And now for a change of pace: Giselle through the ages
I find I need a bit of refreshment and rest from the nonstop gloom of the news. My idea of relaxation is to look at a few old ballet clips.
“Giselle” is one of those old-fashioned warhorses that people like to mock, the conventions of the ballet being both ancient (choreographed in 1841, it’s one of the oldest in existence) and sentimental. But to ballet lovers “Giselle” is the “Hamlet” of traditional ballet, rich with psychological depth, sorrow, betrayal, and redemption.
My first viewing of “Giselle” was as a tiny child, and I was bored nearly to tears. It was memorable, though, because it was one of the final performances of the British ballerina Alicia Markova, who had been a student of my British dance teacher in New York. And thus it was that my mother and I were allowed to go backstage to meet her and get an autograph. Markova, who was probably in her mid-40s at the time, looked tired and old and rather scary to me, since she was painfully thin and still in her garish stage makeup.
I’ve searched for a video of Markova dancing the role of Giselle in her prime. But alas, all I could find was the following, which shows her about as I saw her. She is performing Giselle’s famous variation from Act I, in which she happily dances for her new love, blissfully unaware of the tragedy that lies ahead. Note the very British restraint in Markova’s dancing; it is most definitely not my cup of tea:
Next is a rare clip of a fragment of the same variation danced by an even earlier ballerina, the Russian Olga Spessivtzeva, who performed from 1913 to 1939. She was one of the earliest exemplars of the modern type of line—long, lean, and elegant (the dancing doesn’t start till 00:27):
And here is my very favorite, Carla Fracci. I saw her dance this ballet in person many times during the 1960s and 1970s, as well as in the movie from which this clip comes. She never had the strongest technique. But it was fully adequate to her needs, which were to express all the charm and radiance of which a human being is capable:
Wonderful post! I saw Makarova’s Giselle and Facci’s, at least in this film, was much more engaging.
Yes. I saw Makarova (as opposed to Markova) many times as well, and she was quite good but never hearbreaking and all-too-human, like Fracci. Fracci, IMHO, was not only the best Giselle ever, but the best that could ever be imagined.
Neo, what, no Margot Fonteyn? I know nothing about ballet other than I like what I see, but I’d be interested in your take on her, Giselle or otherwise.
GeoPal: I would have tried to include Fonteyn, but You Tube only had a video of her in the second or “white” act of the ballet. I wanted to compare the same variation. Fonteyn occupies a middle ground for me: less restrained than Markova and quite charming and natural, but she’s not up there with Fracci in my opinon.
Ulanova was another one I could have included, but the videos at You Tube are just too long, and I couldn’t find the variation in question. She is a trifle too mannered for me, especially in some of her coy head movements. But it was partly the era, I think. She has a remarkable airy lightness, as you can see in this clip. It’s from the 50s, when she was in her 40s.
I haven’t seen a recent dancer to compare with either Fracci or Ulanova or many of the older interpreters of the roles. The technique is fabulous and steely, but the incredible acting and sense of magic just isn’t there. I haven’t seen too many ballets lately, though, so if anyone can guide me to a younger dancer who’s got the right stuff, I’d appreciate it.
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Enough already. Get some manly man’s dancing in here. Report on clog dancing!
Venderleuen be careful, she may put up rahm..
sad, but today, the kind of early discipline needed to create a prima balerina and change her bone structure would be seen as abuse…
people believe that the drive is amazing in one so young, when whats really amazing is the lack of it in one that is older. in fact to many of them the kind of drive that it takes to exceed (i wont say succeed as there are many who are close in talent and certainly similar in drive and work, who basically are dead bodies on the highway that never got there).
motivation
even Maslow didnt hammer it down… though i do like chapters 11 and 12 where he takes a side bar to describe a special kind of person which the left thinks they actually are!!! but they arent, if they were, they wouldnt have such contempt for people, and they certainly wouldnt view them as things to control and hurt that way. the 50 character german word that he used to describe how like a parent they saw others as children. if those on the left who think they are this way actually were, they would be very abusive parents, soffocating and crippling in so many ways to their children.
the old broad form of education (which i earned by myself), is what creates those kinds of people. edited, malformed, censored education is what creates people whose heads are so full of themselves that they think that they are that, and yet, are so not that.
and said in my worst stilted shatner immitation:
too compelling to write more – have – to – – go
ack… a sentence or two got axed out by my over quick trying to edit.
the kind of drive that it takes to exceed seem to be completely lacking and generally exists in a fantasy of themselves.
and the book i was cryptically referring to was Motivation and Personality by abraham maslow…
beautiful .. I especially loved the last two.
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I am entirely illiterate in the area of dance… Thanks so much for posting your commentary along with the clips, so I can notice the things that matter, and expand my horizons thereby. (Vocal music is my gig.)
OK, so I’m just not refined and demure. Although I truly admire the skill, ability, and practice, practice, practice required to perform ballet on any scale (much less world class) it is just not my cup of tea.
br549: Not all ballet is demure, by any means, although the older works tend to be. But some dancers are not demure no matter what they’re dancing. You might want to take a look at my posts on Maya Plisetskaya, here and here.
artfldgr: Agree with you about the “dead bones on on the side of the highway” comment. My daughter is a dancer who is headed to college next year. I still appreciate the beauty of ballet, but as a parent I cringe when I think about the internal fortitude required to ENDURE unspeakable things along the way to a possible professional career.
vanderleun: clog dancing you say? How about this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMn2TuvW_M8
La Fille Mal Gardee is one of my all time favorites. It has all the essentials: clog dancing, thrown cabbages, etc. (what can I say, I’m an engineer AND a Morris dancer).
This Royal Ballet version is fun, but Boston Ballet uses real wooden clogs – much nicer percussive sound, albeit trickier to dance on.
…. and dancing chickens! How could I forget the dancing Chickens?!
I wish her the best of luck ERB!!!
I once went out with a choreographer whose body (yes she knew) was never what anyone would want for regular dance jobs given what is selected. but she ran her dance school and was upbeat and didnt have a bad life, though she didnt have it easy either.
GeoPal, dance critics pretty much agree that Fonteyn didn’t shine in Giselle as she did in other ballets, such as Swan Lake, Ondine, Sleeping Beauty, etc. And yes Neo, I think Carla is just wonderful and I am glad others appreciate her.
neo; thanks.
Man, that’s gotta hurt though. My toes ache just watching.