leonid17
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Posts posted by leonid17
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Thanks, Mel, for that lovely piece of rememberance, it made me giggle.
And Leonid, thank you so much. Are you Russian by any chance?
Madame Nordi was half Finnish, half Russian, she used to carry on multilingual lessons - you really had to keep on your toes, both balletically and linguistically. For me it was not such a problem, but I do pity the poor pupils from say Australia or somewhere in Africa. In the course of one lesson, she used to speak in English,
French, Russian, Finnish, Swedish (rather badly). It was great fun - those were the days!!!
She was born in Kronstadt which is now in Russia, not very far from St. Petersburg. But when Cleo Nordi was born I think that belonged to Finland, which in turn was a part of Russia. On my last visit there I asked if it would be possible to go to Kronstadt, I just felt like seeing where she came from.
No go, Kronstadt is supposed to be a kind of military secret zone and really no go area.
Finally, Leonid, did you ever meet her? Did any other BalletAlerters meet her?
Or do I have the sole privilege in this respect? :rolleyes:
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.
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In my youth - not exactly yesterday - I used to do class with Madame Cleo Nordi.
When there was the Pavlova anniversary, all pupils were told to go along - no, we didnt have to if we didnt want - to the Russian Church in Ennismore Gardens for the memorial service. It was a long time ago, maybe I have got the address wrong, but in my memory I can see the church. Class was held as usual, but you could sense that it was a kind of very special day.
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.
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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.
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I found this page on Petipa on the Wikipedea free encyclopedia web site, and the pic someone put up doesnt look a thing like him to me.........
Heres a link to the page -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marius_Petipa
Heres the pic in higher resolution so anyone who can read the writing on it can perhaps tell us what it says -
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.
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Now, those are good questions, ending with question marks.
But we have veered :offtopic:. We now rejoin our originally scheduled topic already in progress.
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
Thank You Helene.
Regards
Leonid
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[Admin note: this post appeared originally in the "The Sergeyev Collection" thread located here.]
Although it is a matter of some record that Marie Petipa was not strong in pointework, I feel that it is unwarranted to assert that, because she was a well-known danseuse de caractère at the Mariinsky, she never worked on pointe, or that the Lilac Fairy variation was originally danced en demi-pointe. The notations (both versions) don't seem to bear this statement out, at least as I recall them.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?
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A good part of the problem with the Mariinsky archive is that it's very understaffed and underfunded. Every so often, an image or document surfaces, which IMO is a datum for chaos theory.
I keep harping on this incident, but here goes again. About thirty years ago, a photograph of Marie Petipa appeared and made world press. She was dressed as the Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty. Only problem was, she was dressed in a costume which looked more like a housedress than a tutu, and had heeled shoes. The effect was electric and nearly as fast as that. Companies upped the number of Prologue fairies from six to seven, the Mariinsky included. Then, years later, it surfaced that the photo was of Marussia in her Act I and later costume. The Mariinsky archive's record is less Historic Preservation, and more Hysterical Procrastination.
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.
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I am sorry if I offend American sensibilities about museum collected articles with a dubious ownership history.
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.
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.
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Further, the matter of whether a given object was stolen or not is a matter for courts with appropriate jurisdiction to decide. Allegations of crime are immaterial without law to support them.
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.
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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.
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For backs, I would also include Anna Pavlova and Svetlana Beriosova.
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And why has nobody mentioned Serge Lido in France?
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.
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.
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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.
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"Is that Zelensky with her in the Shades scene?"
Yes, NYSusan. Igor IS tall, but he seems an inch or so taller than she is in pointes. Makes one wonder if she's really circa 5' 10" tall, as suggested earlier in this topic. Of course she may have small feet. This could be another example of a dancer appearing "Larger-than-Life!" In any case, they look great together in that photo: both seem to be in a deep spiritual state.
If only she'd visit NYCB and perform alongside Maria Kowroski! I wonder if anyone happened to see them together when Maria guested at the Mariinsky....
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.
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There's a wonderful interview of Mariinsky Swan Ulyana Lopatkina in ballet.comagazine this month:
http://www.ballet.co.uk/magazines/yr_05/ju...w_lopatkina.htm
Included is a beautiful, large photo of her Odile, and one of her with her three year old daughter. I've read that she's Russia's Assoluta, but have never seen her when the Kirov/Mariinsky has visited New York. Are there any eyewitnesses to her Odette/Odile who can describe what it is about her that is so special?
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.
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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.
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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:
Anna Pavlova 125th Anniversary of her birth
in Ballet History and Music
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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.