fandeballet Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 Now I know elevation by itself does not make a dancer complete. But coupled with great technique, a soft landing, and artistry, elevation can truly make your heart skip a beat. I will give my list of the dancers with great jumps/elevation, I have seen live. Nureyev.......his entrechats looked like he was jumping on a trampoline! Fernando Bujones..I remember his first grand jete of his second variation in the Black Swan Act, it looked like he would hang up in the air for 5 seconds!!!!! And with that line!! His entrechats were also extremely high. Herman Cornejo, does he have wings or rockets?! Carlos Acosta, they call him "Air Acosta"!!!!!!!! Angel Corella, anti-gravity!!!!!! Natalia Makarova.......a wonderful and floating grand jete! Nina Aniasvilli...a powerful grand jete! There are a couple more , I will let you know later!!!!!! Link to comment
Mme. Hermine Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 Yuri Soloviev. Endalyn Taylor. Link to comment
Alexandra Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 I never saw Nijinsky, but I'll take him on faith I did see Nureyev and Baryshnikov, and both had incredible jumps. I've read that Nureyev was a taught, rather than natural jumper, which is even more astounding. Two other men for me were Patrick Dupond, whom I first saw when he was 16 at a little gala in New York and he really almost disappeared into the flies. And Igor Zelensky, who danced his first Albrecht in Washington (at least we were told it was his first). Link to comment
jllaney Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 Ivan Putrov! It's not only the heigth, it's the way he makes it look effortless. Link to comment
carbro Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 (edited) Yes, I did see Hockeyfan's post, but to me, Melinda Roy is unrivalled among women and worth mentioning twice. Emphatically. Gelsey Kirkland's jump was pretty amazing, too! Guys: Baryshnikov, Corella, Cornejo, listed alphabetically. I think Nureyev's elevation was pretty exceptional among his generation, but perhaps but not so exceptional compared to what we see from our best these days. Editing to add: Andris Liepa. My indelible image of him is soaring over the Met Stage, beatific smile and all. Edited January 31, 2005 by carbro Link to comment
lampwick Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 Herman AND Erica Cornejo. Erica jumps better than most of the guys in class. Link to comment
canbelto Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 For women, it seems as if the best jumpers are often the small lithe "elves." The taller ballerinas can't seem to give the illusion of elevation and suspension in air. Alina Cojocaru's jumps today truly seem to be suspended in the air. Historically, Natalia Makarova, and Maya Plisetskaya also seemed to be able to create this illusion. American girls as a rule dont seem to have the training to do the beautiful, perfect-split grande jetes that Russian-trained ballerinas do so well. As for men, today, Angel Corella's jumps are a thing of beauty. Marcelo Gomes too. Vladimir Vasiliev and Rudolf Nureyev from the film clips looked like incredible leapers. And I believe all that was said about Nijinsky ... Link to comment
vrsfanatic Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 Yuri Soloviev without a doubt. Link to comment
AmandaNYC Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 TO NYCB-goers-- how does Bouder's jumping compare to Melinda Roy's? I only saw Roy a few times before she retired. -amanda Link to comment
oberon Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 Bujones for sure! Anyone remember Lupe Serrano? She had a great stretched out jump, as I recall. At NYCB these days we have Ashley Bouder...and the amazing Ben Millepied who really seems to hover in the air. Link to comment
Helene Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 TO NYCB-goers-- how does Bouder's jumping compare to Melinda Roy's? I only saw Roy a few times before she retired. -amanda Bouder's is terrific. Roy's was prodigious. I believe it was in Valse Fantasie that she had a long series of jumps -- maybe in a circle? -- that were as big and strong in the beginning as at the end, and she was stunning in the third movement of Symphony in C. Jerome Robbins said Roy jumped like a man, and he meant that as the greatest compliment. If you saw her at the end of her career, it would have been after she had ACL surgery. Link to comment
richard53dog Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 Bujones for sure! Anyone remember Lupe Serrano? She had a great stretched out jump, as I recall. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Oh yes, I saw Serrano in a number of things. She was a very strong technician, not only the jumps but her turns and balances. This was the last couple of seasons before she retired, but she still was very impressive. She was in the only dual cast Swan Lake I ever saw. Someone ( maybe Toni Lander?) cancelled a matinee. Eleanor d'Antuono and Serrano each had a performance that weekend so they each took on one of the roles. Bruce Marks had quite a time trying to partner them, with what must have been very little rehearsal. Richard Link to comment
fandeballet Posted February 1, 2005 Author Share Posted February 1, 2005 Unfortunately, I only saw Yuri Soloviev Maya Pleitaskya and Serrano on film. But they were superb jumpers. Barishnikov was great too, and I saw him in person!!!!!!! Now who had seemingly the easiest time getting up there. Who took the smallest amount of steps to explode off the stage? Nureyev and Plateskya were very explosive to me. :3dnod: Link to comment
carbro Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 TO NYCB-goers-- how does Bouder's jumping compare to Melinda Roy's? I only saw Roy a few times before she retired.<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Amanda, not only was Lindy's jump "prodigious," as Hockeyfan describes it, but she did them with miraculous musicality and no apparent preparation. After the surgery, she dropped all the roles with unpartnered jumps -- the bulk of her rep -- and she basically had to start over from scratch. Very sad. Link to comment
Old Fashioned Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 I've never seen him (my generation is so deprived), but I would imagine Edward Villella would be among this group. Link to comment
Paul Parish Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 Kyra Nichols... Baryshnikov had the most astounding jumps I've ever seen -- when he first came here, in Giselle, the jumps he did when he first visited Giselle's grave and realized that she was somehow 'present" came like realizations to HIM -- the performer did not telegraph the effect, and the character was overwhelmed with the realizatoinss, which literally lifted him into the air...... I've never seen any illusion be so complete. we saw NO effort, only emotion..... he ran around the stage twice, with mounting excitement, and suddenly he was in the air (and very high)..... Link to comment
Marc Haegeman Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 Just to mention a few Russians: Maria Alexandrova from the Bolshoi, Yuri Soloviev, Igor Zelensky, Andrei Batalov from the Kirov. Link to comment
Paul Parish Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 Fadeyechev at the Bolshoi......... noble simplicity on hte grandest scale.... Link to comment
fandeballet Posted February 1, 2005 Author Share Posted February 1, 2005 (edited) I seem to remember a dancer from the 70's. I think her last name was D'Angelo, and I believe she danced with the Joffrey Ballet. She was pretty impressive in the air. Right? Edited February 1, 2005 by fandeballet Link to comment
MakarovaFan Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 Vasiliev and Baryshnikov for the men Plisetskaya, Sizova, Makarova and Terekhova for the ladies Link to comment
perky Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 Marnee Morris Andre Eglevsky Link to comment
Giannina Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 Darcey Bussell. Giannina Link to comment
Marga Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 Patricia Wilde (NYCB) Alla Sizova (Kirov) Edward Villella (NYCB) John Clifford (NYCB) Marnee Morris (NYCB) Kevin Pugh (National Ballet of Canada) Farouk Ruzimatov (Kirov) Link to comment
Recommended Posts