Gina Ness

I may have mentioned this on another thread in the past, so forgive if I repeat myself . I think a better designation for these special artists is principal mime dancer rather than character dancer... I'm thinking of roles like Drosselmeyer, Madge, Kastchei, Dr. Coppelius, Widow Simone, etc. Stanley Holden and Franklin White of the Royal Ballet were famous in this catagory. Somehow, I've never thought of the Lilac Fairy in this way...

In the video on the life of Erik Bruhn, "I'm the Same, Only More", Mr. Bruhn says that seeing Jean Babilee perform inspired him to become a dancer...

He was a beautiful, powerful, exciting dancer. I saw Soloviev and Sizova in "Le Corsaire Pas de Deux", and I have not forgotten it to this day...I also saw him dance the Blue Bird pas de deux in "Sleeping Beauty". He was fantastic...probably the best I have ever seen. I have a pair of Soloviev's Blue Bird shoes, which my brother pinched from a box under the San Francisco Opera House stage when he was performing as a "grasshopper" in the Kirov's "Cinderella". I never was quite certain if they were Soloviev's, but I recently asked a former Kirov dancer (now teacher) for her opinion, and they definitely have his name on them....I treasure those shoes!

My husband studied with Panaieff in LA in the 60s. From all reports I have heard from him, Mr. Panaieff seemed to have been quite a character... Victor Moreno is currently teaching ballet in Fort Bragg, California.

The ballet in which he played the "Rich Boy" is Lew Christensen's (SFB) "Filling Station." Mr. Bolender came to SFB in the 70s to stage his delighftul "Souvenirs". I was the "Wallflower"...I remember enjoying working with him. I'm sorry to read of his passing. I hope "Souvenirs" lives on...It's an American classic.

This reminds me of that saying,"Dogs have owners, cats have staff."

Yet another vote for the cat! Has anyone ever read my profile? :grinning-smiley-001: I have pet cats, cat art, cat garden scuptures, many "cat books", an Edward Weston photograph of the "Cats of Wildcat Hill"...well, I can't help myself! Love those cats!

I'll second this! Her entrechat six in the recent telecast first act Pas de Trois in ABT's "Swan Lake" are, I believe, the finest entrechat six I have ever seen a woman execute. Awesome!

I know this is off topic, but I would like to share a story with you about the last time I saw Madame Ludmilla Shollar. She had been retired for quite some time, but Mr. Vilzak was still doing some teaching. He even set "Vilzak Variations" in the early 80s for San Francisco Ballet. It must have been late 70s because SFB was still at the 18th Ave. studios. I was walking down Geary Blvd. close to the studios during a break in rehearsals. There was a car parked in front of the Russian deli. I looked at the person in the passenger seat and realized it was Madame Shollar. I hadn't seen her in years. Her hair was completely grey (she had always dyed it bright auburn red!). I caught her eye and gave her an enormous, gracious reverance right out there on the sidewalk. Her face just lit up and beamed. It was the last time I saw her. She died a few weeks later. I just felt so grateful to have seen her again and to have given her honor and respect.

Fantastic, rg! Thanks! :blush:

I studied with Madame Shollar for two years when I was young...variation class every Tuesday! We always practiced "Lilac Fairy". It is pretty close to the version you see the Kirov dance today. silvy, instead of releve passe before the double piroette (the last diagonal), Madame set the second sissonne ouverte (land open) and then pique passe pas de bouree to fourth, double en dehors pirouette from fourth (arms fifth for turn) close fifth front. Our arms were in third arabesque for the sissonnes. For the step back arabesques before the dedans pirouette point back ecarte plie pose (middle section of variation), the hand comes to the lips and extends out palm up for each arabesque. She would say in her very lively, darling fashion, "Kiss, Kiss" sounding like "Keese, Keese!" for each porte bras... I teach some of Madame's versions of variations in my variation class. I tell the young dancers about her and Mr. Vilzak...I like to think that Madame would be so pleased to know her variations live on and her memory lives on...They were incredibly special teachers. Madame Shollar is listed as the original "White Cat" in the Diaghilev 1921 London production.

I just read this (didn't notice it in May)... Dracorex hogwartsia...:cool2: I am so looking forward to the next movie and final book...

The same could be said," Lew who?"...It really is a shame that his work is not seen more... And, Mel, Mr. d'Amboise would most certainly remember I would believe. He is just perfect for "Mac" and I'm sure he was great in the role.

Let's not forget Lew Christensen's historic ballet "'Filling Station"... http://pwp.value.net/~cchris/FillingStation.html P.S. We were remembering Lew's ballet at the same time! It isn't lost. It is still being performed occasionally...Not by SFB, now, unfortunately... P.P.S. The dancer in the photo is Dennis Marshall as "Mac". He is former soloist and principal dancer for ABT and SFB and now director of Pittsburg Ballet School. In the late seventies, "Filling Station" was completely renovated with new sets and costumes exactly like the originals. Virgil Thomson attended the rehearsals and the opening. It was filmed for a PBS documentary on the life and music of Virgil Thomson. My husband and brother were "Roy" and "Ray", the truck drivers, for the opening and documentary...

From SFB, retired ballerina, Evelyn Cisneros, and her husband, just retired Stephen Legate. Ms. Cisneros is the new AD of Ballet Pacifica in Southern California.

My copy was reprinted in September 1952. It falls into two parts: ballets of the 19th century and ballets of the 20th century from 1937-1941. The first part contains three ballets by Didelot and a section devoted to Bournonville. The second part has ballets by Fokine, Massine, de Valois, Jooss, Osvalds Lemanis, Lifar, Ashton, Catherine Littlefield, Tudor, Christensen, Andree Howard, Lichine, Loring, and Frank Staff. The final section of part two is devoted to Soviet ballets of this era.

Thank you, Helene... I believe that "Tonight and Every Night" is the film from which a clip of Marc Platt dancing fabulously is shown in the movie "Ballets Russes". "Moon Over Miami" is available from Netflix, I just discovered...

Thank you, Mme. Hermine...

Are there any videos or dvds of Jack Cole, either dancing or teaching? I tried to do a search here but didn't come up with anything...Thanks!

The following are the books I own on Nijinsky, in case there is something here listed that you may be interested in trying to locate: The Tragedy of Nijinsky Anatole Bourman and D. Lyman Whittlesey House 1936 The Diary of Vaslav Nijinsky Edited by Romola Nijinsky University of California Press 1968 Nijinsky by Romola Nijinsky (his wife) Simon and Schuster 1934 Nijinsky: An Illustrated Monograph Edited by Paul Magriel Henry Holt and Company New York 1946 (Many fabulous photos and Notes on Nijinsky photographs by Edwin Denby) My copy has Ludmilla Shollar's signature under a photo of "Jeux"... My teacher ) The Last Years of Nijinsky by his wife, Romola Nijinsky Simon and Schuster 1952

I studied for several years with Mr. Bruhn...His classes were difficult (and wonderful). But, always, he told us, "Class is where you make your mistakes."

They are two of my all-time favorite dancers, too. For me, I especially admired Mr. Bruhn. I remember his being referred to as "the dancer's dancer". This was true for many young dancers growing up watching him perform in the 50s and 60s. There is a wonderful video about the life of Erik Bruhn (which I have) called "Erik Bruhn: I'm the same, only more." I highly recommend it if you are a Bruhn fan.

Another designation, and probably much more appropriate than "character dancer", is Principal actor-mime-dancer. I'm thinking of dancers like the Saddler's Wells and Royal Ballet's Franklin White who was well-known in the 40s, 50s, and early 60s for roles such as Dr. Coppelius and "Kostchei" in Fokine's Firebird among many other appearances in mime roles in Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, etc.

And, Amy, I can't think of a better person to work with exceptionally talented young dancers...

Great news! Mr. Peterson is extremely talented and he will do a great job. Congratulations, Kirk!