Product Details

• Actors: Christopher Dean, Yo-Yo Ma, Tom McCamus, Jayne Torvill
• Directors: Patricia Rozema
• Producers: Niv Fichman
• Format: Classical, Color, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Sony
• VHS Release Date: February 17, 1998
• Run Time: 58 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1573301299
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #318,849 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

"Six Gestures" (53 min.) features Bach's Suite No. 6 for Unaccompanied Cello. Bach and ice dance? Yo-Yo Ma believes that world champion ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean have done for their sport what Bach did for the cello--that is, to dramatically redefine the artistic possibilities and to shatter all preconceptions. This mesmerizing film by Patricia Rozema (Mansfield Park) explores the outcome of this unlikely collaboration, with Bach himself as the dramatic counterpoint.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect primer for Bach at any age!!!!!, January 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Yo-Yo Ma - Inspired by Bach No. 6, Six Gestures (Cello Suite 6) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Of all the films in this series by Yo-Yo Ma, this is the one I think that is the most watchable and listenable. It is a history lesson, a tour de force of solo acting, ice skating, and cello artistry...all under one elegant roof crafted by director Patricia Rozema. And it all works poetically in a sublime and sophisticated manner. It is handsomely done. It is as creative as the latest MTV video...treating this great music as being approachable and setting Bach's music in several contexts. This is a free flowing, thoughtful, ironic, humorous, and vital masterpiece. Not being an ice skating enthusiast, except for a few days during the Winter Olympics every four years, I have watched this film with wall-to-wall ice skating over and over again. I never realized that ice skating can be more than the conventional acrobatic sporting event that we are used to seeing on ABC when there are no other traditional team sporting events available. Plus, there is no idiot jock-skate commentator to interfere with you and the skaters, trying to convince everybody that .3 should be deducted for the bad execution of some esoteric manuver. Not this time. It's just you, Jayne Torvill, Christopher Dean and J.S. Bach. What a concept!!!!!!!! You are permitted to leave the convention and commercialization of all that ice skating competition stuff out on Madison Avenue somewhere. So, I play Six Gestures while I am working on my computer...over and over again. It is a friendly sound and picture that fills my office in the evenings from time to time. This specific video in the series is the one to buy!!! You will never be disappointed in this film. Also, an elementary school teacher would have an extraordinary and engaging 45 minutes or so if you showed this film. This film will inform, mesmerize, relax, inspire, educate plus lure you back..again and again. YOU MUST purchase Six Gestures!!!!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfection Combination of Music and Movement, October 18, 1999

By 

Peony Wong ([e-mail]) (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Yo-Yo Ma - Inspired by Bach No. 6, Six Gestures (Cello Suite 6) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

No one could have thought that figure skating routines could go so well with a solo instrumental piece, especially when skaters prefer to skate nowadays to songs. The lost artistry is revived by Torvill and Dean in this video, and ice skating has never been so graceful.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing blend of music and visuals, February 12, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Yo-Yo Ma - Inspired by Bach No. 6, Six Gestures (Cello Suite 6) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Although I agree with a previous reviewer that I could have done without the Bach impersonation, otherwise I couldn't disagree more with the negative reviews. As a fan of both figure skating and classical music, I feel that this is a perfect synthesis of both, with the addition of some exciting and innovative cinematography. It is a joy both to view and to hear; I will probably keep returning to it for years.