My mother, Jane Ellen Mansfield, studied with Leon Danielian ("Little Leon" as they used to call him) at Mordkin Ballet. She was 14 at the time, and Leon was 19. She had SUCH a crush on him, and still speaks fondly of him to this day.
She recalls how "neat" he was, and how he was a great and patient partner. And to all those dancers out there, take it from my mom of 80 -- you never lose the passion. :)
I need to get her the full DVD on this from Amazon!
i HATE when ballet dancers do not get the credit we deserve! Our strength to weight ratio is WAY off the charts, and way better than football or basketball players', so for someone to say it is 'gay' is very 'gay'.
david howard was the best but he just used to focus on his favorites and take the money from all the ugly ducklings. And there were many in his classes.
I studied with David Howard too. In fact, he used me as a demonstrator in a class. I didn't really think I was a favorite. I just thought I was pretty decent and I was extremely flattered. I never thought about anyone there being an ugly ducklings. I mean, aren't we all ugly ducklings, really? I just thought we all wanted to dance and get better. My experience with David was positive, even when what he had to tell me was not positive at all.
Oh, and I do think Leon Danielian was better than David Howard as a teacher, but I think Leon was before your time. :) So, how could you compare them?
never say never! many men in touch with their femininity usually go to the arts. The doors are open there to anybody...what would dance be without all those great homos? NOthing! Tchakosky...swanlake and so on. and so on. but the fight is to open all doors to all people in all professions.
well, therapy you want? gay? my point is that many...such as paul taylor, cunnigham, lebovitch, joffrey, robbins, ailey, t.jones, bejart, dialighev, morris, smuin, and many more are gay! The doors are open to them and there they create increadible art!
hip hop is pretty universal and good dancer can bring "deliver hope, love, despair, passion" to any form of dance, and i love hip hop because its our generations own thing, and isnt it Giselle not Gisell...but anywho i am not going to argue with anyone because its just a matter of opinion
yeah let me rephrase that ballet is boring for me...yeah iam 13 and ive been doing ballet for for the past 10 years and thats all i've been doing because my parents made me untill i switched studios and discovered jazz, & hip hop which i really get into, iam just really blase when it comes to ballet because ive seen so much and ive already seen the best and it makes me yawn...but anyways sorry if i offended you guyss
To me, if a dance is well choreographed, if the dancers understand and dance it wholeheartedly, I would never find it boring to watch. You are only 13, hip hop is fun and cool, but I doubt whether a hip-hop dance can deliver hope, love, despair, passion... all kind of emotions in the way Ballet does. Would a hip-hop or jazz dance able to convey one's forgiveness afer one was badly betrayed as in Gisell? Would a hip-hop dance able to move you so deeply that you unknowing cry? I doubt it...
yes indeed. quoting KarrotKun1, "when dancing wasnt gay"? are you even kidding me? you have obviously never had the pleasured experience of seeing REAL ballet. it is far from gay and let me tell you, agreeing with tismurdis here, try surviving just one pointe class, and see how ignorant you are then.
I think KarrotKun1's point was--- this was a time when people didn't associate ballet with a specific connotation like people, immaturely and unfortunately do today. Think about kids today--- show them a man in a ballet costume, and listen to the comments some of them will say, even though it's not necessarily true. At a certain point in time, anyone could do ballet and it would be recieved with nothing but appreciation and awe. Now, people are constantly having to stave off untrue stereotypes.
Yes she was horrible - I thought like Military commander. I did not like her classes much but dancers like Gelsey Kirkland worshipped her. Those days you put yourself subservient to the teacher and your judgment sometimes was checked at the door. I preferred the teachers that allwoed for development of your own intellect, style and finding your own balance. Leon was fine.
dancing?? gay??? are you kidding me?
male dancers are probably more strong and not only in body but in mind, than most men.
And else ¿who cares if they could be gay? what we care in here is about ballet, nothing else.
Dancers can be aliens and for us it wont matter as long as they dance with their souls and hearts!!
SophieNeveudancer 3 years ago 19
pereyaslavec : is noureev'teacher
janimarie09 3 years ago
My mother, Jane Ellen Mansfield, studied with Leon Danielian ("Little Leon" as they used to call him) at Mordkin Ballet. She was 14 at the time, and Leon was 19. She had SUCH a crush on him, and still speaks fondly of him to this day.
She recalls how "neat" he was, and how he was a great and patient partner. And to all those dancers out there, take it from my mom of 80 -- you never lose the passion. :)
I need to get her the full DVD on this from Amazon!
daustinb 4 years ago 7
m00sesr0ck247
moussedechocolatus 4 years ago
wow! this is way before i was born! lol! :]
smellys3 4 years ago
sorry i like classical
BethanyLG 4 years ago
i HATE when ballet dancers do not get the credit we deserve! Our strength to weight ratio is WAY off the charts, and way better than football or basketball players', so for someone to say it is 'gay' is very 'gay'.
tutucute13 4 years ago 5
who cares about comparing with sports? And so what if it is gay? The arts in general are about freedom...sensuality.
butifarra61 4 years ago
This was great to see. I studied with Leon Danielian when I was young. He was amazing!
TexasKatskia 4 years ago
david howard was the best but he just used to focus on his favorites and take the money from all the ugly ducklings. And there were many in his classes.
butifarra61 4 years ago
I studied with David Howard too. In fact, he used me as a demonstrator in a class. I didn't really think I was a favorite. I just thought I was pretty decent and I was extremely flattered. I never thought about anyone there being an ugly ducklings. I mean, aren't we all ugly ducklings, really? I just thought we all wanted to dance and get better. My experience with David was positive, even when what he had to tell me was not positive at all.
TexasKatskia 4 years ago
I agree with everything you say...except that "David Howard used to be the best". He was always a self-involved malicious mean bitter drunk.
AcemanJones 2 years ago
Oh, and I do think Leon Danielian was better than David Howard as a teacher, but I think Leon was before your time. :) So, how could you compare them?
TexasKatskia 4 years ago
began dancing in 77
butifarra61 4 years ago
Cool. I began in '65 when I was ten. But it doesn't matter when you started, just how much you enjoyed yourself!
TexasKatskia 4 years ago
this is when dancing wasn't "gay"
KarrotKun1 4 years ago
dancing never WAS gay.
tinaaballerinaa1 4 years ago 2
never say never! many men in touch with their femininity usually go to the arts. The doors are open there to anybody...what would dance be without all those great homos? NOthing! Tchakosky...swanlake and so on. and so on. but the fight is to open all doors to all people in all professions.
butifarra61 4 years ago
dancing was never and will never be gay!!!!!
Tallyzip 4 years ago
well, therapy you want? gay? my point is that many...such as paul taylor, cunnigham, lebovitch, joffrey, robbins, ailey, t.jones, bejart, dialighev, morris, smuin, and many more are gay! The doors are open to them and there they create increadible art!
butifarra61 4 years ago
i have to ask, what is up(no pun intended) with the teachers hair?
eloisefig 4 years ago
hip hop is pretty universal and good dancer can bring "deliver hope, love, despair, passion" to any form of dance, and i love hip hop because its our generations own thing, and isnt it Giselle not Gisell...but anywho i am not going to argue with anyone because its just a matter of opinion
m00sesr0ck247 5 years ago
yeah let me rephrase that ballet is boring for me...yeah iam 13 and ive been doing ballet for for the past 10 years and thats all i've been doing because my parents made me untill i switched studios and discovered jazz, & hip hop which i really get into, iam just really blase when it comes to ballet because ive seen so much and ive already seen the best and it makes me yawn...but anyways sorry if i offended you guyss
m00sesr0ck247 5 years ago
To me, if a dance is well choreographed, if the dancers understand and dance it wholeheartedly, I would never find it boring to watch. You are only 13, hip hop is fun and cool, but I doubt whether a hip-hop dance can deliver hope, love, despair, passion... all kind of emotions in the way Ballet does. Would a hip-hop or jazz dance able to convey one's forgiveness afer one was badly betrayed as in Gisell? Would a hip-hop dance able to move you so deeply that you unknowing cry? I doubt it...
leoninsf 5 years ago 3
thank you for posting.
<3
HoNGKoNGGaReN 5 years ago
Thanks for that...highly intellectual... comment m00sesr0ck- your greatly cultured opinion really counts for a lot.
Great video, thanks for posting it. Its lovely!
Mymadhatter 5 years ago
ballet is boring
m00sesr0ck247 5 years ago
there is no way this is boring
you have no clue how much work goes into that
ive been doing ballet for awhile
and im not close to where they are.
it amazes me.
its hard.
maybe you should learn to enjoy beautiful things
HoNGKoNGGaReN 5 years ago
uh NO WAY IN HELL.try surviving pointe classes..THEN you won't go name calling!!!
tismurdis 4 years ago 3
yes indeed. quoting KarrotKun1, "when dancing wasnt gay"? are you even kidding me? you have obviously never had the pleasured experience of seeing REAL ballet. it is far from gay and let me tell you, agreeing with tismurdis here, try surviving just one pointe class, and see how ignorant you are then.
thunderrthighhs 4 years ago
I think KarrotKun1's point was--- this was a time when people didn't associate ballet with a specific connotation like people, immaturely and unfortunately do today. Think about kids today--- show them a man in a ballet costume, and listen to the comments some of them will say, even though it's not necessarily true. At a certain point in time, anyone could do ballet and it would be recieved with nothing but appreciation and awe. Now, people are constantly having to stave off untrue stereotypes.
Pri03 2 years ago
Uh, angel? What period of time in America were men able to to ballet as a career and have it been "received with nothing but appreciation and awe"?
I can't remember ANY period.
AcemanJones 2 years ago
oh, a lazy bastard opening mouth
moussedechocolatus 4 years ago
??? why are you here theN? go watch tennis...oh, so exciting. and what about golf? The way those golfers sweat!
butifarra61 4 years ago
Actually watching tennis is exciting to watch.
biaten 2 years ago
this film is amaising
berlinix2 5 years ago
My Mother took class from that ballet teacher...this video is amazing and the real deal.
SwingShoes 5 years ago
Who is the little Russian teacher?
drummamamma 5 years ago
she used to tech the cruelest classes in abt...she was a total dictator! Sweet but a dictator.
butifarra61 4 years ago 3
Who?
TexasKatskia 4 years ago
Yes she was horrible - I thought like Military commander. I did not like her classes much but dancers like Gelsey Kirkland worshipped her. Those days you put yourself subservient to the teacher and your judgment sometimes was checked at the door. I preferred the teachers that allwoed for development of your own intellect, style and finding your own balance. Leon was fine.
amonly 4 years ago 3
Valentina Pereyaslavec - at least that's what it says in the video at 2:13
dobrov83 4 years ago
It´s very interesting to see this...thanks for putting it
StageShoes 5 years ago