Customer Reviews

MOISEYEV DANCE COMPANY: A Gala Evening

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am a professional dance videographer. It is obvious that this was not taken from any source material. It is not even a good copy of the original VHS tape. It has dropouts all over it in a very non VHS fashion. It looks more like a third generation copy that was made from a Hi8 copy. The extra pictures are awful. They are the poorest still shots taken from the video. They were not full frame and no attempt was made to enhance them. This is an amateur copy made with low end equipment and without skill. There was nothing new so it should not even be advertised as such. This is DVD should never have been released. It is nothing like the original which is excellent. I was personally familiar with some of the Moiseyev dancers and it is a disservice to display an otherwise fabulous performance in such a manner. Buy the original VHS tape version.

There were several deceptive items in the listing for this DVD. One was the cover photograph-made apparently from a recent performance at a low angle, and NOT from any of the dance made in this video's timeframe.. The copyright was recent from the 90's, the sound was Dolby probably from a mono source and not a very good one, BUT the technical quality was terrible-good for the year, this was an historic preformance and should have been advertised as such-the actuall video it says on the box was made for the 1980 Olympics. I was hoping for the sparkle that I had witnessed in Moscow from a like company and copied by the residents of Sitka Alaska that I videoed in 1995-that produced better sound from a camera mike.

In all I had hoped for a better product, this was terribly disappointing. As a historical video its fine, but the picture on the box and the quality of the sound and video was good for that age-I think we were taken in and wasted our money.

It is truly amazing how different viewers have different opinions regarding the worth of a production. The Moiseyev Dance Company is renouned and performs with excellence. I have the VHS tape of "A Gala Evening" and it is a gem! It has folk dances of Tartars, Dalouks, Moldavia, Ukraine, etc. I have long enjoyed and admired folk dancing from all over the world. The constumes and dancing of the performers on this tape are stupendous. The beginning of the tape has interesting footage showing male and female dancers practicing intricate steps at a bar, similar to the ones used by ballet dancers. I especially enjoy the incredible foot work of both men and women dancers, and leaps of all kinds done by male Russian folk dancers. On one VHS tape I have of Russian folk dancing a young man does the leap high in the air, legs extended, touching his toes SEVEN TIMES IN SEQUENCE! It is awesome to watch. While on a tour in Russia I attended a folk dance concert and was impressed when a young man did the same thing FOUR times in sequence. I give this VHS tape five gold stars with no reservations!

Due to "VIEW Video" DVD I can relive the unforgottable experience given to me by Igor Moiseyev National Popular Dance Company of the USSR in theyr permformace in Venice, Milan and Trieste too, forty years ago.
Not only, due to this DVD, now I can share my wonderful experience with my grandson, family and friends too. Thank you.
Giorgio Stern