DVDs – Page 3

DVD Review: An Evening With The Royal Ballet

February 1, 2013 by 4dancers

Royal Opera House and Opus Arte’s An Evening with the Royal Ballet presents excerpts from nineteenth- and twentieth-century classics. Beloved works by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, Kenneth MacMillan, and Frederick Ashton will delight ballet lovers. The disc runs about 90 minutes, slightly shorter than a typical two-act evening of dance. Among the principal dancers featured are Leanne Benjamin, Darcey Bussell, Alina Cojocaru, Marianela Nunez, Tamara Rojo, Carlos Acosta, Johan Kobborg, and Steven McRae.

Part One opens with the imposing ballroom scene from MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet, followed by Ashton’s Voices of Spring pas de deux—a true gem on this DVD. Benjamin and Acosta exude simple joy in the daring but never garish virtuoso duet. Also a treat are Nunez and Acosta’s sweetness and technical fireworks in Ashton’s La Fille Mal Gardee. The closing selection of Part One alone, Cojocaru and Kobborg in a moving and sensitive pas de deux from Act II of Giselle, makes this disc one well worth having. That this particular pas de deux is excerpted as part of the full staging complete with willis, rather than a gala-type presentation, is of tremendous value.

Part Two includes an exemplary Rojo and Acosta in MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet balcony pas de deux, followed by selections from Sylvia, Swan Lake, Coppelia, and The Nutcracker. Here, in addition to polished, generous dancing by principals and corps alike, the lush sets and costumes of the Royal Ballet full-lengths are shown off to great advantage. Sylvia looks like a rococo oil painting, and the mighty pas de trios and glittering apotheosis of Swan Lake are an impressive close to this program.

An Evening with the Royal Ballet would make a rich addition to any dance lover’s video library.

DVD Review: The Bolshoi Ballet HD Collection – The Sleeping Beauty

January 16, 2013 by 4dancers

by Vicki Crain

American Ballet Theater principal dancer David Hallberg made international news in the fall of 2011 when he was asked to join the illustrious Bolshoi Ballet as a premiere danseur, the first American ever invited to join the company. One of his first performances in Russia’s newly renovated Moscow Theatre was also filmed for live cinema simulcasts around the globe. This updated version of Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty features new choreography by Yuri Grigorovich with The Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra playing Tchaikovsky’s famous score.

According to Sergei L. Loiko of The Los Angeles Times, who covered the performance from Moscow, seven cameras filmed the Sunday performance that had the estimated audience of 1,750 in the theater giving a rousing standing ovation. Gorgeous shots of the ornate theater and behind-the-scenes takes from conductor’s view in the orchestra pit create the sense that you are there. Nobody does grandeur quite like the Bolshoi and the lavish sets and costumes, as well as the enormous cast of dancers, are on full golden display here. Even the dramatic tension of the story was heightened by the ultra-slow tempo of the music.

Prima ballerina Svetlana Zakharova (Princess Aurora) handpicked Hallberg to be her Prince Désiré. With long, lean limbs, high-arched feet and exquisite lines and extensions, these two are a match made in ballet heaven. Zakharova’s beautiful, relaxed upper body port de bras are at times defied by the sheer height of her extensions. Her full-split developé a la secondé makes The Rose Adage, albeit extremely slow, inherently more exciting to watch. Hallberg’s entrance solo in Act II is exciting and brilliantly executed. As he finishes, there is a millisecond pause/glitch in the dvd before the audience erupts in applause, as if even the film crew knew they were witnessing history. Bravura solos and effortless partnering make this pair irresistible to watch.

Classic storytelling with technically dazzling dancing make this dvd a must-see. Standouts in the stellar cast are Nina Kaptosova and Artem Ovcharenko as Princess Florine and the Bluebird, Maria Allash and her liquid bourrees as the Lilac Fairy and Alexey Loparevich (in drag) as the evil fairy Carabosse.

Run time: 138 minutes

BIO: Reviewer Vicki Crain is the voice behind Rogue Ballerina, an excellent blog that covers the Chicago-area dance scene. Check out her site for interviews, previews, reviews and more, and follow her on Twitter at @rogueballerina

DVD Review: Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance

December 27, 2012 by 4dancers

by Emily Kate Long

The documentary Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance began as a project to honor Gerald Arpino and preserve his legacy. The final product is so much more than that—a comprehensive history, a cultural study, a discussion of dance in America in the 20^th century and beyond. This film is an enormously broad celebration of the work of Arpino and Robert Joffrey, two of the most significant figures in American dance history.

There is a richness and complexity to this documentary that parallels the intensity of the Joffrey Ballet’s history. Interviews with current and former Joffrey dancers, administrators, and members of the press; performance and rehearsal footage and photographs; and news clippings all come together to tell the story of this pioneering, diverse, uniquely American ballet company. The film runs just over 80 minutes, with nearly 50 minutes of extras including a full rehearsal of Kurt Jooss’s The Green Table.

So many threads of resurrection and remade history run through this film. Robert Joffrey was inspired throughout his career by the work of Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. He succeeded in bringing long-forgotten works like Massine’s Parade and Nijinky’s Le Sacre du Printemps back to life. Just as Diaghilev was interested in using the classical vocabulary to respond to his present day, so did Joffrey and Arpino commission and create works that responded to current events and culture: Trinity, Astarte, and Twyla Tharp’s Deuce Coupe are three such dances featured in the documentary. The theme of resurrection continues through the company’s move to Chicago in 1995, until the present, as current Artistic Director Ashley Wheater carries on the evolution and preservation of the Joffrey and Arpino legacy.

Another incredibly special aspect of Joffrey and Arpino’s work highlighted in Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance is the familial bond between the two men and among the dancers. Joffrey and Arpino, though not related, called each other “cousin” and lived together for life. In tough times, dancers gave up paychecks to keep the company afloat. They equate their directors’ deaths with losing a parent. Arpino is spoken of as being his dancers’ biggest cheerleader. Clearly, resilience begins at home!

Inspired by the past, responsive to the present, emotionally charged, and artistically diverse—all these descriptors suit the Joffrey Ballet and its founders, and they all suit this documentary. Dancers, dance lovers, and anyone interested in the cultural history of this country should not miss Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance.

Editor’s note: Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance premieres Friday, December 28, 2012 at 9 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings)

Watch Trailer: Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance on PBS. See more from American Masters.

DVD Review: The Nutcracker (ABT/Barishnikov)

December 5, 2012 by 4dancers

by Catherine L. Tully

This is one for the home library. There’s nothing quite like seeing this particular Nutcracker performance–after all–it’s Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gelsey Kirkland, along with ABT members, dancing one of the most famous ballets of all time. The Blu-ray quality and remastering make it a much better viewing than it would be otherwise, given the fact that this was way back in the late 70’s.

Sets are a bit dated and the film quality isn’t perfect, but this is a real treasure anyway. The choreography is lovely and the dancing sublime. I had seen this version when it first came on TV and remember thinking how absolutely delicate Kirkland was as the Sugar Plum, and Barishnikov is always impressive.

I hadn’t seen this version since then, and it was really interesting to see how much choreography has changed over the years. The execution here is clean and sure, and while the lifts and solos may not be as technically complex as most modern-day versions, it’s still a joy to watch.

DVD Review: Ghostlight

November 16, 2012 by 4dancers

by Emily Kate Long

Palisades Pictures and Mannic Productions

Produced and Directed by Christopher Herrmann

Introducing Richard Move as Martha Graham

The world knows Martha Graham as a dance icon. Ghostlight presents Graham as an icon in every aspect: her personal style is over-the top, her mannerisms are supremely theatrical, her speech is poetic and often cryptic. The tagline of the film, aptly, is “An impressionistic homage to Martha Graham.” It is loosely centered around the creation of Graham’s ballet Phaedra, but the focus is always Martha herself and all her eccentricities. In interviews with performance artist Richard Move and Director Christopher Herrmann (who worked for Graham and knew her personally), the phrase “truth is stranger than fiction” is used to describe Graham, and the film really highlights that. It’s obvious how much of a kick these two got out of making a film tribute to Martha.

Ghostlight features Ann Magnuson as a former Graham student-turned-filmmaker trying to capture the ins and outs of Martha at work—despite financial trouble and personal turmoil for both parties. The exploration of Martha’s relationships to herself, to dance as an inevitable part of her life, and to her former husband Eric Hawkins are not specific or detailed (the feature runs just 80 minutes) but they are highly suggestive. This is clearly a tribute paid with love, and extends its reach by making the viewer want to know more deeply its iconic subject.

dancer doing arabesque — Emily Kate Long, Photo by Avory Pierce

Assistant Editor Emily Kate Long began her dance education in South Bend, Indiana, with Kimmary Williams and Jacob Rice, and graduated in 2007 from Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School’s Schenley Program. She has spent summers studying at Ballet Chicago, Pittsburgh Youth Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, Miami City Ballet, and Saratoga Summer Dance Intensive/Vail Valley Dance Intensive, where she served as Program Assistant. Ms Long attended Milwaukee Ballet School’s Summer Intensive on scholarship before being invited to join Milwaukee Ballet II in 2007.

Ms Long has been a member of Ballet Quad Cities since 2009. She has danced featured roles in Deanna Carter’s Ash to Glass and Dracula, participated in the company’s 2010 tour to New York City, and most recently performed principal roles in Courtney Lyon’s Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, and Cinderella. She is also on the faculty of Ballet Quad Cities School of Dance, where she teaches ballet, pointe, and repertoire classes.

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