Jacques d'Amboise dances Afternoon of a Faun (vaimusic.com)

[Blueslady91]

This is a lovely ballet and is wonderful to see how they danced so many years ago. They really do look like little animals in the forest discovering each other. It simply is beautiful.

[douglasmatley]

Love this interpretation. Debussy is one of my favorites. Mr. D'Amboise over 45 years ago when I saw Carousel for the first time on TV, I had a crush on you. I have a thing for dark haired athletic men. I grew up in the 'shit kicker's" state, the "corral cookie" capital of America (Nevada) So coming out as a gay man was difficult. Now I have a crush on Mr. Christian Bale. go figure. all my love D. Alexander Della Maddalena(Matley(.

[douglasmatley]

Love this interpretation. Debussy is one of my favorites. Mr. D'Amboise over 45 years ago when I saw Carousel for the first time on Tv, I had a crush on you. I have a thing for dark haired aetletic men. I grew up in the 'shit kicker's" state, the "cprral cookie" capital of America (Nevada). Now I have a crush on Mr. Christian Bale. go figure. all my love D. Alexander Della Maddalena(Matley(.

[douglasmatley]

Beautiful -- thanks doug

[TheGranule]

This is not D'amboise's best work.

This is not D'amboise's best work. he was very young. Five years younger than Tanquil (who only danced til the age of 27).

Truth is stranger than fiction:

when Tanaquil was fifteen Balanchine asked her to dance with him in a choreography he made to be performed at a benefit for a Polio charity. In this ballet Balanchine was a character named Polio and Tanaquil was his victim who became paralyzed.

[TheGranule]

This is not D'amboise's best work.

This is not D'amboise's best work. he was very young.

Truth is stranger than fiction:

when Tanaquil was fifteen Balanchine asked her to dance with him in a choreography he made to be performed at a benefit for a Polio charity. In this ballet Balanchine was a character named Polio and Tanaquil was his victim who became paralyzed.

[deritpeehs]

i love this music. jacques and tanny dance so well. i can see a big difference in her dancing from others is that she seems to lengthen and move from her back and center. i love jacques' efforts with children getting them involved in dance and ability to bring out even the most shy and give them a chance.

[rlee1976]

Jacques was wonderful as well... reminds me of West Side Story yet to comes 3 years later!

[rlee1976]

Wow, wow, wow! How talented was this lady, Jesus Christmas! So subtle and moving!

[thegirlabroad]

nice

[eksm123]

Gorgeous gorgeous video. I've been obsessed lately with Balanchine and his wives/muses. So amazing to see what Tanaquil LeClercq actually looked like and how she danced!

[Johnat24th]

Jerome Robbins' choregraphy is sooo American. In the still moments he poses Tanaquil exactly like a magazine model in a swimsuit ad. The angle of her head and neck, her hands, like a photo come to life. D'amboise looking on like a '50's thug. Hip forward, knee bent. He's doing everything except chewing gum. Beautiful and powerful!!

[bowiestones100]

just saw this clip on classic arts showcase, made a great impression on me. nice looking dance couple, he is a well known and she is famous, but she developed polio...wow, terrible thing for anyone especially a dancer.

[sepio41]

tanaquil leclercq reminds me of cate blanchett in 'the curiosu case of benjamin button'. that same elegance and line.

[Glebby2]

I still have goosebumps!  Thank you!

[balletnut]

I was lucky enough to see Carlos Acosta, dancing the male role in this ballet, only a couple of weeks ago so thanks for this. It brings back some beautiful memories.

I wish I'd seen Jacques d'Amboise and Tanaquil Leclercq live.

Did anyone see the Hommage to d'Amboise by his children?

[DJLazul]

Love the orchestra piece. Very elegant, one of my favorites by Debussy.

[passionofpersephone]

Very rare footage of Tanaquil LeClerc, who met with a tragic end at a young age. For those who don't know, this Pas de Deux is actually a Pas de Trois, with the dance studio mirror as the 3rd character -- and the audience itself plays the mirror. That's why the two dancers hardly ever look at each other. They're always checking how they look in the mirror. Just when you think they're going to make a connection to each other, their gaze is inexorably drawn back to the mirror.

[leahnewyork]

very interesting - thank you!

[1230hana]

When I saw her "photo" of L'Apres Midi for the first time I was 10 years old living in Japan. And this little girl was deeply touched by just one photo. As I already knew about her tragedy, to see her dancing "film" had been all the time staying as my big dream.

Now I'm living in Holland as a retired dancer and watching this...At last, after 50 years, my dream has come true!!

Thank you so much!!!

[taurusbs]

How wonderful she was !

[EWLESTER]

Wonderful to see her after all these years. Saw her dance in Nineteen

Fifty something with NYC Ballet in SF in front row. Thought she danced in the style that Audrey Hepburn might have danced had she been a dancer. Lots of personality as well as dancing skill. It was painful to hear of her polio not so long after. Remember her most in Balanchine's La Valse, but saw seven performances of the company in a week. I remember her most of all the dancers back then. Unforgettable ballet week!

[4120Wade]

Unusually graceful, beautiful, sensuous ballerina. What a shame she was struck down, paralyzed, by polio at age 27!

[ohmyebony]

oh WOW!!! i really like tanaquil... she's so incredible.. :) THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO!!

[falafelcentral]

she's incredibly light.

[mproche57]

A stunner. I saw this ballet for the first time at New York City Ballet in 2007-2008 season with Janie Taylor and the now-retired Damian Woetzel. Those images and the music stay with you. But to see Tanaquil Leclercq on film in this role is like seeing an extinct bird. Also, beautifully filmed. Loved the close-ups.

[Tanny1957]

Now, you know who I am. It was nice to meet you too. I am from Mobile, AL and you?

[Tanny1957]

Ok, here is another one, where do I get my name "Tanaquil Elizabeth" come from? My mother decided to name me after Tanny in 1957. Tanny's father was a great writer, too and my grandfather was a political writer. I lost track of my family history since I can't hear the words coming out of their mouth. I wanted to see the pictures what fdo they looked like rom past to present and their skills. I am deaf, myself, that is why I want to know about my family history.

[BalletLoverA]

Wow!!! that´s just a wonderful history!!! I by myself, love ballet with all my soul!!, not just dancing, but everything that it can brings to you, like the passion, the music, the pleasure, ballet is actually something to keep in the button of your heart ! Something that never goes away !

that´s just nice to put your grandchild to take ballet classes !!

nice to meet you by the way! where are you come from??

[Tanny1957]

Yes, she was really my second cousin, my grandmother's neice. I've always wanted to meet her when I was young. She gave the book she wrote called "Mourka". I really like to know more about her and I like have pictures of her to keep in my family tree to pass along to my first grandchild who will be 2 this year. I would love to put her in ballet class. How do you like to be in her class?

[Tanny1957]

Anyone, who had met Tanaquil Le Clercq, please tell me about her life and how you describe her as a person. I would love to hear. Thank you.

[BalletLoverA]

hi! i wish i could help but i was a child when Tanaquil passed away so i could never met here, but my brother studies at the same place where she did and i know that she was such an amazing ballerina to Balanchine and the hole ballet story, she was the first prima ballerina who was trained since a child with Balanchine and his tecnique! Was she really your cousin?? why do you wanna knw those stuffs??

[Tanny1957]

I am very happy that you are very fond of my second cousin, Tanaquil.  I heard she was a great prima ballerina.

[Tanny1957]

I am surprise you reply me back as soon as I replied to you about my cousin.

[BalletLoverA]

was that one year before she got sick and never could walk again???????

[Tanny1957]

Yes, she got real sick with strictly polio in 1956.

[BalletLoverA]

ohh gosh she is such an inspiration for everybody, i cry when i think about her story, she is amazing..!

[BalletLoverA]

its an honor to watch this video ...!

[Dustylove]

Ok so was he the one with the greeny/ turquoise shirt in seven brides for seven brothers?

[AmountBoyz]

wow this is great Jacques was my teacher

[Shosh28]

Thanks so much for posting. Awesome!

[manfredfinch]

My God I never thought I'd see LeClercq dance! Thank you!

[deAnguelo]

I never thought I'd ever see it either. When I took classes from her, in the 70s, she was already in a wheelchair. Thanks to modern technology, everyone lives on.

[Tanny1957]

Hi, my name is Tanny and you were taken her class back in 1970's. Can you tell me about Tanaquil in real life, please? I am very interesting to learn about her, my second cousin. Thank you.

[jacobsimon]

Thank you for posting. I have always wanted to see LeClercq dance, she is so legendary, and this more than justifies the legend. The two are so sublimely tuned into each other and the music.

[zamyrabyrd]

Breathtaking...perfect match for Debussy... languid descents... sultry side poses... love her half-lidded expressions... his wide eyed bewilderment...so much atmosphere... The greats in the past got the point across with expression, imagination and love, not by gymnastics or pyro technics that sort of crowd out emotion.

[quillerpen]

I've seen the ballet performed at Cov Gdn, and I love it, but I have to confess I had never seen these two performers before. This was the original cast? wow, fantastic find. Even in b/w it is so evocative. Thank you for posting.

[OMGCHAR]

Thank you , I am a lifelong fan of NYC Ballet but too young to have seen Tanny Leclerq at all and Jacques in his later years . And to see how Robbins originally choreographed for Tanny is a great lesson for later interpreters of this role. This is a very rare treat.

[jcliff26]

First saw the complete DVD at a friends house and bought it immediately. Extremely rare footage, and shows why Tanny was Balanchine's last wife and Robbins' Muse. Should finally put to rest the myth that Balanchine only liked cold, unemotional dancers. Thank you VAI.

[henrietta31]

This is very beautiful. What a shame that Tanny's career was so short!

[scorpiodncr]

OMG to two things: Jacques D'Amboise shirtless...can you imagine what audiences must have been thinking in 1955? And the kiss...and Tanny's face just before...talk about sexual tension that's all the more powerful for being understated!

[2zeci3]

this is probably my favorite version of Afternoon of a Faun! tanaquil leclerq is beautiful.

[miakabutterfly68]

OMG i have been looking for a clip of her dancing forever she's so amazing and she has true technique not just showing off like ballet has become today

[ydra]

its a guy

[janiegoins7]

Please post more on Tanaquil LeClercq!  Love this.

[Lyubov91]

For those of you who have seen FLASHDANCE...Alex (Jennifer Beals) goes to see a production of this ballet with her friend Hanna.

[chocolatesouljah]

Wow! I have never seen that! Jacques was magnificent. And Tanny Oh, My God! How gorgeous! I tried getting info on her once. Think she was working at Dance Theatre of Harlem. This rare clip made my day. The beauty of it was dazzling. Thank you!

[tscheuss]

Major wow..this is the first time I've seen Tanaquil LeClercg...have only read about her...thanks very much for posting!