Erik Bruhn - Solo from 'The Sleeping Beauty' (1962)

[kabardinka1]

OMG, I didn't know this was on YT. Unorthodox choreography for this variation but Bruhn is just amazing. What a treasure to be able to see it.

[nickwallacesmith]

hi kabardinka1 - glad you liked seeing it - i have film of Bruhn and Tallchief in 'Don Q' in 1961 - have you seen this?

[kabardinka1]

@nickwallacesmith That's just them in the pas... from the Bell Telephone Hour or some such program? If it's that one I've seen it. I wish I could see more videos (if they exist) of him in the 1950s or dancing Bournonville. There's a DVD I've seen of Rudi and Erik doing different solos on different Belle Telephone Hour programs but they tend to be such edited versions of the dances. Also, the studio they're dancing in seems kind of cramped and it impacts how they perform.

[nickwallacesmith]

@kabardinka1 - yes the bell telephone hour. i agree the studio performances seem 'dead' compared with something filmed in the theatre, with or without an audience. cheers

[Qbendanny]

He was the Batterie King. He had the hardest working feet in the business, clean and by the book.He wasn't volcanic in temperament, but did show signs of rumbles, Carla would get that from him once in a while(Giselle) and had a delicious blend of boredom and souciance as Franz (with Carla, always in this) like eating a Coppelia Ice cream. This variation I find stylistically perfect and the landings in particular are perfect as is the turnout en l'air. Musically hits the right notes too!Bravo!

[nickwallacesmith]

hi danny - yep, so clean and correct without being dully academic. and yep, it's delicious the way he plays with the music - with some dancers there isn't a connection between the two - someone (?) said of Olga Spessivtzeva that she wasn't musical - only in the sense that she seemed to be following some inner music of her own. best, nick

[BalletBabyBoy]

He is a true Prince

[nickwallacesmith]

@BalletBabyBoy - he is - he has that authority on stage - in an understated way

[nickwallacesmith]

hi silkenthreaddance - 'impeccable' is the word and perfectly correct without being static and uninteresting. probably values instilled from the Bournonville tradition were at least in part responsible for this. the magic is in the understatement don't you think. not writing a book about ballet at the moment - i'm an academic but in a totally unrelated field, semiotic theory. by message you, you mean comment on your channel homepage? cheers and best, nick