Customer Reviews

Gaîté Parisienne / Leonide Massine, The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo [VHS]

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This is a rare delight indeed! It's the only complete ballet by master choeographer Léonid Massine, although it was produced not for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, but for The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. As such,it gives a glimpse of the dancing of two near mythic performers, Alexandra Danilova and Frederic Franklin, both still in top form.

The film is a very early example of a "pirated" performance, as it was filmed over a period of ten years - 1944 to 1954 - by the ballet fanatic Victor Jessen who, later on, patiently edited and synchronized the film. It's in black and white and the sound is poorly recorded, but who cares? For abour thirty minutes you plunge back into the forties and has the chance of seeing great dancing by two of the most beloved dance performers active in the United States at that time. As there is only one other vídeo of Miss. Danilova dancing - "Mademoiselle Fifi", a rather poor affair - this is the chance to see her in her prime dancing a role that made her famous.

Not to be missed by those who would like to have the video of a pair of fabulous dancers and a Company who made ballet history.

Over a period of ten years Victor Jessen, a ballet buff, filmed in thirty-second "takes" from various locations in many different theaters perfromances of Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo doing "Gaite Parisienne". He went to one last performance with an audio recorder to capture the Ballet Russe orchestra and then laboriously edited the film. It is in black and white. This would be of most interest to ballet history buffs.

If you want to see the incredible moments of ballet history, You have to see this unforgettable movie.