Dame Alicia Markova

[tairanotomomori]

Wow...how light...how graceful!! Isn't she better than Fonteyn?? I've seen quite a few clips of Margot Fonteyn but I could never get her.But THIS I can get. How come she's not more celebrated than Fonteyn??

[WilesWales]

Markova danced as she were the music itself. My uncle partnered Dame Alicia Markova (she became "Dame" in 1961. My grandmother, who made all the costumes for the Tampa Civic Ballet, which my uncle formed after returning home after being with Ballet Theatre or five years, and then with the Original Ballet Russe under Sal Hurock, all visited my uncle in NYC twice said this. After seeing it I agree 100%. I have a picture of my uncle with Alicia (Lillian Alice Marks) on my wall in my bedroom!

[jgh37]

EXQUISITE.

[JLJaro]

SHE WAS ... NUMBER 1 !!

[tutugirl4life]

She IS number one

[MrBalletballet]

@tutugirl4life after Alonso

[cubanmiamiboy]

That's why when one see the current production of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba it still has this charming vintage aura. Thank God Mme. Alonso has preserved that beautiful diagonal from Spessivtzeva's solo, via Markova-(instead of the nonsensed current substitution for that series of piques). Yes, VIVA MARKOVA!

[goldenidol]

There is a clip on here of  Tamara Rojo doing this variation with a Cuban Ballet Company. Her series of turns at the end is too beautiful!

[cubanmiamiboy]

@goldenidol Yes...I've seen that clip. Of course, if you dare to dance the role in Havana, you have to do it Markova style..! (At the end, she was Alonso's idol...)

[franj1]

sen-fucking-sational

[menu667]

I had the privilege of meeting Dame Alicia on many occasions the 1990's. what a lovely Charming lady she was.

This video clip is amazing.

I will treasure her signed autobiography that she gave me.

[swanningaround]

She is sheer class. What a great clip.

[gallegotii]

That was perfection! She was Alicia Alonso's role model and it shows in every detail.

[qbendanny1]

Great Post "GOLDENIDOL". In 1984 at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York at a gala, I spoke to the great Alicia Markova during an intermission. She was dressed in a sky bleu dress and looked radiant.What a lady! Alonso was dancing the pas" from Giselle that night and Markova spoke about her dancing days in CUBA when Alonso invited her and her wonderful friendship with her. She was so graceful, and beautiful, even exotic.. A true ballet legend with unassuming charm. VIVA MARKOVA!

[BalletAnnie]

Anybody know what is the oldest ballet video in YouTube? I'm curious about ballet of the past, so I want to watch the oldest ballet in YouTube. Just provide me with the name of the oldest ballet so that I can watch it. Thanks! Reply!

[goldenidol]

If you do a search on tamara karsavina you will see some vintage footage of her. You could also do a search on Anna Pavlova. I have some footage of Olga Spessvitseva (the first ballerina ever to dance this variation in public)performing this. I'll let you know when I post it.

[actor001]

please!!! post the Olga Spessvitseva variation

[goldenidol]

Hi,

I just wanted to let you know that I posted the footage of Olga Spessivtzeva in Giselle today.

[jkircher314]

Yes, please post Spessvitseva!

[sinefinis]

Spessvitseva was Alicia's "model" for Giselle. She watched Spessvitseva in Giselle before she did it.

[cubanmiamiboy]

@goldenidol Actually, this variation is a little older than that.  It goes back to 1887, when Petipa revived the ballet. The music is probably by Drigo. There are divided opinions as who performed it back then, being the British Emma Bessone and the Italian Elena Cornalba the two possible candidates.

[goldenidol]

@cubanmiamiboy That is fascinating! This particular version of the variation is rarely performed. I have been disappointed when I see a gorgeously danced variation end with the pique turns around the stage. I will do more research on the dancers you mentioned. I didn't know very much about this particular version apart from Spessivtzeva, Alonso, and Markova performing it. I posted this about 4 years ago and have since then learned more about this variation..

[goldenidol]

the end astonishes me. I have seen this footage too many times to count but when she ends her variation so serenely and in a picture perfect pose after that wild series of turns floors me still. I can't help but marvel and laugh.

[BubbLyVaniLLa]

Now........that is ballet!

[aliccolo]

What a beautiful performance. My mother was such a fan of Markova, that I was named Alicia in her honor. Thank you for sharing this video!

[DavidJSGleaton]

Did any other dancer ever make it look so easy? Look again at her winged feet in her arabesques which fill space without looking like class work. I saw her live and can only say that she was the most unusual dancer I ever saw — were there ever more beautiful hands and feet?

[katerinavander]

Markova was taught the role by Sergeyev, who had brought the notations from St Petersburg. She is so serene, the mad scene must have made tremendous impact after this.

[afnan1028]

She's beautiful. :D

[cubanmiamiboy]

It's amazing how ballet is transmited. Markova was the teacher of our beloved Alicia Alonso. If you see Alicia's variation you'll realize that their Giselle's diagonal en tournant are identical...

[judyanddavid]

Before Markova studied with Astafieva, she was a pupil of Pavlova - that's the wonderful part of ballet, the direct transmission from one generation to another. (Markova nearly didn't get taken on by Astafieva because her visiting card billed her as 'The Miniature Pavlova', which outraged Astafieva.)

[spunsilver]

Very interesting. She almost seems like a Balanchine dancer before they existed as we think of them now. She is more of a pure dancer and technician, less of an actress or a lyrical genius a la Ulanova. I'm surprised. But this is the only clip of her I've seen. She looks very young & I wonder if the clip might be even earlier than the 40s.

[fanfoon29]

im shocked, i mean she didnt do so good in this variation, iv seen other giselle variations and shes not the best one. especially when she turns and her leg is in the air behind her, her legs arnt high enough.  Markova is one of my favorite dancers but im disapointed of the video , the only part i like is the turnings at the end..

[goldenidol]

I can't beleive those comments. This Giselle is from the 1940's. What I find incredible is how Markova hits each position without faltering once. Guillem or Zakharova Markova is not. But they are also not her.

[dance4tap]

The thing that makes Markova and any classical ballet dancer great really has nothing to do with the height of the leg. It has everything to do with the emotion conveyed through the movement and the purity of the movement. This is the beauty of Markova. Anyone with flexibility can whack their leg in the air. It takes someone special to capture the hearts of generations of arts lovers

[zamyrabyrd]

One quality that dancers of yore had and few, if any now have, is the alteration of relaxation and movement coming from being in a state of grace as it were. Most modern dancers seem to be in a constant state of tension, ready for the next pyrotechnics to dazzle the viewer. Markova instead breathes poetry.

[mariogorga]

Once there was Marie Taglioni and then Alicia Markova.

[IceChick495]

That costume makes her look heavier than she really is. I blame the costumer for a terrible job. This dress doesn't flatter Markova at all. She does have beautiful legs and feet though.

[ForeverLost21]

she dances as if on a cloud, very on her toes and in the air. I am extremly jealous

[cardcaptorballet]

Ugly arms

[Andante735]

They're not "ugly", but your comment certainly is. In case you've not paid attention, this is the Royal Syllabus, and while looking somewhat dated, it's perfectly in keeping with dancing at that time.