Recently, I was assigned with finding out experts in a field that I found to be interesting/enjoyed, so naturally I picked ballet. During my search, I typed in what comes most naturally to most, which is "best ballerinas of all time" in Google. I expected to see the typical list of names of ballerinas such as Margot Fonteyn, Evelyn Hart, Gelsey Kirkland, etc (I could list names forever there are just so many). However, the ones that I found to be the most brilliant, and went it comes to ballet I'm so picky, because I generally find that in today's standard, for quite a few ballerinas, despite their amazing and flawless technique, there's just something missing, that one has to naturally possess.
Anyways, while I began to search on YouTube of old videos of some of these amazing ballerinas, which are rare and few, I came across a few that I literally got chills, and for Evelyn Hart's Swan Lake Pas De Deux with Rex Harrington, I'm not exaggerating, my jaw literally dropped, and I couldn't stop watching. This is saying a lot, because naturally on my spare time, I love to watch ballet videos, but I was completely entranced, and it wasn't because of any flips, tricks, etc., it was all just so fluid and.... I don't even know how to explain it, it was... electrifying.. I don't even think that was even enough to convey how brilliant it was. Normally, I hate the use of ellipsis, because I'm never sure of what the author/writer is thinking and I find that very frustrating as a reader, but somehow with this performance in particular, there was no other way to express what I just saw.
Anyways, below I have provided you with some of the breathtaking videos I just saw, and hopefully, we'll all be able to see a jaw dropping performance live, especially since it's so hard to convey emotion on video, so if you're able to do that, then that's really something. I think I read a quote somewhere, that said that you have to express ten times more than you do during a typical performance, because there are still so many details that you can't pick up with a video camera. Okay, now I'll really let you watch them for yourselves, and let me know what you think in the comments down below. Enjoy :)
Like I promised here is Evelyn Hart and Rex Harrington performing Swan Lake's Pas De Deux (2003). Now normally, I just watch a little bit of a video and then move on, but when I watched this ballet, I couldn't stop watching, and watched it to the very last second.
For this next video I initially searched up a video of Rudolf Nureyev, but I became so entranced by watching Margot Fonteyn, as soon as she was onstage that my eyes were instantly glued to only Margot Fonteyn, because she was that breathtaking. If you want to speed ahead to Margot Fonteyn speed up to 0:46. Here's Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev performing Swan Lake, Act 4, Pas De Deux (1966). Yes, I do realize that I just put two Pas De Deux's in a row from the same ballet, but they are just so different from their interpretations and yet still amazing at the same time. It made me feel like they were two different ballets. Also, despite the fact, that many ballerinas require/have hyper extended arches, Margot Fonteyn, was so good, that even though her feet were far from ideal, you couldn't/ can't keep your eyes off her, and the last thing on your mind is feet. Mainly, because she is so ethereal (sigh).
Anna Pavlova. One of the most famous and brilliant ballerinas of all time, and specifically know for "The Dying Swan". I'm not sure how, but I'm eternally grateful that someone was able to find a recording of her perfoming it live. Many say that no one will ever be able to perform it like she did, and after watching it, I do have to agree. It's all in the way that she moves her arms and upper body, that makes her seem like "she is the dying swan". It's almost like she has no bones, it's amazing. Anyways, here's her performing "The Dying Swan" (1905).
Now that you've seen my favourite videos, let me know what your favourite dancers and ballets are in the comments down below, and feel free to comment your favourite dance videos :)