Mikhail Mordkin

[Alexandra]

On the thread right next door, rg has posted links to two galleries of his wonderful Russian postcards. Among many other gems are lots of shots of Mordkin -- we've never talked about him. His dancers (the Mordkin Ballet) were the nucleus of ABT, and he was one of the first teachers/stagers at that company. One of my favorite stories, from the Charles Payne book on ABT, was that, when Dolin took over Mordkin's staging of "Giselle" and was rehearsing the company in secret (they couldn't face telling Mordkin, apparently) Mordkin dealt with it this way: every morning before he started teaching company class, he placed a toy gun on the piano, pointed to the direction of the illicit rehearsal room. Never said a word, never had to.

Also known as Pavlova's strong and temperamental partner. And a very interesting dancer, a man of muscles and many moods, according to the photos in rg's gallery, here:

http://balletalert.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=17492&st=0&

[Alexandra]

Some more photos of Mordkin (including some tasteful nudes) here:

http://www.geh.org/ar/strip88/htmlsrc/mura...l#77:0188:2069B

[atm711]

The Mordkin production of 'Giselle' (with Lucia Chase in the title role ) must have been a doosie. This is a description from Grace Roberts (Borzoi Book):

"This presentation retained some of the pantomime that has been omitted from recent 'Giselles', notably a scene in which Berthe gathers the peasant girls around her and tells them of the legend of the Wilis. Mordkin, a master of pantomime set this scene in a convincing and dramatically vivid manner. Another memorable, though less a dmirable feature was the costumes of the Wilis: strange, modernistic headdresses and draperies of cellophane that crackled in a most disconcerting manner." I recall seeing photographs of that production, and in addition to the cellophane, they were dark and dreary.

I do not mean to denigrade Lucia Chase's dancing talents (she was a memorable ballerina in Petrouchka, and irreplaceable in the deMille and Tudor roles)--but Giselle must have been a stretch.

[Alexandra]

The Cellophane Wilis should stand as a lesson for all time of how NOT to dress a ballet!

Walter Terry reviewed Chase's "Giselle." Even Ballet's Mr. Optimist couldn't find much good to say about it -- it's in his collection ("I Was There.") He was not happily there for this one.

Mordkin died in 1944, not long after Chase and Pleasant maneuvered him out of ABT? Pity. Anyone who saves Berthe's mime scene can't be all bad

[Mel Johnson]

Also known as Pavlova's strong and temperamental partner.  And a very interesting dancer, a man of muscles and many moods, according to the photos in rg's gallery

I've always thought that Pavlova must have been a lot like Lucille Ball, in that she needed another strong, outsize personality to play off and balance her out. And at the same time, we've forgotten that some of these male dancers were the matinée idols of their days, with boys like Sergei Legat being the teen heartthrobs.

[carbro]

Off topic, but I now have an image of a betutued Pavlova in the candy factory. :dizzy:

[Alexandra]

Or Lucy dancing to a speeded up version of "Glow Little Glow Worm, Glimmer Glimmer."

But to Mel's comment on Mordkin -- I thought "Matinee Idol" when I looked at rg's photos. He has quite a range in those photos, too. He wasn't just Pavlova's forklift.

[sandik]

But to Mel's comment on Mordkin -- I thought "Matinee Idol" when I looked at rg's photos.  He has quite a range in those photos, too.  He wasn't just Pavlova's forklift.

I had the same reaction to the photos on that Eastman House site -- he was absolutely gorgeous, and very chameleon-esque.