2 Left Feet Posted December 2, 2001 Share Posted December 2, 2001 Looking for a copy of "Sylvia" on either DVD or VHS. I've been able to find tapes of performances that feature one dance, but I'd like to find a copy of the complete ballet if possible. I haven't been able to find anything on the internet. I don't even know if a full length tape has even been made. Ed Link to comment
Alexandra Posted December 2, 2001 Share Posted December 2, 2001 Ed, there aren't too many Sylvias around. Ashton's hasn't been danced for years and I'm pretty sure it's not on video. Neumeier did one for Paris Opera a few years ago. If it was filmed, I'm also reasonably sure it's not commercially available. It is lovely music, isn't it? (If anyone knows of another version, of course, please post.) Link to comment
rg Posted December 2, 2001 Share Posted December 2, 2001 as a fan of the ashton's one-act reduction of his 3-act 'sylvia', which alas i never saw, and of the score, i've done some 'beating of the bushes' for this work in any form on video. as geo. jackson, longtime DANCEVIEW associate and critic, can probably tell more fully, the only one that might be around is the darsonval staging (based on stagings by merante, staats and aveline) for paris opera ballet which was televised on french tv in 1980, w/ n. pontois, j-y. lormeau and c. atanasoff. this was shown to a dance critics association conf. in june of 2001 only after g.jackson moved what seemed like heaven and earth to find a decent copy. eventually, he found one, but had to promptly return it, tho' there might be others around. ashton's was never to my knowledge televised. nor was, i don't think, the newest paris opera staging by j.neumeier from 1997. the 'sylvia pas de deux' that balanchine originally made for maria tallchief and andre eglevsky (and recently restaged by american ballet theatre) is recorded on an a.b.t. tape w/ martine van hamel and patrick bissell but only on the commercial version of the tape, when the program that included this duet was shown nationally on US tv, 'sylvia' was cut for time constraints. UK members of this group might make mention of the version created by david bintley for the birmingham royal ballet in '93, but i don't think it lasted long, and doubt that it was filmed for tv or tape. [ December 02, 2001: Message edited by: rg ] Link to comment
2 Left Feet Posted December 3, 2001 Author Share Posted December 3, 2001 Well... Not entirely optomistic news... Thanks for the info. Sounds like you've been looking for awhile yourself, rg. I knew about the ABT version. Guess I'll have to settle for that for now. Thanks again for the quick responses. If I come across anything I'll let you guys know. There is a place here in Los Angeles that tends to have copies of things no one else in the world has. I'll give them a try as well. FYI -- it's called Eddie Bryants. It's on Lankershim Blvd. in the North Hollywood area of Los Angeles, should anyone else be looking for something out of the ordinary. Link to comment
Giannina Posted December 3, 2001 Share Posted December 3, 2001 Originally posted by 2 Left Feet:Well... There is a place here in Los Angeles that tends to have copies of things no one else in the world has. I'll give them a try as well. FYI -- it's called Eddie Bryants. It's on Lankershim Blvd. in the North Hollywood area of Los Angeles, should anyone else be looking for something out of the ordinary. Have you got a phone number (toll-free would be nice) and/or web site for them? Giannina Link to comment
2 Left Feet Posted December 4, 2001 Author Share Posted December 4, 2001 The actual name is Eddie Brandt's. They have a web page but no web site. I did not write down the phone number. I'll look it up and add it later. Ed Link to comment
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