Olga Spessivtseva

[Mme. Hermine]

What looks to be footage from a Russian documentary c 1997 that incorporates film from a (late 1950's?) BBC documentary called "The Sleeping Ballerina":

[cubanmiamiboy]

Thanks, Mme. Hermine...I've been trying to locate this documentary-(along with Soloviev's)-but it seems it is nowhere to be found.

Ah...like she was referred to..."the divine Olga Spessivtseva"...

[leonid17]

What looks to be footage from a Russian documentary c 1997 that incorporates film from a (late 1950's?) BBC documentary called "The Sleeping Ballerina":

You are quite correct about the source of some of the footage.

The BBC television film was broadcast in 1964 and was directed and narrated by the husband of Moira Shearer Ludovic Kennedy. It was to introduce me to this ballerina and I would love to see it again.

Full details as below from British Film Institute.

http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/552744?view=credit

Christian the film about Yuri Soloviev was called "I am tired of living in my own land", was Directed by Galina Mshanskaya and was released in 1995.

I also would like to see this film again. I was however blessed to see him dance in London in 1961 and 1966 and again in 1970.

[ViolinConcerto]

It was amazing to see this footage, plus there are more on You Tube where she talks with Dolin about their dancing days together. I read his book, "The Sleeping Ballerina," which was very moving. It tells of how she was institutionalized with mental illness for many years in upstate New York. Dolin is the one who got her released and found a place for her on the grounds of the Tolstoy Foundation (also upstate NY, but slightly closer to NYC). He was totally devoted to her.

There were also many clips of Pavlova dancing. I had long thought (and the Ballets Russes exhibit at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts also said this) that the "Blind Girl of P......" (whatever) was the only film showing Pavlova. What a thrill to see these other ones. There is a brief clip of an interview BY Makarova OF Ashton.

So THANK YOU Mme. Hermine and Leonid!!!

[atm711]

What a gem--thanks, so much. I also watched the clip of her and Dolin again, and noticed how she wore her hair long, but simply gathered at the nape of her neck---Vishneva wore her hair the same way when she did Giselle and it looks so much more youthful than the tightly coiffed heads.