Richka

I really enjoy these clips from Alice In Wonderland. Thanx so much. Otherwise most of us would have no idea what it is really like. I look forward to more.

Yes i will be glad to continue. I'm full of stories but wanted to know if I'm doing it right and in the right place. Not sure if 'reply' is correct mode for this. I suppose I should really know more about Ballet Alert before even thinking of adding things but it's a tremendous site to take in and one can just get lost unless an administrator like you who knows way around.

Funny story about this film which i have long waited to see. When I was resident choreologist for the Harkness Ballet, during my first week one day I went into a studio and saw this girl dancing a variation with the Coppelia music. As I am very familiar with this ballet and that variation (it was the first ballet I saw at Covent Garden, London) and have the fully notated score in Benesh notation) I noticed she was dancing the steps quite differently. i didn't realize at the time it was Claudia Corday who had 4 years before danced the role in this movie.

I recorded this TCM showing of the film on my DVR but have not seen it all as yet.

The company was really the Harkness Youth Dancers that Mrs. Harkness had turned into the Harkness Ballet, having just fired the original company. Claudia suddenly disappeared from Harkness House and never knew what happened to her. Her sister, Clara, was in the company and we toured that year (1970) mainly in Spain. Mrs. Harkness had rented the Liceo Theater in Barcelona for an entire month just to rehearse in.

So, ever since 1970 I have wanted to see this film but considered it lost. I only heard rumors about it and I believe there was a 35 mm copy of it in a closet at Harkness House as there was also an entire documentary on film about the tour to Russia by the Joffrey company (sponsored by Mrs. Harkness) prior to the Joffrey/Harkness debacle. Wonder what happened to it after the closure of Harkness House and the company.

Interesting to find out, just now, that it was the dancers from the Liceo opera house in this film. The Liceo is a famous opera house and I got very familiar with it during that month. You had to go through a fruit and veggie market to get to the stage door and I remember rehearing in a subterrainian cellar of sorts; cold and damp. On stage you could look up beyond the flies and see there were apartments and people living up there and smell the odors of cooking. Of course this was years ago

So it finally showed up.

George Zoritch, who died in 2009 at the age of 92, was premier danseur of the Ballet Russe and other ballet companies, Broadway musicals and Hollywood films.

Since his death, his house, which had been on probate for a year has been remodled and is currently for sale. His furniture was put on auction.

During his lifetime Zoritch collected a vast amount of memorabilia of the ballet world including autographed pictures and paintings by mostly all of the famous dancers of his generation as well as contemporary. He knew them all! During his latter years he made regular journeys from his home in Tucson, Arizona to Perm, Russia and the estate of Serge Diaghilev, to judge ballet competitions along with Yuri Grigorovitch, Vladimir Vasiliev and other great dancers and choreographers of the Bolshoi and Maryinsky theaters.

His collection also includes statues, the Nijinsky and Diaghilev awards and many other artifacts and mementos.

The entire collection has been given to Kaatsbaan; a dance center in upState New York where it is my understanding they will eventually be put on exhibition.

I have been a friend and neighbor of Mr. Zoritch since retiring here to Tucson, but as a boy I knew him from his movies.

Richard Holden

May 7th, 2011. Not too sure I'm doing this right but several have asked for more about George Zoritch. I thought I had started a blog here but appears I can only add to it by 'reply'. If someone can help with how this should be done better, I'm all ears.

Anyway, this is a START.

Briefly, when I moved to Tucson, Arizona in 1987 who should I find living here but George. Of course I knew him by reputation and saw him in movies when I was a lad of 14. In fact he was my original inspiration to begin to learn dancing. He was the very first male ballet dancer I had ever seen, if only on film. I never saw him on the stage.

I soon became acquainted with him because he was in a ballet class that I did every morning. He had retired from teaching at the University of Arizona here. He would only do the barre in that class, then leave. I think he was in his early 70s then. He was also a member of my health club and lifted weights and used the machines. (The film "Ballets Russes") has clips of him doing this).

Because I am Russian speaking (to a degree) we became friends. As my house is in same neighborhood I visited him very often and stopped by usually on Sunday mornings on my way to church to drop off my dog SONYA until I returned. He would always have tea an pastries ready. He would also take care of SONYA while I was out of town. He LOVED Sonya and Sonya loved him ..... I think more than she loved me. Pets appear to take you for granted don't they. He had a little dog, Sammy, who was always glad to see Sonya. Sonya felt right at home in George's house and would jump on his lap to sit.

We went to Las Vegas together once and saw a show. Also the Nevada Dance company, led by his friend Vassily Sulich. Long story later about a special dining event at the Tropicana Hotel.

Yuri (his nickname in Russian) or Yurochka, told me many stories of his days with the Ballet Russe and those he danced with and partnered. I have tales about that, as they relate to him. I can go into those later if anyone is interested. He was starting to write his book "Ballet Mystique" about that time but his skills at the computer were, let's say, limited. I helped him choose photos for the book, or at least offered my opinion of what to use. In the end of course they were his own choice. The Russian edition of his book has many more photos, some in color. That edition is doing very well in Russia so I am told. I have a box full of the American edition.

I'll leave this for now with one memory; about "Le Spectre de la Rose". He was always telling and showing me how it should be done, especially the arms which he felt were done all wrong today. Also about the costume with one shoulder bare.

He made regular trips to Perm, Russia to judge competitions. Funny story about when he returned in middle of night but had forgotten key to his house and slept in the garden of his neighbor until sunrise. He was then in his late 80s.

Perhaps this is enough for now. More later, and about Kaatsbaan in upstate New York, where his collection was given. Comments are welcome and will let me know if I should continue this or not, and if it's in the right place and mode.

George Zoritch, who died in 2009 at the age of 92, was premier danseur of the Ballet Russe and other ballet companies, Broadway musicals and Hollywood films.

Since his death, his house, which had been on probate for a year has been remodled and is currently for sale. His furniture was put on auction.

During his lifetime Zoritch collected a vast amount of memorabilia of the ballet world including autographed pictures and paintings by mostly all of the famous dancers of his generation as well as contemporary. He knew them all! During his latter years he made regular journeys from his home in Tucson, Arizona to Perm, Russia and the estate of Serge Diaghilev, to judge ballet competitions along with Yuri Grigorovitch, Vladimir Vasiliev and other great dancers and choreographers of the Bolshoi and Maryinsky theaters.

His collection also includes statues, the Nijinsky and Diaghilev awards and many other artifacts and mementos.

The entire collection has been given to Kaatsbaan; a dance center in upState New York where it is my understanding they will eventually be put on exhibition.

I have been a friend and neighbor of Mr. Zoritch since retiring here to Tucson, but as a boy I knew him from his movies.

Richard Holden

Has anyone read his memoir (Ballet Mystique: Behind the Glamour of the Ballet Russe)? Somehow I hadn't quite gotten around to this prior to the sad news of his passing. Just as well in a sense, because this period when we're all mourning his loss proved a perfect time. He obviously held deep convictions about the responsibilities attendant upon those who would be danseurs nobles or pass on the torch by

teaching. There were periods early on when he survived on next to nothing, soldiering on in pursuit of his dream.

His observations of others are quite interesting. Clearly he had a deep love and respect for his mother and his beloved Preobrajenska. His views of Danilova, Massine, and Serge Denham are strongly felt. Among more recent figures in the dance world, he admired Kirkland, Makarova, and Cynthia Harvey.

It's a lovely book with many wonderful photos, just what one might expect having seen that lovely film clip of him at the reunion of the men of the Ballet Russe.

Glad you enjoy George's book; Ballet Mystique. Just before he died he gave me several copies of his book that I still have. They are completely new and still wrapped in celophane. They are stored in my garage and I don't know what to do with them.

I am sure there are many who would also enjoy having a copy.

This is one of those books I keep intending to get ... but somehow have never gotten around to it. I know we've discussed it elsewhere, but the occasion of Mr. Zoritch's death seems a good opportunity to revisit.

Here's material from Mr. Zoritch's website, with links to photos and some excellent reviews:

http://www.georgezoritch.com/frame.html

I checked Amazon, which lists 3 copies: 1 used at $295.00 and 2 "collectible" at $225.00 I guess I should have acted sooner !!!

I don't remember if I informed you before, forgive me if I have, but wanted to let you know that I have several copies of the Zoritch book, brand new and fully wrapped in celophane given to me by George just before he died. I would be glad to share with you if you are still interested.

This is one of those books I keep intending to get ... but somehow have never gotten around to it. I know we've discussed it elsewhere, but the occasion of Mr. Zoritch's death seems a good opportunity to revisit.

Here's material from Mr. Zoritch's website, with links to photos and some excellent reviews:

http://www.georgezoritch.com/frame.html

I checked Amazon, which lists 3 copies: 1 used at $295.00 and 2 "collectible" at $225.00 I guess I should have acted sooner !!!

I don't think anybody who ever studied at the Old Metropolitan Opera House can forget The Bridge. It was a lighting apparatus, but everybody had to use it to cross from left to right when certain operas were hung. The old house had a fire early in its life, and they never got around to completely repairing the backstage cross-corridor behind the stage area. It always occurred to me that it would be awful to have a performance of "Gioconda" and have Enzo taken out by a falling ballerina from the Dance of the Hours.

Oh yes, Mel. I remember that bridge very well as a student at the Old Met. Once or twice after class I went out on it and watched Ballet Russe dancing far below. Dizzying! (Leon Danilion is some Spanish ballet). I liked Opera too and watched that from my high perch as well. The backstage cross-corridor was in use then but had a huge open door onto 7th Avenue where they kept the scenery for each opera as it was being performed. When they used some of us 'ballet boys' as supernumeraries it sure was cold there in Winter, especially if you were in a short tunic. Our dressing room was sort of a damp, dingy dungeon under the stage with no heat and freezing cold in Winter. Think of taking a shower to get Aida body paint off in middle of February! But fun all the same. The young can endure anything.

In Mr. Zoritch's website it says that one can order it right from there, at the lesser price of $45.00 plus S&H. I wonder if this is currently accurate. I too want to buy it...

I have several copies of this book given to me by the Zoritch estate. They are new cellophane wrapped and never opened. I will be glad to send you a copy at the above price. Richka

What do you mean 'The Moiseyev Ballet'? Obviously this is not Igor Moiseyev's Russian Folk Dance company. Do you think this was a kind of 'pick up' company from Russia, capitolizing on the Moiseyev name? I never heard of these dancers and very likely unknown, even in Russia. From your review it does not sound of much interest, and are they giving credit to choreography by Lavrovsky? If so, how come making changes? This is is considered very unprofessional to do that. Thanks so much for giving your report.

oiseyv

Thanks for your wonderful first report, Ballet fan! This is very interesting, as I had no idea that the Moiseyev Ballet performed classical works...unless this is different from the world-reknowned Igor Moiseyev Ballet of folk dancing. Is it the Igor Moiseyev? A classical offshoot of the folk dancing groupe?

Thank you. Did you by chance ever know Graham?

Newly arrived in London, my very first visit to Covent Garden was "Coppelia" with Graham Usher, and I believe Merle Park as Swanilda. I sat in a side box and was thrilled; not only to be in London and at Covent Garden but seeing my first "Coppelia". Ten years later, as choreologist for the Harkness Ballet in New York, Graham was guest teaching there and we became acquainted.

Oddly enough, he was about to teach the male variation from "Coppelia" but couldn't remember a certain sequence of steps in the variation and asked me to show them to him, which I did. We became good friends while he was in New York and I was saddened to hear of his death not too long after. More later.

A number of companies did presented their "Firebird"s last season during the Ballets Russes celebrations.

Not to appear braggish but New York Theater Ballet repeated my version of Firebird last April in New York. Four performances at Gould Hall, Manhattan.

A short obituary in the Winston-Salem Journal marks the passing of Raymond Serrano, whom Ballet Talk-ers will remember as a member of American Ballet Theatre. It is noted that he was in the original cast of Tudor's Leaves Are Fading and was also a wonderful character actor-dancer. He is survived by his wife Christine Spizzo Serrano and other family. No service is planned.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/winstonsalem/obituary.aspx?n=raymond-william-serrano&pid=144347970

This is sad news. 60 is far too young to pass. I remember him well at ABT during the 1970s. Seeminly shy and reserved, he was in nearly every ballet that required character or demi character dancing. I believe after his retirement from dancing he became the company masseur. He was one of the faces of ABT and will be missed.

I just read on AOL news that Herbert Ross died today. He was 74. I did not know him well, but worked with him during one rehearsal period during my ABT years. I was in his ballet "Capriccios", in a role which I really liked called the "burning girl". It was an episodic ballet, based on the paintings of Goya, and one of the main sections was danced by Johnny Kriza and Ruth Ann Koeson. It was a pas de deux with the female as a dead body. Very interesting work. For those of you too young to remember Mr. Ross, he was a well known Broadway and film director. You might know him as the director of "The Turning Point". He was married for many years to Nora Kaye, a famous dancer with ABT back in the 40's and 50's. She died in the late 80's and he later married Lee Radziwell, sister of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. They were later divorced.

Oddly enough, I remember "Capriccios". It was shortly after I arrived in New York as a 16 yr. old ballet hopeful. Somehow I scraped together, I think $3.00 for a ticket. It was at the Center Theater in Rockefeller Center, 1950? now long, long gone. It was my first seeing of Ballet Theater. I must have seen you dance. I seem to remember girls holding chairs over their heads. Ring a bell? I remember also on program a Tudor ballet but forgot the title. Took place on a roof it seems, a tenement roof on a hot summer night. I asked Tudor about it many years later when I was with ABT but he typically just grunted.

Richka

the Romeo to Ferri's Juliet, is if mem. serves Julio Bocca?

Yes, Bocca dances a few sequences of R&J with Ferri . As I recall it includes some of both the Balcony PDD as well as the Bedroom PDD. Again, going from memory the performance this was filmed at was in Copenhagen.

Are you sure Bocca? It was filmed in 1991 so that makes him how old? I get 19, So he would be 38 now if I am right.

Unfortunately he doesn't have many more years of bravura.

I'm spinning this thread off the Center Stage/Billy Elliot conversation/debate because dufray, Cabriole and Little Swan mentioned the documentary film BALLET by the great Frederick Wiseman. Let's put the Hollywood fluff aside and talk about a real film. (I know I'm comparing apples & oranges: but isn't summer the time for fruit salad!?)

I taped it off PBS years ago and it is without a doubt the most fascinating, satisfying documentary ever made about a professional company. The work ethic, joy, creativity, struggles, and tons of rehearsals that make up a ballet dancers life are brought to the screen without a word of narration. You are a fly on the wall of the ABT studios. Amazing stuff...

I will view it once more this weekend and try to give more details.

Wiseman's Company, Zipporah Films

http://www.zipporah.com/28.html

rents out the 16mm film for $200. or sells a video for $400. I know that sounds like a lot, but if you put together a group of balletomanes (one of whom has access to a projector) you are in for a treat. As Cabriole suggests, first check with your libray or local college dance dept.

And no, I do not know who that young dancer is; hoping someone does.

Cheers,

Watermill

I also taped it from TV many years ago. I transferred it to DVD and watched it last night. Yes, it is a remarkable documentary. I was with ABT back during the GOLDEN YEARS of Makarova, Nage, Bujones, Van Hammel, etc.

But unfortunately there are NO CREDITS on this doc. I think the final R&J is Alexandra Ferri but could be mistaken. I have NO IDEA who the male partner is. Been trying to find out with no luck. PLEASE, does anybody know??

I just bought a copy of the film from Zipporah and am looking forward to seeing Ms Hermann again...

Does anyone know where Jane Herman is now?

Also, I thought it was Alexandra Ferri in the R&J pas de deux but don't know who the partner was. There are no credits at the end except choreographers and tech, but I'm looking at the recording I made back in '95.

When I was dancing with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet I can't remember once coming onstage without a prop of some kind. Tambourines of course, or baskets, swords, drinking glasses, wreaths, you name it.

But the biggest prop I had to handle was the spinning wheel as Widow Simone in "Fille mal gardee". It never seemed to work properly and there was also a tambourine to play as Lisa dances.

i acquired the photo scanned here because i suspected it showed the Bolshoi Ballet's Nadezhda Pavlova, whom i most fondly remember from the 1970s and who burst onto the international scene after winning a ballet competition in Moscow before then appearing at the Metropolitan Opera House with a contingent of Bolshoi Ballet dancers in the summer of 1973.

for a hardly crisp or clear photo of Red Square at night with its leaping dancer, (Pavlova?), makes up in life-force what the photo lacks in resolution.

i have no idea what the occasion of the photo was. there are no annotations whatsoever on the print.

It does look like Pavlova, doesn't it? Thanks for your description of her first visit to NYC. I remember it too, and Pavlova created quite a stir. She was lovely and so delicate looking. I was almost afraid she would break!

I remember meeting her in 1976 when the Bolshoi was at Lincoln Center for an entire month; one month Bolshoi Opera, then one month Bolshoi Ballet. I was showing Slava Gordeyev around Manhattan and also helping Grigorivitch buy a video camera and VCR. Slava married Nadyzhda Pavlova shortly after and sent me a video (with the camera he bought in New York) of them rehearsing their first Giselle on the Bolshoi stage. She was truly a tiny birdlike creature. Not surprised to see her flying over Red Square.

I just came across this thread, and even not having had the pleasure to meet Miss Mahr, just wanted to add my condolences as a member of the exiled Cuban ballet lovers community, to which she seemed to had been a true icon. Thanks Mel and Glebb for recognizing her labor in this site.

Rest in peace, Miss Mahr.

Martha Mahr, ballet matriarch, passes away

"Martha Mahr, ballet matriarch for over 50 years, slipped quietly away on Monday, June 8th 2009. Miss Mahr trained generations of dancers in her Coral Gables studio. Born and trained in Argentina, Miss Mahr was a member of the Ballet Alicia Alonso in Cuba in the 40s and 50s. After fleeing Cuba in the early 60s, Miss Mahr opened her Coral Gables studio. Her former students have gone on to perform with world reknowned companies such as American Ballet Theater and New York City Ballet. She will be missed dearly by the dance community."

http://thomasarmouryouthballet.org/images/martha_mahr.jpg

http://thomasarmouryouthballet.org/

What a beautiful and heartfelt tribute Mr. Johnson, or Mel, if I may call you that.

I never met Martha Mahr but have read about her for many years. From your description and that of Glebb as well, I can only wish I had. Having recently written myself about the death of George Zoritch I can understand how difficult it is to write about someone you have known and loved, after their passing. It just seems so may of that generation are leaving us, like Autum leaves falling. It's just too sad to contemplate isn't it?

Here is another very informative article about Arnold Spohr and his contribution to Canadian ballet:

Arnold Spohr obituary

Oh my goodness! What sad news.

Arnold Spohr came here to Tucson several years ago. He was actually staying with my neigbbor, George Zoritch (famous dancer of Ballet Russe now gone) and when we were introduced we took immediate liking to each other. He was so very knowledgable about ballet and dancers and so enthusiastic about everything. When I showed him my choreography he was more than excited and gave me wonderful comments. He was writing his biography at the time, which was the main reason he was here in the Southwwest, and for a couple days I showed him around Tucson, which he seemed to love.

He sent me a card afterwards and I so much wanted to reply, but to tell the truth I couldn't make out his return address by his handwriting. So I never heard from him again.

I'm so sorry to hear of his death and that he was in a nursing home for some time prior. He left me a video tape documentary of the history of the Royal Winniped Ballet that I still have and will view again.

Right now I'm reading Tchaikovsky by Roland John Wiley. It's tough going, there are alternating chapters of chronological events and the technical analysis of the music written during those events. My own background in music is limited; I can read music but just barely so much of the detail here goes over my head.

It's also very heavily peppered with source citations which are noted in a complex way. Also a lot of details are presented in bullet point, which seems a bit unusual for a biography.

All this is to say that I'm probably not the real target audience for this volume. Still, I can skim over parts and focus on a lot of very rich detail. I'm finding Wiley's analysis of "missing" documentation, (i.e. letters and other correspondence) which Modest and other "groomers" made disappear also interesting.

At this point I'm in the last five years of Tchaikovsky's life and so I'm getting swept along in that.....

Am into this too and loving it. I really appreciate the attention to the life AND to the work. It made me think, though--why don't biographers of composers take advantage of new technologies and include audio tracks with the musical notation examples? (Dance writers could do the same w/videos, the powers-at-be willing...).

Your posting made me want to re-read "Tchaikovsky's Ballets" also by Roland John Wiley that has been on my shelf for many years, actually since The Author gave it to me, and that I still treasure. What features made up a successful work at the time Tchaikovsky started his career in ballet is discussed in such interesting detail. And the musical as well as choreographic notations of Petipa are illustrated and explained so brilliantly. What a vast amount of research Mr. Wiley had done on this and it is an education in itself on that period of Imperial Ballet. The detailed analysis of the first productions of Swan Lake, Nutcraker, Sleeping Beauty, with revisions of the music. It should be noted that Mr. Wiley also translated these books from Russian! Being Russian speaking myself, I know this could not have been an easy task.

All I can remember of it was Alexandra Danilova picking him up in her arms and bourreeing off upstage left with him cradled in her arms. Could that really be right?

I've been thinking about this, because I so like your memory, but ...

The Sleepwalker never lets go of her candle, does she? I can't imagine that she -- even in the person of the great Danilova -- could lift a man from the ground while still holding onto the prop, even with a fake flame. How would she slide her hands beneath him? Not saying it didn't happen, just that I can't envision it.

You are absolutely right, it WOULD be hard to imagine. I did say eariler that I was quite young. a bit of a teenage twit and also it was the very first ballet I had ever seen. I also had never seen anyone on pointe before so this was astonishing from the start. Just prior to that, Danilova and Franklin had done a pas de deux of some sort, probably the one from Nutcracker. That vision was still locked in my mind. So forget about the en pointe. But she definately was enfolding him in her arms, that part remains most vivid.

The main ballet I wanted to see that evening of long ago, was Scherherezade, which was first on the program. I must say I was totally disappointed. Perhaps because it wasn't as glamourous as the accounts I had been reading of the Diaghilev days, with Nijinsky. That was what I was expecting. However, after seeing the Bolshoi production many years later, my opinion changed drastically. I had thought Ballet Russe may have been winding up a long tour and the dancers may have been very tired, but many years later, becoming friends with Misha Katcharoff who was the ballet master of the company during all those years, he assured me the tour then was just STARTING OUT! So there you are.

At any rate, Night Shadow (a.k.a. La Sonnumbula) was enough to keep my interest in ballet going and remained so all my life.

I did see Franklin as Jean de Brienne in the Balanchine/Danilova Raymonda---I loved his comment about the armored costume he wore---he said it made him feel like Ingrid Bergman---and he surely did resemble her in Joan of Arc....

Where did you find this quote? Did he write his autobiography or in an interview? Was there actually a recent TV documentary with him because some are mentioning it. I didn't know about it so I must have missed it. There should be one on Marc Platt as well, as I guess he is probably one of the last of the Ballet Russe legends.There is a Ballet Russe gathering at University of Oklahoma next month but I can find very little about it.