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Favorite pas de deux?


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Thanks to those who mentioned Balanchine's Tchaikovsky pdd. That's a marvelous one, too.

I did think of the Agon pdd, but I'm not sure if I don't admire it more than I really love it.

In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated-think Sylvie

I think you're right.

Alaskan Rag from Elite Syncopations

That's a fun one, too.

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This is a fun thread! :yahoo:

My favourite pas de deux are:

Diana and Aceteon

Black swan

Alaskan Rag from Elite Syncopations

Muñecos

Don Quioxte act 3 pdd

The leaves are fading

Prokofiev PDD

Charming Lise, we're in the same boat...

Out of your seven choices, i'll take D&A, BS, M and DQ. To the list i'll add Tchaikowsky PDD and Flames of Paris PDD

(BTW, did you ever get to see Munecos with Cary and Fernandito ( RIP) ?

No I haven't seen Muñecos live unfortuantly. I have seen it on You tube with two dancers from English National ballet

Venus Villa and Yat-Seng Chang in rehearsal and a performance video with Xiomara Reyes and Yat.

Do you know who composed the music for it? It's beautiful.

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I agree with so many of the previously mentioned favorites but I am surprised no one has mentioned either the dream or letter pas de deux from Cranko's Onegin. I particularly love the letter pas de deux. Of course the cast is crucial as well. I have seen them live many times but there are some great ones to be viewed on UTube.

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No I haven't seen Muñecos live unfortuantly. I have seen it on You tube with two dancers from English National ballet

Venus Villa and Yat-Seng Chang in rehearsal and a performance video with Xiomara Reyes and Yat.

Do you know who composed the music for it? It's beautiful.

It is indeed beautiful. It's by cuban musician/composer Rembert Egues and coreography by Alberto Alonso. Caridad Martinez, (whom i have mentioned before as an example regarding black dancers getting their way to the top) originated the role of the doll, and Fernandito (Jhones, RIP) that of the soldier...I got to see them when i was a kid, and they were adorable.

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I can't choose one specific, but a few ones that allways makes me go..... :wink::):wink: are the pas de deuxs in John Neumeiers Lady of Camellias, and the ones in Cranko's Onegin. I think both these choreographers have done a lot of beautiful pas de deuxs....., but if have have to pick I would say Kameliendame and Onegin.

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I give you some of my favourites,with their own category(like the Oscars or Awards)and with the best couple.

The most moving: White Swan pdd(Irina Koleshnikova or Lucia Lacarra with any partner),Romeo and Juliet(Alessandra ferri-Julio Bocca or alina Cojocaru-Roberto Bolle) and also Giselle(Ferri-Murru or Carla fracci with anyone else).

the best,aesthetically talking: Sleeping Beauty(Alina Cojocaru)and Apollon(Bolle-Romagna).

the most energetic: Donqui(Baryshnikov-Harvey or Corella-Herrera),Diana and Acteon(Matvienko brother and sister)and Le Corsaire(Zakharova-Zelensky).

the most tender: Romeo and Juliet(as before)and Manon(Semionova-Zelensky,Cojocaru-Zelensky,Guillem-Zelensky),bedroom pdd.

the best to dance: Black Swan(Gregory-Bujones,Agnes Letestu with anyone else) and Nutcracker(Nadia Saidakova,Malakhov).

Some I don't like: Flower festival,Fille mal gardée,Sylphide,Raymonda,Paquita,Coppelia,Fille du Pharaon.....

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My absolute favorite is the one from Balanchine's A Midsummer Night's Dream, in which Titania dances with Nick while he is under Puck's charm to look like an ass.

I love every moment of it... from the moment when Titania wakes from the shell and all through her dance with him. It's incredibly tender and sweet.

A more classical one, is the Black Swan when danced by Gillian Murphy and Angel Corella. I love those two!!! Furthermore, I feel Angel Corella is the only dancer I can forgive for falling for Odile! :P

On a more contemporary note, I really love Cruel World. Choreographed by James Kudelka and danced by Julie Kent and Robert Hill.

It is so very beautiful, passionate and intense! I love it!

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divert pas from balanchine's midsummer

walpurgisnacht ballet

second movement symphony in c

those are my three favorites as of now... really anything balanchine though...

the middle section of symphony in c is my favorite, with all the falls that come up into a penchee, which lead into the penchee promenades... so beautiful! especially on the video of allegra kent performing it!

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Thais with Sibley and Dowell. The mirror pas de deux from Onegin with the incomparable Haydee and Klaus. I have always enjoyed watching the pas de deux in Scotch Symphony. My least favorite is from the last act of Coppelia. Did too many performances of it.

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I guess I will participate, but I haven't seen a lot of the ones mentioned.

Gotta start with Giselle - the main reason I now have 7 versions on dvd

Also

Black Swan

Rubies

I guess I am alone on these

Mayerling (I wish they would put Kobborg/Cojocaru on dvd)

La Fille Mal Gardee

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The Grand Pas from David Bintley's 2009 revision of Sylvia is absolutely sublime.

I also love the Mirror pdd from Onegin.

I've seen Diana and Acteon pdd a couple of times but the performance that stands out for me is Nao Sakuma and Chi Cao in BRB Sinfonia's Evening of Music and Dance at Birmingham Symphony Hall in 2007. As they only had a pocket handkerchief to perform on in front of the orchestra, the control they had to display to not end up in the audience was amazing but they still danced flat out and it was just jaw-droppingly awesome.

Off topic, but next year's evening of music and dance has been announced for 20th February 2010. These evenings are always worth attending.

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Not in any particular order:

David Blair's White Swan PDD ....new production has lost some of its luster in comparison.

Black Swan PDD

Corsaire PDD....as a diversement.

Cranko's Eugene Onegin, the very last PDD. Devastatingly emotional ending.

Bayadere Shade Scene PDDs: The first PDD as the dream couple. Supreme academic classical dancing

The second is the scarf PDD........classical and romantic at the same time! When done right.....a unique PDD even for Petipa!

Blue Bird PDD.....stylish and devilish. Very few dancers get it right.

Giselle.....the first two times he tries to partner her, Albrecht seemingly misses or goes thru Giselle. Very subtle move, but when it is done right, it really sets the table for the rest of the act, in terms of the supernatural atmosphere.

Diana and Acteon PDD.... With Nureyev, Jose Manuel Carreno and Carlos Acosta.

Napoli....last act festivities and dancing galore!!!!

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I have too many PDD favorites to name, but one that is often overlooked is the first PDD in Manon. The second PDD is wonderful, but there's something unforgettably special about watching Des Grieux and Manon fall in love to that exquisitely poignant music of Massenet. MacMillan impassioned and acrobatic choreography in this piece I never tire of watching.

Other favorites include Balanchine's Tchaikovsky PDD, Robbins's In The Night and Nureyev's Vision PDD from Raymonda. Watch Dupont/Bart dance the Raymonda on youtube and see what I mean.

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Conventional/Romantic: Ashton's Marguerite & Armand and Cinderella

Unconventional/Romantic: Petit's Clavigo 'kiss' pas de deux, the one where they fall to the floor, roll over and regain their feet with their lips locked together.

Fireworks: Flames of Paris, but only if Osipova is dancing it.

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Greatly stretching, and technically breaking, the definition of a pas de deux, I love "The Unanswered Question" section of Balanchine's "Ivesiana."
Oh, yes ! How could I have forgotten something so unforgettable?

In the world of Romeo and Juliet and Siegfried and Odette, is it really a pas de deux when the man cannot make contact with the woman; the woman appears to be unaware of his existence; and four expressionless men in black manipulate her and keep her from touching the ground? Why not? Or, if not a pas de deux, how about "anti-pas de deux" (like anti-matter)?

Thanks, kfw, you bring back images of Allegra Kent epecially, but also Margaret Tracey later on.

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La Bayadere: the first pas de deux in the Kingdom of Shades, where Nikya comes to Solor. The music is just eerie beautiful and I love the choreography for the ballerina (very fluent, subtle, 'dreamy', slow movements; indeed like she's a shade or shadow).

Swan Lake: Pas de deux in the second act. This is a classic and it beautifully shows the despair and love between Siegfried & Odette. In the version from Nureyev, there's another beautiful pas de deux in the last act, danced on the music which was originally used for the pas de six in the third act.

Those two definitely come to mind

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