Handing on the Torch 1 - Part 3

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 Herve Moreau 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:

• ballet
• Ballets Russes

[nickwallacesmith]

hi BernardProfitendieu - great you liked it - i loved putting it together - so a win win situation!

[BernardProfitendieu]

really enjoyable post, Nick. Thank you.

[nickwallacesmith]

hi Pearlaceous - and what is so extraordinary (and i believe real) is that markova remembers so much - small details, like fokine's instruction not to bend the back in a particular lift - so expressive purposes. and recalls the atmosphere he required. makes her performance so much more than just the execution of the steps.

[Pearlaceous]

Very moving - very charming - all so soft and gentle, and it is so special to hear the actual words Fokine spoke to Markova, which hold the key to his vision for this ballet.

[nickwallacesmith]

hi coxkatherine - yes, from dame alicia it's a direct line to fokine - she can say exactly what he told her - and her memory seems great, for so many nuances of execution and interpretation. i was interested too in her saying the back should not bend in the lift - you can see it not done in the film of dame alicia's own 1953 performance.

[coxkatherine]

It's so good to know how Folkine wanted it to look. I like the difference of the lift without the back-bend. Les Sylphides is one of my favorite ballets, thank you for these delightful clips.