Your kid shows good taste, I think. I also think that in general, people hunger for beauty.

I love those Fantasia dance sequences. They’re not only very funny, but they are spot on about movement. Nowadays computers can mimic movement. Back then it required a keen human.

Yes, we know Fantasia. We actually dug out the ‘making of’ discs from the set recently and saw (among other things) the animators working with a dancer to get the movements down right.

Fonteyn definitely had more elegance and control, very noticeable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rChzhB5I4_8

An Evening with the Royal Ballet, Rudolf Nureyev, Margot Fonteyn, 1963

Again I ask, how can I repay you.

Oh, wait. Maybe I already did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=42&v=D86sey40ZD0

Fourth Act from the ballet Swan Lake (excerpt)

Well, I just watched a 3-minute Swan Lake sequence from the movie, and although I probably won’t be watching any more, I have to say that the ballet parts are drawn more correctly than most cartoon renditions, although of course there’s nothing realistic about it.

The best cartoon spoof of ballet by far, on the other hand, is from “Fantasia.” I don’t know whether you’re familiar with it, but I discuss some clips here. The Disney animators—who didn’t have computers—mimic ballet movement so well, and with such humor.

My kid has recently developed an interest in ballet & classical music due to a Japanese anime (me – a what?) called Princess Tutu (me – cringe) which is sort of based on Swan Lake with other folklore/ballet stories mixed in. The music, being all classical and mostly ballet compositions is fabulous, (I spotted Swan Lake, Prokofiev (R&J), Mugusorky, Beethover, and Dance Macabre whoever composed that) and the studio worked with a professional ballet corp somewhere to get movements and mime right. They draw the grace of Fonteyn in their dancers.

It may strike you as a horrible mishmash – I discovered it grew on me as I was obliged to watch it, to be able to discuss it, and it did give the kid an appreciation for ballet and classical music previously missing. Now, though, the complaint is that no modern dancers do it that way, they’re too busy performing. —

but if you ever took a look at it, I’d be interested in your response. (start at the end and work backwards. I’d never have stuck through watching if I hadn’t done that.)

Yes, the fourth act of Swan Lake can be astoundingly beautiful. It’s almost a mood piece, and the music is sublime.

I think you will enjoy this and this.