Serge Lifar Giving Class in Paris

This clip shows the last great Diaghilev dancer Serge Lifar at work - giving class at L'Opera in Paris in the 1940's or 1950's. The rehearsal is of the Fokine work, 'Les Sylphides'.

Apart from anything else, I really love to have found out what his voice sounded like.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• dance
• ballet
• serge lifar
• les ballets russes
• early ballet film

[MrGanesh95]

Et dire qu'avant Lifar il n'y avait pas de classe d'adage à l'Opera de Paris...

[nickwallacesmith]

bonjour MrGanesh95 ainsi il a introduit la classe adagio à l'Opéra? Je ne savais pas cela - merci d'avoir adopté cette sur nous. il est intéressant de voir la classe himtake - donne une idée de comment il fonctionne. acclamations

[sevent7yl]

excellent

[nickwallacesmith]

hi sevent7yl - yes it's interesting seeing lifar at work

[nickwallacesmith]

hi pediatrapaola - i was just watching a video where one of lifar's early partners, Olga Spessivtzeva, said quite gently that he didn't have great technique, so to put him down but just to be real about his lacks as well as his strengths, good to hear from you, nick

[pediatrapaola]

@sillyboydeux agree he was a duffer ,very overrated dancer.

[pediatrapaola]

@nickwallacesmith wow l already told too grease and few tecnique.

[wendyverdades]

sillyboydeux how right you are. What is that old Saw from Newton.

If I have seen further it is because I stood on the shoulders of giants.

I am glad to know we aren't coming from opposite points of view.

[sillyboydeux]

@wendyverdades It was not the participants and their efforts that I was criticising, but the mythology and empty nostalgia that seem to surround the past regarding opera and ballet, and even classical musicians. I look at films of Plisetskaya now, after having seen her onstage as a young boy, and my opinion is completely different from that time. Everything improves, and there is no sense in thinking things were better in the old days. Look at Ferri and Caracaju, a cut above their predecessors.

[wendyverdades]

@sillyboydeux This particular clip is less than five minutes of a class in a time when there was not many people seeing ballet let alone trying it. What with the changes in shoes and sheer numbers studying, I think we can forgive the young lady in the back for perhaps flubbing her first and only camera op and say thank you to the Ballet Russe and Serge Lifar for promoting ballet and sharing it with a larger audience.

Bravo!