Speaking of Hope - Dvorak Ballet

Melody by Dvorak, dance by Nadezhda Pavlova (Nadezhda means "hope") of Bolshoi fame from the 1970s.



And if you liked that, how about her performance in La Bayadere? Nice comment on the Youtube video:

Pavlova´s extensions are like poetry in every role that she dances, she makes them so natural and when they are necessary, not just for showing - off

This is one of those classic stories that link east and west, as the origin of the "temple dancer" ballet was a visit from India in 1839 to Paris, and then a later visit to London (which ended in tragedy as the main dancer could not endure the cold and fog). The word "bayadere" was already known as Johann Goethe had written his Der Gott und die Bajadere (The God and the Bayadere) in 1830. The term seems to be from the Portugese, while in India, Devadasi is used.

I like how the TV producers of the day made the dance and music the focus, with no stage props to distract from the experience. I hope we can all enjoy music and dance again like this. Technically speaking, this is sublime, if there is such a thing.

Comments

Pandabonium said…
Beautiful - sublime. In the first clip, with support from her partner, she looks like she is dancing on the moon, or floating by magic as in a dream. Great stuff!
8:05 pm, December 18, 2011
Martin J Frid said…
Thanks P, yes it is such a sublime moment. Great stuff indeed. I wish I knew the name of her dancing partner.
11:45 pm, December 23, 2011
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