Dame Margot Fonteyn - 'The Wise Virgins' (1940, Performed 1970)

This Frederick Ashton work choreographed for Dame Margot Fonteyn in 1940 was filmed in 1970.

What strikes me as much as anything else are the curious hand movements - the hands weave around each other in almost serpentine arabesques.

Michael Somes is the talking head - and tells, very touchingly, how lovely the ballet was to dance with Fonteyn.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Dame Margot Fonteyn
• 'The Wise Virgins'
• Sir Frederick Ashton
• Royal Ballet
• ballet
• dance
• Covent Garden

[nickwallacesmith]

hi carles03 - yes, i have read this about the origins of the hand movements - i think ashton was observing a woman on a train during the war and that he was in the company of dancers. must look up the details of this. thanks for sharing!

[carles03]

Apparently the hand movements came from Ashton watching a woman who kept gesturing nervously with her hands, while waiting or something (sorry, I can't remember the exact quote, but I believe it is in David Vaughan's book). Also the serpentine arabesques come from the influence for the whole piece of Baroque architecture.

[nickwallacesmith]

hi balletnut - would have loved to see this too - fonteyn came to australia and did a number of things with scottish ballet (a compilation company i think) that she hadn't done elsewhere for years - 'nutcracker' and la sylphide'. ashton said he got the idea of the hand movemnets from watching a woman on the tube, cheers

[balletnut]

I do wish I'd seen her in this.

I agreed with you Nick about the hand movements - they are extraordinary.

[nickwallacesmith]

hi Qbendanny - yes, she often did things with such simplicity that at first i don't see the beauty - lovely quiet understatement

[Qbendanny]

Da Vinci, Giotto would cheer. Margot could make a simple tombe pas de bouree so perfectly beautiful and significant.