Tamara Toumanova's appearance in 1956"Invitation to the Dance

[cubanmiamiboy]

In my endless ongoing search for footage of the 40's and 50's stars of Ballet Russes, ABT and so on, i found an amazing clip on Youtube of Tamara Toumanova dancing with Gene Kelly. Gene plays The Marine, and Tamara Toumanova is his dance partner, playing The Streetwalker in the "Ring Around the Rosy" section of Kelly's 1956 movie "Invitation to the Dance". I've never seen the whole movie before, so i would like to know if there are more sections on it with her. Also , i'm interested in other comercially released videos of her or other stars from the era. Any information welcomed.

Thanks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmQf248L0AI

[Marga]

I've seen this movie many times, as it's shown quite regularly on TV here. The streetwalker segment of "Ring Around the Rosy" is Toumanova's only appearance. Each part of that ballet is a unit unto itself. As pertains to the trilogy of dance which makes up the movie, Gene Kelly is the only constant. The rest of "Ring Around the Rosy" has other gems, in particular Claude Bessy as the ballerina/model, Igor Youskevitch as the artist/lover, Diana Adams as the hat check girl, and even Tommy Rall as the boyfriend. The movie was actually ready in 1952, but was not released until years later due to its being perceived as a failure.

I wish there was a commercially released video of the Sol Hurok story, Tonight We Sing, in which Toumanova portrays Pavlova.

[cubanmiamiboy]

Thanks Marga for the info...! What a lovely sequence. Toumanova's whole projection, including her physique and dancing, looks to me very contemporary and updated...like a nowadays ballerina.

[fadedhour]

There's actually a little more to Toumanova's appearance beyond what's in that clip. She approaches David Paltenghi's character after Gene Kelly's Marine leaves her. The part from the clip is my favorite part of the movie, but I also thought the rest of "Ring Around the Rosy" was really great--I agree with Marga about Bessy, Youskevitch, and Adams. The first segment of the movie I also quite liked: it has some great dancing (and acrobatics!) by Youskevitch.

I think it's so cool MGM funded this. As much as I love Gene Kelly, I don't think it entirely succeeds.. but I love that it exists.