leonid17

Thanks for the information. I will view this as a welcome substitute for the 110 mins(I think) of the full length.

It was shown in its entirety at the Museum of London as part of the 50th anniversary of Pavlova's death. Former members of Pavlova's company attended this showing, together with a large number of ballet-goers interested in the history of ballet. The Museum of London has a good sized collection of photographs of Pavlova together with objects she owned. At various times they have exhibited Pavlova's 'Swan' and 'Russian Dance' costumes which are part of their collection.

I was so pleased to read your posting on Cleo Nordi who I met on a number of occasions and we talked about ballet and things of the spirit. On the occasion of the funeral service of Manya Kharchevnikova, Pavlova's costumier at the Russian Orthodox church in Ennismore Gardens (which you visited) and I then shared a taxi with her on the half-hour journey to the cemetery when we talked all the time about Manya, Pavlova and spiritual matters. I also met her at a series of seminars on Vaganova technique, organised and presented by Ann Marie and David Holmes, using a long series of films made at the Vaganova Academy in which she discussed and demonstrated different methods of execution of steps, as she had been taught. The story that Mel Johnson tells about the contradictions vocalised by Hilda Butsova and Muriel Stuart reminds me of similar occasions with other former members of Pavlova's company. Almost every dancer I met wanted to convey their authoritative version of teaching and events and quite happily cut across another’s former member’s speech as if they were not there. It was as if they were saying that the experience of working with Pavlova was so great that no one else could have experienced it as they did. They were all however united in praise of this remarkable artist. No Pamela, I am not Russian but I do spend a lot of my time researching the cultural activities and social life of Imperial Russia and especially the ballet of St. Petersburg from the 18th century to date.

I was touched to see your post and your memory of Madame Nordi. I knew this exceptional woman who spoke of Pavlova in such a reverent manner, as did all the dancers of Pavlova's company that I had contact with. Her dancers from Winifred Edwards who taught at the Royal Ballet School to Muriel Stuart a leading New York teacher remarked on how she would exhibit an outstanding technique in class that on later tours was not seen on stage. We know that she had outstanding success as Nikiya, Giselle, Medora etc on the Maryinsky stage and will be remembered for more than " darned point shoes and touched up photographs" which one poster opined. In film shot with a fixed camera and the limitation of having to spontaneously adapt dances from the stage to an area of some 15ft wide, her glory still shines for every one to see. The British Film Institute have produced a copyrighted version of 'The Immortal Swan' on DVD(available to educational institutions) of a clarity I have not seen before.

I am surprised to find that in 2006, so little has been made of the 75th anniversary of the death(23rd January) and the 125th anniversary of the birth(31st January) of Anna Matveyevna Pavlova a legend among classical ballet dancers. Almost single-handedly, she created the popular audience for ballet - the length and breadth of the United States - Central and Southern America - the UK - Australia - New Zealand and invigorating ballet's popularity in Europe in the second and third decades of the 20th century. Other dancers and companies(Diaghilev notably) contributed but none aquired the popular audience status or media coverage that Pavlove achieved. Are ballet lovers today more interested in what they have personally witnessed? Are those interested in ballet history less interested in ballet dancers than productions? Is Pavlova becoming a foot note in ballet history? Is Pavlova understood by present day ballet lovers? Although a day late Happy Birthday Anna Pavlova.

The photo signed Petipa and Versaille is I would think taken in the 1890's. It is not Marius. Lucien died in 1898 aged 83. Is the man in the photograph old enough? The head shape is Petipa like, as is the receding slightly wavy hair.

I've moved leonid's post on Marie Petipa's Lilac Fairy variation to its own thread: http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/index.p...t=0#entry174661 <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thank You Helene. Regards Leonid

[Admin note: this post appeared originally in the "The Sergeyev Collection" thread located here.] When I wrote that "possibly never danced on point" it was an unanswered question, not an assertion. Marie Petipa was already nearly 33 years of age and was of a full figured stature in 1890, as a photograph of her in the Prologue costume shows(Compare Lubov Egorova photographed in same costume design). There are two extant notated versions of the Lilac Fairy variation the first marked M.Petipa according to Wiley is technically less demanding, "Marie's choreography is based on the plainest of floor plans and requires very little pointe work......" By the time the 'Sergeyev' notation of her(supposed)version was recorded, Marie Petipa was 46 years of age, very plump in the body and had not danced the Lilac Fairy for a good number of years. Is it possible that she collaborated with Sergeyev given her fathers antipathy towards the Stepanov notation? It it has been stated that Petipa re-choreographed his own variations for particular dancers, did this happen when other dancers succeeded to the role of the Lilac Fairy? Perhaps Doug Fullington who knows the Sergeyev notation well, could at some time give an indication how clearly demi-pointe work is shown compared to full pointe work? Is the Marie version in Sergeyev's hand, as Mr. Fullington's earlier writing on the Kirov reconstruction talks about a ' scribe ',rather than directly crediting N.Sergeyev notating the Fairy variations?

I cannot at present recall when I first saw a photograph of Marie Petipa in her long dress and heeled shoes, but it was certainly before the popular book " Era of Russian Ballet" by Natalia Roslavleva (see oposite page 92).was published 40 years ago. It was of course widely known before that time that Marie Petipa reputation was that of an outstanding character dancer, demi-caractere dancer and mime, who though danced in soft point(type) shoes in the Prologue of SB, possibly never danced on full point at any time in her long career.

Perhaps you offended Mel Johnson's sensibilities, but please do not generalize on this board about entire groups of people based on the response of an individual. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I am sorry that you thought my expression meant all Americans it did not and to my re-eading it does not. I am shocked to think it could be thought so. It was particularising not generalising. Was George Bernard Shaw correct? I am grateful for bart's thoughtful contribution.

There can be no evidence to show that Sergeyev had right of ownership to the notations and there is every bit of evidence to show that the Imperial Theatres and its succeeding owners did. The notations are after all entitled to be included in any catalogue of Russian national treasures. Given the odd tone of Mel Johnson's "snapback", I am sorry if I offend American sensibilities about museum collected articles with a dubious ownership history.

There are several points that should be made regarding the Sepanov notations of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theatre's ballet repertoire. Firstly the notations were not made by Sergeyev. Secondly Sergeyev stole them from the Maryinsky Theatre. Thirdly their is no reason to believe they would not have survived the Soviet Period in Russia(witness the survival of a large numbers of costumes and other ballet material from the 19th century still in St.Petersburg). Fourthand last Sergeyev had great difficulty in deciphering the notation when working with Diaghilev's company and the Sadlers Wells, hence I suggest the reason why changes and interpolations were made. Sergeyev was generally considered to be a bad egg and thus his theft is not surprising and calls into question successive ownership of the scores.

For backs, I would also include Anna Pavlova and Svetlana Beriosova.

Yes, yes.. how could I forget him---I once had two of his books. I loved his photos of French dancers in the 40's. Some very striking ones of Jeanmaire. His books introduced me to Petit, Babilee and Paris Opera dancers before they hit my shores. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Apologies but earlier posting did not register. Every so often I look at my collection of Serge Lido books and am literally entranced at the way he captures the physical and personal attributes of dancers. I have his books from the 50's and they are full of glamour and chic which is to me typical of his style and render his subjects as slaves to his preferred image whilst preserving their own particular qualities. They are in many cases also great photographs.

I have been most interested to read posters choice as many distinguished photographers have been included, but also some who I think are pretty awful photographers from a technical point of view and who also, publish unflattering photographs of dancer eg a moment when the foot appears unstretched when landing or a moment when one corps de ballet member is out of line. Ballet photography should also be an art not mere reportage or photo-verite. Best moments should be published after all photographers have the luxury of choosing one photograph out of what might be 10, 20, or even 30 or more shots. How could Anthony Crickmay and Zoe Dominic be missed out as important photographers? And of todays photographers what of the 'art work' of Petra Bober? Personally I have always thought of Jennie Walton's contribution as significant as does another poster.

In my opinion she neither has small feet or small hands, but she remains entirely different from most dancers and may yet become a ballerina to compare with earlier generations. She appears to be quite serious and intelligent from her answers in published interviews and is certainly the tallest femal Kirov dancer I have seen in the last 44 years. apart of course from the ertswhile Kirov dancer Volochkova.

I found her Act I Odette extraordinary in technical control and plastique with few of the eccentricities of line that I was expecting. I did however find an absence of the kind of emotional yearning as Odette, that I grew up with watching Beriosova, or the unforgettable memory images of the plastique of Osipenko. For me her Odile lacked characterisation and her technique though strong, was not impeccable in the tour de force expected in this act. Lopatkina is certainly one of the tallest dancers to essay ballerina roles I have ever seen and she is expert in disguising this through the general fluidity of movement. Historically speaking only Legnani and Kschessinskaya in Russia Have been given the accolade of Prima Ballerina Assoluta though some writers have said that Plisetskaya inherited this mantle from Ulanova. Fonteyn was the Assoluta of the Royal Ballet and perhaps Dudinskaya, Kopakova and Alonso would seem natural candidates for this title. It is of course a subject that could run and run on any website, if posters do not separate personal prejudice, for proper understanding of the status of the title.

Thank you for the welcome Helene. You may have also noticed on that same site that a new production of Cinderella is to be premiered on 2nd February 2006 at the Bolshoi Theatre with choreography by Yuri Posokhov and designs by Hans Dieter Schall. This production follows on(not sure if it will replace) from the 60 year old production of Zakharov in which Raissa Struchkhova(see Gina Ness posting) gave exemplary performances.

To celebrate the 80th Birthday of the Legendary Bolshoi dancer, in Moscow there will be a Festival in Honour of Maya Plisetskaya in Moscow this November with performances of, Swan Lake(16th),Don Quixote(17th), Carmen Suite and a revival of Messerer's "School for Ballet"(Class Concert)(18th), all at the Bolshoi and a Gala performance of Don Quixote(20th) at the Kremlin Palace. See: http://www.mmv.ru/p/ballet