Pilobolus Dance Theatre's Dance in America: Monkshood's Farewell, Ocellus, Ciona, & Untitled (1997) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have yet to see Pilobolus live, but I know from their video alone that they are one of my favorite dance companies. Supple, flowing bodies doing things you never knew were possible... tricks on the eye.... gorgeous soundscapes... interviews with the dancers themselves... if you like modern dance which is stunningly original yet crowd-pleasing, rich in athleticism AND thought-provoking, never pretentious, and just weird and wild, buy this video.

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Dance Theatre of Harlem - Fall River Legend (1990) Review

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(More customer reviews)You may already know that Dance Theatre of Harlem was founded by Arthur Mitchell, but, as Mr. Mitchell points out in his introduction, George Balanchine was on the board of directors and was very much involved with training the dancers. In some ways, DTH continues the Balanchine tradition better than other companies. "Fall River Legend" is a beautiful production, starring Virginia Johnson as Lizzie Borden. Virginia Johnson was one of the best in her day, and does a flawless job here. (She can also be seen in DTH's "Creole Giselle", available through kultur.com. Ms. Johnson currently teaches and is the editor of Pointe magazine, the only American magazine devoted primarily to ballet and is available through amazon.com) The music was composed by Morton Gould and is exquisitely suitable for this setting. The choreography is wonderfully done by Agnes De Mille. This video was produced in Denmark, and they did a great job with every aspect of it, from the set design to the music. I have been told by some cast members that in their free time, some of the dancers visited the Royal Danish Ballet School to learn a little of the famous Danish ballet technique, and this has added to DTH's wealth of ability. It is a pity that so little of DTH's repertoire is on video, so this is an important addition.

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Adam: Giselle (American Ballet Theatre) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is an amazing version of Giselle - and my favorite. It was taped live in NY in 1977, with Baryshnikov & Makarova, Martine van Hamel as Myrta, Frank Smith as Hilarion, Marianna Tcherkassky and Kirk Peterson in the peasant pas de deux, Jolanda Menendez & Nannette Glushak as Moyna & Zulma. Baryshnivov is amazing to watch, not only because of his technique, but also because of his artistry. Makarova is every bit as good as he is and together they are simply stunning both in the technical aspects of their performance and in their ability to project the emotional power of the story. It's wonderful to see two such talented artists at the height of their powers, so totally commited to their artistry. The whole cast is excellent.This has been out of print for a long time, grab it if you can find it

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Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker (Marinsky Theatre) (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)On the second day of the year 2007, Valery Gergiev conducted another outstanding ballet program at the Mariinsky Theater in Saint Petersburg. Mihail Chemiakin's 2001 production, with glorious sets and costumes reminiscent of Sendak, brings the action closer in plot and feeling to the original 1816 tale "Knussknacker und Mausekoenig" by ETA Hoffmann. The old chestnut comes to life again, with some new choreography by Kirili Simonov.
Fortunately the video producer, Denis Caiozzi, does not hate ballet like the producer of the recent Swan Lake video from the same stage. What a relief to see a dancer go through a whole set of interesting maneuvers without ever being interrupted by a useless video cut. There still are more half-shots than necessary. The opening pantomimes don't require any complicated footwork, but they are still dancers and still using their feet. So what benefit do we gain from seeing them cut off at the knee? See, editor guys, it is like this: high-definition programs are going to be watched on large monitors. So people don't need closeups the way we used to. Seeing the whole stage was frustrating on the small screen, but on the large screens seeing a tiny part of the stage is such a waste. So blu-ray videos need a whole different kind of camerawork. The video resolution is good enough that the naked eye can pick out details and place them in their proper context.
I know that the great city of Saint Petersburg knows the value of the long shot, because the longest film ever comprising a single, continuous take of footage was recently filmed there, at the Hermitage Museum, on 23 December 2001. In fact, Valery Gergiev makes a cameo appearance in that film, called RUSSIAN ARK, which lasts 96 minutes on a single camera take. That kind of thing requires far more intelligence aforethought than all the mindless intercutting of camera angles that pester the life out of ballet films. My dream is to see Alexander Sokurov, the genius behind RUSSIAN ARK, do a ballet film for the Mariinsky some time.

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Petipa - Le Corsaire / Ethan Stiefel, Angel Corella, Vladimir Malakhov, American Ballet Theater (1999) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am a big FAN of ballet, but not a CRITIC; thus, I'm not qualified to analyze this performance down to every minute detail as some of the other very erudite reviewers have done. Dance--especially ballet--is far and away my favorite form of performance art, and I loved ABT's "Le Corsaire" for overall presentation, great artistry, lively dancing, and excellent editing.
The Dancing. "Le Corsaire" is a full-length ballet story that centers on a beautiful slave (Medora, danced by Julie Kent) who becomes the object of desire of more than a couple of pirates (principal characters danced by Ethan Stiefel, Angel Corella, Joaquin De Luz and Vladimir Malakhov). It's a theme we're all familiar with (I dare say, perhaps in real life also), so the inbuilt intrigue is enough to keep viewers interested throughout the story. The dancing in this performance (staged in Southern California in 1999) is absolutely awesome from a technical standpoint, and there are many moments that caused me to marvel. Principal dancers Corella, Paloma Herrera and Malakhov put on truly amazing displays of athleticism, balance and fluidity. Same with Julie Kent, who still looks like my ideal ballerina in terms of beauty and grace. Even the corps shines, especially in Act III. I must admit [picky comment] I was a tad underwhelmed by Ethan Stiefel, not because of his dancing, but because he seemed to be miscast: his slight build and boyish looks just didn't convey what I expected from a pirate. This little "flaw" was not enough to detract from the performance.
The Interludes. Prior to each act there is commentary by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie and interviews (more like sound bites) with dancers and backstage personnel that are supposed to provide insight into what is portrayed as a confusing (I'm not certain why) storyline. Although it's a mildly interesting added dimension to hear the characters speak behind the scenes, much of the cast comes across as a little goofy and/or tongue-tied. I watched the first time; in the future I'll likely skip these parts.
The Visuals. I have to say that this ballet DVD showcases some of the best camera work and editing I've ever experienced for a dance performance. Edits betwen full stage and individual character views are timely and allocated perfectly. Thankfully, the common mistake (seen so often on television these days) of zooming in on a performer's face--while missing the body's attitude and movement--virtually never surfaces on this disc. There are a couple of distracting instances where the conductor's baton flicks into the bottom of the picture, and where some standing audience members obscure the dancers at curtain call time. Still, 99% of the time the camera is looking exactly where my eyes want to go, and that scores big points in watching a great performance like this.

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George Balanchine's The Nutcracker (1993) Review

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(More customer reviews)All things considered, I have to say that this is quite an enjoyable theatrical presentation of Balanchine's "The Nutcracker." Looking at "the show" itself, its most rave-worthy characteristic is how well the team of Peter Martins (ballet master), Emile Ardolino (director) and Ralf Bode (cinematographer) collaborated to actually "choreograph the camera" to the movements of the performers. Thanks to a talented movie crew and an incredible amount of consideration given to viewing angles (read the description in the disc's "special features"), the TV always seemed to be showing exactly what I wanted to look at on the stage. Add in some nice work by Industrial Light & Magic, decent narration, and a top-notch production team, and the result is a superb presentation.
From a performance standpoint, I'd give this an A-minus mainly because the versions of "The Nutcracker" I've seen most often cast the Nutcracker Prince in a much more active role dancewise. Still, everyone else did a fantastic job. Noteworthy were the Pas de Deux by the Cavalier (Damian Woetzel) and Sugarplum Fairy (Darci Kistler), and the powerful dance presence of Coffee (Wendy Whelan). The other "Sweets" performed very well also. So long as you try not to picture Macaulay Culkin as a ballet dancer, you'll be okay. Let's face it: you can't expect the little guy to measure up next to the NYC Ballet, but he is there to add a little star appeal and possibly sell ballet to your kids (which may not be a bad idea). Nuff said. By the way, the younger performers from the School of American Ballet were wonderful.
Regarding disc features, the DVD has some cool stuff to offer: two viewing formats, 30-scene index, and some good production notes regarding the history of the show, camera choreography and description of ILM's special effects.

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Angels and sugarplums. Candy canes and ice. A magic prince, a dreamy young girl, a mysterious old man and a Christmas tree that grows sky high. Enter the world of George Balanchine's The Nutcracker, featuring the New York City Ballet, and let this all-new movie version of a timeless Yuletide fantasy, narrated ny Academy Award(R) winner Kevin Kline, draw you under its spell. Starring Macaulay Caulkin, Darci Kistler and Bart Robinson Cook. Year: 1993 Director: Emile Ardolino Starring: Bart Robinson Cook, Macaulay Caulkin, Darci Kistler, Damian Woetzel

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Balanchine (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)This dvd, originally seen on PBS, is a great tribute to the Russian-born choreographer George Balanchine, who founded the New York City Ballet and is often creditted with bringing classical ballet to the United States. This documentary focuses almost exclusively on his professional and artistic life, and this is right and proper. There are books, as well as several documentaries ("Dancing for Mr. B," "Elusive Muse") which focus on Balanchine's complicated personal life. Here, we can just look at his great artistic creations.
There;s archival footage of so many great ballerinas and ballet dancers that were Mr. B's inspiration. Tanaquiel le Clercq (who judging from the footage may have been the most beautiful ballerina to ever step onstage), Diana Adams, Maria Tallchief, Edward Villela, Allegra Kent, Suzanne Farrell, Peter Martins, Patricia McBride ... None of the dancers are interviewed, perhaps because of time constraints. But just the footage of the dancing was enough to keep me happy. I was struck by Mr. B's diversity -- there are many clips of his ballets, and it's a testament to Mr. B's genius that I was always upset when the clips ended, because I wanted to see more.
There are also several interviews with Mr. B. His soft, gentle voice and almost childlike enthusiasm are infectious. Particularly amusing are the clips of him and Igor Stravinsky, the composer whose music whom Mr. B set so many of his best ballets (Rubies, Apollo, Agon et al.) Mr. B talks about his love of cats and cooking. So even though the documentary focuses squarely on the artistic, these interviews with Mr. B humanize him. Read the various memoirs and autobiographies for Mr. B's darker, more complex side: he was famously possessive of his ballerinas, and did not think they should have families or even personal lives apart from him. This video focuses purely on Balanchine as a creative artist.
Recently, more extensive dvd's have been released of Mr. B's complete ballets. But this documentary is still a must-see, a wonderful tribute to one of the 20th century's most prolific and remarkable artists.

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Who's Dancin' Now? (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)Jacques D'Amboise demonstrates the difference between a teacher and a mentor. A teacher gives information, a mentor literally reaches into a child's life and lifts him/her to a higher plane. In this video, it's great to watch Jacques coach average kids into above-average performance, and provoke them into seeing greatness in themselves, and his technique has obvious application in all fields, not just artistic or physical. This video is superb for not only profiling an accomplished mentor like Jacques, but for showing us the incredible power of dance to unchain a child's imagination, and boost their self esteem.

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Martha Graham Dance on Film: The Criterion Collection Review

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(More customer reviews)This DVD was absolutely outstanding for me (unfamiliar with modern dance) and exceeded my wife's expectations (very knowledgeable and familiar with modern dance). The reasons for this very positive impression were: Martha herself narrates and explains the whole DVD, the film producer also provides insights into Martha's life and personality, and original dancers performing the original productions.
Very enjoyable either as an expert or as a beginner.

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Kaguyahime - The Moon Princess / Nederlands Dans Theater (Jiri Kylian) (1994) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is by far one of the most impressive piece of work by NDT choregraphed by Jiri Kylian. They made supreme work on combining all area : dance, music, staging, lighting. The performance seems to have been recorded a little while ago (not very recent), which I can guess from less colorful recording, however, due to such style of recording, it can make you to see more of the dance. The dancers on this one are the best ones from NDT, and highly recommend this work. Really happy to own this work.

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American Ballet Theatre Now - Variety and Virtuosity (Dance in America) (1998) Review

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(More customer reviews)Finally, this thrilling gala performance is available on DVD! The transfer is crisp and the dances are nicely indexed so you can jump to your favorites...not that you'll want to skip even one of them. But I'm sure every balletomane will have her or his favorite. Mine is "Remanso", a pas de trois for men based on a Garcia Lorca poem. Taped in 1998, these performances feature many of ABTs upcoming stars (Corella, Carreno, Herrera, Stiefel) as well as seasoned veterans (Jaffe, Bocca, Hill, McKerrow). Angel Corella delivers breath-taking turns in his pas de deux with Paloma Herrera from "Don Quixote."
Although comprised of eight separate dance performances, each segment is intercut with fragments of backstage interviews with the dancers and artistic director Kevin McKenzie. Nothing momentous is revealed, but it's nice to hear the dancers express their enthusiasm for the works they perform and for the company that have the priviledge to dance for. Introduced by prima ballerina assoluta Natalia Makarava (looking great in a maroon silk and velvet gown by Gianfranco Ferre), it moves quickly and is the type of DVD you'll want to watch over and over. Far superior to ABTs other recent offering on DVD, "Le Corsaire," in which the dancers make fun of ballet (with justification) in between-the-acts interviews...and which is difficult to watch more than once.
I never understand why "fine art" DVDs offer so few "extras" (in this case, none). If you go to a live performance of a ballet, you get program notes on the music and choreography and short biographies of each principal dancer. Is that so difficult to transfer to a bonus material section on a DVD? Are there copyright issues? Anyway, don't let the absence of extras deter you, this DVD really delivers the goods. Buy it, watch it, love it.

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Variety and virtuosity are the key qualities of American Ballet Theatre's tradition. The company has long distinguished itself through its artistic eclecticism and its star power. In this dazzling program, leading American Ballet Theatre dancers are joined by guest artists to perform highlights from the company's 20th century repertoire, including romantic, classical and contemporary pieces as well as the premiere of a new piece by Nacho Duato.

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Adam - Giselle / Carla Fracci, Erik Bruhn, John Lanchbery, American Ballet Theatre (1968) Review

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(More customer reviews)Erik Bruhn and Carla Fracci were one of the most famous dance partnerships, and it's our good fortune that one of their "trademarks," Giselle, was preserved for posterity. (I mean, imagine how cool it would have been to have a video of Nijinsky and Karsavina dancing together.)
Both Bruhn and Fracci are better in the first act than the second. Fracci's radiance and beauty make her an enchanting village lass. You can see why Albrecht would fall in love. Plus, this is one Giselle who is visibly infatuated with Albrecht. Fracci is wonderful at conveying the almost feverish intensity of her love, from the way she stares at him, slack-jawed, to the way she blows him kisses in the Spessivtseva variation. They are a believable couple both in lust and in love. And I love the little touches Fracci puts in her mad scene. Instead of letting her hair fall down completely (like most Giselles) Fracci simply loosens one strand of hair from her bun. As she runs around the stage the bun becomes messier and messier. There are also real tears flowing from her beautiful face. Erik Bruhn has a stiff, aristocratic bearing that's also very appropriate for this role.
Unfortunately, I dont think Fracci and Bruhn are as great in the second "Wili" act. The second act is supposed to be about Albrecht's redemption. Bruhn doesn't show much in the way of remorse -- he's still the stiff noble of Act 1. I also own a Giselle with Rudolf Nureyev as Albrecht and with Nureyev you can see the remorse and ardor. The second act also exposes some flaws in Fracci's technique. At the start of the pas de deux one notices that her developpe is not very solid, for one. Her balances are a bit shaky. Fracci's Giselle in Act 2 is very different from her portrayal in Act 1. Fracci chooses to make her somewhat cold and remote, with a ghostly pale-powdered face and stern expression. Over time, I've come to accept this sterner, angrier interpretation of Giselle in the second act and even prefer it. Fracci is less skilled at the exposed developpes of the second act as she is in the little hops and entrechats. She and Bruhn choose not to do several now standard lifts between Giselle and Albrecht.
The thing about this film that *really* bugs me though is the way it was directed. The director Hugo Nieberling decided to be "cute" and shoot the movie somewhat like a music video. Tilted angle shots, weird cut-aways from the dancers to a basket of grapes, and a strange, long-take fixation on the backsides of some horses. It gave me a headache. I thought this nonsense would end in Act 2, but nope. Nieberling cuts away from the dancing of Giselle, Albrecht, Hilarion, and the Wilis to shoot their *reflections* in a pond.
Unfortunately, Giselle seems to be like Odette/Odile in that ballerinas, even the greatest ones, fall into the "either/or" category. Natalia Makarova, for instance, is hauntingly beautiful in Act 2, but she lacks the wholesome joie de vivre to be entirely convincing in Act 1.

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Jiri Kylian's Car Men (1986) Review

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(More customer reviews)this is a somewhat strange release. apparently kylian collaborated with a filmmaker to make "car men", a 30-minute B&W film done in a very "silent era/slapstick" sort of way. there's very little dancing involved, but kylian's touch is definitely discernible. the slapstick comedy is amusing in the way that kylian's comedy often is, with a lot of exaggerated belly laughs, double takes, and questioning looks, but it doesn't add up to much. the connection to carmen the opera is tenuous, and the film is more focused on the central female character's premonition (or fear?) of being hit by a car. her dreams/nightmares are the most interesting sequences and feature some striking images. all in all a curiosity, but worth seeing for fans of kylian.
"silent cries" (from 1986) is a work for female soloist set to debussy's famous "prelude to the afternoon of a faun". the dancer dances behind a pane of glass and kylian's choreography evokes classic mime, perhaps a little too closely. it's also fascinating to see how he references nijinsky's version. definitely worth seeing for fans, but probably won't convert anyone.
the final piece, "the drowned cathedral" for two male-female couples, has already been released on the video "four by kylian". it's a fine, serious piece with some remarkable, memorable choreography, although it's more overtly sexual than many of his other works.
the two dance works were well selected and complement "car men" extremely well. all in all this is definitely worth watching for fans (although it's short at 61 minutes), although newcomers would be much better off watching a more traditional collection, such as the black and white ballets DVD (although unfortunately that one's currently out of print in the US).

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Dance Theatre of Harlem (1989) Review

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(More customer reviews)Dance Theatre of Harlem, founded by Arthur Mitchell AND George Balanchine, is a first rate ballet company and this dvd offers a nice, varied sample of their large body of work, only a small portion of which is available on video(please see my review for "Fall River Legend" for more information on DTH). "Troy Game" and "The Beloved" are exquisitely choreographed modern dance pieces and "John Henry" is a light hearted folk piece choreographed by Arthur Mitchell and the input of the dancers themselves(this bit of information comes from what cast members have told me). The DTH dancers are all clasically trained(in those days by Arthur Mitchell and George Balanchine himself) and this is quite evident in their dancing. This production was done in Denmark and is absolutely first rate in quality, from set design to music.

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The Dance Theatre of Harlem, America's first outstanding classical ballet company of black dancers, started out as a ghetto experiment which quickly reached world-class level. It was created by Arthur Mitchell, a School of American Ballet student who had broken through ballet's color barrier by becoming the first black dancer to join an internationally renowned company, the New York City Ballet. In this special studio production, the Dance Theatre of Harlem performs a selection of its most popular works: choreographer Robert North's "Troy Game," Lester Horton's "The Beloved" and Arthur Mitchell's "John Henry." The pieces are introduced by Arthur Mitchell and Robert North.

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The Bright Red Lanterns Hung High (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)I love this ballet and had high hopes. The quality of the film appears that it was done with a cell phone in the back of the auditorium.
I had seen the ballet live when it came to a city near me and was horribly disappointed in this 2009 DVD.

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Ballerina (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the best ballet documentary I have ever seen on the Kirov. It is almost a sequel to "The Children of Theater Street." The Kirov has taken its history and technique and brought it into the modern arena - even the leotards and tights are like amazing costumes from Karinska. These women have incredible technique and artistry - each one very different from the last. They are current and yet old fashioned, in a good way, at the same time. If you're a dancer - you'll love this because its is filled with behind the scenes, rehearsals, class, and life in the reality of being a Russian dancer. Interesting perspective on performance scenes as well.

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In the grand tradition of the Ballets Russes comes a portrait of five Russian ballerinas from the Mariinsky Theatre (also known as the Kirov).Behind any great ballerina lies the discipline and rigour that comes from decades of training and practice. Superstars like Nijinsky, Baryshnikov and Pavlova established the reputation of Russian dancers as the best in the world. The five dancers profiled in this revealing film are tough, insightful and exceptionally talented; onstage they reveal no hint of the sweat, pain and hard work of the rehearsal studio. From Swan Lake to Romeo and Juliet, from the backstage studio to performing on stages around the world, Ballerina captures the sublime beauty of ballet, in all its resplendent glory.FEATURINGDiana Vishneva, Svetlana Zakharova, Ulyana Lopatkina, Alina Somova & Evgenia Obraztsova

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Dv8: Physical Theater (Sub) (1995) Review

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(More customer reviews)Hands down one of the finest of all dance/film collections--for me its only competition is THE COST OF LIVING by the same group.
Powerful, sexy, intellectually stimulating, these imaginative works are stunningly filmed, using a dazzling array of camera techniques.
MONOCHROME MEN feels choreographed for the camera--a study of a serial killer who preys on gay victims, it also explores the on-again, off-again angst of bar hopping and casual sex, mixed up with fears and panics of male bonding. The creepy lighting and camera moves are a revelation, and the dancers and movement some of the best you'll find on film.
STRANGE FISH introduces color, and an atmosphere that echoes neo-realism.
The couplings, comings and goings of a group of young people is book ended by a bombed out building and a singing female Christ figure. The mixture of humor and longing, angst and poetry is unprecedented. The always brilliant imagery is complimented by dancers who can actually act.
ENTER ACHILLES is less successful as a film, but it hardly matters, as it so vividly describes a certain macho mindset--the frightening exhibitions of supressed rage, homoerotic panic, preening and posturing so familiar in films like THE FIGHT CLUB, THE WRESTLER or most exploding car movies. The entrance of a gay outsider into this hermetically sealed bar scene is both disarming and hilarious. He brings some magic to the good old boys, and they face their inner demons. Dance as thrilling entertainment. As good as it gets.


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