Martine Van Hamel, Patrick Bissel ABT sylvia

[bijouxfortwo]

Patrick was my little brother. His death tore a hole in our family that never has mended. R.I.P. Wally, love and miss you. Dammit -

[65Keats]

I’m so sorry for your loss. I’m thinking of Wally and missing so much him today, especially on his birthday. Happy Birthday, angel boy! Thank you so much for all your help. I will always be so grateful!

Much love,

Linda

[annabellezq]

@65Keats Thank you Linda. That is incredibly thoughtful, and warms my heart to know he was so well thought of. If he were alive today, he would have embraced the technology available to us nowadays, and perhaps he wouldn't have perished. Thank you once again for your kind thoughts. I hope you are having a wonderful holiday.

All the best,

Barbara

[lynniebe4]

so sad he died so young

[DancerForPassion]

You just have to love Martine's cleanliness and attention to the details in the music :)

[manderson610]

RIP Patrick!

[Annuhz]

very very clean variation. Job well done! :)

[sabricu]

que bonito baila ella me encanta ver a las bailarinas que tiene esa suavidad y esa com binacion de gracias con tecnica. hermoso

[unsatura]

love balanchine

[balletbunhead777]

isnt patrick bissell dead...

[LiveAndBreatheBallet]

@balletbunhead777 sadly yes. he died in 1987. he had a drug problem. such an amazing dancer.

[balletdancer41]

Whatever happened at 2.44, let's all remember that she's human.

[Maicpybgirlie]

what act?

[ABTBluebird]

woah at 2:44 what happened to her shoe? she didn't get en pointe???

[ballerinaju]

well, i didn't think is was a problem at all. both her smile and her demi pointe (which was sooo high!) didn't show what happened...and i think 99% of the audience didn't notice that. things like these happen on stage all the time, what matters is how you fix it and how you face it. it's the gift of illusion. she danced beautifully. period.

[danielnorgrenjensen]

oh boring wasn't that

if it wasnt for ashton i would have died

[Maicpybgirlie]

Her solo is just so beautiful and timeless

[shrimpyballerina]

my god! his consecutive pirreoutes/tours are PERFECT! and martine van hamel is as always, right on the music. :)

[Heartistic4Him]

She is a lovely dancer! :) She is tall and has a very mature face, so the bows in her hair look kind of...silly. Hee hee.

[SURFUR]

by Dane Youssef

Bissel had a machismo only seen in few dancers Like Mikhail Baryshnikov, Peter Martins or Alexander Godunov. But he was self-destructive as he was abused horribly as a small child and became an alcoholic/drug addict at the time he was about ten.

He did himself by apparent suicide of cocaine, meth, heroin--among other drugs.

But let us remember his dancing... not his demons.

God bless you, Walter Patrick Bissel. *R.I.P.*

by Dane Youssef

[sarasotaballet5]

patrick bissel is absolutely sublime and at complete ease in this video. i admire his compusure and effortlessness shown here...

[lolamammoth]

You're not in ABT like she is....(which would prove that she is a better daner than you, or thought to be by many people)

[tieske99]

i think the girl isn't a very good ballerina!

[ecj177]

What?!?!?!? You've got to be kidding. This is Martine Van Hamel, principal dancer of ABT. She was an elegant, regal, and amazing ballerina. Why don't you think she is very good?

[carregina]

whats te name of the songs

[1bunhead2]

to any fellow ballet teachers out there, i send youtube videos to some of my senior girls! they love it! if you have any students with posture problems martine has an amazing 'corset' thing going on, so this vid helped explain about posture to alot of my students!!!

[SURFUR]

Bissel was renown for his on-stage behavior, rather than his dancing. I'm not saying he was inept as a dancer. He had a machismo only seen in few dancers Like Peter Martins or Alexander Godunov. But he was self-destructive as he was abused horribly as a small child and became an alcoholic/drug addict at the time he was about ten. But let us remember his dancing... not his demons.

God bless you, Walter Patrick Bissel. *R.I.P.*

[DealWithIt16]

i love patrick bissel but his arms and shoulders drive me nuts!

[1bunhead2]

but he has the most amazing legs and lines!!! i agree though!

[xoBalletxo]

i dont think that she understands how to pointe her feet in her pointe shoes!she is sinking in them.if you sink it really hurts!!!!!!!

[herculiez25r]

What are you talking about. of course she knows how to point her feet she is was an ABT principal. she is pointing her feet and no she is not sinking and she does it well. and point shoes are painful, plus is a difficult solo, and she kicks it

[kdub10009]

that's a ridiculous statement, xoBalletxo. Martine is one of the all-time best technicians (and artists).

[srosas26]

Actually, I believe you are right. She has a horrible instep. However that could be as much from not taking the time to warm up her shoes as improper foot control.

[calbalgal]

insteps dont make the dancer!

[austinrocks26]

Well actually, I read that she wore an Austrian made point shoe by Schachtner. She needed her shanks to be stronger than usual because she had problems with breaking them. It may also be for an injury as well. As far as judging Martine's instep I think that your wrong. Her feet look fine. I think she was going for precision, classical line not a Balanchine look that we see today. She was more "English" in style. Watch the Royal Ballet.

[CaseyLKing]

she's a little off the music.

[username14657]

Oooooh I'd love to see Gillian Murphy dance this!

[emmmmmxxo]

I love how Patrick floats as he glides through the air! :)

[emwall315]

Yes, it seems like he and Gelsey enabled each others drug addictions. Gelsey figured out her life was on a downward spiral before it was too late.

[ballerinabride]

He was talented though, and I just LOVE Gelsey.

[ballerinabride]

From what I have read, he and Gelsey Kirkland were lovers/ drug abusers together. They performed totally high at times and things were just not good, spinning out of control.

[nikiya2789]

they are very good, but I prefer the version choreographed by Ashton

[Batavia007]

This excerpt is not easy at all. What makes it look easy beacuse the dancers have excellent tecniques and a high artistry level...love it...

[12dave9]

..After he died his mom went on the old Phil Donahue show and told the story of his life which was tragic.

[12dave9]

He started out dancing in the 5th grade or before,I remember because he was in my class in my hometown in Ohio.He lived there with his family for a few years before becoming famous.Then about 16 years later I was shocked when he walked out on the Merv Griffin show!,who new!,he was known as Wally Bissel in junior high school.He performed for the entire school to records..yes, the great do die young.

[dancecreature]

Is this Balanchince's choreography?

[sylphida]

ashton.

[avesraggiana]

No, I believe this is Balanchine's choreography...he originally set this choreography on Andre Eglevsky and Maria Tallchief in the late 1950's. Maria Tallchief caused quite a sensation back then, when she performed "entrechats huits" (!) in this variation.

[jcliff26]

Sorry, it's Balanchine's, with a few alterations.

[icarrus4u]

Sylvia is Sir Fredrick Ashton's.

[jcliff26]

Sir Fred did a full-length version, but this is DEFINITELY Balanchine's Pas de deux choreographed for Tallchief and Eglevsky. This was taken from an American Ballet Theater tape from the ealy '70's.

[bolshoiboy8]

@sylphida this isnt ashton's version. i'm SURE of that.

[EightballRus]

@sylphida it's Balanchine.

[EightballRus]

@sylphida this is Balanchine's Sylvia Pas. 

[impurrfect1]

Patrick Bissel died Dec 28, 1987 from suicide by drug overdose. He had a rough life and I hope he is at peace in Heaven now.

[tutus4life]

i am just in love with this music.

i know he died, but does anyone know what from? or am i the only one who doesnt know? i feel bad for asking

[poursuivant1]

He OD'ed on cocaine.

[BearsFanJess]

I had to dance this for my variations class. It's a great dance to learn.

[dancergirl828]

I agree...we are learning this in my variation class right now...I LOVE IT! The choreography and the music! =)

[hkNYLONfashion]

it is a great dance.

definatly builds stamina. it may look easy but it's really hard.

[dancergirl828]

I definetly agree, it looks so simple, but the length of it just makes it that much more difficult.

[allthatjazz343]

I love this girl she is amazing!

[Grisi93]

oh i love the muuusiic!

[kdub10009]

Only the good die young.  Patrick, R.I.P.