In fact, he might just be the greatest male ballet dancer who ever lived. Such comparisons are subjective, after all. When I was young (probably some time in the 1960s) I saw Vasiliev dance in person, along with many other … Continue reading →
It’s been raining today.
Continue reading →This post was sparked by this question from commenter “IrishOtter49”: This is a serious question. Can women with an, er, “ample” bust be ballet dancers? Commenter “om” replied thusly: If you are jumping, spinning, bending at the waist, rapidly at … Continue reading →
I’ve recently discovered a YouTube channel featuring two sisters, dancers who speak about ballet. They are delightful as well as knowledgeable, in their very early twenties, and I’ve been having a good time watching their videos. I was going to … Continue reading →
This “Bacchante” variation from Walpurgis Nacht was Maya Plisetkaya’s forte, and nobody else is Plisetskaya or even close. But many give the variation a try, especially in dance competitions where they face a particularly daunting task: to perform the variation … Continue reading →
First of all, I dislike this particular ballet variation even when adult soloists perform it. It’s herky-jerky and show-offy in a sharp and to me unpleasant way. There’s a tendency for the women to look as though they’re ferociously looking … Continue reading →
… named Chloe Helimet has a lovely lyrical upper body for her age, and a calm presence. The variation she’s dancing is harder than it looks because the slow tempo requires so much control. Her feet are unusually flexible, which … Continue reading →
Serenade is one of my favorite ballets. It was the first ballet Balanchine choreographed in the US – in 1934, ninety years ago, although it’s timeless – and one of his very greatest as well as one of the greatest … Continue reading →
For me, it was easy to see what was unusual about this dancer’s fouettes – because of my long ballet background which includes some teaching. The narrator explains somewhat, but I’ll add that holding the arms above the head increases … Continue reading →
I don’t know the year, but I estimate this to have been filmed about 100 years ago. Pavlova had a poor turnout and weak ankles; her technique would be utterly unacceptable in a professional ballet dancer today. But she sure … Continue reading →
Evolution? More like devolution. Maybe the technique gets better, but who cares? The incomparable Fracci, the first on the video (1971), is the only one whose dancing really interests me. Notice also that she dances faster than the others. Over … Continue reading →