Offstage relationships onstage

[Farrell Fan]

"It was like watching a private relationship that maybe one shouldn't be witness to." -- Marga

"It was like watching adultery played out onstage." -- Mel Johnson

These two estimable posters are talking about George Balanchine dancing with Suzanne Farrell in Mr. B's "Don Quixote," on the latest thread devoted to that subject. But what if someone who'd wanted tickets to "Man of la Mancha," (which opened about the same time), had been talked into seeing the ballet instead? Having no knowledge of Balanchine's marital status or Farrell's place in his affections, would he have been embarrassed by the onstage adultery? Or would he just have been bored seeing an old coot dancing with a woman who was mostly the figment of his imagination?

Perhaps this was a special case, but perhaps not. When you see Nilas Martins partnering Darci Kistler, do you think, "This guy is dancing with his stepmother! Isn't that incest?" And when you see Jenifer Ringer and James Fayette do you ooh and aah at the beautiful married couple and hope they'll always be happy as honeymooners? In other words, is it possible for ballet fans to suspend disbelief?

[Alexandra]

In other words, is it possible for ballet fans to suspend disbelief?

Good questions, FF, and I can only answer, good grief, I hope so! Artists use their own lives and experiences in their work, of course, but great artists filter these experiences -- I don't believe Balanchine put a soap opera on stage. People can read into any performance anything they like, and there probably will always be people who think "OOH, she's his mother-in-law," but does that have anything to do with ballet?

[carbro]

I frequently was aware of the in-law relationship between Kyra Nichols and Joe Duell, as I can't help but be when I see Darci and Nilas as steps. It is a little creepy, and while I can't erase my knowledge, at those moments, I'd really rather not know.

On the other hand, several people (self included) believe that Amanda McKerrow seems to convey more feeling, seems to dance a little more grandly, when she dances with her husband, John Gardner.

van Hamel-McKenzie was another partnership that seemed to bring out the best from each. Ditto Dvorovenko-Beloserkovsky, but perhaps for reasons beyond personal chemistry. (I think they are a little like Astaire-Rogers as described by Kate Hepburn: She gives him sex, he gives her class.)

There are also couples who, when on stage, seem inhibited, as if exhibiting their feelings towards each other would be giving up too much of themselves.

Jimmy Fayette seems to bring out more from Jenny Ringer, but he seems to bring out more from any number of his stage partners.

I sometimes wonder how, if the off-stage couple is going through a difficult time (as all couples occasionally do), they manage to keep it out of the performance. Or do they?

[Cygnet]

There are also couples who, when on stage, seem inhibited, as if exhibiting their feelings towards each other would be giving up too much of themselves.

Jimmy Fayette seems to bring out more from Jenny Ringer, but he seems to bring out more from any number of his stage partners.

I sometimes wonder how, if the off-stage couple is going through a difficult time (as all couples occasionally do), they manage to keep it out of the performance.  Or do they?

Some dancers can handle a professional/private relationship and some can't. Who knows what's going on in the wings? Sometimes the fit hits the shan in a performance. Anyone remember that lovely couple Gelsey and Misha? Their curtain calls were legendary. She once thrust her bouquet in his face . Incidents like that spoke volumes about their private/offstage issues.

[Ari]

Not all offstage couples make good onstage couples. Although Patricia McBride liked to dance with her husband, Jean-Pierre Bonnefous, she actually danced better with Helgi Tomasson. And Kyra Nichols and Daniel Duell were sometimes paired when they were married, but physically and stylistically they inhabited different worlds.

[atm711]

Or would he just have been bored seeing an old coot dancing with a woman who was mostly the figment of his imagination?

Very well put, FF. I saw the ballet only once, at the time of its premiere. Aside from finding the work too murky, Balanchine overly made up and Farrell too bland, this comment would fit in well with what I felt. (I wonder when a book about this side of Balanchine's life will be written ---all his former wives skirt , no pun!, the issue)

[oberon]

There are some couples dancing now at NYCB; not married couples but people seriously dating or living together. They are sometimes paired and usually seem to be having a grand time together but then...that's part of the job. More interesting is to see couples who have broken up and how they react to one another.

Some of the great partnerships (Kyra & Philip Neal, Maria K & Charles Askegard, McBride & Tomasson, Wendy & Jock) create an illusion of something "more"...

that's how it should be. James Fayette, one of NYCBs best partners, has a wonderfully ardent expression whether he is dancing with Ringer or someone else.

When I was first going to the ballet, I used to hear alot of talk to the effect that Balanchine was actually a deeply closeted gay man who found women beautiful, intriguing and a source of inspiration. I can certainly relate to that.

My partner once asked me, "Do you think Nilas calls Darci "Mom"?

[E Johnson]

There was a wonderful quote from Patrick Corbin of Paul Taylor’s company in the film "Dancemaker" to the effect that, in order to partner well, he is in love with his partner --but just for those ten minutes.

[ConstanzaElisabeth]

Our guest dancers for sugarplum this year were married, and it seemed that she got more frustrated with him than anything else. She occasionally lost her temper when they stumbled a lift, and he was the source of and target for all of her frustration...not a pleasant thing to see. Especially when the swearing was offstage, but the grimace was onstage, not so cleverly disguised as a smile.

[carbro]

As I recall "A Ballet Called Giselle," has both Fracci and Makarova declaring that they fall in love with their partners, Fracci smiling, "I love so many!" and the interviewer saying, "Well, you are Italian." (Quotes approximate.)

Anyone remember that lovely couple Gelsey and Misha?  Their curtain calls were legendary.  She once thrust her bouquet in his face .  Incidents like that spoke volumes about their private/offstage issues.

Friends who saw them in a Kennedy Ctr Giselle reported that, immediately following Mischa's variation in Act II, Gelsey took center stage and started hers, sneakily depriving the audience of its opportunity to applaud his Big Moment.

[Helene]

Dance is such a contrast to figure skating, where many pairs and dance teams are married or romantically involved. I once saw Denis Petrov partner Elena Bechke (his regular pairs partner) and Ekaterina Gordeeva in one Stars on Ice number, but on the whole, skating couples practice day in/day out with the same person for years on end.

One of my travel group commented on watching some of the dance practices at this year's World Championships; she said that there were a lot of visible differences in the way different skaters treated their spouses/significant others in the pressure-filled run-up to the championships.

The question in skating is also the opposite: while watching couples who are not/are not known to be involved is "how could they perform like that if they're not?" While for dancers, it's pretty much the norm for the majority of partnerships.