Serge de Diaghilev - A Portrait [3]

This is a documentary divided into seven parts on the life of Serge de Diaghilev, founder and guiding creative force of the famed Ballets Russes company.

I'm uploading the film as it used to be on You Tube but no longer seems so and I think a lot of people would like to have access to it again.

The talking head is Ballets Russes dancer, Tamara Geva.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Serge de Diaghilev
• Ballets Russes
• Russian Ballet
• ballet

[nickwallacesmith]

hi Pearlaceous - i agree - i was watching a ballet documentary (on Fonteyn and Nureyev, i think?) in which the commentator said that prima ballerinas used to be seen as almost extensions of royalty, wearing tiaras to formal evening events - i've seen fonteyn so got up. and then to show how things had changed they showed darcey bussell in jeans and geting round in a four wheel drive. the times have changed!

[Pearlaceous]

@nickwallacesmithYes - media is quite spooky in this respect, in that it can feel that people are still "with us!" She was a unique star, at a time when the culturue of the "star" still did exist and when media in general was fast evolving. Today with the internet everything is open to evaluation and the mystique and mystery surrounding a star can no longer be the same.

[nickwallacesmith]

hi Pearlaceous - i'm not one to get emotional with the passing of movie stars/legends/etc, but when fonteyn died i was incredibly moved - and felt a real deep loss. i don't think i was alone in this. her like won't pass this way again soon :< but we have a lot of film and she lives on in this, in a sense. best, nick

[Pearlaceous]

@nickwallacesmith Completely agree with your evaluation - and the fact that she was English is, of course, the icing on the cake! :-)

[nickwallacesmith]

hi Pearlaceous - actually i like your new name for the channel! the first ballet i ever saw was a fonteyn-nureyev 'sleeping beauty' followed the next week by a 'romeo and juliet' - not a bad introduction to the art form. i admired fonteyn's unwavering dedication, hard work and lack of neurosis or complaining when she was finding dancing very hard towards the end of her career. the wonderful phrasing, line, musicality, characterisation - the impact of her as a whole artist

[Pearlaceous]

@nickwallacesmith :-) Yes, I do like to think of your channel as the Margot Shrine - and I mean that in the nicest way! :-)

[nickwallacesmith]

hi Pearlaceous - yes, pity the quality of the film is not good - but yes great to see their 'les sylphides' - as you'll know i've uploaded parts of this performance on the channel. cheers!

[Pearlaceous]

Wonderful to see the Fonteyn and Nureyev Les Sylphides here!

[nickwallacesmith]

hi balletnut - i try but suspect i'll run out ideas of what to upload soon enough! joking. cheers and glad you like the dococ too

[balletnut]

Hi Nick,

You keep surpassing yourself.