Olga Spessivtzseva

In this clip the legendary ballerina performs the first act variation from Giselle. In 1932, she was the first ballerina to perform this in the west. She speaks here (she had a nervous breakdown several years earlier) with Anton Dolin, both former principal dancers with Diaghilev's Ballet Russe. He is teaching the variation to Patricia McBride at the end of this clip.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• giselle
• spessivtzeva
• anton
• dolin
• diaghilev
• ballet
• russe

[goldenidol]

I imagine she was the Zakharova, Guillem, Cojocaru, and/ or Semionova of her generation. Does anyone note how beautifully and extremely arched her feet are?

[Andante735]

I would say more accurately, that she was the predecessor of Chauvire, Alonso, Markova, and Ulanova -- the standard bearer really. I don't really consider the dancers you've mentioned as being in the same artistic class as she was - they have technique, she had that too, but it was combined with artistry and great presence. The only one I would compare with her is Alonso - very similar approach to the role.

[goldenidol]

I agree with you completely Andante735. I just have noticed that there are several young ballet students that have not been lucky to see footage of(the beautiful)Chauvire, Alonso, Markova, or Ulanova, or even photographs. The internet was not around when these great ballerinas were performing. I am sure they have seen plenty of performance footage and photographs of the younger ballerinas I mentioned.

[actor001]

Oh MY GOD!!!!

TO HAVE THAT TECHNIQUE IN 1932!!!

SHE DEFINETLY IS THE ROLE MODEL OF THE GREATEST GISELLES (ULANOVA ,ALONSO,FRACCI,CHAUVIRÉ,ETC.)

THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR THIS TREASURE GOLDENIDOL

[margondine]

@sillyboydeux

sillyboy indeed. She was a great ballerina, with a fine technique.

Today's ballet is acrobatics with no soul.

[mrlopez2681]

@ddchil41 - thnx for the comment :) I researched the origins of the solo & I hope to publish an article on it at some point - the Royal Ballet & the Harvard Theatre collection have copies of the Imperial Ballet's performance score for "Giselle". The solo is titled "Variation for Elena Cornalba", who made her debut in Giselle in December 1887, long after Minkus retired. Drigo was responsible for composing all of her novelty variations & even a new grand ballet, "The Talisman", in 1887.

[mrlopez2681]

@ddchil41 -The Mariinsky is the only theatre that has the solo in its original orchestration, & it is also in a very bizarre key (E) for Minkus, one he never used. The melody is typically Italian in the Drigo style, while the orchestration (i.e. the Mariinsky's) is vintage Drigo. Keep fingers crossed for the article!! :)

[ddchil41]

@mrlopez2681

I remember rehearsing this variation ...I think it was composed by MInkus.. (Drigo sounded very similar). The young woman at the end of the clip is New York City Ballet ballerina, Patricia McBride. I was piano soloist with NYCB when she danced there....back in the day...knew her very well.

[sillyboydeux]

Ex-squeeze me ladies and gentlemen. But Mme. S. is not fully up "en pointe" for her turns, and her port de bras looks like something from Miss Batten's Ballet Academy that I went to a half century ago. In other words, legends are made of two things: famous names and bullshit! There are others far better than her, believe me.

[xanglat]

C'est émouvant et prenant !

Respect !

Mille mercis pour ces apports superbes ! (interview et archive !)

[MBCHATON]

OUI

[Unvraiparisien]

Peut-être la plus belle Giselle jamais!