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Chauvire's career


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I searched through Ballet Talk for insight into Yvette Chauvire's dancing career given its length. I wasn't able to find much, so I wondered if anyone can recommend any studies or books about her that might give one some perspective on how she danced, her major roles, etc. I purchased the one DVD for sale on Amazon that shows clips of her dancing but mostly teaching. However, it appears there is nothing else out there that shows her in her prime. Even the 1937 La Mort du Cygne in which she starred is not available on DVD, unless I'm mistaken (hopefully).

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I searched through Ballet Talk for insight into Yvette Chauvire's dancing career given its length. However, it appears there is nothing else out there that shows her in her prime. Even the 1937 La Mort du Cygne in which she starred is not available on DVD, unless I'm mistaken (hopefully).

Some clips...

In "La Peri"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-CfLWbVnNU...&playnext=1

In Serge Lifar's "L'Ecuyère"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEmlY0F8-dI...&playnext=3

In "The Dying Swan"

In "Giselle"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQFujJbuppY...feature=related

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as noted in this NYPL cat. entry for the film which featured Chauvire, it was called BALLERINA when released in the USA.

neither the French nor US versions of Levy's film has been released commercially to the best of my knowledge.

confusion may also arise here, because Disney made and released a film about the Royal Danish Ballet also called BALLERINA here.

Mort du cygne.

1938 French film starring Mia Slavenska, Yvette Chauviré, and Janine Charrat. Directed by Jean-Benoit Levy. Chor: Serge Lifar. Released in the U.S. under title: Ballerina.

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(1) A Question about the Peri clip, linked by Cristian. Is that the Ashton choreography? Can anyone tell us about the production? On a superficial first glance, there are hints of Prodigal Son, though the setting is apparently India. The bit with the hands is lovely.

(2) YouTube has more Chauvire than appears at first glance, though not from her performance career. I stumbled across a segment of the film in which a mature Chauvire, in street clothes and high heels, coaches Sylvie Guillem in Grand Pas Classique. I was surprised by the difference in height between the 2 dancers. The clip ends with Guillem dancing in costume in the wonderful Grand Foyer.

http://www.24listen.net/lxUgIjiEa3Y/yvette...-pas-classique/

The website has several other videos of Chauvire coaching, but so far I've watched only the Guillem.

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the PERI clip apparently show Chauvire's own choreography.

Péri - Chor: Yvette Chauviré; mus: Paul Dukas; scen & cos: Constantin Népo. First perf: France: Vichy, Opéra, Aug 27, 1955 (Fifth Festival of Vichy).

the GpClassique coaching session and perf. are, if mem. serves, from Delouche's film about Chauivre:

Yvette Chauviré, pour l'exemple

Documentary film by Dominique Delouche.

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This dvd is available from netflix:

Yvette Chauvire: France's Prima Ballerina Assoluta (1987)

Yvette Chauviré: Une ètoile pour l'example

This stirring tribute to acclaimed French ballerina Yvette Chauviré examines the legendary dancer's life and career through the lens of rare performance footage capturing her in action -- both on stage and behind the scenes. Highlights include Chauviré engaged in private coaching sessions with the likes of Sylvie Guillem and Monique Loudières, as well as performing in scenes from "L'écuyere," "Le Péri," "Giselle" and "The Dying Swan."

Starring: Yvette Chauviré, Monique Loudières

Director: Dominique Delouche

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Christian,

You are a scholar and a gentleman and a first rate balletomane.

Gary

Oh, God no...no... :blush: :blush: :blush: ... I guess I'm just a fervent lover of the mystery and glamour of the old world of ballet...Mme. Chauvire being one of its greatest goddess...

But of course...very glad to get such a compliment... :D

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I did a Google search for mention of the film "Mort du Cygne," (which is NOT available on Nextflix, although the Delouch film is), and came upon this article by Anna Kisselgoff. It contains a review, and notice of 1998 film series and panel talk at the Alliance Francaise. The panel discussion was lead by our very own rg.

A brief quote:

A 12-year-old student at the Paris Opera Ballet school fears that her idol, the company's star, will be replaced by a Russian ballerina, and she causes an accident that ends the visiting rival's performing career.

This brief synopsis carries only a hint of the magic and depth of ''La Mort du Cygne,'' the legendary 1937 film starring Yvette Chauvire (then 20 years old), Janine Charrat (then 12) and Mia Slavenska (then 23), which the French Institute/Alliance Francaise has made the centerpiece of a blockbuster screening of French dance films. The series begins on Sunday.

Here is a description of the panel:

Living legends will be on hand. Ms. Chauvire, who gave her farewell performance at the Paris Opera Ballet in 1972, is one of France's greatest ballerinas, and Ms. Charrat, one of the most interesting French choreographers, was a leading dancer in the 1940's and 50's in various creative French companies, including her own. Both will join a panel moderated by the critic Robert Greskovic at 8 P.M. on Monday between two screenings of ''La Mort du Cygne,'' at 6:30 and 9 P.M. at Florence Gould Hall.

Ms. Slavenska, the Yugoslav-American ballerina who starred in the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and later in her own Slavenska-Franklin Ballet, will participate by conference call from Los Angeles, where she still teaches

Ms. Slavenska was one of the dancers featured in the excellent film "Ballets Russes." I believe she passed away since the film was made.

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the logistics of that conversation could still give me nightmares if i'd let 'em.

Chauvire, a bit on the fragile side, and Charrat, vibrant, were present, on stage; Slavenska was on a telephone relay from her home in California. there were times when Slavenska's phone 'presence' overrode all else, making it tricky, to put it politely, for the ballerinas present to get a word in edgewise.

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the PERI clip apparently show Chauvire's own choreography.

Péri - Chor: Yvette Chauviré; mus: Paul Dukas; scen & cos: Constantin Népo. First perf: France: Vichy, Opéra, Aug 27, 1955 (Fifth Festival of Vichy).

the GpClassique coaching session and perf. are, if mem. serves, from Delouche's film about Chauivre:

Yvette Chauviré, pour l'exemple

Documentary film by Dominique Delouche.

Hey Rg

That Peri in the clip is Lifar's version

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