observations 8-29

Anna Kisselgoff has written a nice tribute to Johan Renvall in an obituary that will appear in Sunday's NYT print edition. It's online now here.

Yet as critics across the country noted, Mr. Renvall’s gifts went far beyond pyrotechnics. Antony Tudor, Ballet Theater’s master of psychological ballet, cast him in his dance-dramas, in which he portrayed a murderer in “Undertow,” a youth in search of Zenlike enlightenment in “Shadowplay,” a young lover in “Dim Lustre” and, in a memorably deep performance, a grieving mourner in “Dark Elegies.” As always, this depth came from the projection of his movement, not through conventional acting.

We want to thank Judith for bumping up the TV broadcast of Dark Elegies on YouTube in which Johan Renvall gave one of his most memorable performances.

Comments

[Ellen Mason]

Haglund,

Thanks for the link to Dark Elegies. It brought back wonderful memories of both Renvall's dancing and the days when ABT took the Theatre part of its name seriously.

RIP to Mr. Renvall.

EM

[Haglund]

So true.

[slippersgirl]

Mr. Renvall was a superb dancer, rather unappreciated by the Misha IMO - jealousy? I've never forgiven the Misha for denying him an Albrecht. Based on emploi? Just like the Misha was pigeonholed at the Kirov?

[Haglund]

Probably. ABT was overflowing with talent in those days and it might be more understandable as to why someone didn't get a chance to dance a particular role - unlike today's ABT where none of the men can do a simple half circle of double saute de basques that end in arabesque the way Anthony Dowell did decades ago in Cinderella. When you remind yourself what Renvall, Bocca, Baryshnikov, Radojevic, Bujones, Tippet, Bissell and others of that time were able to accomplish in the way of artistry and technique, today's ABT seems like a country cousin.