I saw the Russian dancer Galina Ulanova perform in person when I was very little, not long before her retirement at the age of fifty. She remains unique among all the dancers I’ve ever seen in person or in video. … Continue reading →
Here’s a great rehearsal video of some Georgian (the Russian Georgia, not the US one) dancers [hat tip: commenter “g6loq”]. Usually they wear costumes that make it more difficult to see their bodies. It creates a nice illusion but hides … Continue reading →
“Caedmon” asks me to comment on this clip of Natalia Osipova’s fouettes. Let’s take a look and compare them to the ones shown in my previous post about those whiplike turns: I have to say I lke Osipova’s fouettes the … Continue reading →
I’ve written about the ballet step known as the fouette before, and so I’ll quote myself: The turn…is known as the fouette—a word that means “whip.”…The trajectory of the leg as it quickly unfolds leads the body into the turn … Continue reading →
Here’s an article on the laborious and idiosyncratic complexity of the relationship between pointe shoes and the ballet dancer. The shoes are hand-made (and for professional ballet dancers, custom-made) but they are not worn as is. There is a lengthy … Continue reading →
I’ve always liked this portrait of Madame X by John Singer Sargent: Here’s the story of the painting, thought quite scandalous at the time. The original was even more scandalous, because it featured the lady with a strap falling off … Continue reading →
A while back, Ann Althouse asked the question “why don’t we eat swans anymore?”: And it’s not because they don’t taste pretty darn good: “If you want to know how it tastes, it’s “delicious ”” deep red, lean, lightly gamey, … Continue reading →
I recently attended Boston Ballet’s new production of the old warhorse “Swan Lake,” and enjoyed it despite (or maybe because of?) the fact that I’ve seen the ballet about twenty-five times before, in many difference guises. I’ve seen companies from … Continue reading →
This young woman has seen enough upheaval to last ten lifetimes, and yet what a triumphant story. I don’t know about you, but it brings tears to my eyes: And here’s her autobiography. I haven’t read it, but the Amazon … Continue reading →
…can write a masterpiece within the confines of almost any restriction. Tchaikovsky was just that kind of genius. He was one of the greatest composers for ballet who ever lived, transforming ballet music from the light and inconsequential into the … Continue reading →
Here’s a clip of the finale of Paul Taylor’s “Esplanade,” one of the most beautiful dances I’ve ever seen. I’ve written at length about Taylor before, and about “Esplanade” in particular: If I write that in one of my favorite … Continue reading →
The first duo: And the second:
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