She said in a Time magazine article in the late 70's that she was really unsuited for dancing, she felt she had no natural flexibility, stretching her muscles left her in tears. Amazing ballerina.
She said herself in her first autobiography (which I own) that she was not "blessed" as a ballerina. Unlike someone like Natalia Makarova who was just born with all the advantages, Gelsey was an "ugly child who was remarkably unathletic". She said "I have to work hard at everything." She did... and she succeeded. She admits she did not have "natural talent". She acquired her ability through a lot of hard, hard, grueling work. Even Baryshnikov himself hand-picked her out of all these other ballerinas who wanted to dance with him. He referred to her as "the greatest ballerina of her generation". When she danced in Russia, the native danseuses there called her "a first-class ballerina". Just because you weren't born with it... doesn't mean you can't get it later in life.
Very beautiful rendition for this piece. For me, she displays a swan that is facing death with serenity, and not with anguish. This swan is not fighting, but accepting its destiny with grace.
I've been in love with Gelset Kirkland since I was 2, and I started taking lessons at 3, I'm now retired at 34 from dancing, I never dreamed I would of had so very much in common with her after hearing her story years ago. She is a legend, their will never be another dancer like Miss Kirkland.
as I am the same age as she, and an artist, and lived in the northeast, similar background, I really can understand a lot she talks about in Dancing on My Grave. It's a feeling you can't put into words.
I have been watching Gelsey Kirkland for several years. Her performance as a Ballerina is graceful, impressive and captivating. She has a beautiful face of an angel.
Glorious , probably the best I have seen. No over-emoting, beautiful soft port de bras, and a wonderful presence. She could have been one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20 century, but life, unfortunately got in the way!
When I was a child taking ballet I watched Gelsey Kirkland in as many ballets as I could. She is so beautiful, not just her technique and, grace, but her passion! No one has come close to her talent. She becomes her character emotionally too. Bravo.
Gelsey, who was seriously addicted to cocaine at this stage of her career, had this to say about the performance: "The drug turned simple pathos into something grotesque. The show was successful . . . Nobody even seemed to notice the strange look on the face of my swan. I felt like a cooked goose." [from Dancing on My Grave, page 242]
BRAVO!!BRAVISSIMO!!! VIVA GELSEY!!! I remember that evening well which was in the famous CARNEGIE HALL in New York city. I can testify that the ABSOLUTE silence in the hall was a testament to the great genius of LA KIRKLAND, whose interpretation of the famous Dying Swan is another jewel in the crown of her fame. The only thing she left out was at the very end which Fokine wanted and is the right hand drops to the floor palm UP. When I mentioned it to her, she replied: "Oh! Rats!!,I forgot!!!"
My god she is just wonderfull and fantastique to see magnifique artiste Edward Arckless ex Royal Oper Ballet Covent Garden London and conservatoire de Ville de Paris France
Recastoutlaw below says this wasnt Gelsey's best, that her leg was swollen from bad cocaine right before the perfornance. It always amazes me because she looked so good on stage, how can she dance so beautifully and be stoned. I cant imagine what Gelsey's career, life, and dancing would have been like if she had never been offered that first taste of drugs. Anyone who introduces an inocent person to drugs, has a special place in hell awaiting them.
Balanchine gave her pills so she could dance in pain. In an interview with Diane Sawyer on TH-cam she goes into the details. Then her boyfriend and fellow dancer got her hooked on cocaine.
Wonderful and love Kirkland, but just came from Pavlova who had watched swans for hours and who brought an animal quality to this dance bordering on mimicry but gut- wrenching at the same time. Pavlova far more modern than the dancers of the late 20th century.
Not Gelsey's best - and she herself admitted it. In her book Dancing on My Grave she says she was more like a cooked goose instead of a swan. She was also deep in her coke addiction and prior to this performance her leg had swollen up to twice the size due to a bad Coke batch. Gelsey disliked any ballet that didn't give her an emotional reason for dancing it. She also disliked Firebird and that costume she had to wear - she also never made her mark with Swan Lake. My analysis is - Gelsey didn't like playing a bird.
If my memory serves me right from reading Dance Magazine back in the early 80s the reason Gelsey didn't like dancing Swan Lake is because she t un like her sister Johnna she did not have a good / quintessential arabesque , just not her best line . I will admit she did have an amazing ponche, but she just did not have the facility for a sustained 90 degree arabesque .
@@havenizationOne of my ballet buddies saw what I think was her one Swan Lake ever with ABT. I saw her dance during this period, and while she was always a natural turner {may go with her perceived lack of flexibility}, she looked really unfocused.
@@tuulawestra1837 No dearest look at Gelsey in " Giselle " for the epitome in romantic era style ballet . Or see her in George Balanchine's "Theme and Variation" for the pentacle of classism with spit fire , petite allegro precision!!!. Or in Jerome Robbins " Other Dances " and Anthony Tudors " The leaves are fading" for an other worldly lyricism that when Russians try and dance this choreography look heavy and un musical. . Then you will recognize Gelsey was a complete ballerina !!! .I'll admit she may not have been the ultimate white Swan , I give that to the Chinese ballerina Yaun Yaun Tan . Principle of SFB . Butt Gelsey truly was the most well rounded ballerina in the many choreograph styles !
Beautiful, but a key aspect of The Dying Swan is that the ballerina remains up on point until the very last seconds, when the swan finally lays herself gently down, and dies.
That’s the most emotionally realistic dying swan I’ve seen. I feel like the sensitivity and emotional turmoil she struggled with in her life made her uniquely suited for this role… Doesn’t she look like she’s staring death directly in the face in the closeups?
She dances this beautifully, no question. But I have to say I have NEVER seen a swan move backwards like that. All of the time she spent on pointe must've crippled this poor dancer!
Stunning - I'm not surprised that her arms were so perfect - she researched and put so much thought into every tiny movement. But I am a tiny bit disappointed - I think it was too slow and mournful. I was surprised when I saw the Anna Pavlova film just how incredible she truly was. She looked like a dying swan, she really did. It seemed like she was fighting death, not giving in to it and just wounded or whatever. It really does make me cry (although this one almost did too.) You have to check it out! Although her technique was not as good, obviously, it didn't matter - she really was brilliant.
you do realize that she was high on cocaine during these concert appearances? Go read her book, she explains it all. Dancing on My Grave is out of print, but copies are available on amazon.
Interesting because I thought Gelsey was doing exactly that. She seemed more of a young swan rejecting her impending death rather than accepting it which is what I get from most interpretations. I wish the camera work had been better but glad to have this.
deenibeeniable close to whom? She gives her own interpretation, which is not inferior to Plisetskaya's at all. Different artists, different schools, different personalities.
![[HD] Tonya Harding - 1994 Lillehammer Olympic - Free Skating](/img/n.gif)
Beautiful, magical Gelsey. There will never be anyone else like her. She gave her whole self in every role.
Посмотрите Наталью Осипову. Думаю, вы будете рады увидеть, что и сейчас есть прекрасные удивительные балерины.
She is the one!!!; enormous artist!!! The best american ballet dancer!!!
Gelsey you are so loved
any real artist reaches the audience deeply. she had IT.
She was such a tremendous talent, I don't think we got to see all she could do
She said in a Time magazine article in the late 70's that she was really unsuited for dancing, she felt she had no natural flexibility, stretching her muscles left her in tears. Amazing ballerina.
I was noticing that she had some limited flexibility compared to other ballerinas. I wasn’t sure though.
She said herself in her first autobiography (which I own) that she was not "blessed" as a ballerina. Unlike someone like Natalia Makarova who was just born with all the advantages, Gelsey was an "ugly child who was remarkably unathletic". She said "I have to work hard at everything." She did... and she succeeded. She admits she did not have "natural talent". She acquired her ability through a lot of hard, hard, grueling work. Even Baryshnikov himself hand-picked her out of all these other ballerinas who wanted to dance with him. He referred to her as "the greatest ballerina of her generation". When she danced in Russia, the native danseuses there called her "a first-class ballerina". Just because you weren't born with it... doesn't mean you can't get it later in life.
Bravo🎉
My daughter was lucky that she was accepted into her Summer Intensive many years ago. Amazing Ballerina, Amazing person, Amazing teacher.
This was her lack of confidence speaking. This was simply beautiful.
Very beautiful rendition for this piece. For me, she displays a swan that is facing death with serenity, and not with anguish. This swan is not fighting, but accepting its destiny with grace.
Beautiful. Her arms truly became wings.
it is beauty like this that makes me grateful for film. thank goodness her performance is preserved,
Gelsie is the best American ballet dancer thus far.
I've been in love with Gelset Kirkland since I was 2, and I started taking lessons at 3, I'm now retired at 34 from dancing, I never dreamed I would of had so very much in common with her after hearing her story years ago. She is a legend, their will never be another dancer like Miss Kirkland.
as I am the same age as she, and an artist, and lived in the northeast, similar background, I really can understand a lot she talks about in Dancing on My Grave. It's a feeling you can't put into words.
Посмотрите Наталью Осипову. Удивительная балерина.
What I love about Gelsey is that she"feels" ...the dancing, the music, the character, and brings it all together..Bravo!
Brava Gelsey! So lovely, such arms, such dignity.
What an incredible, emotional performance. She made me cry.
I have been watching
Gelsey Kirkland for several years. Her performance as a Ballerina is graceful, impressive and captivating. She has a beautiful face of an angel.
SO BEAUTIFUL...made me cry..
Kelsey was such a beautiful dancer. Her artististery and athleticism are unmatched. Look and the movement in the hands and the feet.
So heartfelt and absolutely beautiful. Her arms are amazing ❤🙏
Glorious , probably the best I have seen. No over-emoting, beautiful soft port de bras, and a wonderful presence. She could have been one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20 century, but life, unfortunately got in the way!
She is one of the greatest, period!
Could have? She was.
She shows no sign of the pain she was in... just beautiful.
she does yes a bit.
When I was a child taking ballet I watched Gelsey Kirkland in as many ballets as I could. She is so beautiful, not just her technique and, grace, but her passion! No one has come close to her talent. She becomes her character emotionally too. Bravo.
Amazing, what a gorgeous ballerina!!
This made me tear up. I felt I was watching a Swan die.
I cant believe Ive never seen this before!
Stunning.
Absolutely stunning! Such control and finesse.
Gelsey I love watching you dance. You make it look easy ( which is so hard to do ), bless you and your second grace to keep dancing.
A Thing of Beauty..brings me to tears..😪😪🎁🎁💝💝🌸💐🌺🌻🌷🌸🍀🌾🐦🐦🎈🎈
Beautiful ❤️
Beautiful!
Unique and lovely. I like the minimalist approach as opposed to the usual angst and flutter.
I agree.
Yep
She’s always been my favorite ballerina. Not only a brilliant technician but such a tasteful artist. In this case less being more.
Magnificent!
how incredibly beautiful
Gelsey you make me so happy to be here with you.
Bravo Gelsey !
Magnificent.
thank you for uploading this, in the past has been hard to find vids of Gelsey, she is a wonderful actress as well as dancer.
Very soulful and beautiful dancer!
her dying swan is spectacular, such emotion, applause applause applause
Omg. Incredible
Love Gelsey
Wonderful performance! Very elegant!
Thanks for posting. It brought me to tears. Her arms!
Perfection
Wow! She makes it look so easy and effortless.
Beautiful and expressive:) What a talent!!!!
Gelsey, who was seriously addicted to cocaine at this stage of her career, had this to say about the performance: "The drug turned simple pathos into something grotesque. The show was successful . . . Nobody even seemed to notice the strange look on the face of my swan. I felt like a cooked goose." [from Dancing on My Grave, page 242]
BRAVO!!BRAVISSIMO!!!
VIVA GELSEY!!!
I remember that evening well which was in the famous CARNEGIE HALL in New York city. I can testify that the ABSOLUTE silence in the hall was a testament to the great genius of LA KIRKLAND, whose interpretation of the famous Dying Swan is another jewel in the crown of her fame. The only thing she left out was at the very end which Fokine wanted and is the right hand drops to the floor palm UP. When I mentioned it to her, she replied:
"Oh! Rats!!,I forgot!!!"
P.S. The violin solo was by ISAAC STERN ,who at the time was the President of the HALL and personally extended the invitation to La KIRKLAND.
MrQbenDanny Gracias por la información!
Deneb235 I left out it was a gala honors in the centennial of Carnegie Hall which opened in 1891 the gala took place exactly 100 years later in 1991.
Wow, two genius` then! Thanks for this information.
MrQbenDanny ghhhhhjjj
Kirkland es DIVINA !
A goddess
This dance always makes me burst into tears. Always. Why did the swan have to die?
Good to see her again
Is that Isaac Stern on violin? What a glorious and poignant rendition of the dying swan. Brava Ms. Kirkland!
I believe it is Stern. As much as I love Kirkland, Stern really out shone her here.
Yes, the late Isaac Stern, a fortunate, too brief glimpse.
What an artist!
Great just great
My god she is just wonderfull and fantastique to see magnifique artiste
Edward Arckless ex Royal Oper Ballet Covent Garden London and conservatoire de Ville de Paris France
Thanks for this.
Recastoutlaw below says this wasnt Gelsey's best, that her leg was swollen from bad cocaine right before the perfornance.
It always amazes me because she looked so good on stage, how can she dance so beautifully and be stoned.
I cant imagine what Gelsey's career, life, and dancing would have been like if she had never been offered that first taste of drugs. Anyone who introduces an inocent person to drugs, has a special place in hell awaiting them.
It was Balenchine
Yes, drugs brought a lot of chaos into her life.
@@me67226 No, it was Patrick Bissell
Balanchine gave her pills so she could dance in pain. In an interview with Diane Sawyer on TH-cam she goes into the details. Then her boyfriend and fellow dancer got her hooked on cocaine.
Her dancing was beautiful even with the difficulties. But she is so emaciated, the costume just hangs off of her.
Wonderful and love Kirkland, but just came from Pavlova who had watched swans for hours and who brought an animal quality to this dance bordering on mimicry but gut- wrenching at the same time. Pavlova far more modern than the dancers of the late 20th century.
Not Gelsey's best - and she herself admitted it. In her book Dancing on My Grave she says she was more like a cooked goose instead of a swan. She was also deep in her coke addiction and prior to this performance her leg had swollen up to twice the size due to a bad Coke batch. Gelsey disliked any ballet that didn't give her an emotional reason for dancing it. She also disliked Firebird and that costume she had to wear - she also never made her mark with Swan Lake. My analysis is - Gelsey didn't like playing a bird.
If my memory serves me right from reading Dance Magazine back in the early 80s the reason Gelsey didn't like dancing Swan Lake is because she t un like her sister Johnna she did not have a good / quintessential arabesque , just not her best line . I will admit she did have an amazing ponche, but she just did not have the facility for a sustained 90 degree arabesque .
How can bad cocaine make your leg swell? Just curious.
@@yvonneleslie7681
I don't know unless she was injecting it in the veins of that leg. I have no idea.
@@havenizationOne of my ballet buddies saw what I think was her one Swan Lake ever with ABT. I saw her dance during this period, and while she was always a natural turner {may go with her perceived lack of flexibility}, she looked really unfocused.
The best ballerina of all time. Still.
No dear, any Russian is better, look at their swan.
What Gelsey dosnt do for swan she more then makes up for it in Giselle , surpassing even Russians !
That’s an incredibly ignorant statement, Tuula Westra. You can’t possibly know very much about classical ballet.
@@tuulawestra1837 No dearest look at Gelsey in " Giselle " for the epitome in romantic era style ballet . Or see her in George Balanchine's "Theme and Variation" for the pentacle of classism with spit fire , petite allegro precision!!!. Or in Jerome Robbins " Other Dances " and Anthony Tudors " The leaves are fading" for an other worldly lyricism that when Russians try and dance this choreography look heavy and un musical. . Then you will recognize Gelsey was a complete ballerina !!! .I'll admit she may not have been the ultimate white Swan , I give that to the Chinese ballerina Yaun Yaun Tan . Principle of SFB . Butt Gelsey truly was the most well rounded ballerina in the many choreograph styles !
Beautiful, but a key aspect of The Dying Swan is that the ballerina remains up on point until the very last seconds, when the swan finally lays herself gently down, and dies.
Number 1 Gelsey fan , I am not feeling this and that's ok !
More Gelsey
That’s the most emotionally realistic dying swan I’ve seen. I feel like the sensitivity and emotional turmoil she struggled with in her life made her uniquely suited for this role… Doesn’t she look like she’s staring death directly in the face in the closeups?
Could that be Isaac Stern playing the violin?!?
She dances this beautifully, no question. But I have to say I have NEVER seen a swan move backwards like that. All of the time she spent on pointe must've crippled this poor dancer!
She took Maya's Plisetskaya swan as a model🥰
Belle
anyone know what year?
Where did you find this treasure?
Man alive, that's Issac Stern playing the Violin.....
They stand for so much less these days...
interesting. usually it's a cello instead of a violin.
Ya i thought it was odd with a violin. it sounds better with a cello lol
Sound?
Isaac Stern on violin
I got chills hearing Stern play. Other worldly.
Stunning - I'm not surprised that her arms were so perfect - she researched and put so much thought into every tiny movement. But I am a tiny bit disappointed - I think it was too slow and mournful. I was surprised when I saw the Anna Pavlova film just how incredible she truly was. She looked like a dying swan, she really did. It seemed like she was fighting death, not giving in to it and just wounded or whatever. It really does make me cry (although this one almost did too.) You have to check it out! Although her technique was not as good, obviously, it didn't matter - she really was brilliant.
you do realize that she was high on cocaine during these concert appearances? Go read her book, she explains it all. Dancing on My Grave is out of print, but copies are available on amazon.
Interesting because I thought Gelsey was doing exactly that. She seemed more of a young swan rejecting her impending death rather than accepting it which is what I get from most interpretations. I wish the camera work had been better but glad to have this.
Better dancing through chemistry. "The Coked up Swan" does not do much for me.
There aren't enough boxes of tissues fore right now.
You are a gift from god
Grace et noblesse envers la fatalite. Elle me rappelle un peu l' interpretation de Galina Ulanova.
It would be nice if you got her first name correctly
Seriously.
Not her best. There was no emotion. But I am a fan of hers.
Beautiful performance, but the dress was too big on her.
the costume doesn't seem quite right, yes.
Awful to cut out part of the body.
Badly filmed.
I did not see any emotion....
What are you talking about?
All the emotion was in her movement. He must be shortsighted!!
Sorry, but I had seen better performances than this one.
Even wayyy coked up she took artistic risks here, risks only a virtuoso can take. But the drugs show here and bring it a bit down.
Awful costume.
Not even close. Plisetskaya owns this.
deenibeeniable close to whom? She gives her own interpretation, which is not inferior to Plisetskaya's at all. Different artists, different schools, different personalities.
Oh please.
Plisetskaya's rrendition too butch for my taste.
@@sedekiman That's a new one.