Nureev or Baryshnikov?

[Meliss]

I wonder whose words these are: " "I do not try to dance better than anyone else, I only try to dance better than myself." 

I had seen them as a Baryshnikov quote, and then I found this:

 The Sydney Morning Herald, December 29, 1974. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/123515997/.
"Rudolph Nureyev was somewhat rattled by the suggestion that he was pitting himself against the celebrated newcomer to the Western ballet world, Mikhail Baryshnikov. "I do not try to dance better than anyone else," he said. "I never try to compete. I only try to dance better than myself." 

[Fraildove]

This is a saying that all of my teachers, which were Russian, always said to us in class. One of whom danced with both Baryshnikov and Nureyev. I don’t think it can honestly be attributed to any one dancer as being the originator. It is a quote that both dancers have said, as have many others.

[Meliss]

23 minutes ago, Fraildove said:

This is a saying that all of my teachers, which were Russian, always said to us in class. One of whom danced with both Baryshnikov and Nureyev. I don’t think it can honestly be attributed to any one dancer as being the originator. It is a quote that both dancers have said, as have many others.

Thank you. But may be your teachers quoted one of them?

 

[Fraildove]

One of my teachers was already in his 80’s, and danced way before Nureyev. He said his teachers also said, so unlikely. 

[Meliss]

42 minutes ago, Fraildove said:

One of my teachers was already in his 80’s, and danced way before Nureyev. He said his teachers also said, so unlikely. 

I see. It's interesting, thank you. I wonder who the author is.

[Helene]

It's a very common sentiment, and tracing it back is like tracing back common sayings and aphorisms that have equivalents across many languages.  Or trying to find the exact person who came up with a fairy tale story or saga that was passed on orally before someone wrote it down and got credit/royalties for it.

Every third athlete interviewed during the US Olympic Trials was only competing against his- or herself..

[Meliss]

1 minute ago, Helene said:

It's a very common sentiment, and tracing it back is like tracing back common sayings and aphorisms that have equivalents across many languages.  Or trying to find the exact person who came up with a fairy tale story or saga that was passed on orally before someone wrote it down and got credit/royalties for it.

Every third athlete interviewed during the US Olympic Trials was only competing against his- or herself..

Thank you. And I really thought that the author was Baryshnikov).

[Fraildove]

On a side note, another saying that has been attributed to Makarova was said by many other dancers way before Makarova’s time:

 

If I miss class one day, I notice it

If I miss class for two days, my teacher notices

If i kiss class for three days, the audience (sometimes quoted as ‘world’) notices

[Helene]

I've also heard dancers say on social media clips for the second point:  "If I miss class for two days, my colleagues notice."  Or "my fellow dancers notice."

It befits an art from that is passed on from person-to-person and body-to-body to have these be passed from generation to generation.

[Meliss]

8 hours ago, Fraildove said:

On a side note, another saying that has been attributed to Makarova was said by many other dancers way before Makarova’s time:

 

If I miss class one day, I notice it

If I miss class for two days, my teacher notices

If i kiss class for three days, the audience (sometimes quoted as ‘world’) notices

 

8 hours ago, Helene said:

I've also heard dancers say on social media clips for the second point:  "If I miss class for two days, my colleagues notice."  Or "my fellow dancers notice."

It befits an art from that is passed on from person-to-person and body-to-body to have these be passed from generation to generation.

Thank you, it's interesting. 

And Nikolay Tsiskaridze said about ballet: " This is primarily a combination of unique natural abilities and a huge amount of work and luck. If there are no three matches, goodbye. At least one component is missing — it will not work".

Godunov sometimes had problems with the third component. I wonder if there is one more great dancer who was fired from the theater.

[lmspear]

3 hours ago, Meliss said:

I wonder if there is one more great dancer who was fired from the theater.

Nijinsky was famously fired from the Mariinsky for refusing to wear shorts over his tights during a performance.

[Meliss]

1 hour ago, lmspear said:

Nijinsky was famously fired from the Mariinsky for refusing to wear shorts over his tights during a performance.

A good company for Godunov! ☺️

[Fraildove]

Dancers getting fired: Suzanne Farrell, Gelsey Kirkland, Patrick Bissell, Sarah Lane, Paloma Herrera, Veronika Part, the list goes on. All Principal dancers.

[dirac]

Farrell wasn't fired -- at least not by Balanchine. She unwisely threatened to leave if Balanchine didn't cast her husband and was stunned when he said fine.

[Helene]

Technically Farrell wasn't fired; rather Balanchine made it untenable for her to remain by his actions toward her husband.  The number of Principal Dancers, including stars, who left companies because they were boxed in is a lot longer than dancers who were fired, ie let go during a contract period, and a lot longer than that is the list of dancers whose contracts were not renewed when the company had no obligation to do so.  In most instances, it is easier for a company to wait out the existing contract and then not renew it.

[dirac]

Mejia told Farrell he was quitting and ostensibly left her decision up to her, but although other people tried to talk her out of delivering an ultimatum I’ve seen no suggestion that Mejia was one of them. When they came back to New York later he was accepted at ABT, although he didn’t like it there and left. ABT might have been an option for him in 1969, but again, no evidence that he tried looking elsewhere. If he'd found something it might have made it possible for Farrell to stay with the company until the situation cooled down. Balanchine had told her it would be better for Mejia to leave and he did not want her to go, and it’s said that he was angrier with Mejia than he was with Farrell.

Obviously Balanchine shouldn’t have taken it out on him and obviously today Mejia would at least consider legal action, but different times.

[Helene]

Yes, she made her own decision based on the way her husband was treated.

 

[Meliss]

2 hours ago, Fraildove said:

Dancers getting fired: Suzanne Farrell, Gelsey Kirkland, Patrick Bissell, Sarah Lane, Paloma Herrera, Veronika Part, the list goes on. All Principal dancers.

Gelsey Kirkland, Patrick Bissell soon came back.

[Helene]

Patrick Bissell was fired.  He was then re-hired.  As was Kirkland.  However, he was re-hired more than she was.

[dirac]

Not to derail the thread, but she made her own decision based on her husband informing her that he was leaving and leaving her to make her decision in the midst of a high-tension situation. Mejia was young too, probably in well over his head, and one understands his feelings but instead of swallowing his humiliation and talking it over with her at home after the performance - as I imagine a hurt young wife thinking of her husband might have done - he dumps it all in her lap. Very Julian Craster.