Customer Reviews

Violette et Mister B

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

 

 

This documentary shows Violette Verdy, one of Balanchine's most talented dancers, teaching and talking about Balanchine & Jerome Robbins and their choreography with dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet. Besides Isabelle Guerin in Dances at a Gathering, and Elizabeth Maurin in Emeralds, Ms. Verdy instructs other dancers in the Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux and Brahms Liebeslieder Waltzes of Balanchine, and In the Night by Robbins. There are also short clips of Verdy dancing. When she was with NY City Ballet, the line-up at one point in the mid-60s must have included Melissa Hayden, Allegra Kent, Diana Adams, Patricia Neary, Jacques d'Amboise, Sukie Shorer, Patricia McBride and a young Suzanne Farrell. I'm not old enough to have been able to see these great dancers while their careers were going on, but I have seen as much video as is available of them, and Verdy undoubtedly has many more anecdotes than time allowed. (Has she written her memoirs ?) The introduction by Roland Petit is interesting, but too short, and I wish the producers/director would have included even more old clips of Verdy from her NY City Ballet days.

Verdy's exuberance and love for the pieces and steps that she instructs the Paris dancers in is readily apparent, and her reminisces and humor make this DVD a winner. I found out it was originally released in 2001, and I wish I had known about it then, as I can never get enough of these documentaries that have anything to do with ballet history in general, and Balanchine in particular. Belongs on every ballet fan's shelf with the Ballet Russe documentary from 2005/2006.

This dvd is in French with English subtitles and is special to me as Violette Verdy was a teacher and artistic director of Boston Ballet when I was teaching there. Most of the footage shows her teaching Balanchine choreography, roles she had performed, to dancers at the Paris Opera Ballet, and her expression, musicality, and artistry are of a high calibre. There is footage of her dancing as well as teaching, and the dvd will be of interest to dancers as well as anyone who loves ballet and wants to see how choreography is passed on from one generation to the next.

I love the details and coaching that go into dancing ballet therefore I enjoyed this DVD.....however Violette loves to talk! The first half of the DVD is Violette talking in rapid French to dancers while they dance a little (don't worry there are English sub-titles). The second half of the DVD has a lot more ballet and less talk.
This DVD is a good addition for someone who love Balanchine's ballet - as I do. Violette gives insights into the steps and motivations behind the steps. Also the 'grainy' videos of Violette dancing the ballets herself are wonderful......what a beautiful dancer Violette was.....not many dancers have her grace and fluidity....there is much more anxiety about technique in many of today's ballet dancers.

A superb DVD and documentary of Violette's dancing and coaching of some of her roles and unforgettable performances of Mr. B's and Jerry's ballets with NYCB. A must for "Balanchine fans".

I got this DVD because I had Violette Verdy as a guest teacher several years in a row at Goucher College. I agree with Todd Nolan's review 100% but must add that not only was she a fabulous dancer, she was a wonderful teacher and a sweet, wonderful woman. She would go around the barres at the beginning of every class and say hello to each of us. She was quite adept at using everyone who auditioned and making them look good despite different abilities and levels of talent. She was warm and welcoming, down to earth, and made me feel like a ballerina. I showed all my students this DVD and even the very little ones (3-4 years old) were captivated by her and tried to dance like her and moved BETTER after watching her. That is why I think this DVD is a treaure for my students and for me. I just hope that I will be able to see her again one day.