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Im in search of a documentary any info would be helpful


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Can anyone please help me find/own these documentaries

4 part "BALLERINA" AND "DANCER" documentary series

Ive been searching online for the past few days and this website seems like my best bet to get some answers.

My g/f a ballet dancer for 22yrs use to own these but lost them a few yrs ago, and im trying to get them for her, it would mean alot to her and to me to have her smile when(if) she can own these again.

Any help would be appreciated if someone has it on VHS or DVD (could be recorded from a vhs tape) i dont mind or care as long as it sounds good and looks good, thank you.

I myself im only 25yrs old and have been in the nightlife world in nyc since 1995 and am a club dancer who has come to appreciate the world and history of ballet. Been going to a show at least 2 times a month and seen some dvds as well as read some books, and im really fascinated by the ballet lifestyle and culture and history. So if anyone can help me get my hands on those 2 films, know that its going to the right place.

Thank you again.

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Hi. One of the reasons you're having trouble finding these documentaries is that neither was ever released commercially. Youj're in New York; do you know about the Dance Division of the New York Public Library at Lincoln Center? It's free, and ou can most probably see these films there (this is a reference library only, not for checking out). I'm sure someone else will come along with suggestions of commercially available films, but in the meantime, this might be a place to start.

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Here is the extensive listing of the Ballerina documentary from the Library:

Dance *MGZIA 4-5506 AVAILABLE

Division Performing Arts - Dance

Descript 4 videocassettes (VHS, NTSC) (195 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences ; 1/2 in.

Note Telecast by the Arts and Entertainment Network (A&E).

Credits Program consultant, Clement Crisp.

Summary Documentary in two parts: The making of a ballerina (cassettes 1 & 2) and The great tradition (cassettes 3 & 4).

Contents Cassette 1 (ca. 91 min. total). The making of a ballerina. [introduction]. Interviewees: Maurice Béjart, Frederick Ashton, Jerome Robbins, Maya Plisetskaya. Dance excerpts: The dying swan / danced by Anna Pavlova -- The sleeping beauty / danced by Margot Fonteyn -- Don Quixote / danced by Maya Plisetskaya -- Swan lake. Act II, pas de deux / chor., Lev Ivanov ; danced by Natalia Makarova and Ivan Nagy.

[Different types of ballerina]. Examples illustrated by dance excerpts: Romantic: La sylphide / danced by Carla Fracci and Gheorghe Iancu -- Virtuoso: Paquita / danced by Cynthia Harvey -- Dramatic: Romeo and Juliet / chor., Kenneth MacMillan ; danced by Natalia Makarova and Anthony Dowell -- Classical: Grand pas classique / chor., Victor Gsovsky ; danced by Sylvie Guillem.

[Physical requirements of a ballerina ; pointe shoes]. Interviewee: Bernard Kohler. Dance excerpt: Don Quixote pas de deux / danced by Natalia Makarova and Peter Schaufuss.

[schools and styles]. Examples of ballet classes and ballerinas from different countries. Interviewees: Kirsten Ralov, Lis Jeppesen. Russia: Vaganova School -- Raymonda / danced by Natalia Makarova -- The little humpbacked horse / danced by Maya Plisetskaya. U.S.: School of American Ballet, class taught by Alexandra Danilova -- Don Quixote / danced by Susan Jaffe. England: Royal Ballet School, class taught by Galina Samsova -- Cinderella / chor., Frederick Ashton ; danced by Antoinette Sibley. Denmark: Royal Danish Ballet School, class taught by Kirsten Ralov -- Royal Danish Ballet, company class -- Konservatoriet / chor., August Bournonville ; danced by Lis Jeppesen. France: Paris Opéra Ballet School, class taught by Christiane Vaussard -- The sleeping beauty / danced by Isabelle Guérin.

[The importance of versatility]. Virginia Johnson of Dance Theatre of Harlem dances excerpts from Holberg suite (chor., Arthur Mitchell), Othello (chor., John Butler), Fall River legend (chor., Agnes de Mille), and A streetcar named desire (chor., Valerie Bettis), the last with Lowell Smith.

[Partnering]. Interviewees: Maya Plisetskaya, Marcia Haydée. Dance excerpts: Manon / chor., Kenneth MacMillan ; rehearsal ; danced by Natalia Makarova and male ensemble from the Royal Ballet -- Black swan pas de deux / rehearsal ; danced by Makarova and Anthony Dowell -- Black swan pas de deux / performance ; danced by Makarova and Dowell -- Swan lake. Act II pas de deux / rehearsal ; danced by Makarova and Alexander Sombart -- Swan lake. Act II pas de deux / performance ; danced by Makarova and Ivan Nagy -- Thaïs / chor., Frederick Ashton ; danced by Antoinette Sibley and Anthony Dowell -- Marguerite and Armand / chor., Ashton ; danced by Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev -- The lady with the little dog [The lady with a lapdog] / chor., Plisetskaya ; danced by Plisetskaya and Boris Efimov -- The taming of the shrew / chor., John Cranko ; danced by Marcia Haydée and Richard Cragun -- Onegin / chor., Cranko ; danced by Makarova and Reid Anderson. Continued on cassette 2.

Cassette 2 (ca. 5 min.). Onegin, continued. End credits for The making of a ballerina.

Cassette 3 (ca. 92 min. total). The great tradition. [introduction]. Interviewee: Maurice Béjart. Dance excerpts: The blue angel / chor., Roland Petit ; rehearsal ; danced by Natalia Makarova and Jean-Pierre Aviotte, supervised by Roland Petit -- Wien, Wien, nur du allein / chor., Béjart ; rehearsal ; danced by Marcia Haydée and Jorge Donn, supervised by Béjart -- Other dances / chor., Jerome Robbins ; rehearsal ; danced by Makarova, supervised by Robbins.

[Great ballerina roles of the past: Odette, Aurora, Giselle]. Interviewee: Antony Tudor. Dance excerpts: Swan lake / danced by Natalia Makarova and Anthony Dowell -- The sleeping beauty / danced by Margot Fonteyn -- The sleeping beauty / danced by Elisabeth Platel -- Giselle / danced by Galina Ulanova -- Giselle / danced by Alicia Markova -- Giselle / rehearsal ; danced by Makarova and Alexander Sombart -- Giselle / danced by Makarova and Mikhail Baryshnikov.

[Characterization]. Interviewee: Kenneth MacMillan. Dance excerpts: Manon / chor., MacMillan ; danced by Natalia Makarova (Manon), Derek Rencher (Monsieur G.M.), Stephen Jeffries (Lescaut) -- Romeo and Juliet / chor., MacMillan ; danced by Makarova.

[John Cranko and his choreography]. Interviewee: Carla Fracci. Dance excerpts: Romeo and Juliet / chor., Cranko ; danced by Fracci and Gheorghe Iancu -- Onegin / chor., Cranko ; danced by Natalia Makarova and Reid Anderson.

[ballerinas as links to the past]. Interviewees: Alexandra Danilova, Alicia Markova. Makarova rehearses London Festival Ballet Theatre in La bayadère. Danilova teaches a variation from Paquita to students of the School of American Ballet. Markova rehearses the Sugarplum Fairy variation and the grand pas de deux from The nutcracker with Janette Mulligan and Martin James of London Festival Ballet. Dance excerpt: Giselle / danced by Markova.

[Three great ballerinas of the past: Anna Pavlova, Tamara Karsavina, Olga Spessivtzeva]. Interviewees: Frederick Ashton, Antony Tudor. Reminiscences by the two choreographers, illustrated with b&w footage of Pavlova in various roles, including The dying swan, and Spessivtseva in Giselle.

[ballerinas of the future]. Interviewee: Maurice Béjart. Dance excerpts: La bayadère / danced by Cecilia Kerche and Fernando Bujones -- Royal Danish Ballet in company class -- Amleth [Hamlet] / chor., John Neumeier ; danced by Mette Bodtcher (Ophelia) -- Mouvement, rythme, etude / chor., Béjart ; danced by Sylvie Guillem and Eric Vu-An. Re-recorded in full on cassette 4.

Cassette 4 (ca. 7 min.). Mouvement, rythme, etude. End credits for The great tradition.

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Here is the listing for the "Dancer" documentary:

*MGZIA 4-5510

Title Dancer [videorecording] / a BBC-TV production in association with RM Arts ; directed by Derek Bailey ; produced by Derek Bailey and Julia Matheson.

Imprint U.K. : BBC-TV, c1984.

Prod cntry U.K.

URL for this record

LOCATION CALL NO. STATUS

Performing Arts - Dance *MGZIA 4-5510 AVAILABLE

Division Performing Arts - Dance

Descript 4 videocassettes (192 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences NTSC ; 1/2 in. (VHS)

Note This recording is a slightly abridged version of the series. Each of the four programs runs for ca. 48 min. rather than an hour, as in the original.

Segment titles and additional data from promotional brochure.

Credits Program consultant, Clement Crisp.

Note [Host/interviewee:] Peter Schaufuss.

Summary Documentary on various aspects of the lives and careers of male ballet dancers. This series was first telecast by the BBC in the U.K. in October-November 1984.

Contents Cassette 1 (ca. 48 min.). A proper job. Discussion of the athletic and artistic challenges facing the male dancer ; training male dancers at the schools of the Royal Ballet, the Paris Opéra Ballet (including a class taught by Alexandre Kalioujny), and the Royal Danish Ballet. Interviewees: Barbara Fewster, Fernando Bujones, Maurice Béjart. Dance excerpts: Le corsaire / danced by Peter Schaufuss -- La ventana / chor., August Bournonville ; danced by Frank Andersen -- The sleeping beauty / danced by Anthony Dowell -- Enigma variations / chor., Frederick Ashton ; danced by Dowell -- Don Quixote pas de deux / danced by Schaufuss -- A song for you / danced by Patrick Dupond -- La ventana / danced by Bjarne Hecht -- Swan lake / danced by Fernando Bujones -- Oiseaux tristes / chor. and danced by Jean Guizerix -- Macbeth / chor. and danced by Vladimir Vasiliev -- Rite of spring / chor., Béjart ; danced by Ballet du XXe Siècle.

Cassette 2 (ca. 48 min.). Double work. Discussion of partnering (illustrated by partnering classes at the Royal Ballet School), traditional and contemporary roles of the male dancer, equality of the sexes in August Bournonville's choreography, notable partnerships. Dance excerpts: Spring waters / chor., Asaf Messerer ; danced by Desmond Kelly and Galina Samsova -- The sleeping beauty / danced by Peter Schaufuss and Antoinette Sibley -- Mayerling / chor., Kenneth MacMillan ; danced by David Wall and Wendy Ellis -- Kermesse in Bruges / chor., Bournonville ; danced by Schaufuss and Lis Jeppesen -- Giselle / danced by Ekaterina Maksimova and Vladimir Vasilev -- Grand pas classique / chor., Victor Gsovsky ; danced by Noëlla Pontois and Fernando Bujones -- Romeo and Juliet / chor., MacMillan ; danced by Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev -- The loves of Franz [Les amours de Franz] / chor., Roland Petit ; danced by Dominique Khalfouni and Denys Ganio -- Agon / chor., George Balanchine ; danced by Allegra Kent and Arthur Mitchell.

Cassette 3 (ca. 48 min.). New moves. Discussion of five contemporary choreographers, who are seen rehearsing their works. Robert Cohan is also seen teaching company class to members of London Contemporary Dance Theatre. Interviewees: Kenneth MacMillan, Roland Petit, Maurice Béjart, Robert Cohan, Glen Tetley (voiceover only). Dance excerpts: La ventana / danced by Frank Andersen, Lis Jeppesen, and the Royal Danish Ballet -- Orpheus / chor., MacMillan ; danced in rehearsal by Schaufuss and Alessandra Ferri, and Stephen Jefferies and Jennifer Penney ; danced in performance by Schaufuss and Penney -- Notre-Dame de Paris / chor., Petit ; danced by Richard Cragun -- Mass for the future [Messe pour le temps futur] / chor., Béjart ; danced by Michel Gascard, Patrice Touron, Grazia Galante, and other members of the Ballet du XXe Siècle -- Class / chor., Cohan ; danced by Patrick Harding-Irmer and other members of London Contemporary Dance Theatre -- Sphinx / chor., Tetley ; danced by Schaufuss and Elisabetta Terabust.

Cassette 4 (ca. 48 min.). Peter Schaufuss in profile. Schaufuss is seen in his dual roles as dancer and producer in various countries ; this segment also includes views of company classes at the Royal Danish Ballet and Royal Ballet. Interviewees: Peter Schaufuss, Frank Schaufuss, Niels Bjørn Larsen, Kenneth MacMillan, Roland Petit, Maurice Béjart. Dance excerpts: Don Quixote pas de deux / danced by Schaufuss and Elisabetta Terabust -- Napoli / chor., Schaufuss after Bournonville ; danced by the National Ballet of Canada -- The shepherdess and the chimney sweep / recorded for Danish television, 1960 ; chor., Harald Lander (?) ; danced by Schaufuss and unidentified ballerina -- two solos danced by Schaufuss, possibly Flower festival at Genzano and Le corsaire -- La fille mal gardée / chor., Frederick Ashton ; danced by Schaufuss with the Royal Ballet -- Orpheus / chor., MacMillan ; danced by Schaufuss and the Royal Ballet -- Phantom of the opera [Fantôme de l'Opéra] / chor., Petit ; danced by Schaufuss -- Song of the wayfarer [Chant du compagnon errant] / chor., Béjart ; danced in rehearsal by Schaufuss and Patrice Touron -- A folk tale / chor., Schaufuss after Bournonville ; danced in rehearsal by Schaufuss and Eva Evdokimova -- La sylphide / chor., Schaufuss after Bournonville ; danced by Schaufuss and Evdokimova ; followed by a brief speech by Dame Alicia Markova.

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