Constructive Information
Asef Messerer, performer, ballet master, pedagogue, choreographer, was a pupil of Mikhail Mordkin and Alexander Gorsky. He was graduated from Moscow's Bolshoi Ballet School in 1921 and continued to dance at the Bolshoi Ballet until 1954. His pupils became legends: Ulanova, Plisetskaya, Vasiliev, Lavrovsky, Liepa; as did many others. He wrote his "Classes in Classical Ballet," reflections on a teaching method, in 1967 with English translation first in 1972 and 1975, when it was translated by Oleg Briansky. It is now available in reprint, with its copious photos and exercises for male dancers and pointe work for women.
The book is meticulous in detail, yet reads easily and has a new introduction by Briansky, Brussels-born American master teacher. He performed with world-renown companies including London Festival Ballet and has taught internationally where he also choreographed the company's works. Briansky with his wife, Mireille Briane, founded the Briansky Saratoga Ballet Center, Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and are guest teachers, jurists and coaches in the U.S. and abroad.
"Classes in Classical Ballet," by Messerer, is available in April at bookstores or from: infoLimelight, or Amazon.
"Always a Dancer," by Robert Brassel, is a must read for young male hopefuls as an example for success in ballet. Born into a family of four sisters and three brothers, Brassel's obvious talent for movement and response to music was noticed early on. The family lived a nomadic business life until they reached Topeka, Kansas, when he returned home from kindergarten class one day with a note and a name: "Dorothy Thompson School of Dancing" and a phone number. Typical of most fathers of boys, Brassel's father made it clear that he did not want his son to dance.
But dance he did in various international companies and in guest appearances with his wife, Linda DiBona, in a career that included world-wide travel, some harrowing adventures, a stint in the service, dishonest producers, failed projects and uncertain futures. Yet, he seemed to make friends everywhere and cultivated enough curiosity to seek out opportunities.
When it became time to find a new career, Brassel saw an ad that intrigued him. It contained the word "train," and evoked a natural response in the dancer. He went to an "audition" for training and eventually obtained a license as an insurance broker. Here was a second career and a new life for his wife and young son.
Of course, as he says in the title of his book, "Always a Dancer," he now teaches adult dance classes and both he and his wife are taking tango lessons.
His example for all young male dancers is in learning discipline at an early age at the barre and in class; in accepting the challenge to seek the best training available; in having the courage to master new roles and being unafraid to change companies and learn other forms of dance. He let his love of dance carry him through every circumstance...even today.
The book is a memoir, "Always a Dancer," available from AAD Distributing, P.O Box 1724, Wakefield, MA 01880, www.alwaysadancer.com. Or Barnes and Noble bookstores.
Edwin Denby, (1903-1983) an influential American dance critic, wrote from 1936 to 1945, thereby creating an informal history of dance in New York with his reviews in "New York Herald Tribune." Denby saw and wrote about everything in dance during those years. His post-Tribune writings focused on Balanchine and the New York City Ballet with fervent fascination and eloquent evaluations.
"Edwin Denby" edited by Robert Cornfield and William MacKay, is a large volume full of Denby's acerbic comments, bias, and highly perceptive observations. Sometimes, he saw only the most obvious; sometimes, with his long collection of seeing performances, he saw beyond the obvious and sensed the greatness of his favorites before others noticed: Alicia Markova, Alexandra Danilova, Martha Graham and Balanchine.
Denby's own history as a dancer (sort of) in Germany during the rise of the Nazi regime is almost unknown and his arrival in New York and subsequent success as a critic is a story of theatrical proportions and precedes the reviews.
The book is available from University Press of Florida/ Gainesville: www.upf.com. If you care about dance, read every word of it.
If you are planning to come to New York for summer study or to stay, "Dance In New York" on DVD will give you an idea of where and how studios provide their unique teaching. It is a carefully constructed presentation of the following: Graham School of Contemporary Dance; Merce Cunningham Studio; Steps on Broadway, Limon studio; Mary Anthony Dance Studio; Ballet Arts, Isadora Duncan Dance Foundation, Jennifer Muller Studio, NY Conservatory of Dance, Susan Klein School of Movement, and Trisha Brown Studio. Teachers and students talk about their education and a portion of class is shown. www.danceinny.com.
Information on forthcoming books should be sent to Horosko@earthlink.net.