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Underestimated Dancers


jrhewit

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Most ballet discussions are about established stars and their performances. Nothing strange about that. But often, in watching a performance, either live or on DVD, it becomes obvious that some less established dancer contributes just as much as the principals yet gets far less credit. This seems iniquitous. Two examples come to mind.

First, in the DVD of La Sylphide by POB, Melanie Hurel, playing Effie, is just as important as Dupont and Ganio (who are both absolutely superb) but does not even get to appear at the end to take a bow! Why do I say she is 'just as important'? Think of what the ballet is about. It's NOT about a man unable to choose between two women (as the Royal Danish Ballet would have us believe in their frivolous version). It is about the universal fallacy that 'the grass is greener on the other side of the fence'. James wants Effie but he cannot commit to her because of what he would be giving up if he did (symboloised by the Sylphide). Eventually he loses her and of course he also loses what he could never have had anyway, the illusory 'what might have been'. La Sylphide is about the deepest and most profound of quandaries that humans find themselves faced with - to be or not to be. And this faces Hurel with a huge challenge. Dupont can concentrate on being a seductress (beautifully) and Ganio can be the...seductee?...magnificently. But Hurel has to convey the confusion, the hurt, and the desolation of knowing that she is being discarded but not knowing why. Remember - she cannot see the Sylphide, she can only sense James' growing remoteness. This complex emotional role is extremely demanding yet Hurel carries it off perfectly. Her dancing is restrained, as it must be to reflect her sadness and waning confidence, but it is technically impeccable and hauntingly beautiful. This is best seen in the pas de trois where she has to dance with the other two. She has to convey that she is unaware of the physical presence of the Sylphide, though all too aware of her baleful presence. This scene is utterly breathtaking, largely because of Hurel's sensitive and intelligent performance.

My second example, also from DVD, can be explained in fewer words. Look at Emmanuel Thibault in Paquita, another brilliant ballet performance from POB. His dancing is out of this world. He manages to give the impression that he is able to suspend himself in mid air. His footwork is lighter and better controlled than any I have seen lately - yet he is (or was, when the DVD was made) still just a 'sujet', and he gets little credit.

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I will also be taking another look at the Paris and the Royal Danish videos. As I read your post, I was surprised to see that I have absolutely no memory of the Effies in either production. :)

It's almost as if my eye, having been instructed to pay close attention to James and the Sylphide, took that as permission to register nothing about the third party in this triangle.

Some parts really do seem to be thankless for dancers --even when superlatively danced. For example, Hilarion (like Effie) is central to the Act I action. He's in the spotlight even more than Effie. And serious demands are made on him for mime, acting, and dance. But ... name a dancer known to be a "great Hilarion." Are we conditioned to pay only fleeting attention to performers in ceretain roles? There are "great Bluebirds." Why not "great Effies"?

Good to have you here, jrhewit.

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My second example, also from DVD, can be explained in fewer words. Look at Emmanuel Thibault in Paquita, another brilliant ballet performance from POB. His dancing is out of this world. He manages to give the impression that he is able to suspend himself in mid air. His footwork is lighter and better controlled than any I have seen lately - yet he is (or was, when the DVD was made) still just a 'sujet', and he gets little credit.

This reminds me of a little anecdote someone from RSB told me. Also very controlled and 'aggressive' with his dancing, he said that he was always chosen to dance the ? Movement from Symphony in C (the one with all of the jumping) because he was one of the only that could execute those soaring leaps and magnificent revoltad-like jumps instead of getting the more known [1st (?) movement] pas de deux/adagio.

Here's something I found that agrees to your opinion, jrhewit:

>funny how this is from DanceView! :

http://www.danceviewtimes.com/intl/2003/paris2.htm

Emmanuel Thibault's riveting entrances and daunting exits into the wings of the Third Movement of Symphony in C, thus, were the most exciting moments of the Paris Opera Ballet Balanchine Triple Bill on Wednesday the 15th. Simply because the man soars as if suspended by an invisible string or lifted by silent gusts of a benevolent wind, and because he carries himself beautifully up there. Back on the ground he knows how to modulate accents without making them look strained, he gives full shape to his pirouettes, while his port de bras draw wonderfully clean arcs and lines around his centre.

In a company of outstanding artists, Thibault is one of a handful of Princes of Dance —Manuel Legris, Laurent Hilaire, José Martinez and Jean-Guillaume Bart being the others—and the only one with such a superlative gift and outstanding facility for classical ballet dancing. He is also the only one who is not an Étoile and, sadly and unfairly, never will be. (Thibault must be close to 30 and is still a Sujet). Worse still, he only gets cast in soloist roles very infrequently and was given just this one performance of Symphony in C.

It's almost as if my eye, having been instructed to pay close attention to James and the Sylphide, took that as permission to register nothing about the third party in this triangle.

Some parts really do seem to be thankless for dancers --even when superlatively danced. For example, Hilarion (like Effie) is central to the Act I action. He's in the spotlight even more than Effie. And serious demands are made on him for mime, acting, and dance. But ... name a dancer known to be a "great Hilarion." Are we conditioned to pay only fleeting attention to performers in ceretain roles? There are "great Bluebirds." Why not "great Effies"?

I sort of do the same unless I see that the dancing is outstanding, like when I saw ABT's Giselle, the Peasant PDD danced with Xiomara Reyes and Herman Cornejo brought more to me than anyone else. I suppose, too, it's the position of the role. Whoever is titled the main character inevitably gets the claim. In any situation, audience members are mainly watching the PDD rather than the corps. Though the PDD wouldn't be the same without the corps de ballet, the couple are the ones who wins the bows. Same with the Effie/James/Sylphide connection.

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The Royal Ballet video with Act 3 of Sleeping Beauty. Fonteyn and Blair are inexplicably having a very bad day. Something's just OFF with Fonteyn. Not one of her better video documents. And then a burst of sunlight comes in the form of Antoinette Sibley's Florine. Steals the show.

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Thibault is now officially a premier danseur and if he is underestimated it is by the POB management rather than the general ballet-going public. Possibly though he is being punished for being a classicist and out of sympathy with the increasingly modern rep in Paris. The latest etoile is something of a nonentity, confirming the suspicion that promotions at POB lack rhyme or reason.

The Kirov Ballet is becoming notorious for neglecting the more talented dancers in the company whilst the bland contortionists all flourish. Zhelonkina in particular gets a rough deal, as does Scherbakov. Russian companies seem to also suffer from a balletic form of ageism with experience and stage craft counting for very little and more senior dancers consistently excluded from prestigious foreign tours.

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Canbelto, you are SO right about Fonteyn's bad day -- hse is just OFF --and Sibley is so bird-like.

The Effie on the Hubbe RDB Sylphide was extremely fine -- extremely neat dancing, in her pretty little black pumps, exquisite little jumps that don't leave the ground and just make her look complacent and earthbound and un-impetuous and darling but doomed to be left. Everything about that production is deeply thought-out (Henning Kronstam directed it), the casting is perfect, and each one does his/her part to create the whole. The flashy people -- James, Sylphide, and MADGE( the amazing SOrella Englund) are flashy, and everybody else -- Gurn, Effie, the mother (fabulously underplayed by Kirsten Simone) is earthbound in the nicest possible way. Incredible ensemble playing.

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The thing is, Paul, I've watched the video again and again (it's one of my favorites -- the Sylphides is beautiful) and I can never put my finger on what exactly is wrong with Fonteyn's Aurora. But I just know that she seems very OFF. Her smile is tighter than tight, and she just doesn't radiate joy. But Sibley is just absolutely wonderful here, and she totally steals the show.

Another recent example is the POB Jewels dvd. By far the most memorable performance, IMO, came from Clairemarie Osta in the second Emeralds solo.

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It's almost as if my eye, having been instructed to pay close attention to James and the Sylphide, took that as permission to register nothing about the third party in this triangle.

Some parts really do seem to be thankless for dancers --even when superlatively danced. For example, Hilarion (like Effie) is central to the Act I action. He's in the spotlight even more than Effie. And serious demands are made on him for mime, acting, and dance. But ... name a dancer known to be a "great Hilarion." Are we conditioned to pay only fleeting attention to performers in ceretain roles? There are "great Bluebirds." Why not "great Effies"?

I sort of do the same unless I see that the dancing is outstanding, like when I saw ABT's Giselle, the Peasant PDD danced with Xiomara Reyes and Herman Cornejo brought more to me than anyone else. I suppose, too, it's the position of the role. Whoever is titled the main character inevitably gets the claim. In any situation, audience members are mainly watching the PDD rather than the corps. Though the PDD wouldn't be the same without the corps de ballet, the couple are the ones who wins the bows. Same with the Effie/James/Sylphide connection.

The role of Hilarion is a difficult one because he is portrayed as such a wimpish character. He is a peasant. He and Giselle are in love and plan to marry. Along comes Albrecht, rich, aristocratic and a liar. He sweeps Giselle off her feet and Hilarion is abandoned. No doubt this kind of thing happens all the time, but the problem lies in Hilarion's supine reaction -- he just lets it happen and seeks revenge in a sneaky underhand way. Perhaps a better story would have Hilarion standing up to Albrecht and confronting him. He would challenge Albrecht to a duel. He would fight powerfully but would lose heroically. Both he and Albrecht would emerge with credit. Seeing Hilarion die for her would provide a far more satisfying explanation for Giselle's madness and death than does Albrecht's deceit on its own. And there would be a more compelling ending too. As it stands, Albrecht ultimately loses Giselle, as perhaps he should. But so does the innocent Hilarion. Better that Albrecht be left with nothing while Hilarion and Giselle are re-united in death.

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But remember, peasants don't duel. That's a means of conflict resolution reserved to the aristocrats. Now, they might have knife fights, or ax fights with the combatants tied together at the off arm, but these aren't duels. And Albrecht, as an aristocrat, is more or less obligated to ignore a challenge from anyone not his social equal. But strong Hilarions there should be. After all, he IS in the right about Albrecht.

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A fascinating scenario, jrhewit. Thanks. I've often thought that Hilarion is rather dropped after exposing Albrecht. We forget about him, and I've never been impressed when he reemerges (who is he? oh, I remember) in Act II. I was especially intrigued by the possibilities of ...

He would challenge Albrecht to a duel. He would fight powerfully but would lose heroically. Both he and Albrecht would emerge with credit. Seeing Hilarion die for her would provide a far more satisfying explanation for Giselle’s madness and death than does Albrecht’s deceit on its own.

:thanks: Mel shows that the duel is out. But couldnt' Hilarion just pick up a peasant-class weapon (as Mel suggests) and rush towads Albrecht who, casually, almost as though he was not paying attention, would draw his sword, point it, and stick it in Hilarion's stomach? And show no remorse -- only a mild surprise and perhaps a bit of annoyance? There are plenty of under-utilized male peasant dancers around to carry the body offstage.

Alas, although there are plenty of great tragedies about 2 people in love, creating a dramatic focus around a threesome is a bit more difficult.

And, expanding backstory and roles for minor characters might clutter up things a bit. A pas de deux between Myrthe and her own past Albrecht-like lover? Benno falling in love with Siegfried and trying to come between him and Odette? A concluding grand pas de deux for Effy and Gurn? Kitri and Mercedes having a cat fight over Basilio? The story of how Crassus and Aegina really met, and what happens to them after Spartacus is killed?

On the plus side, it would certainly give dancers some extra opportunities.

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Off topic interjection, but. . . this is back-engineering the libretto. To the 19th century eyes that wrote the libretto, Hilarion was a villain, and an unsympathetic character who was unsuited for Giselle. To have the story still make sense, at minimum Hilarion needs to be cast so he's unsuited to Giselle. It could be physical (too tall, too short, too something) or emotional (too rough) but he has to be wrong for her and there has to be some sort of bond in casting between Giselle and Albrecht. Otherwise you get the understandable "Poor Hilarion" crowd - but the story makes no sense. It sucks to be Hilarion, but it isn't his story.

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To the 19th century eyes that wrote the libretto, Hilarion was a villain, and an unsympathetic character who was unsuited for Giselle. To have the story still make sense, at minimum Hilarion needs to be cast so he's unsuited to Giselle. It could be physical (too tall, too short, too something) or emotional (too rough) but he has to be wrong for her and there has to be some sort of bond in casting between Giselle and Albrecht.

Somewhere (in that Portrait of Giselle video, perhaps?) Markova says that the story she was originally told was that Hilarion had a red beard, and that's what Giselle was objecting to.

It sucks to be Hilarion, but it isn't his story.

Oh ouch!

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Leigh is right. Hilarion was "that vile knave" (Gautier). He's gotten more and more sympathetic, especially in the West. The last time I saw the Kirov dance "Giselle," Hilarion was still an older gamekeeper. Giselle and Hilarion were not engaged, nor in love. Hilarion was sweet on Giselle and her mother encouraged his suit, but Giselle mimed, in the original, that she did not love him "because you are not beautiful."

Those interested in this might want to read Marian Smith's "Ballet and Opera in the Age of Giselle" (and Ivor Guest's books on Romantic Ballet). Hilarion did have a bigger role -- 13 scenes, I write from memory -- but so much mime has been cut over the years that his role has been cut down. And he is, and was, a supporting player (as are Effy and Gurn in "La Sylphide") They are extremely important, but they're not the stars and that's why they don't get the last curtain call at the end of the ballet.

I'd missed this thread when it was first posted, or I would have dashed in and said that I've never read Bournonville's version of "La Sylphide" called "frivolous." Often it's called the only ballet of Bournonville's that's NOT frivolous (and I'd disagree with that, too, of course), but "La Sylphide" is a quite serious work. There have been many great Effys in Denmark; the role was, in the good periods, often given to the company's beauty. Some notable Effys were Vibeka Segerskog, Arlette Weinrich and the Effy on the now commercially available DVD, Anne Kristin Hauge. (I think the point of that casting was to make it clear that there's nothing wrong with Effy, that James isn't experiencing wedding night jitters, and that he's not throwing her over for a better, prettier girl.

I'd also disagree with jrhewit's comment that:

It's ["La Sylphide"] NOT about a man unable to choose between two women (as the Royal Danish Ballet would have us believe in their frivolous version). It is about the universal fallacy that 'the grass is greener on the other side of the fence'. James wants Effie but he cannot commit to her because of what he would be giving up if he did (symbolised by the Sylphide).

I agree that the ballet is not about a man unable to choose between two women (and that is NOT in the RDB's version.) But it's more than "grass is greener," although some Jameses have used that as an acting motivation. The Sylph is a dream, an Ideal. The ballet is the poster child for Romanticism: a man leaves his comfortable life to follow a dream. When he touches his dream, it dies.

I'd echo what Leigh said about being careful not to retrofit ballets. Often we see a production, especially one that's half-baked, and it doesn't make sense to us, and we use logic to figure out what's going on, using present-day glasses. And often what is logical doesn't help! One of the many things I learned from the Danes is to start with what is there and try to figure out why, how it DOES (or did) make sense, and work from there.

This is an interesting topic, though, and I'm glad jrhewit raised it (a belated welcome!). There certainly are a lot of dancers in "small roles" who deserve our attention, and in the best of companies in the best of times, all of these "small parts" are done with such care that they make the ballet complete, and turn it from being a star turn into a ballet.

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I think the comic, middle-aged Gurn was not Bournonville's idea. Touches like this, and the cutesy trolls in "Folk Tale", were 20th century inventions.

Hilarion's red beard (and Von Rothbart -- Red Beard) were indications of villainy, though. I've read that's fear of Vikings (many of whom had red beards) that got embedded into European culture. One of my family's superstitions was that in Scotland, if a red-haired man was the first to cross your threshold after midnight New Year's Eve, you would have bad luck for a year. :tiphat:

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There certainly are a lot of dancers in "small roles" who deserve our attention, and in the best of companies in the best of times, all of these "small parts" are done with such care that they make the ballet complete, and turn it from being a star turn into a ballet.
Good point. Jrhewitt's original post actually focused on the dancer(s). He mentioned two such dancers: Muriel Hurel (a POB Effie) and Emmanual Thibault (in the POB Pacquita). Does anyone else have some dancers in mind who bring out the most of smaller parts, make the most of parts you previously thought were not so important, or who generally deserve more attention and respect than they seem to be getting? :tiphat:
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Thanks for getting us back on topic, Bart! I've been trying to think of some underappreciated dancers of today and I can't (I may tomorrow :tiphat:) But from the not too far past, I remember Johan Renvall of ABT. He had an unfashionable body -- long torso, short legs -- and was not tall enough to do the star parts, but he had a beautiful classical technique. I remember him taking on Julio Bocca in "Etudes" and (to my eyes) winning :rofl:

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Thank you for noting Johan Renvall, Alexandra.

The sole classical lead I remember him (in this case will not forget him) dancing was Franz, opposite Cheryl Yeager, in ABT's Martinez staging of Coppelia. So charming, so pure!

And I've never seen a better Gurn -- quite a challenge to any James cast against him!

Carla Korbes was undervalued by The Powers at NYCB, although not by the audience. I'm so gratified that she's been given opportunities to fulfill -- and even extend? -- her potential at PNB, but I do wish I could see it happening in my home company.

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Johan Renvall is one of the dancers whose photos are used to illustrate positions and movements in my well-worn copy of Gretchen Ward Warren's Classical Ballet Technique, with photos by Susan Cook (1989). I can see your point about his classical technique, Alexandra.

I recently saw a clip from his 1985 performance -- with Amanda McKerrow and Robert LaFosse -- in Macmillan's Triad. It's on YouTube. Paste in Johan Renvall.

The full ballet is on the American Ballet Theater at the Met DVD, available if you click Amazon at the top of each Ballet Talk page.

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Didn't Renvall have a major role in ABT's video of Dark elegies?

I THINK that was him in the really difficult role.... what's difficult is uinting the technique and the depth of feeling.

Yes, Paul, that's Renvall. I'm not sure that video is commercially available. It was televised, though, so some may have a home copy. I agree, it does show his talents very well.

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