The DVD Corner
An English dance critic once stated that the world was divided into two groups: ballet dancers and those who have never danced! Certainly an outrageous statement; and yet, the idea of ballet dancers as a special group of people who inhabit a fantasy world is often reflected in stories and myths about classical ballet. With the popularity of DVD documentaries, filmmakers have been able to pierce that invisible wall between the stage and the audience to focus their cameras into the lives and performances of the dance world; but the magic of an artist’s performance still remains a mystery. Check out any of this month’s selections for your own insight into the myths and the reality of a dancer’s life.
Top of this month’s list: “Etoiles, Dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet” A film by Nils Tavernier: French with subtitles 100 minutes: 2000
Yes, it’s in French, but this extraordinary, moving film is well worth the effort of reading the English subtitles. Imagine Degas’ nineteenth century ballerinas walking out of his paintings to describe their life dancing with the legendary Paris Opera Ballet. This is exactly what Tavernier has done, using his camera instead of a paintbrush to study the dancers on stage, in rehearsals, and in performances. Not only are these POB dancers passionately committed to their art, they speak openly and with great perception about their lives as artists. Extras
Must-Own: “Jewels,” with the Paris Opera Ballet Choreography by George Balanchine Ballet plus documentary: with subtitles 152 minutes: 2006 $21.97
Originally created by George Balanchine for his leading ballerinas in 1967, “Jewels” is a stunning ballet in three acts with music by Faure, Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky. The choreography with its mixture of French elegance in Emeralds, the sharp, jazzy hips and off beats in Rubies, and formal, classical pas in Diamonds, is captured with breathtaking brilliance by the eight soloists and the corps. A documentary that introduces the film takes the viewer up close and personal with the lead dancers, the costume designer and others associated with the production.
Ballet History Collection: “The Red Shoes” The Criterion Collection 134 minutes: 1948
This 1948 movies starring the exquisite, English ballerina, Moira Shearer is the ultimate, romantic story of a young woman’s rise to stardom and the effect that success has on her personal life. While the film’s plot is over-the-top, melodramatic fiction, even today, dancers who want both a career and a family must make adjustments. Ballet legends Leonide Massine and Robert Helpmann add authenticity to the ballet scenes. The extra material is, in essence, a separate film turns this DVD from another backstage film into an irreplaceable, historical production. Special features include interviews.
Check out your libraries, video stores, or contact Kultur and Dance Horizons to see these DVD’s. New information should be sent to ERogosin@aol.com