Margot Fonteyn and Rudolph Nureyev - 'Birthday Offering' Rehearsal (1968)

[merrymuskrat]

Birthday Offering was originally created in 1956 as part of the Royal Ballet's Silver Jubilee celebrations, not the Queen's! This is the 1968 revival which showcases Margot and Rudi as the central couple. There are 7 ballerina variations in the original, but in this version I believe Rudi had his own special solo (making 8 variations) as well as the pdd shown here. Birthday Offering is being revived once more by the RB as part of a triple bill in June/July this year.

[nickwallacesmith]

hi merrymuskrat. thanks for the correction – actually as the Royal Opera House states it best on its website - the ballet was ‘specially created by Frederick Ashton to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Sadler's Wells Ballet’ – the royal accolade was yet to come. And thanks for the background on the variations – much appreciated, as was the pointer to the 2012 revival. Cheers, nick

[merrymuskrat]

@nickwallacesmith Yes, you are correct, I was cutting corners a bit! This is a lovely clip btw, a real treasure. Thankyou.

[nickwallacesmith]

hi merrymuskrat - no, you were (happily) getting me the think a bit more precisely about the texts i add to uploads - so thanks for that. glad you like the clip too! cheers

[kenjoneslee]

One word...BORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRing!!!­! This is what made ballet a bad word. The folk like costume on Margot has GOT to GO...way too many distracting clipons and swirly lace ons. The choreography suffers immensely from low creativity. How much genius does it take to choreograph a dozen different repeating SLOW forms of the arabesque. And it's too bad Margot's arabesques is none too breathtaking.

[dreamcatcher75418]

You can tell they're in love. <3

[nickwallacesmith]

hi dreamcatcher75418 - yes, they are very simpatico!

[tutus4life]

is there any full recording of this wonderful ballet? It seems so much fun

[FerocityQueen]

Amazing costumes on even more amazing dancers!!!

[nickwallacesmith]

hi FerocityQueen - yes, the costumes just sparkle - as a birthday offering should do. cheers

[jessDance00]

ILOVETHIS!

[nickwallacesmith]

hi jessDance00 - yes, it's lovely on so many levels - i like watching the rehearsal process and seeing the dancers having fun at the same time

[opensecret51]

I love to watch rehearsals dance and acting ... always a moment of something fresh and intresting is happening that gives a glimps into the process of creation....

[nickwallacesmith]

hi opensecret51 / masha - i find that rehearsals seem to make ballets alive in ways that they are not always on stage in performance - interesting to see how artists decide to change orr alter things and to hear their reasons for such changes, cheers

[sweetaliena]

I'm so happy that you upload it back! Such a lovely video. Mille merci!

[nickwallacesmith]

hi sweetaliena - yes, it was one of the videos i missed - i'm spending a bit of time re-uploading things - they are like old friends i miss!

[sunnybuzzisawsome]

She is amazing. I like watching these videos of dancers which show there personality's a little closer. You can see her passion for dance soooo much...

[nickwallacesmith]

hi sunnybuzzisawsome - yes, fonteyn's radiance seemed to touch all around her - it was palpable even over the footlights!