In my relative youth, Edward Villella was one of my favorite dancers—and to tell you the truth I was more than a little bit in love with him. Here he talks—with his usual modesty—about what it’s like to be in … Continue reading →
I recently wrote about ballet dancer Violette Verdy, who died on February 8. At the time I wrote that post, I had not seen the following videos. In my post I mentioned Verdy’s astounding and unique musicality; I think these … Continue reading →
In 1941 George Balanchine choreographed the ballet “Concerto Barocco” to Bach’s Concerto in D minor for Two Violins. When I write “choreographed to,” I really mean it, because the dance has virtually no plot except to express the music, with … Continue reading →
Last night I got the urge to see a clip of the ballet “Dances at a Gathering,” which is on the short list of my favorite ballets of all time. It was choreographed by the musical theater and dance genius … Continue reading →
A while back I wrote a tribute to a ballet teacher of mine, Stanley Holden. A little recap is in order: One doesn’t ordinarily think of comedy in connection with ballet dancers, but Holden was a master of it, best … Continue reading →
I haven’t really kept up with the Bolshoi and other Russian dancers during the last decade or so, but YouTube has allowed me to start remedying that condition. In the past, I’ve often talked about how the quality of balletic … Continue reading →
I’ve never much cared for the ballet “The Dying Swan.” It’s not really a ballet; more like a short vignette. It was choreographed by Mikhail Fokine near the turn of the century (19th-20th) as a vehicle for international star Anna … Continue reading →
[NOTE: This is a repeat of a previous post. It highlights one of my favorites moments in the ballet repertory.] Ballet specializes in transformations. After all, it changes the human body from a lumbering earthbound thing into an ethereal yet … Continue reading →
…a creature was stirring. Last night was Christmas Eve. I was expecting a visit from my son, who was flying in as a rare treat. I had tidied up, and was putting on the finishing touches while waiting for him … Continue reading →
Promises, shmomises. I had said I would publish Part II of “Obama the coward?” today, but I got busier than I thought I’d be and it’s really too late to polish it up for today. So, something to look forward … Continue reading →
[NOTE: I thought you might enjoy a recycling of this old post, as a palate cleanser.] What’s a pirouette? Here’s the Wikipedia definition—and, as a former dancer, I can attest to its correctness: One of the most famous ballet movements; … Continue reading →
Anthony Dowell was a British dancer of rare qualities. I write “was” because, although he’s still alive, he’s in his seventies. But those who saw him in his heyday—and that includes me—remember. Dowell wasn’t known for bravura technique, although his … Continue reading →