Handing on the Torch 1 - Part 2

This is film of Dame Alicia Markova rehearsing 'Les Sylphides' with dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet at the Palais Garnier in Paris. She works with Laurence Laffon and Laurence Laffon, assisted by Elizabeth Platel.

Dame Alicia is particularly qualified for this task as she was coached in the role by the ballet's choreographer, Mikhail Fokine.

The Ballets Russes ballerina would be in many people's ideal cast - Madame Tamara Karsavina says in the introduction to the film 'If we had our choice tonight, whom would we invite to dance for us? Alicia Markova, of course, for the prelude and pas de deux.'

Dame Alicia talks about Fokine's conception of this 'Romantic reverie' and even more interestingly she half demonstrates parts of the pas de deux she with Laurence Laffon.

In this demonstration, the ballerina's famed extraordinary musicality is also evident.

What is lovely is the empathetic way she works with the dancers as colleagues, and the genuine hugs and kisses they share at the end.

Sadly I haven't been able to disable the French subtitles - good for improving your simultaneous translating into that language?!

As an aside, Dame Alicia came to Australia in 1976 at the invitation of the Australian Ballet to stage 'Les Sylphides'. Would have loved to watch, if I had had the chance ... but I was overseas travelling at the time.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Ballets Russes
• ballet

[BernardProfitendieu]

touching the way she works with Herve' - so gentle, but making many corrections

[nickwallacesmith]

hi BernardProfitendieu - yes, she knows what is required (her memory is astonishing - back to details of her early princess/bluebird) but corrects only to make the performance more true - no interpersonal clumsiness whatsoever

[Pearlaceous]

Nick - I love this! She surely is *the* Sylphide for all time and it's wonderful to hear the reasons behhind all the movements! And LOL that even *she* didn't get it quite right for Fokine and had to start again tomorrow!

[nickwallacesmith]

hi Pearlaceous - yes as i was saying (i can't help repeating myself :<!) it's the nuances of phrasing and mood that take markova's performance right out of the realm of the ordinary. and her modesty telling how fokine said 'and this was sylphides?' and all her insights into the motivations for movement and expression. i'd better watch it again!

[ecartsonis]

This is beautiful, Nick! I love listening to the stories and watching the changes she makes in their movements...thank you, as always!!

[nickwallacesmith]

hi ecartsonis - yes, i love the way markova uses her knowledge to make those fine corrections and changes that would otherwise be lost - her own dancing seems to expressive and alive - not a dead academic exercise. glad you like it too!

the totality and breadth of makes the film something like the experience of seeing the ballet creating

[palubob]

It's interesting to remember that the recently-deceased George Zoritch once said that the small and light Makarova was very difficult to lift. She wouldn't think "up", he said.