A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (Balanchine / NYC Ballet)

[@alexasmila]

I was in this

[@markknego5743]

Saw the San Francisco Ballet perform this last night. How can anything be so beautiful? What a gift to humanity!

[@acozzarin]

It is so lovely to see my old friend Peter Frame in this production. I miss him, knew him since we were 15. I had the pleasure of meeting Maria Calegari and Jock Soto, both amazing dancers and happy people offstage. NYCB dancers in the 70s and 80s were the BEST. Thank you, John, for locating and posting these videos! You, too, were an outstanding dancer and are now providing such a meaningful service on your channel!

[@jcliff26]

My pleasure.

[@NinaSofia_]

❤

[@sorryitskylie]

this is so sweet i know nothing of ballet but these dancers are beyond impressive

[@danielaamini1662]

This is a magnificent treasure! Thank you for making it available to us!

[@brendadufaur37]

She's one of my very great favorites.

[@j.richardmonast5686]

Ib Andersen is great. He is currently the Artistic Director of Ballet Arizona and had done an incredible job in bringing this company on an international standard. He is currently producing a new production of "Midsummer Night's Dream".

[@karalozdan4414]

Love NYC ballet, fabulous dancers, orchestra is amazing, always

[@petetotaro9510]

Most beautiful ballet! All parties were fitting the dancing this sensational ballet! This is a keeper for sure!

[@erpollock]

I remember how magical this opening scene was when I saw it at NYC Ballet oh so many years ago! And the entire ballet was pure magic, even when I saw it over and over.

[@yiprock]

It should be mentioned that Peter Frame (Demetrius) passed away on August 30, 2018.

[@Kimllg88]

RIP

[@DavidVanLigon]

Thank you for always posting these amazings gems!!

[@BuddyStewart94]

Nice prof pic!

[@adesiana2]

What a treat. Balanchine forever. World Heritage.

[@ningsun626]

Thank you fo very much John for your post! So fortunate to have you !

[@GrixieKong]

The awkward pas de deux between Titania and Bottom is my favorite part. ❤️

[@janetroy5489]

The most romantic music in the whole piece.

[@macnellietwo]

Just watched it in full. Wonderful.

[@jcliff26]

The full version has several musical mistakes. Happened in transfer I think. I fixed several of these and posted them separately. The Act II Divertissement and Titania’s big adagio with her Cavalier were especially off the music.

[@jenniekk-cgrove]

Thank you for posting.

[@giuliorenzobighin8165]

MOLTO interessante questo balletto che mantiene il filo d'una narratio fabulista efficace con interventi d'enfatizzazione commediale che rileva altresì una sensibile capacità attoriale. BRAVISSIMI TUTTI.BIGHIN GIULIO RENZO

[@simaraft7373]

Oh my god a dream indeed! Ending 2017 with a big bang for me. Thank you, absolutely terrific. What a cast!

[@JamesChavis-s2u]

Congratulations, you surpass. Happy for you. Thrilled truly thrilled! Keep up the good work. Happy for you.

[@violayoung9015]

I was in this!! Miss it 😢

[@illuminati6817]

Viola Young no you weren't you're like 7 😂

[@EVZYL]

Can't be easy to watch!

[@Twentythousandlps]

Though Mr. B had already passed, this was the last company of dancers to have worked with him.

[@TheDanrach]

So good of you to put this up! Thank you.

[@eliothahn7983]

I so wanted this. Thank you very much !

[@annettegilbert3715]

Many thanks for this Post!

[@barbaralemere5183]

Thanks John. Great clip. I have seen Patty McBride do this role but notJudith Fugate. Awesome.

[@ernestcastro6238]

John Clifford I just came across this two minutes ago. Thank you very much, I don't believe it! I taped it on VHS years ago.

[@trishkoran3293]

OMG Merrill Ashley & Sean Lavery are breathtaking in this! The last move so beautifully done & timed. I’ve seen other versions where this last move is totally botched. I must also commend the camera direction too. Very nicely done. So often, poor camera direction will ruin the entire experience. Thanks for posting! This is my favorite cast of this ballet!

[@jcliff26]

You need to watch the ALLEGRA Kent one. She set the standard. I’ve posted it.

[@jcliff26]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/pmjPcqGBopiGY7s. Allegra Kent and Jacques d’Amboise are THE gold standard in this.

[@wendytinkleryt]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bIfJqn5_ppqEq8k Jacques D’Amboise with Gelsey Kirkland, truly a dream

[@trishkoran3293]

@@wendytinkleryt Incredible! Where did you find this spun gold!? So rare to see Gelsey in any film footage from NYCB days and with sound. The ending of the pas de deux is the closest I’ve seen to the Allegra Kent version. Thanks so much for posting!!

[@alllisun5298]

I was one of the Spanish dolls in my ballet schools plays ;( I miss it so much

[@ToryDart1066]

The incomparable Merrill Ashley

[@laurafreedman8770]

Maria and Judith two Fabulous under used Fabulous Dancers.

[@IceAintNice]

Underused? Hardly.

[@ЛидияТравина-о1ь]

Thanks you!

[@LeCanalBarbaraAnne]

Thank you, John.

[@jamesthosbaker]

John, "thanks for sharing."

[@dottiedavis355]

I haven’t seen any mention of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Iolanthe in any notes, but I’m hearing G&S here. Am I nuts?

[@theresa42213]

Dear John, Hello. ls there a proper name for the lift, that is done @13:57 to 14:03? l watch it over and over again, as l think its beautiful. Dont mean to bother you, but ballet has brought this older woman much joy, and l want to learn. Thank you, and may you have a MERRY CHRISTMAS John Clifford. :)

[@edwardwillinger8438]

On the whole, wonderful, as you say - thank you! I just wish there was a more exciting Hippolyta, and, strong, clean and flawless as Ashley is, there's more poetry in that choreography than she can deliver. (Too bad Calegari couldn't have danced both Titania and the Act 2 divertissement -- not sure she ever did that pas de deux; it was one of Farrell's most beautiful performances.)

[@jcliff26]

Edward Willinger You're a bit confused. Victoria Hall was "Hippolyta" and Merrill Ashley was the lead in the Act II Divertissements.

[@edwardwillinger8438]

No, not confused, thanks. I wasn't being clear, I guess. I meant I wish Hall was a stronger Hippolyta, and Ashley more suited to the divertissement, especially the adagio.

[@jcliff26]

Ahh. Understood. I disagree about Hall. I always thought she was the closest to Govrin, and Merrill may not be the most poetic, but following Kent, Verdy, Hayden...Well. I'm thankful anyway.

[@edwardwillinger8438]

I am grateful for Merrill's absolute clarity, and I think Hall was generally a better dancer than she comes across here. (I remember her jumping higher and more vividly in the first movement of "Brahms-Schoenberg.") Please keep sharing these fantastic things!

[@DanielGarrett0123]

@@jcliff26 I dunno, you guys. I don't know how much more poetic a ballerina can be than what Merrill is giving us here. The delicacy and breathy expressivity of her arms are unmatched by any other ballerina that comes to mind, in my opinion. Her phrasing is exquisite. John, you mentioned somewhere else that she changed the choreography from what had been set on Verdy, and carried on by Kent. However the only change I notice here is the absence of the extreme back bend that should have happened at 1:33:53 and I assume her previous injuries had ruined the suppleness of her back. In any case, thanks for posting this gem!

[@Michizoechling]

Does anyone know what year this was recorded in ?

[@tkoran]

Oh I LOVE this! Especially Merrill Ashley & Adam Luders in the 2nd Act pas de deux! I still have a tape of this when it first aired on TV. Do you remember what year this was? Thanks for posting!!!!

[@jcliff26]

t koran Think it was 1986

[@gratielaboeriu6898]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@davigna81contri67]

Someone know when the dvd of this ballet will be released ?

[@jcliff26]

Not sure there was one. This was the PBS broadcast from around 1986.

[@ssehe2007]

What year?

[@dennischiapello3879]

It's wonderful to see this! John, do you know whatever happened to the filmed version that was made with Suzanne Farrell? I saw that several decades ago, and I would have thought by now that would be available, but it's not! Can you shed any light?

[@jcliff26]

I’ve posted many sections of that earlier film. Most of it was not synced up correctly with the music but I fixed that.

[@dennischiapello3879]

@@jcliff26 Do you mean to say that the film isn't even preserved in the NYCB archives? Or is it that they guard their property so jealously, they've never seen fit to re-release it?

[@jcliff26]

@@dennischiapello3879 I don’t know what’s in the NYCB archives. Maybe a good copy is at the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts.

[@Twentythousandlps]

The film can be seen complete at the Paley Media Center in Manhattan.

[@sopranosd]

No sound?

[@jcliff26]

There’s sound. Make sure you’re nut muted.

[@grandma.p]

This is nice. How do the small children get their roles (in this and other ballet performances)?

[@jcliff26]

Most come from their affiliate SCHOOL OF AMERICAN BALLET.

[@grandma.p]

@@jcliff26 Oh, I see. Do they travel? Are they tutored for their academic classes?

[@jcliff26]

Pam H They are all local New York children. Not sure if there is a teacher backstage but they don’t travel and go to regular schools.

[@vanillapotaeto4098]

40:50

[@naebandzperiod4736]

we are doing this play at my scho

[@kimdaggett2549]

21:25

[@juliajewels1964]

3:44 10:16 21:26 1:45:40 1:49:24

[@영희이-x8g]

8:29///오후발레수업

[@pn-se6uc]

1:02:49

[@kjkindly5374]

21:38-26:25, 39:30

[@Canimals4Life]

1:20:52 Thank Me Later.

[@rita0957]

Thank you✨

[@kevalev12]

Peter must have been upset with Heather Watts.

[@LittleSkepticalButStillSmart]

No donkey music?

[@mivhaallen9131]

We just wanted to get our ballet shoes singed ..he was acting like he was some celebrate. He was ridiculous . I had no idea who he was 🙄 Definitely delusion of grandeur

[@영희이-x8g]

///외국인

[@jamesAnthonyrizzi]

wow to listen to Peter martins in the interview is kind Of embarrassing. it seems like he doesn't understand thew work on a deep level.

[@ahlahng7454]

皮

[@amandaa.1947]

21:30