observations 4/5

The good news is that Landmark Cinemas on W. 57th St. is going to have a single showing of the new Nureyev documentary. No White Crow faux-glam here, folks. This will bring back strong memories for many who lived through that incredible but at times terrifying era -- when news was actually reported in the media rather than manufactured unethically.

Now the bad news. The screening has been scheduled for April 23rd, the opening night at NYCB. However, since that opening night doesn't include a step of Balanchine, it will make the viewer's choice one that requires more consideration. The trailer below is gripping.

One chance to see this documentary or one of many chances to see some of what you don't really want to watch anyway – decisions, decisions...

Tickets here.

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Former ABT soloist Maria Riccetto, who is the principal ballerina at Uruguay's national ballet company, Ballet Nacional del Sodre, will retire in December 2019 in a performance of Manon. She's a national treasure in Uruguay, and the announcement reportedly will be made next Wednesday by the country's Minister of Culture according to local news sources.

We have fond memories of Maria's delicate, crystalline clear artistry. It is unfortunate that she came up through ABT with a generation of enormously talented homegrown soloists who were so intentionally wasted by Kevin McKenzie while he expended all of his energy searching for guest artists. The best years of an entire generation were wasted and lost to ABT's audience.

Here's a little clip of a non-ABT performance at Avery Fisher Hall eight years ago that we go back to every now and then. It was made shortly before she decided to pack her suitcase to leave. We wish her all the best.

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Nicole Nelson]

I saw the documentary last night but wasn't impressed. There should have been much more footage of Nureyev than the dancers enacting his life. Dancing Through Darkness is much better.

[Haglund]

Hi, Nicole.

I'll have to agree about those dancers enacting his life. Using marginal contemporary dancers who didn't approach a ballet professional level to depict Nureyev's life events was the major failing of the film. The whole concept was misguided. Had they cut those sequences and incorporated more footage of Nureyev and more historical cultural film tying it all to the times, it would have been a better documentary.

However, seeing the R&J balcony scene by Nureyev and Fonteyn on such a huge screen left me breathless. He so fearlessly invested himself in that role and most all other roles that it's almost more remarkable than the steps he actually did. I wish there were artists today who could love ballet as much as he did. I really wish...

[Ellen]

Agree with all the above. I could have watched archival footage and Avedon photos all night long and been a very happy camper.

[Marta]

Hi Haglund,

I completely agree that the contemporary dancers in the birch forest environment, with the dirgelike music, and the endlessly pirouetting Rudi superimposed on the side, really really was the major negative of this film. And it kept repeating! I generally don't like reenactments anyway. I longed to see more of the real Rudi. I saw him in R&J in [yikes] 1968 in NY, not with Fonteyn but Merle Park. He was at his prime in the first decade or so in the West. The filmmakers should really delete all the Maliphant dances and add more Rudi!