Ballet: passion or work?

[Meliss]

Deborah Trustman wrote in her article about M.Baryshnikov  in the New York Times Magazine  (April 11, 1982):

"He would not miss dancing, he says. ''Ballet is only my job. It's what I do. I have my life; it's completely separate.'' 

Is it typical of famous American dancers? Is ballet just work for them, not passion?

Edited July 1 by Meliss

[Helene]

It was true of Baryshnikov.  It’s hard to say whether or not it’s typical of any famous performing artist regardless of nationality unless they comment on it, and there haven’t been enough comments to make any conclusions.  

 

[Drew]

I guess this is a little speculative and I will try to stay within the rules, but I remain skeptical that this was true of Baryshnikov in any ordinary sense—whatever the word passion meant to him.  I sometimes wonder if he was simply trying to de-mythologize some of the discourse around him and also discourage the idea that his fame meant that the public somehow owned him—he is clearly insisting on his privacy. He took a long time to stop dancing for someone who claimed he wouldn’t miss it and he STILL hasn’t quit the theatrical stage or supporting other artists.
 

I do think that he had wide-ranging interests beyond ballet and was very drawn to new work IN ballet; he also became more interested in completely experimental dance works than in his classical roles. But his artistic involvement with and support of dance generally is intense to this day. And he has contributed to many dance artists—Lopatkina has spoken publicly about how he paid for a career saving surgery for her. For a rich guy to give money does not necessarily take passion, but founding an arts center that supports dance and traveling the world to perform  long past one’s classical career —both of which he has done—does take serious commitment and desire.
 

 

Edited July 2 by Drew

[Helene]

I wouldn't say it was true in an ordinary sense either: when the interview was given, he was a first-time father of a young child, but also involved with an A list Hollywood actress.  That would have opened the door wide to her friends in film, which is a very different performing art on a very different cadence.

He was also interested in so many arts.

I don't think, by then, that ballet was his greatest interest.  Around that time I saw him give indifferent performances in classical works, and engaged performances in Tharp. 

[Meliss]

15 hours ago, Helene said:

It was true of Baryshnikov.  It’s hard to say whether or not it’s typical of any famous performing artist regardless of nationality unless they comment on it, and there haven’t been enough comments to make any conclusions.  

 

Yes, you are right, but I have not seen similar statements in interviews with other famous dancers. As a rule, they all talk about their love of ballet.

[Meliss]

6 hours ago, Drew said:

 I sometimes wonder if he was simply trying to de-mythologize some of the discourse around him and also discourage the idea that his fame meant that the public somehow owned him—he is clearly insisting on his privacy.
 

I was surprised that, according to him, he wouldn't miss ballet if he left it.

6 hours ago, Drew said:

He took a long time to stop dancing for someone who claimed he wouldn’t miss it

 

It's his job).

6 hours ago, Drew said:

founding an arts center that supports dance and traveling the world to perform  long past one’s classical career —both of which he has done—does take serious commitment and desire.
 

Once Grigorovich was asked if it was possible to dance for a long time. He replied:  "It is possible to dance, but it's impossible to watch!"

[Helene]

Baryshnikov didn't stop dancing when he stopped dancing ballet:  he did a lot of modern/contemporary dance for more than 25 years after he made that statement.  He did less as he got older, which wasn't surprising, and he transitioned into theater work and the Baryshnikov Arts Center.

I always found it interesting that Kirkland wrote in her first book that his work with Balanchine was an experiment gone bad.  I agree about it causing tendonitis, which can shorten a career in any genre, but I really think she missed the mark, and that it was a process and exploration for him more than the results, which seemed to be beyond her comprehension, at least at the time.  ABT was having a hard time with trying to create a succession plan for Lucia Chase and without his name on the masthead, especially with the end of the dance boom.  At the same time, Balanchine had a lot of medical issues: besides the disease that killed him, he had at least one heart condition.  I can't imagine that any male dancer would have interested Balanchine like Kistler did at the time in any case, with time running out.  If Balanchine had been younger and healthier, though, it might have been a longer collaboration.

[Meliss]

12 minutes ago, Helene said:

Baryshnikov didn't stop dancing when he stopped dancing ballet:  he did a lot of modern/contemporary dance for more than 25 years after he made that statement.  He did less as he got older, which wasn't surprising, and he transitioned into theater work and the Baryshnikov Arts Center.

I always found it interesting that Kirkland wrote in her first book that his work with Balanchine was an experiment gone bad.  I agree about it causing tendonitis, which can shorten a career in any genre, but I really think she missed the mark, and that it was a process and exploration for him more than the results, which seemed to be beyond her comprehension, at least at the time.  ABT was having a hard time with trying to create a succession plan for Lucia Chase and without his name on the masthead, especially with the end of the dance boom.  At the same time, Balanchine had a lot of medical issues: besides the disease that killed him, he had at least one heart condition.  I can't imagine that any male dancer would have interested Balanchine like Kistler did at the time in any case, with time running out.  If Balanchine had been younger and healthier, though, it might have been a longer collaboration.

Maya Plisetskaya retired from the Bolshoi Ballet at the age of 65. Grigorovich's statement is also associated with her name. Of course, ballet is the art of the young.

When Baryshnikov left ABT for Balanchine, of course, he wanted to learn something new from him. According to Chernyshova, he vowed never to return to the ABT with its "outdated repertoire." 

Balanchine didn't work with him too much personally.

"Edward Villella has worked with Mr. Baryshnikov on “Rubies.” Sara Leland has worked with him on “Stars and Stripes,” and Mr. Martins has worked with him on “Coppelia.” Mr. Balanchine has scarcely worked with him at all, save for a rehearsal of “Coppelia” the other day, although certainly he is thinking about Mr. Baryshnikov and his astonishing talents".  https://www.nytimes.com/1978/07/16/archives/baryshnikov-and-balanchine-the-story-begins-baryshnikov-and.html

"an irony of his debut was that one reason he left the American Ballet Theater was that he no longer wanted to dance in works like “Coppelia.” 

In any case, Baryshnikov lasted only one season with Balanchine.

[Helene]

That article and quote was from July 1978, right after his debut with the company.  Like everyone else, he would have wanted Balanchine’s full attention, but he did get coached personally in other works as the next 15 months went by.  There is some footage in the Balanchine bio of Balanchine coaching him in the Prodigal’s return, for example. 

Balanchine wasn’t just Balanchine the man: it was his ballets and the dancers who’d originated their roles and/or was coached by him, and NYCB was also the Robbins rep.  ABT had very few of either aside from the small number ballets created for ABT.  He had a partnership with Patricia McBride, who was a Principal Dancer for nearly two decades by then, and who had many ballets choreographed for her and the man whose role he took, and well as extensive coaching in the rest of the rep by Balanchine; she’d danced most of it.  Even if his height hadn’t dictated it, he couldn’t have asked for a better one in the Company.

Between Baryshnikov’s injuries, Balanchine’s ill health, and ABT’s need, it wasn’t going to last.  But he got an immersion in something new to him, plus Robbins’ choreography for him, during his season plus with the company.