messerer, she is one of his former students who dances a variation for him. She should be about 48 then, and is in fine form. Then again, it's only one variation, not an entire ballet, but I was impressed nonetheless.

[Giselle05]

The upcoming Amanda McKerrow retirement has me thinking... how long is the ballerina's career presently? McKerrow is 41, and retiring. Ferri is 42.

[Dr. Coppelius]

Birgit Cullberg did her last choreography to a ballet and even danced in it at the age of 76, and continued to guest the Cullberg Ballet into her ninth decade.

Slå det!

Edited July 10, 2005 by Dr. Coppelius

[Cygnet]

Gabriella Komleva

Natalya Bessmertnova

Ekaterina Maximova

[oberon]

Kyra Nichols joined NYC Ballet in 1974 so she is presently tied with Merrill Ashley for the longest career of a ballerina with that Company (31 years). Kyra recently danced, quite beautifully, Titania in MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM and the opening movement of BRAHMS-SCHOENBERG QUARTET.

[bart]

It would be interesting to do a study HOW these dancers are able to extend their performing lives for so long -- and WHY they choose to do this, despite what must be a lot of pain and an acute, daily awareness of diminishing powers.

Add to that, they have to deal with the criticisms. Even on Ballet Talk there have been some surprisingly personal negative comments about the dancing of several NYCB ballerinas with long-term careers.

Meredith Daneman's biography of Fonteyn is full of insight into the whys and especially the how's of Fonteyn's path. (The example of Ulanova at a crucial stage of Fonteyn's career, is stressed.) Diane Solway's biography of Nureyev tells a much sadder story about longevity on stage.

Any more stories about the HOWS and WHYS?

[TutuMaker]

What about Allegra Kent?

She didn't dance as frequently, sometimes only once a year, but she did perform for a long time. Maybe her longevity is due to the fact that she did not perform more often.

It is indeed painful for me to watch a dancer when they are obviously in pain!

[Cygnet]

Meredith Daneman's biography of Fonteyn is full of insight into the whys and especially the how's of Fonteyn's path.  (The example of Ulanova at a crucial stage of Fonteyn's career, is stressed.)  Diane Solway's biography of Nureyev tells a much sadder story about longevity on stage.

Any more stories about the HOWS and WHYS?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Frequent performances and constant touring are major factors too.

It's possible (probable?) that Margot's Covent Garden & international committments may have been more intense than Ulanova's at that age.

Margot had to be the most travelled Prima Ballerina of the 20th century.

[Hans]

Maina Gielgud still dances en pointe (!) I don't know if she performs, though.

[lampwick]

My chiropractor's office (also a Pilates studio) had an article posted on the bulletin board which featured Kyra Nichols talking about how Pilates has been instrumental in her career's longevity. Allegra Kent talked about seeing massage therapists in her autobiography (long before this practice was standard). She also did all of her water exercises. Great for maintaining strength and flexibility without the damaging effects gravity has on the body. My teacher, Emilietta Ettlin, was a strong technician (danced with Stuttgart Ballet under Cranko). She's still very fit in her late 50s and takes class on pointe, 4 or 5 pirouettes, extensions over her head, etc...She developed a floor barre routine during her dancing career which she still does every day (and teaches to her lucky students!)

Sports medicine in general is so good now. Maybe careers will be getting longer and longer as massage, Physical Therapy, chiropractic, pilates, floor barre, etc becomes a "standard". Most dancers I know take advantage of this stuff.

And good genes and luck help too!

[Kristen]

Gabriella Komleva

Natalya Bessmertnova

Ekaterina Maximova

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So glad you mentioned Maximova - I saw her perform when she was approx. 53 - truly phenomenal, her onstage rapport with Vasiliev was unlike anything I've ever seen - was so glad to see the NY Times review her performance weeks later at the BAM,referring to her as "eternal springtime." What a great description.