Alexandra

Not to be nostalgic or anything, but I remember that one. I actually took the train up from DC, saw a film (the Moscow competition once, then "I am a Dancer," then the F&N R&J) and went back the same day. A great way to get a lot of reading done!

There were lots of Russiain films, too. The first season I went to the ballet, a theater in Washington had a week long ballet film festival. It was winter and I had to take two buses (one of them only ran every hour). I went every night, and it was worth it! There was a "Laurencia" (Chabukiani) and another ballet whose name I do not know, in which Chaubkiani played twins! The Lavrovsky "Romeo and Juliet," the "Swan Lake," and a "Gayaneh," I believe. The 1969 Moscow competition film was also released commercially -- and was extremely enticing then, as it was at the height of the Cold War, and the comity among artists was stunning. I still hope the Russians will release these eventually!

I don't know who the Evil Imp is, but I'm a fan I love that site. Re women choreographers. There isn't anything much left from the 18th century. Prevost's "Les Caracteres de la Danse" (a huge hit in its day, a solo where she took the parts of many contrasting characters, as Barayshnikov did in "Vestris") has been reconstructed. I don't think Taglioni's "Le Papillon" (choreographed for Emma Livry, who burned to death during a dress rehearsal) nor Grahn's ballets in Hungary have survived.

The Evil Imp over at Article 19 wrote an editorial on this very subject: http://www.article19.co.uk/06/evilimp/moni...t_sht_crazy.php It's interesting that in ballet's early days there were big name female choreographers: Francoise Prevost and Marie Salle in the 18th century, Marie Taglioni and Lucile Grahn in the 19th, to name a few.

Cliff, most of the ones I know were made as movies to be shown in movie theaters: The two Royal Ballet films (The Royal Ballet and An Evening with the Royal Ballet), the Bolshoi film discussed here, the Romeo and Juliet with Ulanova. Even later ones, such as Nureyev's "I am a Dancer" and his Don Quixote.

Ballet films of this time (1950s and '60s) often delete dances (the Kirov "Swan Lake" cuts the pas de trois! Its Sizova-Soloviev "Sleeping Beauty" melds the grand pas de deux (solos) with Bluebird (adagio, omitting the solos of Makarova and Panov). It's not because of any insufficiency on the part of the dancers (and certainly not Ulanova!) but because ballet films intended for general audiences emphasized the story. The assumption was that audiences would be bored/confused/or otherwise disinterested in classical dancing. (All the character dances are in that "Swan Lake.")

Thanks for that, vipa. Any other underapprecaited dancers? (And by "underappreciated," I don't mean not made principals or soloists, because sometimes a dancer can spend his or her whole career as a corps member or soloist, to the indignation of his/her fans, but is given good roles to dance. That's one definition, anyway!).

I think it's Piaf's voice. (Although a friend told me that the actress did sing some of the songs.) Marlene (a faux, but very good, Marlene) has a walk on in this one, papeetepatrick. I'm fond of "Milord," too, glebb. All of them, really.

Bon! Anyway, everyone should see it And brings lots of kleenex. And then go out and buy every Edith Piaf record you can find!! Glebb, it occurred to me, as "No regrets" kept ringing in my head, that she sang everything as though it were "La Marseillaise"!

How about, the scene that links private life with the stage in one shot. (After Marcel.) Will that help?

I saw it two weekends ago and have thought of it constantly since. I agree, glebb -- TERRIFIC performance. The first half was hard to watch (ghastly childhood, not a particulary lovable woman), but an extraordinary talent, of course. I also thought it was one of the best portraits of an artist. I nearly posted my favorite scene, but that would be a spoiler, so I won't

Ah, Christine Sarry. I didn't see her often, but I remember her well (mostly with the early Feld Ballet). She was certainly well-used and appreciated there. Perhaps not so much at ABT? (Anyone know what she's doing now?)

Agnes, the POB version ends with Shades. There's no Destruction of the Temple Act. I don't think you'll findl it sugary. I prefer this version to others. I like the dancing

Thank you so much for writing about this! (Although I'm very jealous that you're in Florence ) I'm sorry the house wasn't full -- but not surprised. Several smaller companies have had to cancel Italian tours in the last few years for lack of ticket sales.

Thanks, rg. That's what I thought, but, then,, there's the hope that the RB will start releasing older performances now. And thank you for that lovely post, JMcN. What you wrote about "Enigma" is one of its greatest secrets, I think, and you put it beautifully.

Yes, Paul, that's Renvall. I'm not sure that video is commercially available. It was televised, though, so some may have a home copy. I agree, it does show his talents very well.

Before I faint, I didn't know there was a Royal Ballet DVD available. ("The Dream" was broadcast years ago on Britisih TV.) There's an ABT "Dream" from a few years ago out, but is there now an RB one also? I'd walk many miles for a DVD of the Royal Ballet in this work.

I'm sure the male corps dancing is added -- but I don't know if that is by Nureyev, or from the Kirov. Kurgapina helped in the staging, if I remember correctly. I can't speak to Gamzatti's variation -- but the production (compared to Nureyev's other restagings) is .... tasteful Cristian, there are at least two other versions on DVD or video that you may like. One of the Kirov dancing the work, and another, the Makarova staging for the Royal Ballet. I don't care for that version, but it does have Asylmuratova as Nikia.

Thanks for getting us back on topic, Bart! I've been trying to think of some underappreciated dancers of today and I can't (I may tomorrow ) But from the not too far past, I remember Johan Renvall of ABT. He had an unfashionable body -- long torso, short legs -- and was not tall enough to do the star parts, but he had a beautiful classical technique. I remember him taking on Julio Bocca in "Etudes" and (to my eyes) winning

Why do you think the POB version is inaccurate? (I ask because it's the most accurate and complete version I know on DVD or video. Both Makarova's and the Kirov's productions are cut (and Makarova's third act is a reconstruction, and a pastiche). The last act went long ago; like the original ending to "Giselle" (when Bathilde comes back to forgive Albrecht), it didn't suit early-20th century tastes and, in Russia, dances were pulled out of that act and put into the betrothal scene. If Doug Fullington sees this he'll be able to answer much more fully than I can.

I think the comic, middle-aged Gurn was not Bournonville's idea. Touches like this, and the cutesy trolls in "Folk Tale", were 20th century inventions. Hilarion's red beard (and Von Rothbart -- Red Beard) were indications of villainy, though. I've read that's fear of Vikings (many of whom had red beards) that got embedded into European culture. One of my family's superstitions was that in Scotland, if a red-haired man was the first to cross your threshold after midnight New Year's Eve, you would have bad luck for a year.

Leigh is right. Hilarion was "that vile knave" (Gautier). He's gotten more and more sympathetic, especially in the West. The last time I saw the Kirov dance "Giselle," Hilarion was still an older gamekeeper. Giselle and Hilarion were not engaged, nor in love. Hilarion was sweet on Giselle and her mother encouraged his suit, but Giselle mimed, in the original, that she did not love him "because you are not beautiful." Those interested in this might want to read Marian Smith's "Ballet and Opera in the Age of Giselle" (and Ivor Guest's books on Romantic Ballet). Hilarion did have a bigger role -- 13 scenes, I write from memory -- but so much mime has been cut over the years that his role has been cut down. And he is, and was, a supporting player (as are Effy and Gurn in "La Sylphide") They are extremely important, but they're not the stars and that's why they don't get the last curtain call at the end of the ballet. I'd missed this thread when it was first posted, or I would have dashed in and said that I've never read Bournonville's version of "La Sylphide" called "frivolous." Often it's called the only ballet of Bournonville's that's NOT frivolous (and I'd disagree with that, too, of course), but "La Sylphide" is a quite serious work. There have been many great Effys in Denmark; the role was, in the good periods, often given to the company's beauty. Some notable Effys were Vibeka Segerskog, Arlette Weinrich and the Effy on the now commercially available DVD, Anne Kristin Hauge. (I think the point of that casting was to make it clear that there's nothing wrong with Effy, that James isn't experiencing wedding night jitters, and that he's not throwing her over for a better, prettier girl. I'd also disagree with jrhewit's comment that: I agree that the ballet is not about a man unable to choose between two women (and that is NOT in the RDB's version.) But it's more than "grass is greener," although some Jameses have used that as an acting motivation. The Sylph is a dream, an Ideal. The ballet is the poster child for Romanticism: a man leaves his comfortable life to follow a dream. When he touches his dream, it dies. I'd echo what Leigh said about being careful not to retrofit ballets. Often we see a production, especially one that's half-baked, and it doesn't make sense to us, and we use logic to figure out what's going on, using present-day glasses. And often what is logical doesn't help! One of the many things I learned from the Danes is to start with what is there and try to figure out why, how it DOES (or did) make sense, and work from there. This is an interesting topic, though, and I'm glad jrhewit raised it (a belated welcome!). There certainly are a lot of dancers in "small roles" who deserve our attention, and in the best of companies in the best of times, all of these "small parts" are done with such care that they make the ballet complete, and turn it from being a star turn into a ballet.

"Seventh Seal" was the first truly grownup film I saw and I still remember it, and its images, vividly. I loved many of his films, including some of the dark ones, like "Winter Light" and "Summer Interlude" (with "Swan Lake" as its subtext). His effect on film, and the filmmakers that followed (in Sweden or anywhere) was incalculable. I've missed his filmmaking (he stopped several years ago). I'll echo SandorO's "Thanks, Mr. Bergman. RIP."

She doesn't look like any actual Danish ballerina, to my eyes. I think she's just a pretty drawing of an ideal.

Rachelle, if you and your daughter share a computer, you will have to log in every time you go to either site. You're probably showing up as HRG because your daughter was the last to log in.