Neryssa

I really liked her 2006 book The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life.

I didn't know either until I accidentally stumbled across the title on Amazon. Amanda VaillI is not publicizing it very much on her Twitter account or elsewhere although there are scheduled readings in October. 

I read in I Remember Balanchine that Robbins was working on his memoirs because he did not give an interview for that wonderful book. Apparently, he never finished them. I hope it will be like Christine Conrad's Jerome Robbins: That Broadway Man, That Ballet Man where readers see photos of Robbins' diary entries, paintings, photographs, and collages, etc. And maybe there will be more information about his relationship with Tanaquil Le Clercq, Balanchine, and others.

I hope this hasn't been posted elsewhere. I am looking forward to the new book about Jerome Robbins:  Jerome Robbins, by Himself: Selections from His Letters, Journals, Drawings, Photographs, and an Unfinished Memoir by Jerome Robbins and Amanda Vaill. It will be published on October 1, 2019.

N.

I reread the Times obituary last night. I initially missed the part:  "In 1951, Ms. Lousada left City Ballet and married the producer Carmen Capablo. She expressed regret about her early retirement from ballet all her life, telling an interviewer in 2012 that she didn’t like to think back on the City Ballet years because “I ratted my chances.” Balanchine, she said, had believed in her and had been 'totally disappointed' when she left."

What a shame.

Thank you for posting the NYTimes obituary.

I do not see very many photos of her on the Internet. In fact, I don't see many photos of her in NYC Ballet history books either. When did she quit dancing for the New York City Ballet? 1950?

I love the photo of her as the "Botticelli Girl" in the Guardian obituary.    

On 1/22/2019 at 3:22 PM, dirac said:

Thank you for posting, Neryssa. Sorry to hear that.  As people who have seen "Tanaquil Le Clercq: Afternoon of a Faun" know, she was close to Le Clercq. In interviews she had many interesting insights to share about Le Clercq and life in the company in that era. RIP.

Here is her obituary in The Guardian:  https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/jan/23/patricia-lousada-obituary

The George Balanchine Foundation noted on its Facebook page that Patricia McBride Lousada died recently. According to their page:  "We at the George Balanchine Foundation are saddened to learn of the death of Pat McBride Lousada who received her early trainig [sic] at the School of American Ballet and danced for Balanchine with Ballet Society in THE TRIUMPH OF BACCHUS AND ARIADNE and ÉLÉGIE, and in the first New York City Ballet performance of SERENADE in 1948 at New York City Center. She left the company in the early 1950's and later moved to England where she was married to Sir Anthony Lousada."

https://www.facebook.com/The-George-Balanchine-Foundation-284470914818/

I haven't seen any obituaries yet.

Neryssa

Thank you, Dirac, I will reply on the alternate thread soon. 

On 10/26/2018 at 9:25 PM, dirac said:

The documentary was certainly disappointing in that respect. I had hoped to hear something from her students about the kind of teacher she was (and more about her post-Balanchine years generally). 

Although I am very grateful for this fine documentary, I have a few criticisms of it and your point is one of them.  Maybe I should discuss this on another thread but I hope Holly Brubach's biography of Le Clercq is more detailed - and factual. I have my doubts.

On 10/20/2018 at 11:59 PM, dirac said:

Thank you for the link, Neryssa. Among other things, I would have been interested to read about how Le Clercq came to teach at DTH and her time there. As you say, a major loss.

I would love to know more about Le Clercq's teaching too.  I've never read anything about it. I've only heard snippets about her teaching in the documentary (Afternoon of a Faun) but Arthur Mitchell and Pat McBride Lousada did not elaborate - 

I wonder if there is anything at his archive at Columbia University: https://exhibitions.library.columbia.edu/exhibits/show/mitchell/arthur-mitchell-artist 

Mitchell would have had so much to write about - The path to becoming a dancer as an African American male during the New York City Ballet's incredible history from the mid-1950s to the late 1960s. He danced with Diana Adams, Tanaquil Le Clercq, Allegra Kent, Violette Verdy, Patricia McBride, and Suzanne Farrell, etc. He probably could have written an entire chapter on Agon. The final chapters could have addressed the Dance Theatre of Harlem and its' prominent dancers, teachers, and struggles all in the context of the civil rights era and why the government should have subsidized such an important company. A major opportunity was missed here by not publishing a book (someone else could have written it, e.g., "as told to." It is a major loss.

 http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2010/07/talking-with-dance-theatre-of-harlems-legendary-dancer-arthur-mitchell.html

It certainly would have - I'm sure Mitchell was approached at one point (just assuming). I wonder why male dancers from that 1950s/1960s City Ballet generation are less likely to publish their memoirs? Not just because Balanchine preferred to choreograph for women? I have found this generation of dancers to be more reticent about discussing their careers and personal lives - which is a bit refreshing but unfortunate for the archives.

I always hoped that Arthur Mitchell would publish an autobiography. I wonder why he did not.

Neryssa

I so anticipated the publication of Wilde's memoir. I was a little bit disappointed but I don't think it merits a two-star review on Amazon, maybe three - or three-and-a-quarter stars. The book's prose and Lobenthal's quotes by Wilde are oddly truncated, it is as if both Wilde and Lobenthal suddenly got cold feet. The book was advertised as a memoir by Wilde and "the rise of the New York City Ballet." Although I would have liked a history of NYC Ballet during the 1950s, I think this was the problem with the book. There is not enough commentary by Wilde (her comments or quotes should have been clarified or fleshed out) and the history is minimal. Apart from Wilde's comments about the Tanaquil Le Clercq/Balanchine relationship/marriage, there is no new information.

I am still grateful to have it.

I hope this has not been posted before. The price has decreased from $35.00 to $27.99 on Amazon.com - N.

Description from VAI Music: http://www.vaimusic.com/DVD-B/4581.html

LEGENDS OF BALLET: Stars of American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet

A thrilling collection of performances by stars of American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet, including Jacques d’Amboise, Allegra Kent, Lupe Serrano, Royes Fernandez, Violette Verdy, André Eglevsky, Melissa Hayden, as well as international dancers Alicia Alonso and Mia Slavenska. Highlights include New York City Ballet’s production of George Balanchine’s innovative ballet Square Dance, featuring the cast of the 1957 premiere, which included a square dance caller; the rarely performed Pas de Quatre with an all-star cast; the “Rose Adagio Scene” from Sleeping Beauty (choreographed by Eglevsky); scenes from Giselle and Sylvia, and more.

Color performances from the Bell Telephone Hour, 1960-1965.

Color, 68 minutes, 4:3, NTSC (Playable all regions) Square Dance (Balanchine) 13:25

Patricia Wilde, Nicholas Magallanes, New York City Ballet Corps de Ballet, with Elisha Keeler, caller and librettist Concerto for Art Lovers (Nelson) 7:43

[i think one can see Suzanne Farrell dancing in the corps).

Jacques d‘Amboise, Gene Nelson, Allegra Kent, Taina Elg Scenes from Romeo & Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Saddler) 9:46

Violette Verdy and Jacques d’Amboise Pas de Quatre (Dolin) 10:41

Alicia Alonso, Melissa Hayden, Nora Kaye, Mia Slavenska The Sleeping Beauty: Aurora's Act I Variation, “Jewels” Variation, and Rose Adagio (Eglevsky) 9:25

Melissa Hayden, André Eglevsky, Francisco Moncion, Conrad Ludlow, Michael Lland Giselle: Act II Pas de Deux & Finale (Eglevsky) 7:38

Giselle: Act II Pas de Deux & Finale (Eglevsky) 7:38
Lupe Serrano, Royes Fernandez

Sylvia: Pas de Deux (Balanchine) 8:26
Allegra Kent, Jacques d’Amboise

I was devastated to read her obituary. Thank you for posting it. I interviewed Ms. Fontaine a number of years ago and she was so very gracious, witty and kind. I always thought I would have time to do a follow up interview. Now it is too late. RIP.

I was disappointed that Vol. 3 included a work by John Butler, The Unicorn... The work sets my teeth on edge; it never seemed to end. I thought André Eglevsky was sublime in Coppélia!

In the minority here, but I'm glad to have something of Butler's available on DVD. He's one of a number of choreographers who were very active and influential at the time, but whose work hasn't really settled in a permanent repertory.

The piece is 44 or 45 minutes long! The DVD should have been titled Butler in Montreal. I only bought the DVD for Tanaquil Le Clercq in Coppélia.

Not implying any reservations about his partner?

Good catch, Jack. I don't know. Le Clercq is exquisite but I expected something more... I was very happy with her performance in Concerto Barocco.

I was disappointed that Vol. 3 included a work by John Butler, The Unicorn... The work sets my teeth on edge; it never seemed to end. I thought André Eglevsky was sublime in Coppélia!

I want more autobiographies from NYC ballet dancers (principals, soloists and corps) from all periods (when Balanchine was alive):

Patricia "Patty" McBride and Pat McBride

Arthur Mitchell

Karin von Aroldingen (perhaps an impossibility)

Violette Verdy (I remember a very thin biography decades ago)

Conrad Ludlow (perhaps like McBride, he is too nice and modest to consider the idea)

Best,

N.

Is there an older thread titled something to the effect of "Memoirs or Biographies I Want To Read (meaning, I want to read an autobiography/biography that hasn't been written or published yet by a dancer).

Indeed there is. Who needs a biography?

Thanks, Neryssa and California, for filling us in.

Thank you for the link! :-D

I skimmed it. He does provide a lot of detail on his interaction with Balanchine, which is interesting. I was struck at how informal and un-bureaucratic Balanchine was in those days in hiring dancers, letting them take leaves of absence, etc.

Thanks, California. I wanted more detail about the ballets and Balanchine. Also, it was very repetitive in spots. Is there an older thread titled something to the effect of "Memoirs or Biographies I Want To Read (meaning, I want to read an autobiography/biography that hasn't been written or published yet by a dancer).

The positive and spiritual tone of the book is nice when Ohman is writing about his grandmother or Balanchine but I was quite disappointed with the book as a whole. It is not detailed enough. Has anybody else read it?

For some reason, I was under the impression that Adams became involved with Ronald Bates in the late 1950s or early 1960s after breaking up with Balanchine. What is somewhat evident to me from reading Amanda Valli's Somewhere The Life Of Jerome Robbins is that Le Clercq was trying to move on during the summer of 1956.

"They have a daughter who looks like a Christmas tree angel." (Georgina Bates)"

Another tragedy.

For someone who counseled his dancers not to get angry or waste energy, he certainly wasn't averse to creating circumstances that were emotionally explosive.

A really good point. However, I don't think he emerged unscathed from the events he helped to create -

I love Ballet Review. I've been a subscriber since the mid-1990s. So I hope they do not mind the following excerpt from the Summer 2013 issue "A Conversation with Patricia Wilde - II":

BR: Were you aware that Le Clercq and Balanchine were on the verge of separating?

Wilde: No, but I don't think it would have lasted much longer. When we were on tour in Europe, Tanny's mother Edith was with them, and Mr. B liked Edith, but Diana was always around. It was always Diana, Tanny, Mr. B.

BR: He was creating a provocative situation.

Wilde: Very much so. But both girls liked it in a way. They helped each other. A third person along can be helpful; it took off some of the responsibility off each one of them.

BR: But at that point he was moving Diana in?

Wilde: He was kind of moving Diana in and I think Tanny would have been happy to move out. She was a free spirit. She wanted to dance, but she also wanted to be off and doing things. She liked people, liked doing things much more so than Diana.

There is more about Diana Adams and Patricia Wilde, of course. The interview is by Joel Lobenthal. Highly recommended.

N.