She is a goddess here. She always just sort of had that... like her idol Margot Fonteyn, it wasn't just about mere technique. Oh, look at her. Look at those acrobatics. She had to have been born with it. You either have it or you don't. She always had that sweet delicate childish innocence, just like her other idol and former partner/lover Mikhail Baryshnikov. Those two... they really were something special. Her and him... they had their own marriage.
It’s rare to see ballerinas today who create such steely softness as Kirkland. The way she rolls through her foot from arabesque is a work of art in itself.
It’s rare to see ballerinas today who create such steely softness as Kirkland. The way she rolls through her foot from arabesque is a work of art in itself.
Gelsey Kirkland, the most powerfully delicate prima ballerina ever! She can kick butt en pointe! Feel blessed to witness her generation of perfect dance!
i recently spent a summer intensive at gelseys ballet academy where she taught us this choreography herself. and even at 55 (?) she's still just as fluid and as graceful as ever. when we were doing Don Q and she just marked the Kitri 2nd solo, i pretty much burst into tears. not from sadness, but with just the overwhelming emotion she evokes. she's a beauty no matter what she does.
The legendary Gelsey Kirkland! Her lightness. Her elastic quality. Those incredible extensions!! Nobody wore pointe shoes like she did either. She was the best!!! FYI: Gelsey was born on Dec. 29, 1952.
wow! my Company teacher told us to do some reaserch and i found this what an effortless feel yet i know how much muscle needs to be engaged but it makes belive its easy
We had to the variation of this in my ballet class. It makes me laugh how I failed at the hops on pointe and the fast piques compared to Gelsey and how she made it look so effortless!
she is the best at the variation. i've seen so many dancers do it and its just not the same. ever her in between steps are beautiful, so much care and attention to every detail. its an inspiration. I love it! thank you so much for posting this. when i have a bad day and feel like the worst dancers ever, i watch this and it inspired me to try again.
Also notice how the piano starts out too fast on the hops for the tempo at which she takes it at and has to keep slowing down to match her, as if even the pianist can't believe that she's actually taking it this slowly. A lot of dancers race across the floor as fast as they can to get it over with as quickly as possible because it's so treacherous (I once saw Marcia Haydee end up in an inglorious heap on the floor attempting this during a gala performance).
even now, (in her 50's?) she is still absolutely breathtaking. i spent 3 weeks with her at her academy in NYC, she taught us this variation, and i swear, just watching her demonstrate - not even full out- brings tears to my eyes, she evokes so much emotion, it's overwhelming.
BEAUTIFUL! Wish I could've seen her dance Giselle like this, instead of at a bad time for her. Saw her do many other roles magnificently in her prime, tho'. Truly an artist.
She was an amazing dancer. People who enjoyed her and are from her time should read her book "Dancing On My Grave". It's unfathomable seeing what she was going through even with this beauty
Simply AHHHmazing. This is THE performance gave me inspiration to dance with ABT (and I got to work with Gelsey as she taught class). RIP pianist Gladys <3
I love how she dances Giselle with so many shades; the serenity as she is suspended on top of a movement, then, suddenly, a rapturous, joyful rush of movement.
I happened to be at her first Giselle in New York with Baryshnikov. There were nine curtain calls after the great passage of entrechats quatres en diagonale before Baryshnikov could begin his solo. At the time, the Kirkland-Baryshnikov partnership was flowering, though, in a few years, Baryshnikov preferred Tcherkassky and Kirkland seemed to have her strongest chemistry with Anthony Dowell in onstage.
Help ... Can someone please, please post Ms. Kirkland in Mr. Tudor's Jardin. I have never seen Ms. Kirkland do Caroline. Then, there will nothing else that I will ever need to see.
@fishyfish4444 - And, "Leaves are fading", and( "Stevenson's "Three Preludes"). I saw her Caroline, it was everything I believe Antony Tudor imagined a ballerina was capable of in the role and never was until, it was with Gelsey Kirkland. She owned the Tudor repertory. She re invented him to the world and I'm sure he loved his "New" fame.
@fishyfish4444 - I would like to add, that I don't think she ever danced "Pillar of Fire" or several of the others, probably because they were not scheduled, But I believe if she had, history would have been made.
i was just accepted to her summer intensive in NY. she gave the audition herself, it was so humbling to be in the same room as her. she's still as beautiful and as fluid as ever <3 <3
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Her ankles were too fat. I understand that she had to put her toes on a diet, which led to problems with drugs and the consumption of too much Black Bart chewing gum. But, boy, had she kept it up she could have been another Cass Elliot.
Sorry, haven't watched this in quite a while. It's the very first thing she does, from 0.06-0.08. I was just watching Osipova do this, and she doesn't even plie' out of the arabesque at all (which is why I had to come back to view this). This one rolls down through her entire foot. And everything is not only ridiculously clean (doesn't cut corners on one single thing) but completely in character.
Thank you! The most amazingly beautiful ballerina of all time~ a pure joy to watch! Thank you Gelsey for all the the sweat and tears it took to create such a miracle for us to watch <3
I love this video despite the quality. What makes Gelsey so great for me is the way she takes the ordinary classroom steps and turns them into something seemingly magical and poetic.
Makarova's Giselle looks like a great clumping ox compared to Miss Kirkland's incredible control and lightness. If only we had the entire performance available to view. I can only imagine how otherworldly Miss Kirkland must have been in Act 2.
Gelsey is just amazing. I think every single piece of her on tape should be digitized so we can all benefit from crystal clarity of her sumptuous dancing. Love her.
Would everyone please stop commenting on the personal life of Ms. Kirkland. It is about the work. We should all be thankful that the world can now enjoy her performances, free, on the internet. Aren't we all so lucky!
I cannot believe that a human can be so talented. Thank you, Ms. Kirkland, for permitting this to be for the world to enjoy. What a gift to us all. Good luck with you new school.
This is nice. I saw her dance pretty often in the 1970s. Her drug use did cause her to miss scheduled performances with ABT toward the end of her career there (pity the poor ballerina who had to go on in front of an audience that had paid to see Kirkland), but when Gelsey was "on," she was incomparable. She was in a class by herself among American ballerinas.
Gelsey is choreographing the nutcracker at the Joffrey ballet school right now! omg she's amazing and so sweet. i can't wait until our dance is finished! thank you Gelsey! <3
you know i just finished reading her book "Dancing on my Grave" and now seeing this, just oh my god, she is just so AMAZING i am so inspiried by her. Just wow, shes so beautiful
It's great that you got permission, but the quality of the video is horrible and messed up. Can you please upload with better quality? I can help you upsample this to 1080P to upload.
wow. she is so incredible. just when i watch her i get this feeling...and she has this grace and poise, that no one i have ever seen has. she is gorgeous!!!and thanks for posting!
@MishaGelsey Beautifully, perfectly stated! She breaks my heart. I wish the "Olympian" dancers of today could get this performance through their heads and build up one ounce of Gelsey's artistry. Gelsey understands that the control and restraint of movement in some places is suited to particular roles and stories in classical ballet!
How I wish we had a complete video of Gelsey's Giselle, as generations of dancers could learn from this magnificent portrayal. Incredible technique but character first was always Gelsey's way. I agree with Misha, she was the best ballerina of her time and certainly the greatest ever produced in North America.
most incredible american ballerina. She looks so beautiful and healthy in video and you can even feel the passion coming off of her even though this is a youtube video.
What you all are witnessing here is the greatest American Ballerina of the 20th Century. Film and video do not do justice to her extreme genius. To have seen her live, to hear the gasps and shouts of the audience will be a memory I will hold close to my heart.
@webbsjwebb I would agree except I don't think you need to quality with "American." I think she was the greatest of the 20th Century period with the possible exception of Galina Ulanova.
No, but had the honor to see her dance many, many times... when she was near the end of her performing career it was always a thrill to be in the audience- the applause, ovations, shouts etc...very exciting...
Def. the best American ballerina to date (she for sure owns "Giselle", she IS Giselle), but you still can't beat the Russians. The Russians pretty much own the art. They are so pure. If you compare dancers such Makarova and Lopatkina to even a French dancer (Sylvie Guillem is France's greatest), you can see it not only in technique but in port de bras as well. There really is nothing greater than a Russian dancer. Just my opinion!
Gelsey had her demons , its not too far fetched, most all genius's do . This is the gold standard posted here . Her FIERCE technique is hidden in that phrasing and musicality .
You can compare this peice to others posted on youtube and they just dont have that "Je ne sais qua "
@havenization thank you for phrasing it the way you did "her fierce technique...." etc. that's really it, isn't it? it's like the combination of two opposites, which make her so entrancing....
I haven't seen the three preludes. I'm not really a balletomane. I used to go in the 70s and 80s when I was very young and while I appreciated all the dancers I just found her to be something completely different. You just couldn't look away. The DQ is probably the best dancing I've ever seen by a female.
So I went and watched the DQ they have at the Lincoln Center Library with Kirkland and Baryshnikov. No sound but it's unbelievable. Some of the best dancing I've ever seen and she gives Plisetskaya a run for her money. I also watched Theme and Variations from a Live at Lincoln Center that really should be posted here. Fantasic.
I agree re Baryshnikov but he was a little bit of a player and didn't treat her with respect. He loved her dancing not her. Can't really fault him for that.
@jondavwal I used to go to that library everyday when I studied with David Howard , I would watch Theme whith Gelsey , insperation !!! I never thought to look for her full DQ ..Wow , What used to blow me away was the Bujones at Varna clips
Thank you very much for sharing this priceless, historical footage of Gelsey Kirkland dancing Giselle. This is a great gift to all in the ballet world. Sincerely, Vanessa Tiegs
As Gelsey Kirkland's relays in her book "Dancing on My Grave", when she was with the NYC Ballet with Balanchine, he told her to drink wine for the pain her feet suffered (at 15 years old), and told her "eat nothing." Read her book and you'll see the veil come off as she exposes what she was put through. Baryshnikov treated her like a dog as well.
This story about Baryshnikov treating her like a dog ...where does it come from?she was in love with him, he was not in love with her. Full Stop. Togueter they were one of the best dancing partenaires, but he was simply not in love with her, and that is not treating anyone as a dog, That is life.
Well as I said...in Gelsey's book "Dancing on My Grave" that she wrote herself. Why don't you read her book before you rush to critizice things you don't know about. They were her experiences, not mine, not yours. Period.
Gelsey Kirkland never gave a bad performance in her life.If some things were off like a sustained balance or whatever, she made up for it with something else. I saw her entire career at abt with Misha. I recall a Bayadera she did with Fernando, she looked like was about to break and when you thought she would, she fooled you,she came thru. All the greats do. Kirkland NEVER gave a bad performance...EVER. Her ONE SL was historic.
Hi Merluza- I don't disagree with that.Maya was the architect of the folksy,earthy Kitri that all those after her took from, including (by her own admission Gelsey). Maximova personalized it fully and triumphed. BTW, I saw her only once live in a gala Giselle she danced with her husband as guests of ABT at the MET. Though past their physical primes, the magic was there. I recall her deep penchees in the adagio.Stunning.
I am sure it must have been there is only one video of Maximova as Giselle. What I really would like to see is Kirkland as Giselle in the second act, dancing with Misha because it must have been terrific, and very intense. Giselle is my lifetime ballet and I would have given anything to see any of the BIGS. my last Giselle live was quite dissaponting....all because some people just dont get into the role, especially at the ROH...I won´t give any names
Hi Merluza- I fortunately saw them all including those without Misha..(Ross Stretton, Jean Charles Gil).There is one full Giselle at Lincoln Center Library.(Stunning). I never heard Gelsey's shoes in 2nd act, she was a true ghost wili that floated on air at times she looked like the famous picture of Olga Spessivtzeva. There have been greats (Alonso, Fracci, whom I also saw) But Kirkland was from another dimension. You really had to see her to believe it.
Nothing can change the fact that, based on this video, that she was the greatest Giselle of the last 100 years, based on past performances, probably the greatest Swanilda and the second greatest Kitri.
I think what makes her stunning is the fact that she worked to be stunning and she didn't always get it on the first try, but rather perfected her movement until she did. She is an inspiration to me and I am sure loads of other dancers everywhere. more so, because she worked so hard and addressed movement from all angels she knows what she was doing and how she was doing it, which also makes her an amazing teacher for the next generation of dancers. That is a true artist to the finest degree.
Yes, read her book...where she tells about Mr. B giving her a special "vitamin". In 1976. And how she was anorectic from the time she was a student at SAB.
Her cocaine and crack addiction derailed her career and the only time her anorexia truly affected her dancing was when she starved herself to avoid acting in "Turning Point". This is evident in the Wolf Trap video with Baryshnikov -- some of the worst dancing I've ever seen her do and yet it's still riveting on many levels.
That's not true. She gave YEARS of clunker performances because of drugs and anorexia...as anybody who regularly attended ABT during this period will tell you You can even take her class at Steps and ask her yourself, and she will tell you.
Do you really think that YEARS of drug abuse and anorexia lead to only ONE bad performance?
She gave years of bad performances, just not in the late 70s. And yes, I saw her all the time in the 70s. Her cocaine addiction started in and around 1980 when she started dating PB. The only timed she ever starved herself into illness was around the time of Turning Point. She gave her best performances from 1977-1980. And she didn't have years of clunker performances. Even her not so perfect ones were not clunkers. Get real.
Gelsey Kirkland performed her first Giselles with ABT in May of 1975 and she actually left NYCB in 1974. She was wrong on 60 minutes. READ THE BOOK!!! There are New York Times reviews of her performances with ABT in 1975 as well as an article about her making the biggest leap of her career in . . . . 1974 from NYCB to ABT.
Great video! So appy you posted this! There is hardly any Gelsey stuff on YouTube.. I saw her perform so much when I lived in NYC in the 70's I followed from City Ballet to ABT for all her performances..I saw Gelsey do her only Swan Lake on June 10, 1977 at the Met. It was unbelieveable. I stood outside in the rain from 3:30 a.m. to get SRO tickets and watched it standing in the highest ring. I also saw her in Giselle as well... She is my alltime favorite! I even named my dog after her!
I heard her Swan Lake was really unique -- that she tried technical things based on her conception of the swan that were NEVER done, like triple turns in attitude when most others were doing singles, etc. But I also heard she took so many risks it was very hit or miss. I wonder why she never danced it again.
I don't know why she never danced it again.. She was so good that night. I used to take class at ABT studios and would watch her practice alone in the rehearsal room for hours. She would step into an arabesque about 100 times over and over again to get it perfect. I heard she was very sick with bronchitis that night she danced it.
The Lincoln Center videos of her rehearsals for Don Quixote in 1977 and 1978 or fascinating. I've never seen anybody work so hard. I've been trying to make time to see the whole ballet (they have a video of that as well). I saw it in 1978 and it was the greatest night of dancing I've ever seen from both her and Baryshnikov. It was like someone had set the
Sweetest Giselle EVER <3
wOrshipdanCer10 2 days ago
My favourite female dancer. Always will be.
IndigoChild6 5 days ago
She is a goddess here. She always just sort of had that... like her idol Margot Fonteyn, it wasn't just about mere technique. Oh, look at her. Look at those acrobatics. She had to have been born with it. You either have it or you don't. She always had that sweet delicate childish innocence, just like her other idol and former partner/lover Mikhail Baryshnikov. Those two... they really were something special. Her and him... they had their own marriage.
--For Misha and Gels, Dane Youssef
SURFUR 2 weeks ago
@SURFUR perfect analysis :)
ZeinaSereia10 2 weeks ago in playlist Gelsey Kirkland
Gelsey is AMAZING. <3 :DDD
rozzie726 3 weeks ago
Happy Berfday to Gelseyyyy...
SnotRockets55 4 weeks ago
HERMOSA LA GELSEY, DIVINA
stilless 1 month ago
what loveliness! nobody like Gelsey..
Thanks for posting this video.
veramentegina 1 month ago
I saw her Act II of Giselle and it was mind blowing! Just amazing!! She one of my all time favorites!!!
Tsunade363 2 months ago
freaking amazing!!!!!!!!!!!
sayersre 2 months ago
gelsey bends gravity to her will- she is out of this world
havenization 2 months ago
Anyone have more Gelsey???? I would kill to see Act II of this.
chamuda610 3 months ago 2
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It’s rare to see ballerinas today who create such steely softness as Kirkland. The way she rolls through her foot from arabesque is a work of art in itself.
sambossify 3 months ago
It’s rare to see ballerinas today who create such steely softness as Kirkland. The way she rolls through her foot from arabesque is a work of art in itself.
sambossify 3 months ago 2
She is just the quintessential giselle, graceful, delicate, bubbly, feminine, she could just make me cry.
BoringGreenDinosaur 3 months ago
Gelsey Kirkland, the most powerfully delicate prima ballerina ever! She can kick butt en pointe! Feel blessed to witness her generation of perfect dance!
richmattgal 3 months ago
i recently spent a summer intensive at gelseys ballet academy where she taught us this choreography herself. and even at 55 (?) she's still just as fluid and as graceful as ever. when we were doing Don Q and she just marked the Kitri 2nd solo, i pretty much burst into tears. not from sadness, but with just the overwhelming emotion she evokes. she's a beauty no matter what she does.
NinjaTree6 3 months ago 2
The legendary Gelsey Kirkland! Her lightness. Her elastic quality. Those incredible extensions!! Nobody wore pointe shoes like she did either. She was the best!!! FYI: Gelsey was born on Dec. 29, 1952.
LarryPayneDance 4 months ago
incredible! I saw her do Giselle once with ABT in the 70's and the performance is still etched in my memory.
sallyjdawg 4 months ago
Very nice! She dances very gracefully and I love how her movements are so flawless and precise that she appears to be floating! Bravo!
TheBallerinaDoll87 4 months ago
She's the true Giselle :) I can't believe she can sustain on pointe before carefully rolling down off pointe
karebeardancer 4 months ago 2
My favourite female dancer. Amazing!
AllThatKazz 5 months ago
wow! my Company teacher told us to do some reaserch and i found this what an effortless feel yet i know how much muscle needs to be engaged but it makes belive its easy
24qtpie 5 months ago
Ms. Kirkland is about 55 years old now and teaches with many of the world's finest ballet companies.
sa65cn1 5 months ago
@sa65cn1 she has a school i go there its really amazing :)
mzharsky8808 3 months ago
@jackmyswagbitches Attitude turn, or pirouette en attitude
kimmois1 5 months ago
We had to the variation of this in my ballet class. It makes me laugh how I failed at the hops on pointe and the fast piques compared to Gelsey and how she made it look so effortless!
livininAJUNGLEHOUSE8 6 months ago
she is the best at the variation. i've seen so many dancers do it and its just not the same. ever her in between steps are beautiful, so much care and attention to every detail. its an inspiration. I love it! thank you so much for posting this. when i have a bad day and feel like the worst dancers ever, i watch this and it inspired me to try again.
jamiecarter1984 6 months ago
Also notice how the piano starts out too fast on the hops for the tempo at which she takes it at and has to keep slowing down to match her, as if even the pianist can't believe that she's actually taking it this slowly. A lot of dancers race across the floor as fast as they can to get it over with as quickly as possible because it's so treacherous (I once saw Marcia Haydee end up in an inglorious heap on the floor attempting this during a gala performance).
shivastotravali 6 months ago
Wow. At her best, there has never been as lyrical a dancer as Gelsey. The BEST Giselle ever.
DocDLH 6 months ago
so amazinggg i hope to be like her one day!
n03LLe00 6 months ago
even now, (in her 50's?) she is still absolutely breathtaking. i spent 3 weeks with her at her academy in NYC, she taught us this variation, and i swear, just watching her demonstrate - not even full out- brings tears to my eyes, she evokes so much emotion, it's overwhelming.
NinjaTree6 6 months ago
BEAUTIFUL! Wish I could've seen her dance Giselle like this, instead of at a bad time for her. Saw her do many other roles magnificently in her prime, tho'. Truly an artist.
AvalonMorley 6 months ago
She was an amazing dancer. People who enjoyed her and are from her time should read her book "Dancing On My Grave". It's unfathomable seeing what she was going through even with this beauty
bolshoiballet1 6 months ago
gelsey has always been my favorite ballerina! she is one of a kind!!!! thanks soso much for posting this!!!
dogcat126 6 months ago
Simply AHHHmazing. This is THE performance gave me inspiration to dance with ABT (and I got to work with Gelsey as she taught class). RIP pianist Gladys <3
BrendaLi1 7 months ago
In her hey day.... WOW!
85007517 7 months ago
I love how she dances Giselle with so many shades; the serenity as she is suspended on top of a movement, then, suddenly, a rapturous, joyful rush of movement.
DreamsontheWater 7 months ago
Breathtaking.
MaryShelley72 8 months ago
I can't stop watching this...amazing and so, so beautiful!
mamallama29 9 months ago
bravisimo!
Laluciadel69 9 months ago
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That is what i call near perfection!!
Capizio77 9 months ago
That, is what I call ballet.
Capizio77 9 months ago
i would love to have a recording of every single one of her performances, and to see her act 2 Giselle, oh how i wish
SqrtleVertis 10 months ago
I happened to be at her first Giselle in New York with Baryshnikov. There were nine curtain calls after the great passage of entrechats quatres en diagonale before Baryshnikov could begin his solo. At the time, the Kirkland-Baryshnikov partnership was flowering, though, in a few years, Baryshnikov preferred Tcherkassky and Kirkland seemed to have her strongest chemistry with Anthony Dowell in onstage.
bestmaster3 10 months ago
Absolutely Beautiful!
emilyf1997 11 months ago
Help ... Can someone please, please post Ms. Kirkland in Mr. Tudor's Jardin. I have never seen Ms. Kirkland do Caroline. Then, there will nothing else that I will ever need to see.
Thank you.
fishyfish4444 11 months ago
@fishyfish4444 - And, "Leaves are fading", and( "Stevenson's "Three Preludes"). I saw her Caroline, it was everything I believe Antony Tudor imagined a ballerina was capable of in the role and never was until, it was with Gelsey Kirkland. She owned the Tudor repertory. She re invented him to the world and I'm sure he loved his "New" fame.
Leonnidik 9 months ago
@fishyfish4444 - I would like to add, that I don't think she ever danced "Pillar of Fire" or several of the others, probably because they were not scheduled, But I believe if she had, history would have been made.
Leonnidik 9 months ago
Perfect <3
jessDance00 11 months ago
i was just accepted to her summer intensive in NY. she gave the audition herself, it was so humbling to be in the same room as her. she's still as beautiful and as fluid as ever <3 <3
NinjaTree6 11 months ago
@NinjaTree6 How WONDERFUL!! Have fun - soak it in!
mamallama29 10 months ago
Those 2 people dont know what ballet is...
mzharsky8808 1 year ago
Thank you for posting this little gem.
mbvirkus 1 year ago
holy crow i found myself applauding at the end... yikes... it's a video, not live. what a rare and exquisite creature.
jeanneadele 1 year ago
Oh my goodness - videos of Gelsey Kirkland are so rare! Thank you for sharing this gem with us!
neodancer 1 year ago
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Her ankles were too fat. I understand that she had to put her toes on a diet, which led to problems with drugs and the consumption of too much Black Bart chewing gum. But, boy, had she kept it up she could have been another Cass Elliot.
guinnesstrail 1 year ago
That the human body is capable of this brings tears to my eyes.
spershall 1 year ago 2
The way she plie's out of that first pique' arabesque is just demented.
I challenge anyone to find any other Giselle on youtube who does/can do that.
shivastotravali 1 year ago
@shivastotravali Can you pont out what time mark that is at? My ballet erms from college are RUSTY! (like my turnout)
HollywoodHillsCookie 1 year ago
@HollywoodHillsCookie
Sorry, haven't watched this in quite a while. It's the very first thing she does, from 0.06-0.08. I was just watching Osipova do this, and she doesn't even plie' out of the arabesque at all (which is why I had to come back to view this). This one rolls down through her entire foot. And everything is not only ridiculously clean (doesn't cut corners on one single thing) but completely in character.
shivastotravali 6 months ago
Thank you! The most amazingly beautiful ballerina of all time~ a pure joy to watch! Thank you Gelsey for all the the sweat and tears it took to create such a miracle for us to watch <3
vikettes1 1 year ago
I love this video despite the quality. What makes Gelsey so great for me is the way she takes the ordinary classroom steps and turns them into something seemingly magical and poetic.
genevieve70 1 year ago 2
She was the greatest ballerina imho. It's such a shame that there isn't more video of her dancing available to the public.
balletomane4ever 1 year ago
Makarova's Giselle looks like a great clumping ox compared to Miss Kirkland's incredible control and lightness. If only we had the entire performance available to view. I can only imagine how otherworldly Miss Kirkland must have been in Act 2.
opacifie 1 year ago 2
@opacifie Yes - her Act 2 must have been wonderful. *Please* if anyone has only a fragment please upload it! Or anything else! :-)
Pearlaceous 1 year ago
@opacifie I've seen the whole thing at the Lincoln Center Library. It's incredible.
donbux 1 year ago
ahmazing. what year was this???
maykayballet 1 year ago
@maykayballet. I believe it was 1975 (but it could have been 1976). In any event it was one of those years.
jondavwal 1 year ago
beauatiful! she is one of my favorite ballerinas of all time!! thanx for poating!
dogcat126 1 year ago
Gelsey is just amazing. I think every single piece of her on tape should be digitized so we can all benefit from crystal clarity of her sumptuous dancing. Love her.
CedricsMom 1 year ago
How old was she at this point?
kamwrites 1 year ago
@kamwrites 22
jondavwal 1 year ago
AGAIN THANK YOU. I cannot stop watching this video. Amazing dancer and artist.
jeanemail7 1 year ago
Would everyone please stop commenting on the personal life of Ms. Kirkland. It is about the work. We should all be thankful that the world can now enjoy her performances, free, on the internet. Aren't we all so lucky!
Please, please, someone make available Jardin.
fishyfish4444 1 year ago
My absolute favorite dancer of all time. Soo exquisite. I am soo lucky to have found this. My love to you Ms. Gelsey Kirkland
andwhoareyouagain 1 year ago
I cannot believe that a human can be so talented. Thank you, Ms. Kirkland, for permitting this to be for the world to enjoy. What a gift to us all. Good luck with you new school.
fishyfish4444 1 year ago
This is nice. I saw her dance pretty often in the 1970s. Her drug use did cause her to miss scheduled performances with ABT toward the end of her career there (pity the poor ballerina who had to go on in front of an audience that had paid to see Kirkland), but when Gelsey was "on," she was incomparable. She was in a class by herself among American ballerinas.
affectivity 1 year ago
Gelsey is choreographing the nutcracker at the Joffrey ballet school right now! omg she's amazing and so sweet. i can't wait until our dance is finished! thank you Gelsey! <3
monkeyluv365 1 year ago
woowww amazing finally real giselle happyto see this ...she is gorgeous !!
likeafirstday 1 year ago
has anyone read her biography?cause i have and its pretty awesome
23pointe 1 year ago
@23pointe I loved her autobiography.
reelgoodhornpiper 1 year ago
@reelgoodhornpiper omg me too!!!haha im reading the sequal right now
23pointe 1 year ago
amazing! does anyone know what ballet shoes she uses? her feet look AMAZING
Diehardwickedfan 1 year ago
i want to dance like her but i go to her acadyme she has a school
potsteuf 1 year ago
@potsteuf darling, forget about it, no one can dance like Gelsey Kirkland, she is unique.
merluzasfritas 1 year ago
Where can I buy the full version??...
bochan207 1 year ago
she has the feet of a goddess!
helliop 1 year ago
She has the best control I've ever seen! She IS Giselle : D!
jewingten 1 year ago
you know i just finished reading her book "Dancing on my Grave" and now seeing this, just oh my god, she is just so AMAZING i am so inspiried by her. Just wow, shes so beautiful
SqrtleVertis 1 year ago
so perfect the attitude turns just float around none of the hopping at the end. thank you so much for this Glebby2
sonata6100 1 year ago
This has to be the best Giselle I have seen in a long time. I've watched this video over and over and each time I find a little piece of heaven
ECBarnes3 1 year ago
It's great that you got permission, but the quality of the video is horrible and messed up. Can you please upload with better quality? I can help you upsample this to 1080P to upload.
georgeou 1 year ago
wow. she is so incredible. just when i watch her i get this feeling...and she has this grace and poise, that no one i have ever seen has. she is gorgeous!!!and thanks for posting!
eatsleepdance7 1 year ago
one way to say it... she embodies the perfect combination of Ability & Willingness. Thanks so much for posting, Glebby2!
jeanneadele 1 year ago
Easily one of the top five ballet dancers in the world. And when it comes to gracefulness, she is probably number 1.
flapjackballet 1 year ago 9
Ugh! That control! That lyricism! That emotion!
She is so vulnerable, and yet she's just so frigging technically pure... Her arabesque is a moving pose.
She's nature's Giselle. Nobody else's Giselle can compare.
Gelsey Kirkland is what classical ballet is supposed to look like. It's like watching poetry en pointe.
Please post more! Give us more Gelsey!
MishaGelsey 1 year ago 38
@MishaGelsey Beautifully, perfectly stated! She breaks my heart. I wish the "Olympian" dancers of today could get this performance through their heads and build up one ounce of Gelsey's artistry. Gelsey understands that the control and restraint of movement in some places is suited to particular roles and stories in classical ballet!
EliseBallet 1 year ago
This is absolut perfection in technique and expression! Wonderful!
smeton78 1 year ago
what is the turn gelsey does at around 0:39 with her leg out in the back? is it called an attitude?
christentze 1 year ago
Please post the whole video. Gelsey is such a joy to watch.
staronella 1 year ago
she is really just wonderful!!!
jengirl2 1 year ago
Those arabesques! Incredible control and softness.
zessi80 1 year ago
How I wish we had a complete video of Gelsey's Giselle, as generations of dancers could learn from this magnificent portrayal. Incredible technique but character first was always Gelsey's way. I agree with Misha, she was the best ballerina of her time and certainly the greatest ever produced in North America.
kdub10009 1 year ago 2
well then i hope u saw her before she did drugs
danceteamgirl226 1 year ago
She is lighter than air. What a gift!
cool2kitty 1 year ago
dang!!! look at her arabesque and her runs!!!
-Summerly
iversonclan 1 year ago
one word, WOW
ravegods 1 year ago
absolutely perfect, but why the piano? If this is a show, wouldnt there be an orchestra?
tutus4life 1 year ago
@tutus4life This was originally a silent film. The piano was added later.
numberonefilmfan 1 year ago
Great!!!
Merrywife 1 year ago
most incredible american ballerina. She looks so beautiful and healthy in video and you can even feel the passion coming off of her even though this is a youtube video.
revynsworld 1 year ago
The most beautiful ballerina of all time.
Cherilynn100 1 year ago 2
What you all are witnessing here is the greatest American Ballerina of the 20th Century. Film and video do not do justice to her extreme genius. To have seen her live, to hear the gasps and shouts of the audience will be a memory I will hold close to my heart.
webbsjwebb 1 year ago 50
@webbsjwebb I would agree except I don't think you need to quality with "American." I think she was the greatest of the 20th Century period with the possible exception of Galina Ulanova.
jondavwal 1 year ago
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Capizio77 1 year ago
@Capizio77
No, but had the honor to see her dance many, many times... when she was near the end of her performing career it was always a thrill to be in the audience- the applause, ovations, shouts etc...very exciting...
webbsjwebb 1 year ago
@webbsjwebb
You were there when she danced this!?
She is perfection!
Capizio77 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@webbsjwebb
You were there when she danced this!?
She is perfection! Wow! OMG!
Capizio77 1 year ago
@webbsjwebb
You are absolutely correct. There will never be another like her. She mastered and then transcended classical technique - genius.
Andante735 7 months ago
beautiful!
lilywis 1 year ago
Oh dios, ella es bella en Giselle.
kabaiivansko 1 year ago
Def. the best American ballerina to date (she for sure owns "Giselle", she IS Giselle), but you still can't beat the Russians. The Russians pretty much own the art. They are so pure. If you compare dancers such Makarova and Lopatkina to even a French dancer (Sylvie Guillem is France's greatest), you can see it not only in technique but in port de bras as well. There really is nothing greater than a Russian dancer. Just my opinion!
RainbowSkittleGirl 1 year ago
@RainbowSkittleGirl
Defininity do not agree with your opinion
comparing Makarova to Guillem .....I dont know about that .
here are some names that I feel are far worthy and are 2nd to none
Yuan Yuan Tan
Lucia Lacara
Sylvie Sofiane
and my all time Fav
Marienella Nunez
I never bought into the russians are the best .......EVER
havenization 1 year ago 3
Comment removed
kdub10009 1 year ago
I could watch her all day!!! She is extraordinary, I love her.....
Alix947 1 year ago
she is by far the best giselle ive ever seen
TheNatalieskinny 1 year ago
Oh my god this woman is a monster! Such a brilliant performance. She really is a genious.
TheNatalieskinny 1 year ago
what company is she performing with here?
ilbfae 1 year ago
@ilbfae It's rehearsal videos from Wolftrap.
AcemanJones 1 year ago
Gelsey had her demons , its not too far fetched, most all genius's do . This is the gold standard posted here . Her FIERCE technique is hidden in that phrasing and musicality .
You can compare this peice to others posted on youtube and they just dont have that "Je ne sais qua "
havenization 1 year ago 2
@havenization thank you for phrasing it the way you did "her fierce technique...." etc. that's really it, isn't it? it's like the combination of two opposites, which make her so entrancing....
jeanneadele 1 year ago
she looks good here...healthy and no plastic surgery...and dancing wonderfully.
evret0503 1 year ago
This makes me cry. She was THE BEST. Ever.
kdub10009 1 year ago
You are missed every time we go to the ballet and some silly ballerina is wrapping her leg around her neck without knowing why!!
Leonnidik 1 year ago 2
Gelsey is great person, as much as a dancer. love her!
JaredPaul54 1 year ago
Oh man she's gorgeous! Musicality and timing brilliant!
evret0503 1 year ago
I haven't seen the three preludes. I'm not really a balletomane. I used to go in the 70s and 80s when I was very young and while I appreciated all the dancers I just found her to be something completely different. You just couldn't look away. The DQ is probably the best dancing I've ever seen by a female.
jondavwal 1 year ago
So I went and watched the DQ they have at the Lincoln Center Library with Kirkland and Baryshnikov. No sound but it's unbelievable. Some of the best dancing I've ever seen and she gives Plisetskaya a run for her money. I also watched Theme and Variations from a Live at Lincoln Center that really should be posted here. Fantasic.
I agree re Baryshnikov but he was a little bit of a player and didn't treat her with respect. He loved her dancing not her. Can't really fault him for that.
jondavwal 1 year ago
Jon- Did you see her "Three Preludes" by Ben Stevenson?
Qbendanny 1 year ago
@jondavwal I used to go to that library everyday when I studied with David Howard , I would watch Theme whith Gelsey , insperation !!! I never thought to look for her full DQ ..Wow , What used to blow me away was the Bujones at Varna clips
havenization 1 year ago
Thank you very much for sharing this priceless, historical footage of Gelsey Kirkland dancing Giselle. This is a great gift to all in the ballet world. Sincerely, Vanessa Tiegs
vanessatiegs 1 year ago
thank you for posting this -- so beautiful and natural -- stunning.
palaisvert 1 year ago
She's so elegant, but I almost want to say cute! So delicate and effortless. I could watch this over and over!
manderson610 1 year ago
W.O.W.
shivastotravali 2 years ago
So. Exquisite. Thank you.
ktdanza 2 years ago 9
As Gelsey Kirkland's relays in her book "Dancing on My Grave", when she was with the NYC Ballet with Balanchine, he told her to drink wine for the pain her feet suffered (at 15 years old), and told her "eat nothing." Read her book and you'll see the veil come off as she exposes what she was put through. Baryshnikov treated her like a dog as well.
Picardy 2 years ago 2
This story about Baryshnikov treating her like a dog ...where does it come from?she was in love with him, he was not in love with her. Full Stop. Togueter they were one of the best dancing partenaires, but he was simply not in love with her, and that is not treating anyone as a dog, That is life.
merluzasfritas 1 year ago 3
@merluzasfritas
Well as I said...in Gelsey's book "Dancing on My Grave" that she wrote herself. Why don't you read her book before you rush to critizice things you don't know about. They were her experiences, not mine, not yours. Period.
Picardy 1 year ago
I have read the book. Can you please quote the pages where she makes the statement "Baryshnikov treated me like a dog "?
merluzasfritas 1 year ago
l never heard about this book must be interesting
pediatrapaola 1 year ago
@merluzasfritas ouch a little harsh!
jeanneadele 1 year ago
Gelsey Kirkland never gave a bad performance in her life.If some things were off like a sustained balance or whatever, she made up for it with something else. I saw her entire career at abt with Misha. I recall a Bayadera she did with Fernando, she looked like was about to break and when you thought she would, she fooled you,she came thru. All the greats do. Kirkland NEVER gave a bad performance...EVER. Her ONE SL was historic.
Qbendanny 2 years ago
then who would you say is the greatest kitri?
munchki628 2 years ago
Munchki- Without question the greatest Kitri was and will always be Maya Plisetskaya.
Qbendanny 2 years ago
Exactly
jondavwal 2 years ago
I agree .I think Maya was the best kitri, but Maximova was kitri.
merluzasfritas 1 year ago
Hi Merluza- I don't disagree with that.Maya was the architect of the folksy,earthy Kitri that all those after her took from, including (by her own admission Gelsey). Maximova personalized it fully and triumphed. BTW, I saw her only once live in a gala Giselle she danced with her husband as guests of ABT at the MET. Though past their physical primes, the magic was there. I recall her deep penchees in the adagio.Stunning.
Qbendanny 1 year ago
I am sure it must have been there is only one video of Maximova as Giselle. What I really would like to see is Kirkland as Giselle in the second act, dancing with Misha because it must have been terrific, and very intense. Giselle is my lifetime ballet and I would have given anything to see any of the BIGS. my last Giselle live was quite dissaponting....all because some people just dont get into the role, especially at the ROH...I won´t give any names
merluzasfritas 1 year ago
Hi Merluza- I fortunately saw them all including those without Misha..(Ross Stretton, Jean Charles Gil).There is one full Giselle at Lincoln Center Library.(Stunning). I never heard Gelsey's shoes in 2nd act, she was a true ghost wili that floated on air at times she looked like the famous picture of Olga Spessivtzeva. There have been greats (Alonso, Fracci, whom I also saw) But Kirkland was from another dimension. You really had to see her to believe it.
Qbendanny 1 year ago
Nothing can change the fact that, based on this video, that she was the greatest Giselle of the last 100 years, based on past performances, probably the greatest Swanilda and the second greatest Kitri.
jondavwal 2 years ago
I am in such awe of Gelsey Kirkland. She overcame her hardships and is a stunning ballerina from whom we can all learn.
jubedance15 2 years ago
i think she's lovely.
letsskitri 2 years ago
I think what makes her stunning is the fact that she worked to be stunning and she didn't always get it on the first try, but rather perfected her movement until she did. She is an inspiration to me and I am sure loads of other dancers everywhere. more so, because she worked so hard and addressed movement from all angels she knows what she was doing and how she was doing it, which also makes her an amazing teacher for the next generation of dancers. That is a true artist to the finest degree.
Megalin22 2 years ago
Read her book. She was not doing drugs in 1977 nor was she anorexic anymore.
jondavwal 2 years ago
Yes, read her book...where she tells about Mr. B giving her a special "vitamin". In 1976. And how she was anorectic from the time she was a student at SAB.
AcemanJones 2 years ago
Her cocaine and crack addiction derailed her career and the only time her anorexia truly affected her dancing was when she starved herself to avoid acting in "Turning Point". This is evident in the Wolf Trap video with Baryshnikov -- some of the worst dancing I've ever seen her do and yet it's still riveting on many levels.
donbux 2 years ago
That's not true. She gave YEARS of clunker performances because of drugs and anorexia...as anybody who regularly attended ABT during this period will tell you You can even take her class at Steps and ask her yourself, and she will tell you.
Do you really think that YEARS of drug abuse and anorexia lead to only ONE bad performance?
AcemanJones 2 years ago
She gave years of bad performances, just not in the late 70s. And yes, I saw her all the time in the 70s. Her cocaine addiction started in and around 1980 when she started dating PB. The only timed she ever starved herself into illness was around the time of Turning Point. She gave her best performances from 1977-1980. And she didn't have years of clunker performances. Even her not so perfect ones were not clunkers. Get real.
jondavwal 2 years ago
She left NYCB in 1975. I doubt Mr. B gave her anything in 1976.
jondavwal 2 years ago
In her Diane Sawyer "60 minutes" interview, she claims it was 1976.
AcemanJones 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
when was this interview?
twinjane17 2 years ago
(the interview was done in 1987).
AcemanJones 2 years ago
Gelsey Kirkland performed her first Giselles with ABT in May of 1975 and she actually left NYCB in 1974. She was wrong on 60 minutes. READ THE BOOK!!! There are New York Times reviews of her performances with ABT in 1975 as well as an article about her making the biggest leap of her career in . . . . 1974 from NYCB to ABT.
jondavwal 2 years ago
If you say.
AcemanJones 2 years ago
Great video! So appy you posted this! There is hardly any Gelsey stuff on YouTube.. I saw her perform so much when I lived in NYC in the 70's I followed from City Ballet to ABT for all her performances..I saw Gelsey do her only Swan Lake on June 10, 1977 at the Met. It was unbelieveable. I stood outside in the rain from 3:30 a.m. to get SRO tickets and watched it standing in the highest ring. I also saw her in Giselle as well... She is my alltime favorite! I even named my dog after her!
MCurtis612 2 years ago
I heard her Swan Lake was really unique -- that she tried technical things based on her conception of the swan that were NEVER done, like triple turns in attitude when most others were doing singles, etc. But I also heard she took so many risks it was very hit or miss. I wonder why she never danced it again.
jondavwal 2 years ago
I don't know why she never danced it again.. She was so good that night. I used to take class at ABT studios and would watch her practice alone in the rehearsal room for hours. She would step into an arabesque about 100 times over and over again to get it perfect. I heard she was very sick with bronchitis that night she danced it.
MCurtis612 2 years ago
The Lincoln Center videos of her rehearsals for Don Quixote in 1977 and 1978 or fascinating. I've never seen anybody work so hard. I've been trying to make time to see the whole ballet (they have a video of that as well). I saw it in 1978 and it was the greatest night of dancing I've ever seen from both her and Baryshnikov. It was like someone had set the