I had the honor of meeting Margot Fonteyn and she was not only supremely talented but one of the most gracious people you could ever hope to meet. I also was on stage ( as a super) doing one of the noble courtier ladies in Giselle on Rudolf Nureyev’s 50th birthday. He was filling in last minute for an ill dancer with ABT in Los Angeles. I was blessed to get to dance with Barishnikov briefly because my partner did not know the role and Barishnikov kindly came onto the stage to show him his part. It was an out of body experience that I will never forget. He actually asked me if he could dance with me! What a gentleman.
As a disabled kid who couldn't walk properly and had to do physio 3 times a week, ballet made absolutlely no impression on my life at all.....until I moved house and was under a different set of doctors, one of whom had a relative who ran a small provincial ballet class at the end of my street and my mum enrolled me, assured that the exercise would be good for my legs. At this point I had never even seen a ballet. I did my lessons diligently with no idea still as to what it was I was actually doing and where all this exercise was leading until, after a small family emergency, I was sent to my grandmother's house on the edges of London for a few weeks. I was obsessed with my new hobby and chattered on about it and it was readily apparent to my nana that I had no clue as to what ballet was.....so she booked us seats to see Fonteyn and Nuryev perform Romeo and Juliet. This was the mid-60's. Nana said I sat eyes wide, tears rolling down my little face and completely lost in the moment watching these two greats perform one of their signature ballets. So THAT was what I was doing? Wow! I never became a ballerina (not without trying though but I was way too tall) yet I am still obsessed with ballet to this day - I am now 65 - and still do my stretches regularly. I always did love the discipline and the grace of ballet and still love everything about it to this day. And yes, every time I watch 'A Chorus Line' and the girls sing that song, 'Everytjing is Beautiful at the Ballet', I find myself nodding in agreement and shedding a tear or two. Thanks for your video, ladies.
@alixedent7127 I just turned 64 and continue to take class with the junior academy where I taught for 14 years and danced as a soloist with the city ballet. Ballet is a lifelong passion!
I saw an interview with Margot Fonteyn, maybe from the 1970's, where she talked about how Nureyev partnered her. She said something like: 'You had to be absolutely on your leg, because he wasn't going to save you...he had his own stuff to do. And that's part of what made it so exciting to watch.'
I saw him in St Louis with a different ballerina (I can't recall who) a million years ago, who made some mistake and sitting up close where I was, you could see his lips tighten and the disapproval on his face. What a talent but yikes!
Love the list wish u had one more spot for Gelsey Kirkland. She is so underrated, and she judged so unfairly. She survived so much while improving her technique,and artistry.
My grandmother saw Pavlova dance when she was a young girl. Her love of ballet inspired my aunt to dance professionally and nearly every girl in my family since has danced, me included. Ballet lives in my heart forever even though I haven't danced for thirty years. Love your channel ❤
Don't be jealous, but I literally bumped into Baryshnikov coming out of the elevator at the New York CIty LIbrary at LIncoln Center. I also got a dirty look from Nureyev when I went back stage to say hello to a friend who was a principal dancer with the Martha Graham Company, with which Nureyev was guest performing. (I also saw both of them dance numerous times in a variety of roles over the years. The videos don't do justice to their stage presence and magnatism!)
That's what I was going to say, not that I met them, but I was lucky enough to see them perform, and Dame Fonteyn. My father was a crazy opera and classical music fan, and I mean obsessed. I don't think there is a question he couldn't answer about opera and classical music. The good thing is that he took us to see many performances at Covent Garden and the Coliseum about 20 minutes by tube from where we lived. He was also smart enough to know that taking very young girls to see a performance, that ballet was going to be more interesting than opera. I didn't appreciate at the time just how fortunate I was to see the stars of the ballet and opera worlds. I remember the defections, they happened in gymnastics and figure skating too, and always caused a buzz. I remember when Margot Fonteyn became Dame Margot Fonteyn. My mother, on the other hand, never forgave me for not getting into the Royal Ballet School. I don't even know why I auditioned, my teacher must have laughed in her face when she suggested it. My best friend was the class star, of course she got in, and she's the only reason I got to audition, so I'm thankful for that. The only reason I wanted to get in, was the uniform was so cute. I remember they had white socks with little maroon crushed velvet bows on them...I didn't deserve a place. Great video, beautiful clips and you guys are always interesting and you have an energy together that comes over so well. Great job and thank you. 🩰
Margot Fonteyn could not retire because her Panamanian husband was shot and paralysed from the neck down. They were broke and she had to dance to pay the bills. She was very lucky that Nureyev defected when he did because he helped her to keep on dancing and earning.
I think he organised a benefit for her when he realised she was struggling, as a widow still in Panama with not much left in the bank. I remember her appearing with Ashton (?) in a specially choreographed ballet (mostly walking) to music by Delius. I'm going back a bit so apologies if I'm completely wrong here!
merci ! elle a changé la façon de danser des ballerines, surtout pour son fameux 6 o'clock, mais pas seulement , même si certains ne retiennent que cet aspect "gymnaste" de son style. C'est surtout son incroyable présence sur scène (qu'il est presque impossible à copier), sa rapidité et son interprétation des rôles qui sont importants dans son "héritage". (she did change the way every ballerina try to dance nowadays, with her crazy extensions, the famous 6 o'clock, but most importantly a huge presence on stage, big attitude, boldness, curiosity, livelyness and interpretation of the roles) ....
On TH-cam you can see Fonteyn dancing Salut d'amour, a ballet created for her by Frederick Ashton for her 60th (!) birthday gala at the Royal Ballet. That occasion was the only time the ballet was ever performed. Those arms! Those hands!! Those eyes!!! There's a surprise at the end that I won't spoil. A must-see.
I attended that gala - it was a beautiful evening. Fonteyn wasn't the most technically gifted assoluta, but her artistry was off the charts. Today's students need to understand that pure artistry is not about multiple turns and 'high kicks'.
Barishnikov! I adored White Nights! Seeing this magical ballet danseur performing tap with the amazingly talented Gregory Hines and doing every bit as well...astounding! I loved this look through the Ballet Hall of Fame. More?
I sat in in the first row behind the conductor, twice, for Baryshnikov and Patricia McBride in NYCB's 1980 performances of Coppelia. Kennedy Center, Washington DC. I also saw Baryshnikov dance Push Comes to Shove, a Twyla Tharp comedy ballet with the corps dancing to baroque classical music while Baryshnikov danced to a jazz rhythm in his head. The ultimate Baryshnikov performance in my life was ABT's Giselle. Alessandra Ferri was Giselle, Cynthia Harvey was Queen of the Willis. Long ago.
I remember the shock of Nureyev's defection from the USSR. It gave me the dream/hope of being able to see him dance. I was able to live that dream when I was in my 20s; at the time Nureyev was already quite a pop star and getting a ticket to his Los Angeles performance was quite a feat.
Consider Hall of Fame for Maya Plisetskaya, Vahktang Chabukani, Galina Ulanova, and Natalia Makarova. Sylvie Guillem was like Baryshnikov, she danced beyond ballet but was always a ballet luminary. When it comes to American dancers, Gelsey Kirkland videos would be appreciated too. Gelsey's dance career was too short but I still recall the performances I saw.
That image of the spotlight moving across the stage while the music played, highlighting what was lost after Pavlova’s death, made me tear up. What a sad, lovely send off
Anna Pavlova was so famous at the time, even in Australia (or New Zealand) that they create a "swan like cake", a white meringue with chantilly cream, the Pavlova, in her honor .. This cake is making a big come back, here in France at least ........
@@denisehill7769 it is sad, dancers are so dependent on the present moment, their art and skills are fading away, until it is recorded .. like now, we can have a glance at their performances on YT ! Many great dancers are forgotten like Maia Plissetsakia, Gelsey Kirkland, Tanaquil Leclercq, Violette Verdy, etc, etc, and they don't even have a cake to celebrate their genius !
In both Australia and New Zealand the pavlova is considered a national dessert, which leads to some (mostly) friendly arguing about who was first 😂 It’s been popular in both countries ever since I can remember but I’m not sure how well-known Pavlova herself is. In France do you usually add fruit or other toppings? We usually add fruit!
@@EmL-kg5gn here too we are adding fruits like passion fruit or mandarine segments (for the tangy taste) or red fruits also. It so yummy when the meringue is not too crispy and stays chewy (like the cookies) !
Yes!! We want a Nureyev Miss Piggy break down. I'd also like to see your mashup of favorite Nutcracker scenes/choreography/costumes. Every year we watch at least 10 different versions, and can't pick our favorite because we like one part of each. This was so much fun to watch. Before we started we guessed who you was going to be highlighted. We only missed Nijinsky.
I suggest that you research and present on one of your videos the five Native American Ballerinas. Very interesting and it will never happen again with five Native American ballerinas who were born in Oklahoma and all five went to different parts of the world in different companies and rose to the rank of Ballerina. The Four Moons Ballet was created for four of the ballerinas. Marjorie Tallchief, Yvonne Chouteau, Rosella Hightower, and Moscelyn Larkin. Maria Tallchief was not available at the time. She was the ballerina for George Balanchine and one of his five ballerina wives during his lifetime. Rosella Hightower became the Director of the Paris Opera Ballet, which was pretty amazing at that time. The University of Oklahoma Dance Department was established by Yvonne Chouteau and her husband, Miguel Terekhov. There are two scholars at OU in the process of writing books about Yvonne Chouteau - her career, her pedagogy; her great influence on young dancers, etc. The OU Dance Department has a lot of research materials to learn more about those ballerinas. They are part of ballet history and the pride of the state of Oklahoma. In case you are looking for a topic for one of your You Tube videos…..
Wonderful to read this post from a true classical ballet afficianado with an encyclopedic knowledge of ballerinas that is not confined to 'the usual suspects'. I am old enough(!!) to have seen some you mention dance live. Thank you so much.
The Tallchief Foundation is sponsoring my two granddaughters who are 5 and 6. I am Lakota, my granddaughters are also Kiowa , Pawnee along with Sac and Fox and Muskogee Creek. There is unfortunately, a lot of pressure from ballet promoters who want my granddaughters to recreate the "sisters" dynamic that Marjorie and Maria Tallchief had. I would much rather they stay within our culture and dance at powwows.
I think that our two "Ballet Reign sisters" forget a very important ballet of Nijinsky (he also did the choreography), the prélude à l'après midi d'un faune (= afternoon of a faun) with the music of Debussy. This ballet also provoked a scandal because of the last scene. The costumes, stage settings and scenography were also a revolution at the time.
One huge change that Nureyev made in how danseurs danced was in using a very high relevé for pirouettes and also placing the working leg in a high retiré. In Barbara Newman‘s “Striking a Balance: Dancers Talk About Dancing“ (1982), former ABT principal dancer Bruce Marks Talks about the reaction of a lot of male dancers to this innovation of Nureyev’s. According to him, they felt that it smacked too much of female technique, and they thought it was funny. But it caught on, and they all had to start learning to do pirouettes that way. (I read this book ages ago, so I’m not 100% sure that it was Bruce Marx who made those comments about Nureyev, but that’s my recollection.) If you can find a copy of that book, it’s very interesting reading. A couple of other interviewees were Antoinette Sibley and Lynn Seymour. I loved reading Sibley’s reactions to seeing the Kirov Ballet and Ulanova for the first time.
Ah I'm VERY interested in hearing about expressionism vs technical mastery PRETTY PLEASE. I just discovered this chancel. You guys are so smart & funny!
Anna Pavlova was the inspiration for the Australian dessert called Pavlova: a dry meringue slathered with whipped cream, topped with sliced strawberries.
From what I have observed when hearing Baryshnikov speak on TH-cam, I think that he may actually be quite humble and does not like to be put on a pedestal. I think that he seems highly self critical and clearly had a thirst for discovering new ways of thinking about ballet. His body seems proportionally perfect for dance and it reminds me of Leonardo Da Vinci's Vitruvius Man in a circle. I am not a ballet dancer but I enjoy listening to your discussing ballet history and the various techniques and commentary.
The first performance I saw live was National Ballet of Canada Sleeping Beauty with Nureyev at the Shrine Auditorium in LA. I don’t know how many times I saw Baryshnikov on stage but always amazing (Giselle with Gelsey was incredible). Also met him at a party in San Diego in the mid 80’s at an ABT company party (a dance partner at the time was a former ABT dancer).
There is so much more to roles in the ballet than technique. Of course there must be a technique, but the transforming of the character into a performance is the greatest asset a dancer can have.
Marvelous video, girls! I still remember sitting in the audience when white nights Played and Baryshnikov danced across the screen with Hines in the tap dance sequence. The finish that Baryshnikov gave each movement was so refined that he made Hines look like a amateur. It was fascinating to watch.
Would love to see a future video about famous ballerinas/danseurs and historical dancers who started at a later age anything between beginning as teens like Misty Copeland, to 20s, or even older.
Awww i really enjoyed this video as I just read a little of a few of these ballet historical legends in a book. Nijinksky’s riot of spring, the tragedy of Pavlova (my heart ached when i heard her story😢) and Taglioni! I also read that Taglioni had a protoge Emma Livry who also had her ballet career ended tragically due to not safe stage lights and flammable tutus. *wince* let me tell you I shuddered when I read that story. Anyway great video! Always fun ballet nerding with you guys!
What a Great List! ❤ I remember being really little (one of my first memories) and my parents letting me stay up to watch Barishnykov’s Nutcracker! It was an EVENT, every Christmas for probably the first 10 years of my life (to watch his Nutcracker on tv)! ✨✨✨
I've watched quite a bit of footage taken of dancers in the early days of film; while their technique couldn't possibly cut the mustard today, I also feel we've lost out on the artistry somewhat (not totally obviously!!!). The athleticism of modern ballet dancers is amazing, the way they have pushed through the limitations of the human body is a tribute to years of damn hard work....but I sometimes feel that the portrayal of characters has sometimes taken second place to the flamboyant technique. This isn't new though, think of Legnani and her fouettees!
LETS BRING THE CONVERSATION FROM 8:14 TO THE CHAT YES PLEASEEEEE. I see way too many talented dancers who don’t have the “full” package not ever given a chance to be seen bcs we’re looking for “perfection” and a balance between everything. But i feel like sometimes the imbalance of certain qualities is exactly what can elevate a performance because you may not have been expected to enjoy it so much. which is where i think using ballerinas who don’t fit the mold (non hyperextended knees and low insteps in exchange for a virtuous jump, such as new stars like renata shakirova of the mariinsky) really come in handy. it’s not the long Zakharova like legs we’re dying to see but there’s still beautiful lines there and individual curves of that persons leg and anatomy that are beautiful in its own way and can still produce a highly watchable and enjoyable aesthetic especially when they have artistry, character, and etiquette to match.
We asked and you delivered!!!!! Thanks for this video, was one of my personal favourites, learned some new stuff as well! The way you jumped to Pavlova saying "finally a dancer we have footage of" made me think you guys recorded more about the OG 19th century ballerinas like Carlotta Grisi or Pierina Legnani and then cut it in the editing. But even if that's not the case, I'd LOVE a part 2❤️
This video was so much fun! I loved seeing how several of the greatest dancers of all time were actually dismissed and overlooked but that didn't deter them from finally achieving their dreams. It would be very interesting as well to watch a similar video on choreographers or composers. Or maybe a list of your favourites. (Also, needless to say: hell to the yes to the Miss Piggy video!)
Yes, to a video analyzing one of the most famous ballet dancers of all time pas de deuxing with Miss Piggy! You know Margot Fonteyn is amazing when, well into her 40s, she could convincingly dance the role of Juliet! Thank you for the history lesson, and for including Simone Biles! 😍 As a matter of fact, Simone is competing today for the first time in 2024! It's a warm up meet before nationals named the Core Hydration Classic. It starts at 7 PM Eastern on Saturday, May 18. It's free on TH-cam streaming for international viewers on the channel USA gymnastics. They're showing it on a regular TV channel in America. Thank you so much for the video! 🙏🩰☔️🦌💜
@@lasylphide-s5j 💜💜💜 I teared up watching Simone on beam! It was her first competitive routine since worlds 2023. There is an article from Associated Press about Simone and her mental health challenges. I had no idea she was still so stressed out at worlds 2023 because she always competes so calmly. I’m pretty sure the dismount from beam is the super difficult one she invented and has not performed since 2019. Same with her first tumbling pass on floor!! I kind of assumed that when she said she wanted to compete in the Paris Olympics that she would be at her absolute strongest, because there are a few competitors pretty close to her when she wasn’t at her full difficulty - Shilese Jones and Suni Lee (USA) and Rebeca Andrade (BRA). I love them too, but Simone is just epic. Sweden has some lovely gymnasts and congratulations on making the team final at Europeans! Jessica Castles (I don’t know if she still does international competition, but she was competing for the University of Arizona!), Jennifer Williams, the Westlund sisters, Tonya Paulsson, etc. The television broadcast of this 2024 core hydration classic meet has been posted to TH-cam. I watched it on the free livestream already but if you want commentary, this is a good opportunity! Thank you very much for your lovely comment! 🥰🙌💖💐
Saturdays are my favourite days now thanks to you guys :) I would LOVE a video about what you would change about the current ballet/dance world and how you think ballet can be made more accessible. As a dance theatre maker and choreographer myself (the amount of imposter syndrome I felt writing that lol), my biggest focus is bringing this beautiful art to more people as well as create a better environment for all involved in it. I genuinely respect your opinions so it would be amazing to hear your thoughts on this
You guys are the best ballet nerds out there ❤️ Thank you for the thoughtful suggestion: hmmm that one definitely deserves a full video :) Fingers crossed for interview 🤞🏻
This is the episode I've been waiting for! I hope you highlight more great dancers in the future. And of course I'd like to see a video about the modern ballet world embracing differences.
You two are truly the sweetest. I love your admiration and respect for the history of ballet and all the people who came before. This video was so fun and interesting! I went through a phase years ago where I became totally OBSESSED with Margot Fonteyn and, because of her, Rudolf Nureyev. Actually, randomly reading a Fonteyn biography is what got me into ballet in the first place. (Margot Fonteyn: A Life by Meredith Daneman. So good. Fonteyn's life was full of drama, both on and off stage.) It would be AMAZING if you guys got to interview Baryshnikov someday. Crossing my fingers, you never know! Another excellent video - thank you! I'd love to see you do more Hall of Fame videos about historical dancers and maybe choreographers, too.
This sounds great! I won't be able to watch this in time as I'll be watching a ballet performance, but I will revisit it. Anyway, I love ballet history very much, yet honestly, I'm rather a bit more fascinated by less known, but still intriguing people (here dancers) than the ones in the hall of fame, who get constantly remembered and referenced, but of course, they deserve it (; I will share then later my thoughts (;
Would have loved to see Maria Tallchief included in this excellent list! But you compensated somewhat with the beautiful eclipse footage. :) I saw Nureyev perform back in the '80's...pause for fangirl jellie...even as an older danseur I would have thought mostly touring on his fame, he was IMPRESSIVE and my jaw just dropped.
When I was in school, I heard that when Nijinksy died, they actually did an autopsy on his feet to see if there was anything different about his feet/ankles that helped him jump so high. They didn't find anything unusual, but it says something that people wondered about it.
I just wanted to say that the music played over the speaker in the gift shop (😉) was my great grandmother’s favorite piece of classical music and she gave me the record of it to play in my record player. I could really see this as a beautiful pdd!!! PS : I know this is so off topic but could y’all do videos on stereotypes of ballerinas and ballet teachers!?!?
It would be amazing if you could do a video on ballet terminology! All of the other videos I have found on TH-cam only scratch the surface, for example, they might only talk about plié, tendu, develope, attitude, arabesque, etc. But those are way more easily accessible to find on the internet, I have so much trouble understanding some of the more obscure terms (as someone who took ballet a bit, but my teacher NEVER used terminology) such as ballone, ballote, battu vs beat?, coda, efface, jete (not grand jete),entrechat 4,6…,failli, aplomb, epaulement, posé vs piqué, soubresaut, coud de pied, temps lié vs temps leve, tombe, brise vole vs brise? Detourne? Sissone vs assemble, all the different kinds of pas de chat, pas de cheval It would be amazing to show video clips of all of these. Often times, when I look up the names of steps, I will find a video on TH-cam of a dancer demonstrating multiple steps in the same combination and I am unsure what the actual move is. It would also be amazing to include DIFFERENT NAMES for the same step because that is incredibly confusing. For example, I believe courru and bourree are referring to the same thing? Or releve and sous sous? Baryshnikov is often time called a calypso I think? Saut de chat and grand jete. I think pas de Balanchine is the same as Italian/russian pas the chat? WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Do you think you guys could make a video someday on the ballerina Maniya barredo she is my ballet mentor but she was and still is the first prima ballerina of the Philippines. She was mentored by Robert Barnett at Atlanta ballet I love your videos and I believe this could be a cool topic to cover ❤
Vaslav Nijinsky’s Le Spectre de Lá Rose 🌹 has the music 🎼 of Carl Maria Von Weber (and NOT Stravinsky) with orchestration by Hector Berlioz. It’s one of my favorite pieces and if you haven’t heard it, please listen to it! It makes me cry every time!
We actually bopped to Spectre in one of our videos! Check it out: th-cam.com/video/L1BhDa7jPls/w-d-xo.htmlsi=IKR_C4J3bTIRbfXB&list=UULFgft2wXT8rk2J4d9rbQ1hiQ
Love all your videos and channel! Great selections but others who could be spotlighted : Alicia Alonso performing "Giselle " in her 70's, Maria Tallchief as first American Prima Ballerina and of course, Misty Copeland.... hope to see more hall of famers... :)
Hi my name is ilsa and I’m a ballet nerd too and I love learning about ballet and the dancers and I’m new to your channel and I just subscribe to your channel you two are amazing keep up the amazing work
It was great to learn from your video! I didn't know e.g. the fact with Taglioni's arms and the reason for La Sylphide! What I also consider fascinating that she was the first female choreographer with Le Papillon. It feels a bit strange to see a still living dancer included already in the hall of fame, generally, it feels odd for me to accept that Mikhail Baryshnikov is already so old - I forget this always in his recordings...): I think there is still enough space for Part 2 (; Here, I'm missing a bit Carlotta Grisi (perhaps for Part 2 together wirh Pierina Legnani and Rosita Mauri - because of Ballerina/Leap! (; - for 19th century). For vintage ballet, I also think of Ulanova, Sizova, Dudinskaya and Plisetskaya as well as Beryl Grey. I also like from the still living dancers Natalia Makarova and Marcia Haydee very much and the works they choreographed. For the male dancers (whether living or not, ): Soloviev, Bruhn, Dowell, Sergeyev, as rather personal choice also Valeri Panov and as my favorite ballet villian Derek Rencher (;
Annelie Alhanko prima ballerina assoluta the First non Russian to be given that title. She is from Sweden danced at the Royal Swedish Ballet -71 to 97 and school. She was also the first non Russian to dance at Bolshoi theatre in 1984 Giselle, coached by none other than Galina Ullanova. She also holds the Swedish title of court dancer (sweden is a Kingdom) I think only three dancers have that title. The title is above Prima ballerina or Premier as we say. With love 💕 to the best ballet fan vlog on TH-cam
First- you are some of the best youtube personalities! I thoroughly enjoy your videos. Second- where do you girls shop? I love your outfits in this video
Anna Pavlova still to this day will always be one of the few dancers I admire. She was the true epitome of "the show must go on". Also please please please do a commentary on Nureyev and Miss Piggy 🐖🐖🐖.
Fanny Elssler toured in the mid 1800's ( before Pavlova) there is an interesting story that was passed onto me, I believe it went something like this - While she was crossing the Atlantic on a Ship to tour America, a thief had made his way into her cabin to steal her jewelry - upon seeing him, Fanny quickly prepared to 4th position and did a fouette turn and knocked him out. hahahaha Has anyone else heard this story- or a version of it?
Which do you think is the better quote about Margot Fonteyn in movies: From Black Swan (which I only count as a ballet themed movie or a psychological thriller with some ballet in it instead of a ballet movie): "Margot Fonteyn danced into her 50s - " "Yeah, we know" From Centre Stage: "Margot Fonteyn didn't have great feet." "Well, when Margot Fonteyn danced you couldn't look away, that can't' be taught."
Can I just say how proud I am of you guys?!? I’ve been here since the beginning and now you guys have over 20k subscribers!!! I see big things for y’all❤️❤️ keep up the amazing content and passion you two🫶🏻🥰
Nureyev also danced with Maria Tallchief (who was not mentioned in this "Greatest" video. Tallchief was known for the Firebird and was the first Native American Prima. There is tape of her dancing here on TH-cam.
I had the honor of meeting Margot Fonteyn and she was not only supremely talented but one of the most gracious people you could ever hope to meet. I also was on stage ( as a super) doing one of the noble courtier ladies in Giselle on Rudolf Nureyev’s 50th birthday. He was filling in last minute for an ill dancer with ABT in Los Angeles. I was blessed to get to dance with Barishnikov briefly because my partner did not know the role and Barishnikov kindly came onto the stage to show him his part. It was an out of body experience that I will never forget. He actually asked me if he could dance with me! What a gentleman.
As a disabled kid who couldn't walk properly and had to do physio 3 times a week, ballet made absolutlely no impression on my life at all.....until I moved house and was under a different set of doctors, one of whom had a relative who ran a small provincial ballet class at the end of my street and my mum enrolled me, assured that the exercise would be good for my legs.
At this point I had never even seen a ballet. I did my lessons diligently with no idea still as to what it was I was actually doing and where all this exercise was leading until, after a small family emergency, I was sent to my grandmother's house on the edges of London for a few weeks.
I was obsessed with my new hobby and chattered on about it and it was readily apparent to my nana that I had no clue as to what ballet was.....so she booked us seats to see Fonteyn and Nuryev perform Romeo and Juliet. This was the mid-60's.
Nana said I sat eyes wide, tears rolling down my little face and completely lost in the moment watching these two greats perform one of their signature ballets. So THAT was what I was doing? Wow!
I never became a ballerina (not without trying though but I was way too tall) yet I am still obsessed with ballet to this day - I am now 65 - and still do my stretches regularly. I always did love the discipline and the grace of ballet and still love everything about it to this day. And yes, every time I watch 'A Chorus Line' and the girls sing that song, 'Everytjing is Beautiful at the Ballet', I find myself nodding in agreement and shedding a tear or two.
Thanks for your video, ladies.
🙏🙏🙏🙏 🩰🩰 🩰
@alixedent7127 I just turned 64 and continue to take class with the junior academy where I taught for 14 years and danced as a soloist with the city ballet. Ballet is a lifelong passion!
Wait, but how *exciting* would it be to interview Baryshnikov I would literally faint I-
He was my first childhood crush 😍
Oh my. Wouldn’t it be an honour A Ballet masterpiece in himself 🩰 👵 from Australia 🇦🇺
"Make sure you are sitting up straight."
Me in bed at 2 in the afternoon with the cat on my stomach 😂
I did not expect to be crying over a spotlight and an empty stage today 😭😭😭😭 That would’ve been absolutely heart wrenching
I had the same reaction! Tears. How beautiful.
I saw an interview with Margot Fonteyn, maybe from the 1970's, where she talked about how Nureyev partnered her. She said something like: 'You had to be absolutely on your leg, because he wasn't going to save you...he had his own stuff to do. And that's part of what made it so exciting to watch.'
I saw him in St Louis with a different ballerina (I can't recall who) a million years ago, who made some mistake and sitting up close where I was, you could see his lips tighten and the disapproval on his face. What a talent but yikes!
Nureyev actually started ballet training in Ufa when he was 11. He was 17 when he went to the Vaganova Academy.
Yes he did, thank you for the catch :)
Love the list wish u had one more spot for Gelsey Kirkland. She is so underrated, and she judged so unfairly. She survived so much while improving her technique,and artistry.
My grandmother saw Pavlova dance when she was a young girl. Her love of ballet inspired my aunt to dance professionally and nearly every girl in my family since has danced, me included. Ballet lives in my heart forever even though I haven't danced for thirty years. Love your channel ❤
Maria Tallchief is another legendary dancer I learned about recently. She’s absolutely amazing!
Don't be jealous, but I literally bumped into Baryshnikov coming out of the elevator at the New York CIty LIbrary at LIncoln Center. I also got a dirty look from Nureyev when I went back stage to say hello to a friend who was a principal dancer with the Martha Graham Company, with which Nureyev was guest performing. (I also saw both of them dance numerous times in a variety of roles over the years. The videos don't do justice to their stage presence and magnatism!)
Nureyev was completely gracious and lovely to me and my mother when we went backstage to meet him.
That's what I was going to say, not that I met them, but I was lucky enough to see them perform, and Dame Fonteyn. My father was a crazy opera and classical music fan, and I mean obsessed. I don't think there is a question he couldn't answer about opera and classical music. The good thing is that he took us to see many performances at Covent Garden and the Coliseum about 20 minutes by tube from where we lived. He was also smart enough to know that taking very young girls to see a performance, that ballet was going to be more interesting than opera. I didn't appreciate at the time just how fortunate I was to see the stars of the ballet and opera worlds.
I remember the defections, they happened in gymnastics and figure skating too, and always caused a buzz. I remember when Margot Fonteyn became Dame Margot Fonteyn.
My mother, on the other hand, never forgave me for not getting into the Royal Ballet School. I don't even know why I auditioned, my teacher must have laughed in her face when she suggested it. My best friend was the class star, of course she got in, and she's the only reason I got to audition, so I'm thankful for that. The only reason I wanted to get in, was the uniform was so cute. I remember they had white socks with little maroon crushed velvet bows on them...I didn't deserve a place.
Great video, beautiful clips and you guys are always interesting and you have an energy together that comes over so well. Great job and thank you. 🩰
Margot Fonteyn could not retire because her Panamanian husband was shot and paralysed from the neck down. They were broke and she had to dance to pay the bills. She was very lucky that Nureyev defected when he did because he helped her to keep on dancing and earning.
I think he organised a benefit for her when he realised she was struggling, as a widow still in Panama with not much left in the bank. I remember her appearing with Ashton (?) in a specially choreographed ballet (mostly walking) to music by Delius. I'm going back a bit so apologies if I'm completely wrong here!
Sylvie Guillem 😍
Another huge icon! ✨✨✨
merci ! elle a changé la façon de danser des ballerines, surtout pour son fameux 6 o'clock, mais pas seulement , même si certains ne retiennent que cet aspect "gymnaste" de son style. C'est surtout son incroyable présence sur scène (qu'il est presque impossible à copier), sa rapidité et son interprétation des rôles qui sont importants dans son "héritage". (she did change the way every ballerina try to dance nowadays, with her crazy extensions, the famous 6 o'clock, but most importantly a huge presence on stage, big attitude, boldness, curiosity, livelyness and interpretation of the roles) ....
@@tarantellalarouge7632D'accord! ❤
On TH-cam you can see Fonteyn dancing Salut d'amour, a ballet created for her by Frederick Ashton for her 60th (!) birthday gala at the Royal Ballet. That occasion was the only time the ballet was ever performed. Those arms! Those hands!! Those eyes!!! There's a surprise at the end that I won't spoil. A must-see.
will have to check it out then
I attended that gala - it was a beautiful evening. Fonteyn wasn't the most technically gifted assoluta, but her artistry was off the charts. Today's students need to understand that pure artistry is not about multiple turns and 'high kicks'.
Barishnikov! I adored White Nights! Seeing this magical ballet danseur performing tap with the amazingly talented Gregory Hines and doing every bit as well...astounding! I loved this look through the Ballet Hall of Fame. More?
I sat in in the first row behind the conductor, twice, for Baryshnikov and Patricia McBride in NYCB's 1980 performances of Coppelia. Kennedy Center, Washington DC. I also saw Baryshnikov dance Push Comes to Shove, a Twyla Tharp comedy ballet with the corps dancing to baroque classical music while Baryshnikov danced to a jazz rhythm in his head. The ultimate Baryshnikov performance in my life was ABT's Giselle. Alessandra Ferri was Giselle, Cynthia Harvey was Queen of the Willis. Long ago.
I remember the shock of Nureyev's defection from the USSR. It gave me the dream/hope of being able to see him dance. I was able to live that dream when I was in my 20s; at the time Nureyev was already quite a pop star and getting a ticket to his Los Angeles performance was quite a feat.
This type of content is the best, learning about ballet and the history.
We need to see more appreciation for Chai-kovsky and Pro=coffe-ev, top tier level punnage there.
😂😂 🍵☕️
Consider Hall of Fame for Maya Plisetskaya, Vahktang Chabukani, Galina Ulanova, and Natalia Makarova. Sylvie Guillem was like Baryshnikov, she danced beyond ballet but was always a ballet luminary. When it comes to American dancers, Gelsey Kirkland videos would be appreciated too. Gelsey's dance career was too short but I still recall the performances I saw.
That image of the spotlight moving across the stage while the music played, highlighting what was lost after Pavlova’s death, made me tear up. What a sad, lovely send off
Anna Pavlova was so famous at the time, even in Australia (or New Zealand) that they create a "swan like cake", a white meringue with chantilly cream, the Pavlova, in her honor .. This cake is making a big come back, here in France at least ........
We have it here in the UK and I'm fairly sure most people have no idea who Pavlova actually was!
@@denisehill7769 it is sad, dancers are so dependent on the present moment, their art and skills are fading away, until it is recorded .. like now, we can have a glance at their performances on YT ! Many great dancers are forgotten like Maia Plissetsakia, Gelsey Kirkland, Tanaquil Leclercq, Violette Verdy, etc, etc, and they don't even have a cake to celebrate their genius !
In both Australia and New Zealand the pavlova is considered a national dessert, which leads to some (mostly) friendly arguing about who was first 😂 It’s been popular in both countries ever since I can remember but I’m not sure how well-known Pavlova herself is. In France do you usually add fruit or other toppings? We usually add fruit!
@@EmL-kg5gn here too we are adding fruits like passion fruit or mandarine segments (for the tangy taste) or red fruits also. It so yummy when the meringue is not too crispy and stays chewy (like the cookies) !
@@tarantellalarouge7632 Yes I love when it stays chewy too!!!
Yes!! We want a Nureyev Miss Piggy break down. I'd also like to see your mashup of favorite Nutcracker scenes/choreography/costumes. Every year we watch at least 10 different versions, and can't pick our favorite because we like one part of each. This was so much fun to watch. Before we started we guessed who you was going to be highlighted. We only missed Nijinsky.
I suggest that you research and present on one of your videos the five Native American Ballerinas. Very interesting and it will never happen again with five Native American ballerinas who were born in Oklahoma and all five went to different parts of the world in different companies and rose to the rank of Ballerina. The Four Moons Ballet was created for four of the ballerinas. Marjorie Tallchief, Yvonne Chouteau, Rosella Hightower, and Moscelyn Larkin. Maria Tallchief was not available at the time. She was the ballerina for George Balanchine and one of his five ballerina wives during his lifetime. Rosella Hightower became the Director of the Paris Opera Ballet, which was pretty amazing at that time. The University of Oklahoma Dance Department was established by Yvonne Chouteau and her husband, Miguel Terekhov. There are two scholars at OU in the process of writing books about Yvonne Chouteau - her career, her pedagogy; her great influence on young dancers, etc. The OU Dance Department has a lot of research materials to learn more about those ballerinas. They are part of ballet history and the pride of the state of Oklahoma.
In case you are looking for a topic for one of your You Tube videos…..
Wonderful to read this post from a true classical ballet afficianado with an encyclopedic knowledge of ballerinas that is not confined to 'the usual suspects'. I am old enough(!!) to have seen some you mention dance live. Thank you so much.
The Tallchief Foundation is sponsoring my two granddaughters who are 5 and 6. I am Lakota, my granddaughters are also Kiowa , Pawnee along with Sac and Fox and Muskogee Creek. There is unfortunately, a lot of pressure from ballet promoters who want my granddaughters to recreate the "sisters" dynamic that Marjorie and Maria Tallchief had. I would much rather they stay within our culture and dance at powwows.
My list would be Nureyev, Barishnykov, Fracci, Taglioni and Plisetskaya. 😊
Oh yeah, Plisetskaya is the gem
Yay! You are spotlighting Nijinsky!!! ❤️❤️🙌🙌🙌
✨ Nijinskyyyy ✨
Thanks for watching!
I think that our two "Ballet Reign sisters" forget a very important ballet of Nijinsky (he also did the choreography), the prélude à l'après midi d'un faune (= afternoon of a faun) with the music of Debussy. This ballet also provoked a scandal because of the last scene. The costumes, stage settings and scenography were also a revolution at the time.
One huge change that Nureyev made in how danseurs danced was in using a very high relevé for pirouettes and also placing the working leg in a high retiré. In Barbara Newman‘s “Striking a Balance: Dancers Talk About Dancing“ (1982), former ABT principal dancer Bruce Marks Talks about the reaction of a lot of male dancers to this innovation of Nureyev’s. According to him, they felt that it smacked too much of female technique, and they thought it was funny. But it caught on, and they all had to start learning to do pirouettes that way. (I read this book ages ago, so I’m not 100% sure that it was Bruce Marx who made those comments about Nureyev, but that’s my recollection.)
If you can find a copy of that book, it’s very interesting reading. A couple of other interviewees were Antoinette Sibley and Lynn Seymour. I loved reading Sibley’s reactions to seeing the Kirov Ballet and Ulanova for the first time.
Ah I'm VERY interested in hearing about expressionism vs technical mastery PRETTY PLEASE. I just discovered this chancel. You guys are so smart & funny!
same!! pls pls pls girls, give the girlies what we want
Anna Pavlova was the inspiration for the Australian dessert called Pavlova: a dry meringue slathered with whipped cream, topped with sliced strawberries.
From what I have observed when hearing Baryshnikov speak on TH-cam, I think that he may actually be quite humble and does not like to be put on a pedestal. I think that he seems highly self critical and clearly had a thirst for discovering new ways of thinking about ballet. His body seems proportionally perfect for dance and it reminds me of Leonardo Da Vinci's Vitruvius Man in a circle. I am not a ballet dancer but I enjoy listening to your discussing ballet history and the various techniques and commentary.
The first performance I saw live was National Ballet of Canada Sleeping Beauty with Nureyev at the Shrine Auditorium in LA. I don’t know how many times I saw Baryshnikov on stage but always amazing (Giselle with Gelsey was incredible). Also met him at a party in San Diego in the mid 80’s at an ABT company party (a dance partner at the time was a former ABT dancer).
There is so much more to roles in the ballet than technique. Of course there must be a technique, but the transforming of the character into a performance is the greatest asset a dancer can have.
Stravinsky is the king of *scary ballet* 😆 Ivan’s creatures at the end of Firebird? Nightmare fuel.
Also DoorDash is almost here with my Bubble tea 🤤
Haha too true! 😅😅
Cheers 🧋🧋🧋
Natalia Makarova!
Baryshnikov would be lucky to be interviewed by you!
Marvelous video, girls! I still remember sitting in the audience when white nights Played and Baryshnikov danced across the screen with Hines in the tap dance sequence. The finish that Baryshnikov gave each movement was so refined that he made Hines look like a amateur. It was fascinating to watch.
Would love to see a future video about famous ballerinas/danseurs and historical dancers who started at a later age anything between beginning as teens like Misty Copeland, to 20s, or even older.
Thank you both so much! A wonderful way to celebrate the genius of your chosen entrants to the Ballet Reign Hall of Fame. Bless you.
Awww i really enjoyed this video as I just read a little of a few of these ballet historical legends in a book. Nijinksky’s riot of spring, the tragedy of Pavlova (my heart ached when i heard her story😢) and Taglioni! I also read that Taglioni had a protoge Emma Livry who also had her ballet career ended tragically due to not safe stage lights and flammable tutus. *wince* let me tell you I shuddered when I read that story. Anyway great video! Always fun ballet nerding with you guys!
You picked my favourite 3 dancers. ❤
Please tell us about the issues in Balllet social dynamics ❤❤❤
Haha we would def need ballet nerd insurance 😂
What a Great List! ❤ I remember being really little (one of my first memories) and my parents letting me stay up to watch Barishnykov’s Nutcracker! It was an EVENT, every Christmas for probably the first 10 years of my life (to watch his Nutcracker on tv)! ✨✨✨
Thank you, love hearing about best ballet childhood memories :)
I'd love to see a commentary on Swine Lake and the Rite of Spring (I did my own deep dive into it, its fascinating!)
I've watched quite a bit of footage taken of dancers in the early days of film; while their technique couldn't possibly cut the mustard today, I also feel we've lost out on the artistry somewhat (not totally obviously!!!). The athleticism of modern ballet dancers is amazing, the way they have pushed through the limitations of the human body is a tribute to years of damn hard work....but I sometimes feel that the portrayal of characters has sometimes taken second place to the flamboyant technique. This isn't new though, think of Legnani and her fouettees!
Thank you for your videos, could I suggest Alicia Alonso (Cuba) for a video? Politics be damned, she was a very good dancer
LETS BRING THE CONVERSATION FROM 8:14 TO THE CHAT YES PLEASEEEEE. I see way too many talented dancers who don’t have the “full” package not ever given a chance to be seen bcs we’re looking for “perfection” and a balance between everything. But i feel like sometimes the imbalance of certain qualities is exactly what can elevate a performance because you may not have been expected to enjoy it so much. which is where i think using ballerinas who don’t fit the mold (non hyperextended knees and low insteps in exchange for a virtuous jump, such as new stars like renata shakirova of the mariinsky) really come in handy. it’s not the long Zakharova like legs we’re dying to see but there’s still beautiful lines there and individual curves of that persons leg and anatomy that are beautiful in its own way and can still produce a highly watchable and enjoyable aesthetic especially when they have artistry, character, and etiquette to match.
I loved this video so much! It would be amazing to get a part 2 with historical legends such as Marius Petipa😊❤
And Balanchine!
So Nureyev's fans were the Fanyus of the time (for those of you who know Figure skating)
I would also enjoy a commentary on the Muppet Miss Piggy and Nureyev dance
a video of best ballet choreographers :)
I loved this and now I need a part 2!
Thank you. You both do such a great work for the ballet's lovers.
Thank you!! We’re so happy you enjoy our channel ✨✨
We asked and you delivered!!!!! Thanks for this video, was one of my personal favourites, learned some new stuff as well!
The way you jumped to Pavlova saying "finally a dancer we have footage of" made me think you guys recorded more about the OG 19th century ballerinas like Carlotta Grisi or Pierina Legnani and then cut it in the editing. But even if that's not the case, I'd LOVE a part 2❤️
Thank you, definitely will be a part 2, stay tuned!
I saw Petrouchka when I was a little girl and I loved it. I have never seen any other company perform the ballet.
Petrushka
Please PLEASE can you possibly do a special on Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev? I will love you both forever! 😻
This video was so much fun! I loved seeing how several of the greatest dancers of all time were actually dismissed and overlooked but that didn't deter them from finally achieving their dreams. It would be very interesting as well to watch a similar video on choreographers or composers. Or maybe a list of your favourites. (Also, needless to say: hell to the yes to the Miss Piggy video!)
Their stories are so inspiring and so full of hope ❤️ thank u for watching!
🐽
Yes, to a video analyzing one of the most famous ballet dancers of all time pas de deuxing with Miss Piggy!
You know Margot Fonteyn is amazing when, well into her 40s, she could convincingly dance the role of Juliet!
Thank you for the history lesson, and for including Simone Biles! 😍
As a matter of fact, Simone is competing today for the first time in 2024! It's a warm up meet before nationals named the Core Hydration Classic. It starts at 7 PM Eastern on Saturday, May 18.
It's free on TH-cam streaming for international viewers on the channel USA gymnastics. They're showing it on a regular TV channel in America.
Thank you so much for the video! 🙏🩰☔️🦌💜
I just watched Simone on beam and floor it’s such a joy to see her still being so strong. Love from Sweden at 2 am bed now 😅
Glad u enjoyed the video, thank u for watching! Simone is absolutely incredible… as is Miss Piggy (stay tuned for commentary 🐽)
@@lasylphide-s5j 💜💜💜 I teared up watching Simone on beam! It was her first competitive routine since worlds 2023. There is an article from Associated Press about Simone and her mental health challenges. I had no idea she was still so stressed out at worlds 2023 because she always competes so calmly.
I’m pretty sure the dismount from beam is the super difficult one she invented and has not performed since 2019. Same with her first tumbling pass on floor!! I kind of assumed that when she said she wanted to compete in the Paris Olympics that she would be at her absolute strongest, because there are a few competitors pretty close to her when she wasn’t at her full difficulty - Shilese Jones and Suni Lee (USA) and Rebeca Andrade (BRA). I love them too, but Simone is just epic.
Sweden has some lovely gymnasts and congratulations on making the team final at Europeans! Jessica Castles (I don’t know if she still does international competition, but she was competing for the University of Arizona!), Jennifer Williams, the Westlund sisters, Tonya Paulsson, etc.
The television broadcast of this 2024 core hydration classic meet has been posted to TH-cam. I watched it on the free livestream already but if you want commentary, this is a good opportunity!
Thank you very much for your lovely comment! 🥰🙌💖💐
@@balletreign Thank you! 💖Simone and Ballet Reign! Looking forward to 🐽
Thanks!
Thank you so much! 🙏
Saturdays are my favourite days now thanks to you guys :)
I would LOVE a video about what you would change about the current ballet/dance world and how you think ballet can be made more accessible. As a dance theatre maker and choreographer myself (the amount of imposter syndrome I felt writing that lol), my biggest focus is bringing this beautiful art to more people as well as create a better environment for all involved in it. I genuinely respect your opinions so it would be amazing to hear your thoughts on this
You guys are the best ballet nerds out there ❤️ Thank you for the thoughtful suggestion: hmmm that one definitely deserves a full video :) Fingers crossed for interview 🤞🏻
Oooooo this looks so good!!! See you tomorrow 😁😁🩰🩰
See u very soonnnn 🥳🥳
Maximova & Vassiliev!❤
This is the episode I've been waiting for! I hope you highlight more great dancers in the future. And of course I'd like to see a video about the modern ballet world embracing differences.
Thank you for waiting for this one, yes more halls of fame in the future! 💗
Yes PLEASE do a part 2 and 3 of this!
You two are truly the sweetest. I love your admiration and respect for the history of ballet and all the people who came before. This video was so fun and interesting! I went through a phase years ago where I became totally OBSESSED with Margot Fonteyn and, because of her, Rudolf Nureyev. Actually, randomly reading a Fonteyn biography is what got me into ballet in the first place. (Margot Fonteyn: A Life by Meredith Daneman. So good. Fonteyn's life was full of drama, both on and off stage.)
It would be AMAZING if you guys got to interview Baryshnikov someday. Crossing my fingers, you never know!
Another excellent video - thank you! I'd love to see you do more Hall of Fame videos about historical dancers and maybe choreographers, too.
Thank you so much, yes fingers crossed 🤞🏻 Stay tuned, many halls of fame to explore with y’all ❤️
Thank you ladies for your awesome hommage! Our legend list is identical! 🥰))))
Great ballet nerd minds think alike ✨✨ ✌🏻✌🏻
yesss please nureyev and miss piggy, the whole episode plzzzzz
Love your show ladies 💖💖
Thank you for being here! 🫰🏻🫰🏻✨✨
This sounds great! I won't be able to watch this in time as I'll be watching a ballet performance, but I will revisit it. Anyway, I love ballet history very much, yet honestly, I'm rather a bit more fascinated by less known, but still intriguing people (here dancers) than the ones in the hall of fame, who get constantly remembered and referenced, but of course, they deserve it (; I will share then later my thoughts (;
We hope you enjoy the performance!! Have a great time, we’ll catch you laterrrr 😁😁
@@balletreign Thank you! It was Cranko's Swan Lake and it was absolutely stunning! I added my comment.
I love this video! I recently found you ladies..
Have you ever done a video on Sylvie Guillem? She’s in my top 3.
Welcome!! Glad you found us and enjoying the videos. Thank you for the suggestion, we hope to feature more great dancers, stay tuned 😊👍🏻
Would have loved to see Maria Tallchief included in this excellent list! But you compensated somewhat with the beautiful eclipse footage. :) I saw Nureyev perform back in the '80's...pause for fangirl jellie...even as an older danseur I would have thought mostly touring on his fame, he was IMPRESSIVE and my jaw just dropped.
Hi Ladies, I love your content.
Thank you! We’re so happy to have u ✨✨
When I was in school, I heard that when Nijinksy died, they actually did an autopsy on his feet to see if there was anything different about his feet/ankles that helped him jump so high. They didn't find anything unusual, but it says something that people wondered about it.
I just wanted to say that the music played over the speaker in the gift shop (😉) was my great grandmother’s favorite piece of classical music and she gave me the record of it to play in my record player. I could really see this as a beautiful pdd!!!
PS : I know this is so off topic but could y’all do videos on stereotypes of ballerinas and ballet teachers!?!?
It would be amazing if you could do a video on ballet terminology! All of the other videos I have found on TH-cam only scratch the surface, for example, they might only talk about plié, tendu, develope, attitude, arabesque, etc. But those are way more easily accessible to find on the internet, I have so much trouble understanding some of the more obscure terms (as someone who took ballet a bit, but my teacher NEVER used terminology) such as ballone, ballote, battu vs beat?, coda, efface, jete (not grand jete),entrechat 4,6…,failli, aplomb, epaulement, posé vs piqué, soubresaut, coud de pied, temps lié vs temps leve, tombe, brise vole vs brise? Detourne? Sissone vs assemble, all the different kinds of pas de chat, pas de cheval
It would be amazing to show video clips of all of these. Often times, when I look up the names of steps, I will find a video on TH-cam of a dancer demonstrating multiple steps in the same combination and I am unsure what the actual move is.
It would also be amazing to include DIFFERENT NAMES for the same step because that is incredibly confusing. For example, I believe courru and bourree are referring to the same thing? Or releve and sous sous? Baryshnikov is often time called a calypso I think? Saut de chat and grand jete. I think pas de Balanchine is the same as Italian/russian pas the chat? WE NEED YOUR HELP!
This is such a great list! Thank you for this ❤Also, please, please, please do a commentary about the Nureyev and Miss Piggy dance!🐷
Do you think you guys could make a video someday on the ballerina Maniya barredo she is my ballet mentor but she was and still is the first prima ballerina of the Philippines. She was mentored by Robert Barnett at Atlanta ballet I love your videos and I believe this could be a cool topic to cover ❤
I can't wait any longerrr🙃💜💜💖
Almost thereeeee 😆😆
Vaslav Nijinsky’s Le Spectre de Lá Rose 🌹 has the music 🎼 of Carl Maria Von Weber (and NOT Stravinsky) with orchestration by Hector Berlioz. It’s one of my favorite pieces and if you haven’t heard it, please listen to it! It makes me cry every time!
We actually bopped to Spectre in one of our videos! Check it out: th-cam.com/video/L1BhDa7jPls/w-d-xo.htmlsi=IKR_C4J3bTIRbfXB&list=UULFgft2wXT8rk2J4d9rbQ1hiQ
YESSSS SE YA TOMORROW!
SEE YAAAA 🥳🥳
Love all your videos and channel! Great selections but others who could be spotlighted : Alicia Alonso performing "Giselle " in her 70's, Maria Tallchief as first American Prima Ballerina and of course, Misty Copeland.... hope to see more hall of famers... :)
My list in advance. Pavlova. Fonteyn. Barishnykov. Nureyev. Markova. Fracci. Shearer. Just for starters! Let’s see how many make the video.
OMG, I would totally buy Chai-kovsky and Pro-Coffee-ev mugs!
We’ll see if we can make that happen for y’all ❤️❤️
My dance teacher actually knew baryshnikov during his time at abt also I love your channel keep making great content ❤
History of dance ❤❤❤❤ love it
Hi my name is ilsa and I’m a ballet nerd too and I love learning about ballet and the dancers and I’m new to your channel and I just subscribe to your channel you two are amazing keep up the amazing work
Wowsa!
How about a segment on the Four Ballerinas?
Until next week...Continuez!
Would you girls do a video on ballet dancers of color? That would be nice 😊 love your videos.
❤ Part 2 please! ❤
It was great to learn from your video! I didn't know e.g. the fact with Taglioni's arms and the reason for La Sylphide! What I also consider fascinating that she was the first female choreographer with Le Papillon. It feels a bit strange to see a still living dancer included already in the hall of fame, generally, it feels odd for me to accept that Mikhail Baryshnikov is already so old - I forget this always in his recordings...):
I think there is still enough space for Part 2 (; Here, I'm missing a bit Carlotta Grisi (perhaps for Part 2 together wirh Pierina Legnani and Rosita Mauri - because of Ballerina/Leap! (; - for 19th century). For vintage ballet, I also think of Ulanova, Sizova, Dudinskaya and Plisetskaya as well as Beryl Grey. I also like from the still living dancers Natalia Makarova and Marcia Haydee very much and the works they choreographed. For the male dancers (whether living or not, ): Soloviev, Bruhn, Dowell, Sergeyev, as rather personal choice also Valeri Panov and as my favorite ballet villian Derek Rencher (;
Annelie Alhanko prima ballerina assoluta the First non Russian to be given that title. She is from Sweden danced at the Royal Swedish Ballet -71 to 97 and school. She was also the first non Russian to dance at Bolshoi theatre in 1984 Giselle, coached by none other than Galina Ullanova. She also holds the Swedish title of court dancer (sweden is a Kingdom) I think only three dancers have that title. The title is above Prima ballerina or Premier as we say. With love 💕 to the best ballet fan vlog on TH-cam
25:46 need this commentary
First- you are some of the best youtube personalities! I thoroughly enjoy your videos. Second- where do you girls shop? I love your outfits in this video
Ah just seen the list. Where is Natalia Markova?
In one of the adjacent halls of fame ❤️
Can’t wait
See u soon!
Anna Pavlova still to this day will always be one of the few dancers I admire. She was the true epitome of "the show must go on". Also please please please do a commentary on Nureyev and Miss Piggy 🐖🐖🐖.
Fanny Elssler toured in the mid 1800's ( before Pavlova) there is an interesting story that was passed onto me, I believe it went something like this - While she was crossing the Atlantic on a Ship to tour America, a thief had made his way into her cabin to steal her jewelry - upon seeing him, Fanny quickly prepared to 4th position and did a fouette turn and knocked him out. hahahaha Has anyone else heard this story- or a version of it?
Which do you think is the better quote about Margot Fonteyn in movies:
From Black Swan (which I only count as a ballet themed movie or a psychological thriller with some ballet in it instead of a ballet movie): "Margot Fonteyn danced into her 50s - " "Yeah, we know"
From Centre Stage: "Margot Fonteyn didn't have great feet." "Well, when Margot Fonteyn danced you couldn't look away, that can't' be taught."
Can I just say how proud I am of you guys?!? I’ve been here since the beginning and now you guys have over 20k subscribers!!! I see big things for y’all❤️❤️ keep up the amazing content and passion you two🫶🏻🥰
*weeps* 😭😭 thank u so much for your encouragement and for being with us on this journey thus far! We truly appreciate ur support ✨✨🫰🏻🫰🏻
@@balletreignof course!!😁 you guys are literally my new favorite channel ❤️
you deserve all the success ✨😘
Natalia Makarova
14:29 definitely (no ‘a’ in the middle) ❤
Nureyev also danced with Maria Tallchief (who was not mentioned in this "Greatest" video. Tallchief was known for the Firebird and was the first Native American Prima. There is tape of her dancing here on TH-cam.