Hollywood Palace with Fred Astaire 10-2-65 (3 of 6)

[starry61]

Thank you for posting this. I remember once upon a time in Television Land where shows with genuine culture were on the air, and people got to see stars like Fonteyn and Nureyev come out and do 10 minutes of ballet. You're hard-pressed to find ballet on even PBS anymore. I can remember back in the 70's and 80's they'd run it live...Great Performances or Live from Lincoln Center...several times a year. You don't see that now.

[Firestarjude]

Marvelous. I'd heard of Fonteyn's Odile before but never thought I'd get to see it! Hers is such a sophisticated portrayal, a glamorous woman in a cocktail dress. So much more grown-up and complex than the one-dimensionally lecherous monster Odile is usually made to be these days.

[Eye4dance]

What's the story with Nureyev's tights?

[CesarTnR]

AmAzinG !!

[BalinSilay]

Her arms are graceful but gets messy when she does the soutenus at the end of her solo - or anything technical, that is. I definitely did not like the echappes at the end which makes me wonder if she pulled out some instant choreography at the end of a difficult pas de deux. Nureyev was doing multiple turns at the end of the coda while she did echappes? No wonder he looked anxious throughout.

[Firestarjude]

@BalinSilay Svetlana Beriosova does the same (or very similar) choreography on the Bell Telephone Hour DVD with Nureyev.

[BalinSilay]

@Firestarjude My apologies for being too harsh with her technique. I must remember that this was so long ago & during her time she was the one! Her RAD training made her somewhat different in technique. I had RAD training at the start but changed to Russian Vaganova training & this took away most of the restrictions in dance interpretation & technique ability. I can see how Nureyev does his very open fourth position before a multiple pirouette....which is a real no, no, in RAD instruction.

[Firestarjude]

@BalinSilay As far as I know, while Fonteyn was a member of the RAD, most of her training was at the Vic-Wells Ballet School (now the Royal Ballet School, which does not use the RAD syllabus). She also studied with Vera Volkova, Mathilde Kschessinska, and Olga Preobrajenska, so her training was significantly Russian-influenced, although Kschessinska and Preobrajenska were not trained by Vaganova. All the various training methods have strengths and weaknesses (continued)

[Firestarjude]

...(from previous) and not all of them work for all dancers. Regarding Nureyev's pirouette preparation, professional dancers do all sorts of things onstage that would not be acceptable in the classroom; I was taught at the Kirov Academy that a pirouette preparation had to be from either a clear 2nd or 4th, although it was recognised that onstage a soloist or principal has more individual liberty.

[BalinSilay]

@Firestarjude Yes, onstage we have more individual liberty as soloists. Thank you for your comment, it is more articulate than mine. I loved the way Nureyev did his pirouette from that open fourth because it is so different from what was taught by RAD. I do not know if I am wrong but I just felt so restricted each time I was in an RAD class as a child.....and really loved the Russian classes. Now I can see the beauty of RAD too. Thank you!

[merluzasfritas]

@BalinSilay you seem to be very Brainsilly, I mean, to come to youtube to teach techniche to Fonteyn and Nureyev...who are you Agripina Vaganova??!! this is becoming a joke... all this nobodys with this stupid, stupid coments

[BalinSilay]

@merluzasfritas My apologies to what I wrote. YouTube is a great channel to connect with others who love to analyze ballet and talk ballet. I wrote what I wanted to say. Thank you.

[iancas]

margot....tres ordinaire!

[kabardinka1]

They look as if they're dancing in a rather confined space. i can see Rudi is kind of measuring his steps to avoid moving too far. I agree with Fonteyn as Odile... wonderful dancing but she isn't arch or sexy enough for that role. But she's wonderful as Odette.

[lbrin3]

Utterly mind-boggoting :)

[moicatinuviel]

Look at those beautiful arms! fluid and extending lines... none of those exageratedly hanging hands or angular arms which seem to be the fashion today

[etoiledelkirov]

Margot Fonteyn is legend in Ballet Beatiful

[elemilex]

Nureyev could just stand and he was still the gratest.

[joelmorris1981]

I love them!!

[balletnut]

I've never been entirely happy with Fonteyn as Odile - she's not brittle enough. She can't be with her nature.

But as a dancer, she blew me away and Rudy.......

R.I.P. both of them.

[amandamoox]

beautiful dance but I notice rudolp nureyev eyes show some anxiety amazingly the experienced margot fonteyn show calmness and she is really into her performance

[qbendanny1]

VIVA MARGOT! AND RUDY FOREVER.

[merluzasfritas]

Que apropiado es que Dame Margot lleve tiara en vez de plumas, esque esta si que es una princesa de verdad!

[hannarostock]

Thank you for sharing this wonderful and rare video with us!

[2319236]

QUE HERMOSURA,todo el talento del mundo,llenos de vida y tan jovenes,los adore.Gracias ROXANA