kbarber Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 very sad news. Reported that she had a massive stroke yesterday and died not long ago. John Clifford just posted She is with Balanchine now. From Sharon Wagner: "It is with a heavy heart that I have to tell you that Violette Verdy, my dear friend for over 50 years and one of the world's leading ballerinas passed away this afternoon after suffering a stroke. She had joie de vivre and gave 100 percent to the dance world. Violette will be missed by everyone who knew her around the world." Link to comment
Helene Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 Thankfully, this post BT John Clifford is public-facing, and we can offer our condolences to her friends, family, colleagues, students, and mentees. What a loss for the ballet world... Rest in peace, Mme Verdy. Link to comment
pherank Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 Another iconic performer, and personality, gone. Rest in peace Violette Verdy. EDIT: another person in the dance world that is acknowledging her death (so far, that is): Marie-Agnès Gillot - https://www.instagram.com/marieagnesgillot/ Link to comment
Dale Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 A great ballerina and a great person passed away. Just think of the amazing roles that were made for her (Tchaik pas [although it was started on Adams], Emeralds, the Act II pas de deux from Midsummer, the central role in Divert, Episodes, Liebeslieder, Dances at a gathering, La Source etc...). And think of all the dancers she taught and coached. I was lucky enough to see some coaching sessions with her live and just thinking about them brings tears to my eyes. She had the ability to bring so much joy and personality to those sessions while still imparting the important details of the role she was coaching. She was special. Link to comment
Balanchinomane Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 Very sad news. Such a beautiful, charming, generous soul. Recently thinking about her when watching her Company heirs in Sonatine and Liebeslieder. She leaves a brilliant legacy to her friends and fans. Condolences to all she knew and those that admired her from afar. Link to comment
California Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 The Vail Festival just sent out a Facebook notice about this, too, so it seems to be very public. Haven't seen an obituary yet. Link to comment
Mme. Hermine Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 I found these two lovely photos in a collection at Getty. I can't post photos but here are the links. http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/portrait-of-french-dancer-violette-verdy-smiling-as-she-news-photo/562643953 http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/ballerina-violette-verdy-backstage-1968-photo-by-jack-news-photo/565849833 Link to comment
canbelto Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 Here are some more public condolences: J. de Luz: https://www.instagram.com/p/BBiyN_UIxVR/?taken-by=jdeluz23 Aurelie Dupont: https://www.instagram.com/p/BBiuRAwsqca/?taken-by=aurelie__dupont Harrison Ball: https://www.instagram.com/p/BBisUIvF5CB/?taken-by=__harrisonball__ Isabel Guerin: https://www.instagram.com/p/BBihM01i1Us/?taken-by=isaguerin Wendy: https://www.instagram.com/p/BBibERYRg-j/?taken-by=wendyw Link to comment
vipa Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 A loss to the art for sure. She is one I was hoping would live forever! I heard her speak on a panel about Balanchine a couple of years ago and she was unforgettable. I'm thankful that we have videos of her coaching young dancers. In case you haven't seen it, this great one: Damian Woetzel is the host and Tiler Peck and Jennifer Ringer among those being coached, Link to comment
Drew Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 RIP Violette Verdy--a very special ballerina. I have never forgotten her wonderful performance in Emeralds. And always so gracious and kind in person too!! Link to comment
duffster Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 I was very fortunate to have been awarded a Ford Foundation scholarship from Violette Verdy. She was so generous and kind. I still remember her wonderful smile. RIP Violette. Link to comment
Mme. Hermine Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 She was the ballerina in the first ballet performance I ever saw. Warm, genuine and kind. Words don't suffice. Link to comment
Mme. Hermine Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 http://www.idsnews.com/article/2016/02/ballet-legend-professor-dies Link to comment
Natalia Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 May Violette Verdy rest in peace. Now dancing among angels! Link to comment
Jack Reed Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Now that "Violette" - as we spoke of her - has made her final exit, it's good to be with those who also notice. Thanks, especially to those who have posted links to media showing Verdy, particularly the early still images I had never seen before with her frequent partner Edward Villella. (For what it's worth, however, her usual partner in Emeralds was Conrad Ludlow.)Back in the day, Balanchine's audience was a pretty canny and coherent lot; we were mostly regulars - "It was our civilization," Arlene Croce wrote afterward - and applause at the wrong time was rare. But when it was time, was there ever! And shouts, sometimes, and bravo's, and so on. And for one dancer in particular, there was "Viva! Viva!" Usually her name wasn't included, though sometimes it was, but she always seemed to know it meant, "Viva Verdy!" and she would light up even more and come down to the footlights and express her gratitude in body language.VIVA! VIVA! Link to comment
dirac Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Verdy was also uniquely articulate and analytical, a great “explainer” of ballet and Balanchine. She is irreplaceable. Marina Harss’ profile of Verdy for The Nation here. It has already been posted elsewhere, but it has a special resonance now. All this, in a minute or so of choreography. The explanation is typical Verdy, a mixture of the intellectual (Shakespeare), the physical, the emotional, and the domestic (food, a frequent point of reference for the former ballerina, who knew hunger during the war). Like Laracey during the Sonatine taping, the young dancer on the receiving end of this deluge of references strains to keep up with her train of thought, to sift through it for ideas with which to color her own performance. Verdy’s mind is like a ticker tape, clicking incessantly, a never-ending stream. It’s impossible to grasp it all, but even a tiny fraction can profoundly change a performance. “I just walked away with a new sense of self and perfumes to play with onstage,” Laracey told me of working with Verdy. “It’s like nourishment; I still try to think about it daily.” Link to comment
Cygnet Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 This is very sad news. Rest in eternal peace, Violette Verdy. Link to comment
sz Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Violette! Oh, I loved her so much. I have so many memories of working with her starting from SAB when I did gigs with her and Eddie. Watching her at NYCB in Emeralds, Donizetti, Liebeslieder, Tchai Pas, La Source..... Violette's soul, her charm, her strong technique, her perfume, her humor. She was so womanly and luxurious in her way, bringing warmth and sensuality along with surprising sparks to every role. For me there will be no other as the green skirted girl in Dances at a Gathering. Link to comment
sandik Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 She coached Emeralds here a couple of times -- I would say it was a privilege to be in the room, but that makes her sound a bit stuffy, and she was anything but. Link to comment
pherank Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Verdy was also uniquely articulate and analytical, a great “explainer” of ballet and Balanchine. She is irreplaceable. Marina Harss’ profile of Verdy for The Nation here. It has already been posted elsewhere, but it has a special resonance now. I totally agree that she had great things to say about, and great insight into, the Balanchine and Robbins choreography she was involved with. The Harss article was one of the best of that year. Nelly "Violette Verdy" Guillerm was the first female artistic director of the Paris Opera Ballet - it's interesting that there hasn't been an official acknowledgement of her death/contribution, so far, from the POB. Perhaps they are in too much of a kerfuffle over Millepied. ;) Link to comment
CTballetfan Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 When I was a teenager one of the first ballets I saw at NYCB was Verdy in The Firebird and I was totally blown away by her performance. I knew I had just seen something incredible. I remember it still. If this is professional ballet, I thought, I want lots more. Link to comment
Mme. Hermine Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Anna Kisselgoff's obituary in the Times:http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/10/arts/dance/violette-verdy-ballerina-with-flair-dies-at-82.html?_r=0 Violette Verdy, a French-born ballerina who became one of New York City Ballet’s most acclaimed stars by bringing her deep musicality, effervescent presence and theatrical flair to George Balanchine’s plotless ballets, died on Monday in Bloomington, Ind. She was 82.Her cousin Annick Horville-Chateaureynaud said she died after a brief illness. Ms. Verdy lived in Bloomington and taught there at Indiana University. She had earlier directed the Paris Opera Ballet and the Boston Ballet. Link to comment
Pamela Moberg Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 Oh no, somehow one thought that she was one of those who would go on forever and ever. Many many years ago I was actually in class with her - if I close my eyes I can see her right there - so sparkling, so full of joy and that in a class! She was a true inspiration to all of us. RIP Madame Verdy. Link to comment
jsmu Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 An irreplaceable artist and teacher. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/10/arts/dance/violette-verdy-ballerina-with-flair-dies-at-82.html?src=me Her coaching and teaching were as inspired as her dancing; the wonderful youtube video called "He Gave Valentines to Each of Us" is a good example. Link to comment
Gina Ness Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 http://news.iu.edu/releases/iu/2016/02/violette-verdy-tribute.shtml Such sad news... She was a brilliant teacher and mentor to so many young dancers at Indiana University. An iconic ballerina has left us... Link to comment
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