leonid17

David Blair’s first leading role at the age of 22 was Frantz. He later danced the Poet in Les Sylphides, Caricaturist in Mamzelle Angot, Albrecht in Giselle with Violetta Elvin, Petrushka leading role, Aminta in Sylvia, created the role of Colas in Ashton’s La Fille mal gardee, danced Florimund in Sleeping Beauty and a host of leading roles in one act ballets. With the retirement of Michael Somes as premiere danseur Blair partnered of Dame Margot Fonteyn in Swan Lake in the 1961-62 season but by February 1962, Nureyev performed Giselle with Dame Margot and Blair was relegated to principal partner with other leading dancers and only partnered Dame Margot on a few more performances. He created Mercutio in MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet as Mel states and remains for me the best executant of the role both technically and dramatically. I last saw him dance on November 1972 aged 40 after a performance of Birthday Offering which had the stellar cast of; Margot Fonteyn, Jennifer Penney, Svetlana Beriosova, Antoinette Sibley, Ann Jenner, Georgina Parkinson, Merle Park, David Wall, Michael Coleman, Donald MacLeary, Anthony Dowell, Gary Sherwood, David Blair and Desmond Kelly. He moved to ballet companies in the USA and then Norway where he sadly died aged only 43. David Blair had immense charm on and off stage and was much loved by the Royal Opera House audience.

Thank you for your well reasoned comments. Historically speaking critics have always had to review dance forms which were unfamiliar territory. I think few critics are terrified by the new and whether they admire or express disdain, their opinion is what they get paid for, coupled with the literary ability to exhibit some expertise in expressing their views. As to," pushing things," I sometimes want to read critics who are bold and edgy in their comments even if I do not agree with them, because, they expand a livelier discussion about performances and the stature of performances which would have otherwise remained obscure to the majority of the NYT readership.. In the case of Mr Macaulay’s somewhat off the cuff remark, he has succeeded in stirring the pot and raised his own profile further whether he meant to or not. It is far too easy to attack minority interest “downtown” dance works perpetuated by minority interested parties, when such works have a narrow social appeal which perhaps, is why the NYT feels it doesn’t have to cater for them. After all it isn't their duty to review works simply because they take place.

What exactly do you mean by his "comfort zone"? In London over what seems to be the last thirty years, I have seen Mr Macaulay frequently attending at what goes for; cutting edge modern dance works, musicals, straight theatre, neo-ethnic dance companies, academic classical ballets, neo-classical ballet et al and attending the same productione more than once. As a lover of various dance forms, I do not always agree with his opinions but I find them generally readable and balanced. I personally admire Miss Part. If he criticises her, that is his right and I will not take it as a personal affront to my taste, because he is doing what he gets paid for, offering an opinion. To see his reviews as being in someway damaging to dancers and companies is to me somewhat mythically sentimental. It is my experience that minority art forms successfully attract minority audiences over long periods of time and what he has to say about, "... downtown Manhattan..." I would paraphrase for downtown Islington in London where the Sadlers Wells Theatre promotes younger modern dance companies that have nothing to say to me. The NYT employs him to inform the public on the basis of his wide knowledge and his status. For me, he is both descriptive and appraisive in his writing and I am always interested to read his reviews from a distance, because he does what he is meant to do, that is, to keep me as a reader informed and over time, I know when to take him at face value and when not. In an age when media marketing and the cult of the celebrity fashions taste, I think it is refreshing to have a voice that opines in an independent informed manner.

Thank you Agnes for all your information. As someone interested in the history of European ballet I thought the following was of interest in respect of Poland has two celebrations of historical interest to the ballet world in 2010. Firstly it is the 200th anniversary of the birthday of Frederic Chopin and secondly, it is the 225th anniversary year of the founding of His Majesty’s National Dancers although foreign(Italian especially) had been appearing in Poland supposedly from the 16th century. Checkout the Polish celebrations at: http://www.teatrwielki.pl/en/polish_nation...iversaries.html

Deanne Bergsma was seductive, totally in control, creating a powerfully sensuous and beautiful image. She remains my favourite Siren. I should have loved to have seen Doubrovska as I do not think anyone could reproduce her intensely sophisticated appeal.

Clive Barnes on Ulanova in Dance Magazine http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m108...72/ai_20650604/ Michael Spector Obit: NYTimes http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/on.../bday/0110.html Film: http://en.rian.ru/video/20100108/157429038.html which shows brief clips of Ulanova followed by a tribute in Russian which has an English translation over the top. For me it is always interesting to note as in this film, the poetic manner in which Russians speak about artists of the past.

I saw this cast several times in 1969 at the Royal Opera House and it was an extraordinary and unforgettable performance. At the end of act I it seemed that the whole audience roared its approval as one. One of my best night at the ballet. Thank you Makarova fan for posting I have just bought a copy at £27.00 from Amazon UK.

Today is the centenary of Galina Sergeyevna Ulanova’s birth. This legendary dancer startled audiences across the world with her deeply felt interpretations of leading roles with both the Kirov and Bolshoi Companies. She attained an elevated position amongst 20th century dancers with her lyricism and the emotional depth she brought to portrayals. Too young to see her dance, I have watched the available films and I have yet to see another dancer so become a role as Juliet, Giselle and as Maria in Fountains of Bakhchiserai. I had the great good fortune with a colleague to entertain her for an afternoon at Ivy House, Anna Pavlova’s former home and was dazzled by the extraordinary gentle beauty of her face, her enigmatic expressions and the poetic movement of her hands when she spoke. She made me feel like a small child knowingly being introduced to the Queen of England. I had to keep remembering to breathe. PS Ulanova’s parents danced with Pavlova’s company at London’s Palace Theatre in 1910. The Bolshoi are celebrating her centenary with a series of the gala Performances from the 14th to the 16th January. See a tribute on the Bolshoi website http://www.bolshoi.ru/ru/theatre/people/de...fo&id26=667 See also the programme for a series of Gala performances http://www.bolshoi.ru/ru/season/press-serv...x.php?id26=1417

I think because it was not kept in her repertoire, I think it may have got lost to lists of roles danced. I am thinking that the music was possibly taken from "Samson and Delilah" which features elements of dance and given the tone of the review I referred to above, it have been the "Bacchanale."

I do not think it gives a really good impression of either dancers abilities as to be filmed at this time (like early films of Pavlova) the lens were fixed and the performing area was approximatel 12 to 16 feet wide with choreography and technical execution suffering as a result. In this case perhaps, the dancers unused to being filmed and on a stage that cramped their movements, the acting appears too big and therefore looks at times somewhat affected or mannered. Geltzer and Tikhomirov did dance in London in 1911 after Geltzer had appeared in America (1910-1911) as the youtube poster intimated. Both dancers were born in 1876. Thank you for posting carbro as I had only seen these dancers on film without music added and I am glad to have watched it.

Ina you are quite right about the review which I did not have the time to read and I posted I assuming because of the date it was a review of the Bolshoi production. Vikharev's name had been mentioned earlier and as he had worked on the Harvard Theatre Museum Collection in the revival of Imperial Ballets. Regarding the Bolshoi production, it was of course Sergei Konyaev who was responsible for the archive research and coordination and historic materials were used from the Harvard Theatre Museum Collection. The post preceding your post gives full information on those involved in the recreation of the Bolshoi production.

Keith Money(page 210) states, that in New York in 1915 quoting The Evening Mail, that “startlingly frank "Hebrew Dance"in which "the voluptuous joy of life quivers through every gesture." Money comments "(This pas de deux, danced with Volinine, used music of Saint-Saens.)"

I am grateful for your post innopac as the clip and the interviews reveal a more of the the production and Burlaka's approach to the reconstruction. I was particularly attracted to the realisation of the costumes in the character dancing which closely follow the original Vsevolozhsky designs and given the way they move seem not to be made from modern fabrics. I am however puzzled by the accompanying text, " They presented a revival of an unorthodox version of the 19th-century classic "Esmeralda" created 59 years ago by Vladimir Burmeister, who was the theatre's ballet master for some three decades after his appointment in 1941." I think this is the result of a gap in the text and an error in translation as the Bolshoi web site states, "Archive research and coordination - Sergei Konyaev. Scenography based on sketches by Orest Allegri, Ivan Andreyev, Pavel Isakov, Antonio Fornari, Vasily Shirayev Ivan Vsevolozhsky's costume sketches used in the production Sketches of sets and costumes made available by the St.Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Music and the St.Petersburg State Theatre Library Use is made of music by Riccardo Drigo, Anton Simon, Pyotr Shenk and of the Reinhold Gliere orchestration Separate fragments of the choreography are reconstructed on the basis of materials in the possession of The Harvard Theatre Collection Music dramaturgy conception - Yuri Burlaka. The original Cesar Pugni score has been restored by Alexander Troitsky on the basis of archive materials in the possession of La Biblioteca del Conservatorio San Pietro a Majella -Napoli and the Bolshoi Theatre Music Library Choreography of Pas de Diane - Agrippina Vaganova after Marius Petipa motifs.

Today is the anniversary of the passing from life of Rudolf Nureyev in 1993. I treasure his performances of the 1960's most and acknowledge his triumphant career as dancer, choreographer and company director.

I generally enjoy reading Alistair Macaulay's reviews from New York. As to favourites, do you mean that he admires certain dancers and not others based on his fairly wide experience of viewing ballet over three decades on two continents?

I found this article written in 2008 in a Ukrainian newspaper that gives a view on Lifar at the Paris Opera which clarifies official French government views on this dancer. I only witnessed Lifar from a distance and in older age and I did not take to him as he struck me as narcissistic which may, have attributed to the dislike or jealousy he engendered. http://www.day.kiev.ua/199632/

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.

London is experiencing a Cuban invasion this year Danza-Contemporanea de Cuba http://www.sadlerswells.com/show/Danza-Contemporanea-de-Cuba Ballet Nacional de Cuba Swan Lake http://www.eno.org/whats-on/whats-on.php?i...son=forthcoming and Giselle Pas de Deux (Act II) Sleeping Beauty Polonesa and Grand Pas de Deux (Act III) The Nutcracker Waltz of the Flowers and Grand Pas de Deux (Act II) Coppélia Mazurka (Act I) and Grand Pas de Deux (Act III) Don Quixote Dance of the Toreadors (Act I) and Grand Pas de Deux (Act III) Swan Lake Dance of the Swans and Pas de Deux (Act II) Gottschalk Symphony Creole Party http://www.eno.org/whats-on/whats-on.php?i...son=forthcoming and later Cuba’s most famous dancing son Carlos Acosta http://www.eno.org/whats-on/whats-on.php?i...ason=forthcomin

I understand your sentiment. The problem is, that there is neither an inherited or long standing performance tradition of these ballets at the Paris Opera.

What HAVE you heard of his temperament, dirac? This is the version of his departure that I have heard from several sources, but I cannot judge the veracity of the statements. Michael Somes reputedly was very strict (some have said bullying) with the company and it is said he felt somewhat thwarted in sustaining the standards of the Royal Ballet under Kenneth MacMillan's lamentable directorship. Arguments between the two followed and one so heated that whilst on the stairs of the Royal Opera House Michael Somes knocked Kenneth MacMillan to the floor. Whether he was asked to leave or formally sacked I am not sure. My own experience with Michael Somes was that he was extremely charming, but most definitely authoritarian in tone and manner when replying to questions. Like many other London balletomanes I was deeply saddened that he left the company and saw it as an end to an era which it clearly was. Back to astrological signs, I am chuffed that I share the same birthdate as Arthur Saint Leon and Sir Frederick Ashton the 17th of September all Virgos.

Today ends the 1909 centenary celebration year for Diaghilev’s Saison Russe but there are still more events scheduled to take place up until 2011, as loaned objects circulate the globe, as one exhibition closes and another opens. This thread has been stimulatingly kept alive by 14 contributors and attracted more than 9000 hits shows that in the history of the Diaghlev's company still attracts worldwide attention. I received a PM from a distinguished fellow balletalker asking if I might write something about the Diaghilev revivals I have seen over nearly 50 years of ballet going. Regrettably it is a task too far and it is rather difficult to fully explain the very large gap that exists between the productions staged with assistance from original casts and Diaghilev’s co-workers to modern performances of revivals. Simply put, the heart is missing in most revivals I have seen in recent years. My experience of the Diaghilev repertoire began when I started going to the Royal Ballet and London Festival Ballet where I saw productions which involved, Tamara Karsavina, Serge Grigoriev and Lubov Tchernicheva, Lydia Sokolova (also on stage in The Good Humoured Ladies)and Stanislav Idzikovsky , Dame Marie Rambert, Leonid Massine, Bronislava Nijinska, Dame Ninette de Valois and Dame Alicia Markova, Alicia Nikitina and Anton Dolin all of whom had appeared in Diaghilev’s original productions and here I was standing near to them in the crush bar or foyer. For a teenage balletomane this was heaven. Later(1965), seeing the person of Balanchine at the Royal Opera House was a real thrill. To add to such luminaries, there was Arnold Haskell and Cyril Beaumont who had contributed studies on the performances of the Diaghilev Ballets they had witnessed both of whom were approachable. Apart from the Millicent Hodson and Kenneth Archer reconstruction of Le Sacre du Printemps, which I admire, I have only seen clips of revivals as posted on youtube and form links listed here on balletalk. I have not really been convinced by any of the interpretations I have viewed as capturing the spirit of the original performances as I see them from my experience and studies. For instance, the films of Spectre I have seen to me seem some distance away from the performance by Marius Liepa who visited Tamara Karsavina for advice on the role. The Ballets Russe exhibitions and events across the world have given exciting opportunities to huge numbers of visitors and I am waiting in anticipation for the Victoria and Albert Museum’s contribution in London which opens in September 2010. Here is a link to the V&A website that gives details of the collection and exhibition. http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/theatre_p...ilev/index.html

You have for me, raised some interesting questions especially when you talk about, “I guess in the end what matters is if it still "works"... does the ballet still touch an audience even if the costumes have radically changed and the dancers' step shapes have radically changed.” I am not sure if you mean that fidelity to an accepted masterwork is passé and can be subjected to alteration even if it destroys the homogeneity of language and intended meanings. If so, it is no longer speaking with an authentic voice of its creator and its historic status as an art work is I believe part of its appeal. You mention “Swan Lake” which concerns true love overcoming evil which is central to most Romantic and Academic Classical Ballets. This ballet with its soaring music in very good performances is for me an uplifting experience. In overt unsympathetic changes to the production meanings get lost and the intended spiritual content may get muddied in the process "Does classical vocabulary stand up through changes in volume (does a choreographed arabesque still work to the same effect if it changes in height from 60 degrees to 180 degrees?) differently than other movement vocabulary? " Personally speaking, when one becomes aware of the physicality of a dancer in Romantic or Academic Classical Ballet (and in other forms) the dancer and the production has failed and when 180 degree poses in arabesque or ala seconde punctuate the air, in these genre of choreography I am ready to walk. If such a position is hit in neo-classical or modern ballet works I can take a different view. We all know that ballets change a little or a lot over the years and attempts re-creations of original productions have in certain instances been admirable and reflect the position of other theatrical forms which have gone back in research and study to bring a bout realisations somewhat closer to the creator’s original versions. The question to be asked is how important is a choreographic text compared with a musical score and how important is it to retain the stylistics of original productions? “You bring up an interesting idea... what would Rite of Spring look like reconstructed on a character dance company?” I am not sure what you mean by “…a character dance company.” Do you mean a “folk/ethnic” dance companies like, Cossack Dance companies or the Moiseyev Dance Company or the Georgian State Dance Company etc? “But what about Scheherazade for which the audience's lens has changed so dramatically... it's now so tame compared to what risqué might now be (do we even have a concept of risqué anymore?)” I have seen some risqué and some ridiculous attempts at risqué performances of Scheherazade. Because it is theatre, I have always taken the view of it being a picturesque drama with an inevitable outcome and I suspect this was the reaction of the social class that filled the theatre on June 4, 1910 in Paris, which was it appears less shockable than some cities in the UK or USA of that time. As to it being “tame”, to go further for me, is to enter into the non-theatricality of overt sexual activity where obviousness replaces the more subtle theatrical suggestion and separates it from being an artistic expression.

Margaret Willis discusses a new version of "From Siberia to Moscow" by State Ballet of Georgia. http://www.ballet.co.uk/magazines/yr_09/de...tate-ballet.htm

I have a witness account as to the "...intent in the force of their movement,...", Dame Marie Rambert who coached them in the varying weights of the steps, the port de bras and the rhythmic content which she expressed in filmed interviews, lectures and few very short discussions. "Today's dancers are almost nonchalant about the musical challenge... the tension may have informed the movement of the originals differently... regardless of how well they knew it.” I think after more than 100 rehearsals it would be generous to accept that they would have known the choreography very well. They also had several advantages over some of today’s dancers. Firstly, notation was part of the Imperial Theatre School curriculum which gave them a particular skill and secondly the wide number of character styles they performed in both ballets and operas on a very regular basis. I believe the crossover from the various rhythms of character dances to Nijinsky choreography whilst complex, was probably easier to attain than that of "Today’s dancers..." I repeat your statement, "Today's dancers are almost nonchalant about the musical challenge... the tension may have informed the movement of the originals differently..." In this I think you are correct. There is a divide between the appreciation and understanding of ballets of the past that comes from the period in which they were witnessed. For instance NYCB does not dance the Balanchine repertoire in the same manner as when I saw them in the early 1960's not just because the dancers are different but the aesthetic has altered. Nor does the Royal Ballet dance Ashton's "The Dream" in the same way as it did in the 1960's. This does mean however that the original conceptions can only be reasonably faithfully fully reproduced if there is a will. Dancers are instruments and co-creators of their performances. The companies that perform older ballets need to be able to cast effectively and fully prepare dancers in the choreographic mode of the original if they are to serve the choreographer who has provided the means of attracting audiences.

The Royal Opera House have amended a number of dates as follows: http://www.roh.org.uk/bolshoi/index.aspx