When is it time for a dancer to retire?

[perky]

As hard as it is for us, the audience to watch a beloved dancer dance what could be their final performances on stage, I can't even begin to imagine what it must feel like for the dancer themselves. I always think of a something Arlene Croce wrote about Kyra Nichols in the twilight of her career, "Nichols has now reached the privileged moment in a dancer's career when she is doing less and giving more. I remember that moment in Fonteyn, in Tallchief, in Kolpakova, in Farrell."

When a dancers technique starts to fail them many times their artistry compensates. But at what point does that become not enough? Only the dancer themselves know just exactly what their body is capable of doing. And I imagine even that changes from day to day. If they have a custom built repertory that allows them to prolong their careers while hiding their fraying technique that would be ideal. But unfortunately how many dancers have this gift bestowed upon them?

I think Alessandra Ferri is going about this the right way. She dances only what she is capable of (R&J, The Dream) and she enhances these ballet's with her experience and mature artistry. Who else either currently dancing or retired handled the end of their career with grace and dignity?

On the flip side, which dancer stayed too long?

Who retired too soon?

[Petra]

Baryshnikov and Nureyev are, each in their own way, exemplars of the path they took.

Baryshnikov seems to be handling his career with grace and dignity and I don't think Nureyev would have completed his career any other way than he did. :sweating:

[dancersteven]

Karen Kain did it the right way, slowly easing out of roles she felt she was unable to do at 100%, and then toured a custom made farewell show, "The Actress", to say goodbye to all of her fans across Canada, and allow them the chance to do the same. Was, is, and will continue to be a class act.

[Cygnet]

As hard as it is for us, the audience to watch a beloved dancer dance what could be their final performances on stage, I can't even begin to imagine what it must feel like for the dancer themselves. I always think of a something Arlene Croce wrote about Kyra Nichols in the twilight of her career, "Nichols has now reached the privileged moment in a dancer's career when she is doing less and giving more. I remember that moment in Fonteyn, in Tallchief, in Kolpakova, in Farrell."

When a dancers technique starts to fail them many times their artistry compensates. But at what point does that become not enough? Only the dancer themselves know just exactly what their body is capable of doing. And I imagine even that changes from day to day. If they have a custom built repertory that allows them to prolong their careers while hiding their fraying technique that would be ideal. But unfortunately how many dancers have this gift bestowed upon them?

I think Alessandra Ferri is going about this the right way. She dances only what she is capable of (R&J, The Dream) and she enhances these ballet's with her experience and mature artistry. Who else either currently dancing or retired handled the end of their career with grace and dignity?

On the flip side, which dancer stayed too long?

Who retired too soon?

At the moment, the following are the ones I can think of. Gelsey went out gracefully and made a smooth transition to teaching and coaching. Gregory & Tcherkassky also went out gracefully. Makarova had the perfect close to her career by returning to the Maryinsky, and performing 2 ppds from 'Onegin.' The next morning she announced her retirement and donated her Tatiana costume and shoes to the Ballet Museum in Petersburg. Others who left well and at the right time: Jennifer Penney, Park, Collier, Sibley, and Semenyaka. Who stayed too long? IMO, Bessmertnova. Who is currently staying too long? IMO, Ruzimatov. Who retired too soon? In the last few years - Altynai Asylmuratova. From the past - Marguerite Porter. Porter made principal, but didn't stay nearly as long as she could have. Altynai? She chose to go out early and on top - with humility.

Class act.

[Amy Reusch]

All this talk about "when to retire" makes me wonder if any grandchild of Jacques d'Amboise is studying dancing... I remember there was a time when he said something about wanting to dance until he was able to do Drosselmeyer onstage with his [then hypothetical] grandchild. He did retire before becoming a grandfather, though, if I remember correctly.

I've heard Nureyev danced beyond when he should have retired, but I talked to someone who saw him in his final tour and was profoundly moved by his powerful stage presence even then.

I think I'd rather aging stars formed "[star] and friends" touring companies, so that we still could have the pleasure of watching them dance yet without them obstructing the careers of rising dancers who are ready to step into the roles that sometimes entrenched stars are not willing to vacate.

And does Netherlands III still exist?

[Mel Johnson]

I believe that the Joffrey's Denise Jackson did it exactly the right way. She didn't wait to achieve that "privileged moment" in her career, she retired when she felt that it was time for for her to retire. Nobody else thought so, but she did, and that was good enough for me.

[carbro]

Gelsey went out gracefully and made a smooth transition to teaching and coaching.

I'm not sure that was quite how it happened. For one thing, in "Dancing on My Grave," she describes a foot injury that would not heal. Also, it seems that leaving the stage may have been the first step in her recovery from drug abuse. I'm still very saddened by the toll both her various injuries and her personal problems took on her career and am glad that she seems to be living a rewarding life and continues to enrich her art through her students.

One of Gelsey's favorite partners, Ivan Nagy, left the stage most gracefully (and graciously), leaving his fans aching for more.

One of the saddest retirements was Merrill Ashley's. After two years (or more?) out with injuries, she "rehabilitated" herself to performing condition, but was barely a shadow of her former, firecracker, allegro-dancing self. It's hard, though, not to understand the drive for those ritualized final moments in the spotlight.

[Mme. Hermine]

However I saw Gelsey after her recovery, when she danced with the Royal Ballet in the mid 1980s, and she was dancing wonderfully!

[canbelto]

This is getting OT, but yesterday I saw Natalia Makarova in Month in tge Country. It was 1985 and she was obviously not leaping or turning much, but i was still astounded by her technique, her impeccable form, her toes of steel, and most of all her incredible grace and beauty.

Someone who stayed too long? I hate to say this, but Plisetskaya. As late as 1992 sshe was dancing the Dying Swan at a Red Square gala, and it's a cruel contrast to her earlier videotaped Dying Swan. The arms are still there, but the back is not, and neither is the remarkable speed and fluidity.

Of course it's hard for the POB etoiles to stay too long, as the ladies have mandatory retirement

[Cygnet]

Someone who stayed too long? I hate to say this, but Plisetskaya.

Canbelto, I'm glad you are brave enough to mention Maya. To tell you

the truth I was afraid to. :sweating:

[Dansuer85]

What about Alicia Alonso?

[aigle]

The question of "when to retire" was discussed very well in this thread:

http://www.balletalert.com/forum/index.php...opic=8647&st=15

I hope it has nothing to do with what critics say because they can be wrong.

[BalletNut]

Dansuer85, I haven't seen Alonso dance, but I heard a joke that went something like this: Two Egyptian mummies awoke from thousands of years of slumber, and the first mummy asked the second, "So, is Alicia Alonso still dancing?" For what it's worth, a Dance Magazine from the mid-nineties has a (favorable) review of her dancing in Giselle, at around 75 or so...

Evelyn Cisneros of SFB retired in the best way possible, IMO. During her last year she danced one or two more Swan Lakes as well as a special farewell gala to celebrate her retirement and her career. Confidencias, Rubies, Sleeping Beauty Act 3, so she got to bow out in a gorgeous tutu. She was 40, and had always said she would retire at this age. Reminds me of the quote, "I'd rather have people ask why I have no monument than why I have one."

[canbelto]

Ok, someone who retired too soon: Vladimir Malakhov. I know he hasn't officially retired but he's obviously focusing more and more on the Berlin ballet company.

Moira Shearer is another case of retiring too soon.

Stayed too late: I'm going to be brave and add Darci Kistler

I went online and saw that Maya Plisetskaya was dancing as late as 1996! Oh dear.

[carbro]

Alonso appeared as The Girl to Malakhov's Spectre at a not-too-distant (I'm thinking 21st Century, perhaps) ABT gala. The curtain went up on her already asleep in the chair, from which she never arose to dance with the Rose. Later in the evening, the curtain again rose on her already standing behind a lectern, recalling the creation of Theme & Variations with Balanchine and Youskevitch. We saw her seated, we saw her standing, but we never saw her in motion that night. I remember asking my friend, "What? She danced until she could no longer walk?"

I must say, though, that the last Dancing I saw her do was the White Swan pdd, in which her abundant artistry generally overcame deficits. Although . . . there were moments when her age distracted from the overall impact of the performance. :shrug:

In terms of glimpsing the essence of a legend, I am grateful to have caught Alonso, Fonteyn and Plisetskaya late in their respective careers. Had they retired at "appropriate" ages, I would have had no such opportunity. As we all know, there are things that film and video just don't capture.

[chauffeur]

Since my young daughter just finished a production with a small company that is populated by "old" pros who spent the major portion of their careers in bigger companies, I am fresh with the impression that it must be truly wrenching for dancers to feel like they *have* to retire just because their audiences can't bear to compare their current selves with their young selves. These people still love to perform, still crave it, I'm sure.

Granted, there is nothing sadder than watching an old pro attempt the same leaps and barely clear the stage, but I'm a big fan of old pros who know how and when to ramp down their repertoire yet still perform. I've learned so much from meeting and watching old pros like Baryshnikov, Bill Evans, Steven Heathcote, and the ones in my daughter's company. And so do the young dancers. (small off-topic anecdote: in one of the shows, the volume dropped out on the soundtrack while nine young dancers, including my daughter, were out on stage. An old pro immediately went to the wing closest to them, began snapping his fingers to give them a count, and when the sound went back on 30 seconds later, they were still exactly in time with the music. You could never replicate a learning moment like this without an old pro to lead you.)

[Justdoit]

Iliana Lopez and husband, Franklin Gamero, of Miami City Ballet retired last Spring after both enjoying 20+ years of dancing as principals (16 with MCB, I think). I saw them do their final Giselle, which happens to be Iliana's favorite ballet. They were both truly outstanding. Strong, flexible, lyrical, not looking a day over 20, though definitely closer to 40! Now, that's the way to go, still managing a stellar performance in your favorite ballet and retiring together.

[koshka]

IMO, Ruzimatov

[stayed too long]

Saw him dance (DonQ, in St Petersburg) just last week and, sadly, must agree.