Cynthia Gregory's Aurora

Broadcast back in the Seventies. Those were the days.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• ballet
• cynthia
• gregory
• aurora
• sleeping
• beauty
• abt

[minissa2009]

Thanks for posting. I have the same second generation copy. Much as I preferred Van Hamel overall (one of the great under-sung ballerinas of her time), I have never seen anything like Cynthia's Rose. She's working, but she looks so much like she's saying "I could stay up here all day if I want to in attitude, but now I just happen to want to extend slowly into arabesque and stay there for a while." I like a lot of younger dancers, but BIG extensions do not equal artistry.This is artistry

[estnyc]

@minissa2009 At the time I was more of a fan of Van Hamel's than Gregory's, but this video makes me wish I'd paid a bit more attention to her. You described perfectly the effect of her amazing control. Even blurry and degraded, this is still the finest Rose Adagio video I've seen anywhere.

[estnyc]

Avalon, I think there are copies of that "out there." You might even find bits of it on YouTube if you search carefully....

[estnyc]

Thanks for the comments, everyone. It seems there's not very much video available of Gregory in her prime (or at all, really) which is a shame. I didn't see this Aurora back when it was broadcast, but only about ten years ago off a crappy VHS copy, and I thought, "holy crap!" It doesn't get much better than this, or any better than this, really. And look at her arms!

[estnyc]

Back in the day I didn't appreciate Gregory as well as I should have. She was sharing the New York stage with the likes of Kirkland, Makarova and Van Hamel, and, over at NYCB, Merrill Ashley was an even more stupendous technician.

A few years ago I saw this video and realized she was a tremendous artist in her own right; this is one of the best Rose Adagios I've ever seen, despite the degraded video quality.

[ag2322]

The way she floats out of those balances in attitude ... wow.

Thanks so much for posting this! There's not enough Cynthia Gregory on Youtube, especially given how many of her performances were taped. Do you have any more from this broadcast?

[Upstreamswimmer]

Adagio in ballet means control with slow enfolding movements, and Ms. Gregory is teaching the class.

[passionofpersephone]

WOW. La Gregory was one of the tallest dancers of her generation; you wouldn't think she could pull off the delicate feminine daintiness that this role requires. But she convinces you. And that signature move of hers -- the slow unfolding of the arabesque -- is her trump card. I've never seen any other dancer do that.

[WilesWales]

Once again, every time I have watched another dansuese even try to dance this part, no one can match Gregory's performance here. It exhibits such mastery, perfection, control, grace, confidence, and so much more that no other can even come to close to matching this one. She is a legend, as was Dame Alicia Markova. The students at the Maple Conservatory in CA are BLESSED to have such a wonderful teacher. I wish during my days with Joffrey, I had had her as my coach. She is a legend!

[aj92507]

stunning. it is true, Cynthia was always turned out <3

[WilesWales]

As the great ballerina, Dame Alicia Markova, after retiring, and lived to be 94, was a professor of dance at the University of Cincinnati, and was training one danseuse and said, "The stage is your kingdom; use it." In 1986, the Director of Presentations at the Met at Lincoln Center, NYC, said, "The Met can intimidate a dancer..." Cynthia fulfills not only probably the great ballerina in the world and make the stage her "kingdom," but make it seem small. She is Dame Alicia's "kingdom." Gregory!!

[WilesWales]

Cynthia Gregory commands control, grace, style, and as the great Ballerina, Dame Alicia Markova said while teaching up until she 94 at the University of Cinncinati, said, "The stage is you kingdom, use it." Cynthia does this and much more; she was born on pointe; she is is perfection. There has been, aren't, and never will be a dancer like her again. She went on from 1991 to form Tranisition for Dancers, and is now an instructor at hte Marple Conservatory in CA. This cannot be matched.

[AvalonMorley]

Cynthia Gregory was, and will always be, the Queen of Ballet to me, whatever wonders others may bring. She had a magnitude, elegance, grandeur & simply excellence to her dancing that was so unique. Wish someone would post the PBS ABT special from the early 70s, where she danced Black Swan; also included were big segments from RODEO w. Christine Sarry(?), from ETUDES, & I don't remember what else, except for little interviews w. DeMille & others. Glorious.

[Scabrous77]

What a treat. Gregory is perfection. Flawless technique paired with musicality and artistry. This is a joy to watch!