The ballerina and her partner

[rg]

i think i know the male dancer's name but would appreciate confirmation, ditto the name of his character.

[Juliet]

I believe it's George Skibine, with Markova as Aurora. Mid 1940's. I recall seeing another head shot of him from this photo shoot some time ago and marvelled at the makeup and that marvellous hat.....

just a guess.......

[Paul Parish]

He is amazingly handsome, with a more-than-passing resemblance to the greatest matinee-idol actor of hte mid-century, Lawrence Olivier

If this is Skibine, he's a dish. In looking for a photo of him, I ran into a startling homonym on the web -- someone called George Skibine, a member of the Osage Nation of Oklahoma, took over the highest post at the US Bureau of Indian Affairs back in May. Can they be related? There is a well-known connection between the Russian emigre dancers and American Indian dancers (not just the Tallchiefs) , and there's a famously fine ballet company in Tulsa -- but still, this coincidence seems really striking.

[rg]

i was settling on Skibine too.

i believe they are costtumed for Bluebeard: Skibine is Prince Sapphire, i think; she is Princess Hermila, i presume.

1940-ish.

[Estelle]

He is amazingly handsome, with a more-than-passing resemblance to the greatest matinee-idol actor of the mid-century, Lawrence Olivier

If this is Skibine, he's a dish. In looking for a photo of him, I ran into a startling homonym on the web -- someone called George Skibine, a member of the Osage Nation of Oklahoma, took over the highest post at the US Bureau of Indian Affairs back in May. Can they be related? There is a well-known connection between the Russian emigre dancers and American Indian dancers (not just the Tallchiefs) , and there's a famously fine ballet company in Tulsa -- but still, this coincidence seems really striking.

Paul, that George Skibine is one the twin sons of the choreographer and Marjorie Tallchief, see for example the following links:

http://www.osagetribe.com/newsmedia/info_s...x?subpage_id=55

http://www.distinctlyoklahoma.com/index.ph...5&Itemid=36

"She had twin sons, Alexander and George, with her choreographer husband George Skibine, who died in 1981."

(...)

"Marjorie sees son George, who works in D.C. with Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior, as often as his schedule permits. Alexander also visits when he can get away from his Salt Lake City residence."

Their other son, Alexander, works as a lawyer in Utah:

http://www.law.utah.edu/profiles/?PersonID=87

"Professor Skibine teaches administrative law, legislative process, torts, and federal Indian law."

From what I've read, both grew up in Paris (Marjorie Tallchief was a POB étoile for several years) and then settled in the US.

I wonder if they're interested in ballet, with such prestigious dancersd as parents and aunt ?

[rg]

seemingly related photos of these dancers, etc. in the NYPL date them as 1942.

here are the credits for BLUEBEARD:

Bluebeard : Chor: Michel Fokin; mus: Jacques Offenbach, arr. by Antal Dorati; lib: Michel Fokin, after opera bouffe by Meilhac and Halévy; scen and cos: Marcel Vertes. First perf: Mexico City, Palacio de Bellas Artes, Oct 27, 1941, Ballet Theatre.//New York premiere: Nov 12, 1941 at 44th St. Theatre, Ballet Theatre.

re: Skibine - many longtime ballet goers recall his Poet in Balanchine's NIGHTSHADOW/LA SONNAMBULA as one of the most memorable in the ballet's history.

[bart]

Thanks, Estelle, for that information. I also came upon George the son while doing a Google search but didn't pursue it. What you've provided is fascinating.

I also found a few cryptic references to an Aurora's Wedding in which Skibine did indeed dance with Markova (second cast? after Dolin?), as Juliet suggested. The company (Markova-Dolin? Cuevas? Ballet Theater?) wasn't clear in what I found.

Can anyone tell us something about this Bluebeard ballet? The ocncept of the Bluebeard story as the basis of an "opera bouffe" seems quite astonishing!

The gorgeous plumes on Skibine seem to require a choreographer of their own. Or was Fokine up to it?

[atm711]

As to the costume Skibine is wearing as Prince Sapphire, a critic at the time said:"Prince Sapphire is a very conventional ballet hero. The part was first performed by (Yura) Skibine, whose personal radiance occasionally lifted the ballet to levels of romance it was never intended to reach. Later...(other dancers performed the role)...All of these young men dance it well, though a new costume should be designed for them, as the ability to wear the original becomingly was Skibine's alone" (Grace Roberts) . I saw the ballet only once in the late 40's with Anton Dolin, but it had gone through many changes by then and it did not make a lasting impression on me.

Skibine was surely one of the handsomest of dancers---I remember one Giselle I saw with Markova and Dolin---and Skibine was Hilarion (we were used to seeing Dimitri Romanoff who came across as Judd Fry). There were quite a few titters in the audience when Giselle chose Albrecht......