Margot Fonteyn as Odette in "Swan Lake" Act II Pt. 1

[tallulah1997]

And now we get shows on tv that seem to think Gymnastics is dancing. They even go so far as to push to make it a sport - a SPORT - when it is an art form. I'm sorry, but I believe as art it cannot be judged, and that these gymnasts who parade around the stage should take a leaf out of Margot's book.

[lessthanxero]

I agree Firestarjude. The ballerinas of today seem to be in a competition of who can lift their leg the highest. Fonteyn's arabesques and battements are what a ballerina should strive for. Classical ballet has turned more into a gymnastics competition, IMO. Not to mention, the alarming appearance of many of today's ballerinas. Fonteyn's physique is perfect. She is healthy, toned and strong instead of the bags of bones that is the norm now and encouraged in the ballet world.



[ostrovisky]

@lessthanxero I couldn't agree more.

[minagirlie]

I wish I got to see this when I was doing ballet (between 7-15 years old). I was always more fleshy than my rail thin classmates which was the main reason I gave up. That and the constant berating from my mum about my lacking grace.

[Memale2009]

Quand j'étais petite, j'ai appris le ballet et j'ai vu ce ballet avec Margot Fonteyn à Londres. J'ai toujours recherché l'enregistrement de cette présentation sous forme de DVD, mais malheureusement, je ne l'ai jamais plus retrouvée. La danse avec Nurejev n'est pas la même, je trouve. En comparant les deux, je préfère cette interprétation.

,

[MarloManners66]

@Memale2009 The entire film is an extra on a DVD dramatized biography of Fonteyn called "Margot" starring Anne-Marie Duff.

[Memale2009]

@MarloManners66 Thank you very much for this information! Je vais recommencer ma recherche à la base de votre information. Mes amitiés!

[BettinaBalsam]

Margot is so beautiful, I wished that I could have seen her dance <3

[zzindorf]

Can anyone post film of Nina Stroganova doing this?

[20postit]

honest to god im shocked how talented some people can be

[wendyverdades]

I like the muscles and the fatties. Both good. different body types



[Savethebeat]

I wish dancers still looked like this

[KnitsAndKnitability]

Margot was not "big" she was a woman with a healthy and well toned physique. I personallly prefer the shapely, but not fat look on all dancers. Plus, in most of the recordings of Margot dancing she's over fourty. I hope I look that good at fourty. Wow. In terms of her dancing. Though her kicks, extension ect. is not as tricked out as present day professionals I prefer this to that. This performance exhibits grace and feminine beauty with an expression of sincerity and passion.

[MrMisofelees01]

All the ballerinas' actually have BOOBS!

[Royalbrettania]

I could be wrong but I think the cameras in those days distorted quite badly ...like they used to say the camera adds Ten pounds they weren't joking....I know bodies have changed ......but heck they didn't have HD in those days

[HazyHayli]

She IS big!

So beautiful tho...

[ballet701]

Can anyone tell me who the dancer is dancing the role of Benno?. A wonderful performance from Fonteyn and Somes. How ballet has changed since this time,not always for the better.

[gabrielladepaula1995]

How ballet was diferente! o:

Today, a bailarina with this body? OMG!

But, of course; Beautiful!

[joshd321]

I swear I'm not gay - but I'm a little fascinated by his junk.  That was amazing though.

[gangoffour1]

Gives a whole new meaning to "put two in your tutu," doesn't it?

[JoeManelli]

Absolutely GLORIOUS! This is TRUE ART!! I was mesmerized! JUST FANTASTIC!  Thanks for posting! :-)

[Firestarjude]

In this performance especially, Fonteyn is the epitome of the Classical ballerina.

[Royalbrettania]

this .....is the first anything about Ballet i ever saw ....26 years ago, and it started a life time love affair with the art form....Margot still in my mind is the Ultimate Swan Queen....this to me...is what ballet is meant to be....dancing telling a story....whilst I adore the dancers of today too, as one must move ahead in time and change and evolve....this one will always be the first to me....thanks for posting this ....XXX

[SugarTomAppleRoger]

@Royalbrettania Yes. That's why she is a prima ballerina assoluta, and there are not too many of those around.

[SugarTomAppleRoger]

@Royalbrettania That's why she is a prima ballerina assoluta, and there are not too many of those around.

[vstasov]

I prefer the dancers with a little more flesh. Fonteyn's body was beautiful then. "A god-like physique" as Ashton said.

As they got skinnier and bonier, the beauty of their form evaporated leaving sinew and skeletal remains.

Just an opinion.

[Hausisse]

I guess you could think of it like that. But to me, as long as they're good dancers and they're not weak because they have eating disorders or something, I can enjoy watching them, no matter what the body type. :]

[UYTRELLO]

Margot Fonteyn and Michael Sommes are undoubtly one of the most beautiful ballet copuples of the history! The choreography is clear and touching...

[crazebaby39]

My grandmother is 80 now and we watched this together today, she was transfixed,a little tear,seems like yesterday,apparently in class they had rulers down their backs,stretching on the barre was really painful as you were forced lower and lower,she even had breasts bound and feet bound,disipline was so strict,they were also weighed reg.and ate little on performance days.Margot Fonteyn was fairly young and a beautiful dancer but into the 60's she became better and better.

[brewskyxxx]

She may not have had the best technique but she sure did have beautiful legs and was extremely pretty and gracious!!!

[crazebaby39]

It is quite interesting that these ballerina were at least two stone heavier than todays ballet stars, even if you watch later clips of Fonteyn you will notice that by the mid sixties, her frame and physique had changed and she was so much thinner, which led her to become an even better dancer.

[EricMontreal22]

Woot Beno back when he had a role!

[crazebaby39]

My grandmother features in this scene & I watch it so often.

Both my grandmother&mother trained at the RBS,I remember being taken to the old R.O.H to watch sleeping beauty and remembering how noisy I thought it was is the 'blocks' hit the floor.

This was so beautiful and elegant.

Ballet has evolved now for fitter,leaner,lighter dancers, sharper,higher faster steps, you really are as light as a feather !

[swanningaround]

craze. Yes, but the art has gone. Maybe in this recession it can come back again. Let' get rid of the celebs and bring back the artists.

[altangobonn]

But why are there two Siegfrieds here? Isn't it normally just one? Who is his friend?

[bolshoiboy8]

there arent two sigfrieds. the other one IS his friend.

[jkircher314]

I think this excerpt with Fonteyn is some of the greatest, most moving dancing I've ever seen. She is flawless.

This is from a Paul Czinner film called The Royal Ballet, which is available on PAL region 2 for minor ducats. Czinner also filmed Ulanova's immortal Giselle and Fonteyn's Juliet with Nureyev, which I'm not very fond of.

The film also showcases Fonteyn's rather earthbound Firebird and lovely Ondine, written for her by Frederic Ashton.

[davidviolin]

there has never been better dancing. period.

[ballerinaash6140]

It is truly incredible how far ballet has come in 50 years!

[merluzasfritas]

Yes, the legs of the ballerinas hit now their heads, they look all exactely the same(exception RHO), the coda of d. Quixote and the corsaire has become top of the top. And I get bored, and miss the old times when ballet was a story...

[bolshoiboy8]

i totally agree!!!!

[swanningaround]

It is truly incredible how far ballet has come in 50 years!

...like backwards.

[Firestarjude]

swanningaround: yes, exactly.

[swanningaround]

She was a such wonderful dancer. This video is a real gem. To me, Britain has only produced two great ballerinas. The other is Moira Shearer.

[cca1954]

Maravilhoso esse video da querida e inesquecivel Margot Fonteyn.