DVD Corner Reviews
There was a time when legendary ballerinas silently gazed up from photographs in the pages of dance history books. Praise and acknowledgement made it easy to know who had outlasted time. Today, 21st century ballerinas are still making their mark. Some will become heroines of their own mythical ballet stories, and some will drift into the background. But if we take a quick step back into the fading days of the 20th Century, there were two unusual, Russian ballerinas who became legends in their own time Maya Plisteskaya and Natalie Makarova. Plisetskaya, a dazzling star of the Bolshoi Ballet remained in Soviet Russia; while Makarova made that giant leap from The Kirov Ballet to the United States in 1970. Fortunately, their artistry has been preserved on film, and we all now have the opportunity to watch every detail of their remarkable performances.
Top of this month’s list:
“Swan Lake” with Natalia Makarova & Anthony Dowell
1982/137 minutes
In this gorgeous, four act production filmed at London’s Royal Opera House, Ms. Makarova’s performance totally captures the beauty and the mystery of this classic role. Her quivering arms speak a silent language, and in her sustained, elegant solo as the Swan Queen, her dancing captures the plaintive urgency of the music. Passionate, strong, and graceful, Makarova is equally persuasive as both the gentle Swan and as the coquettish, fiery Black Swan. Dowell is both ardent and handsome as her Prince. Special feature: biography of Tchaikovsky; chapter selections
A Must Own:
“Natasha”
1985/65 minutes
With an easy self-deprecating humor, Natalia Makarova shows off her personality and her unique talent in the extraordinary potpourri of roles that she has embraced since coming to the United States. Her introductory comments for these selections are as intriguing, insightful and expressive as her dancing. It appears that Ms. Makarova is ready to delve into any form of dance, and there is nothing she cannot master. Nevertheless, my favorite is the classic variation from “Les Sylphides,” in which Makarova’s every gesture is like an enthralling whisper. Special feature: chapter selections
Dance Collection:
“Maya Plisetskaya,” Diva of Dance
Compiled in
2006/ 71 minutes
This is an odd, jumble of a DVD with historical excerpts from some of Ms. Plisetskaya’s most famous roles, including “Spartacus,” “The Dying Swan,” and “Bolero.” Noted for her strong technique and dramatic personality, she rarely danced outside of the Soviet Union until she was in her mid-thirties, even though she was a ballerina assoluta with The Bolshoi Ballet. However, this film does fill in a brief period of Russian ballet during the mid-twentieth century. A brief, written biography tells the tragic story of Ms. Plisetskaya’s family during Stalin’s regime. Special feature: chapter selections The interview with Ms. Plisetskaya is in Russian, and I found it difficult to use the English subtitles. Check out your libraries, video stores, and on line catalogues to see these discs. Information on new DVD’s should be sent to ERogosin @ aol.com