Ballerina (documentary by Natalia Makarova) - BBC2 UK - 1987

[@fredkelly6953]

The insane dedication and discipline of dancers is both inspiring and frightening.

[@jolicska]

yeah a good amount of them are nuts because of the extremely demanding profession. I dont know them in person but seems to me that Sylvie Guillem, Polina Semionova and Evgenia Obraztsova have the most balanced down to earth state of mind and personality.

[@marekvollach7831]

Yes...the PSYCHOLOGICAL and EMOTIONAL expectations... let alone the physical demands exacted on a foundation of perfectionistic base...from any who dare to "steal fire from the dance gods"

[@orangeblueandlavenda]

yup

[@odealiamusic6903]

Makarova is my best ballerina． she is technician but elegant dance . This video is treasure! Thank you!

[@deborahstollman6238]

Best ballerina that ever lived!!! I danced 35 years ago and she was my favorite dancer 🩰

[@pianoplayrpiano99]

Makarova was exquisite. Thank you for posting this treasure!

[@beckyblissitt9580]

Absolutely fabulous! I remember these programmes from when I was a child and dancing, Makarova was my favourite ballerina 😊

[@margaretlavender9647]

Oh YES. Tho it is in 4 Episodes I’m sure. My daughter was doing ballet lessons then, and we loved Natalia, saw her dance at ROH, met her once, and loved this series. This, when goes to a gym in New York - you’ve NO idea how she is stretched and pulled - with weights too! Oh the agony!

[@commonsense571]

I have a pair of her shoes ✨

[@susanpaul4752]

Beautiful in every way. I remember when NM first appeared n the USA, shockingly superior to every other female ballet dancer around! She and Misha B. took the cake in anything they did, no surprise. Their contributions to ballet in the USA are inestimable. These videos are superb. Thank you for making them available.

[@stevebutler812]

Flawless as far as I can tell. She is lovely. Her lines are so ideal.

[@me67226]

She is absolutely gorgeous a perfect ballerina

[@santi7616]

Makarova was the first ballerina I ever saw in swanlake. This documentary is really a jewel. Thank you very much 🥇😊💍

[@OnALivingSpreeLLC]

Straight, black male here 🙋🏿‍♂️..... I concur .... thank you for sharing.... I love ballet docs 🙏🏿

[@randomVHStat]

Thank you for watching

[@agreattimetoday]

Why did you have to throw out you’re straight and black?

[@raymundoyanez3282]

@@agreattimetoday Because ! Black.Men Are Never!? Gay or Like Ballet ?????🙄

[@ОльгаРезниченко-й9щ]

Король Людовик 13 любил шик. И ставил балет с шиком и размахом. Марлезонский балет - невозможно забыть! Unforgettable!

[@robertofalcone8442]

La forza muscolare , la grazia, l' esercio danno la sensazione gradevole di vedere una piuma voolteggiante. Bravo

[@robertmandell526]

This is superb instruction from a seasoned world class ballerina. Makareva is the Gold Standard, and one can only appreciate her theore by seeing all the exquisite (and painful) work and preparation she struggles through to achieve her art. I'm a scientist and engineer who values accuracy and precision.

[@sunnyballet]

Thank you for posting this. I have never seen this. Excellent documentary.

[@classicalaid1]

I was priveleged to watch Makarova dance twice in Toronto. A genius. Nureyev seemed to have a love / hate relationship with her. She was easily his equal. Eventually she gave up on him, describing his moves as too rough. I adore her choreography of La Bayadere for various ballet companies including the Royal Ballet.

[@MarcSteven-h5k]

12/28/23 8:34pm CA,USA WHAT I HAVE SEEN OF MAKAROVA DANCE IS SHEER PERFECTION. GRACEFUL, TECHNIQUE, FOOTWORK, CARRIAGE. THE RUSSIAN BOLSHOI OF 1968 HOLDS MY HEART AND ADMIRATION. I AM A BIG NUREYEV FAN.💖❤️💜

[@Ronster_]

After years I cannot get over her feet, her grace and her passion.

[@PrincessGold1]

Saw her dance the Dying Swan when she was 64, in Sydney, Australia. She was brilliant. It was a masterclass in perfection , and the entire audience was spellbound. Life has fleeting moments of extraordinary WOW experiences. This was one of the great moments of my life! Does anyone know how old she is in this documentary?

[@eg-2585]

Oh that sounds like just an incredible experience. Life is fleeting and beautiful, perfectly represented by ballet :) & I believe Natalia was 46 here!

[@bardnightingale]

Sylvie Guillem is only 56 as of 2021 or are you referring to Natalia?

[@thebluehotel426]

47. Amazing isn't she.

[@mmn958]

What a treat! Thank you for sharing!!

[@denisegarvin182]

Wonderful memories. Can anything give so much pleasure again as classical ballet. I still miss my classes! Is that normal

[@Christina4758]

I have been looking for this for years - thank you!

[@walkercatenaccio]

I had the good fortune of seeing Natalia perform often in the 1970's, if my dates are right. Not only was she clearly the best of a spectacular crop of dancers at ABT, but her acting was what took the power of the dances to the level of serious and deep art. She was like Callas in opera, much more than a perfect voice or body: a true genius.

[@genvarer6385]

Thank you so much for sharing! This is amazing! Thank you 🌻

[@Deedee-ee1sg]

SHE makes those movements look so easy! Incredible dancing! She's an iconic ballerina.

[@williamfahey6066]

WOW! This is a comment I have made just after the Dance it the beginning of this documentary. Incredible Dancer. Beautiful.

[@tarantellalarouge7632]

Sylvie Guillem, when she was a young ballerina at Opéra de Paris, she is still one of the very best, but she is retired now .... live is too short for certain people (and too long for many others)

[@head_in_the_clouds]

I adore Natalia♥️

[@luisbejarano1991]

Her dance makes me understand ballet deeply.

[@krinoa100]

She's so perfect in her movements. Just like the new dancers today! You really can't tell this took place 34 (!!!) years ago.

[@ИльяГрубов-к9х]

На вас смотреть это кукольный театр ужас!

[@freespirit8570]

@@ИльяГрубов-к9х Почему?

[@joannealexander3483]

@@ИльяГрубов-к9х k oryxdx

[@gaialo]

Beautiful! Thank you.

[@Dane_Youssef]

Natalia Makarova was among the greatest to ever have anything to do with ballet. She just… had the ideal body. She was made for it. Nearly every other in the field or anyone who took so much as a class couldn’t help but envy her to death. She just kind of was…

[@elizabethwelch3683]

O

[@mimiduquette8786]

@Maloroni! :3 That's a lovely sentiment, but it just isn't true!! Not just any body can be a ballerina, because so many factors figure into the making of a ballerina!!

[@catrionamaccoll9500]

@@mimiduquette8786 i

[@Dane_Youssef]

I... I know not just anybody can be a ballerina. That was my point. She just HAS... everything a ballerina could need--or Hell, even WANT.@@mimiduquette8786

[@DrFarrokhNami]

Fantastic presentation, loved it

[@bringiton5282]

Makarova is fascinating !

[@baluka6034]

Thank you for sharing, this is a jewel!

[@kennethlim7146]

She went to end of our limits. I love her great art work.

[@lydiakinnaman3679]

BEAUTIFUL. !!!

[@eddygeelhoed8357]

Thank you for makng it possible to see.

[@golden1789]

Wonderful documentary.

[@nevertrump-z2y]

I've always been a fan of Gelsey Kirkland especially in her Nutcracker performance with Michail Baryshnikov. Watch it every Christmas season

[@commonsense571]

I had class with her once and she was magnificent. The energy she puts out is beyond..

[@commonsense571]

The

[@tanjanovicic2926]

More than beautifully ❤

[@evgeniyarabieva1798]

Блестящее выступление ! Браво !

[@viviennepopek]

A very young Darcyey Bussell there at 22.42 minutes. 👏💐💖💐👏 Thank you for uploading 💖

[@theresa42213]

Vivienne ~ l THOUGHT SO! l wasn't 100% sure so l looked for a comment to cooberate my thought. Haha! l dont even dance, and am just getting into the ballet world for fun. The internet is _wonderful_ tool for ''quick study''. Three months ago ..l knew nothing. Today l know MUCH more! ...l even wear ballet slippers in the house as slippers! xD

[@susannasoffiantini8366]

Amazing! Thanks for posting!

[@mariaquercia8573]

Brilliant! Thanks for sharing!!!

[@Наталья-ж7ъ9й]

ОБАЛДЕННО ! 🌹🌹🌹🌹👍 Полный восторг !

[@Deejaay83urj38]

Wonderful. And that first ballerina . . Incredibly beautiful

[@daniellereid01]

Her name is Sylvie Guillem and she's now considered a ballet legend. There are some wonderful videos on KZbin if you would like to see more of her.

[@nativevirginian8344]

Makarova is my favorite ballerina. Love finding this, thank you!

[@ieusfhzsirafghzjsrgfoawhfvjkd]

wow she has incredible control!!!!!

[@ОльгаРезниченко-й9щ]

There were so many wonderful ballet dances in Russia! It' s difficult to say who of them was the best. Every prima was perfect in her own way.

[@katesage3221]

Thank you for posting ❤️

[@mooncloudplayz1633]

beautiful...elegance...lines breathtaking...!

[@almatysairan1644]

Браво, Наталья!!!

[@ЛесяЛат]

Великая балерина, спасибо за видео.

[@lorikate5660]

Really enjoyed this documentary! Would love to see it in full

[@eg-2585]

There’s a playlist on my KZbin profile with the other parts of this documentary compiled :) it has also been uploaded in 4 parts to Vimeo under the username Alex de Ravin.

[@lorikate5660]

@@eg-2585 Thank you!

[@betterthantheworst]

Thank you for sharing this!

[@judithschmeider1470]

Got to see her swan lake also nreyev an d Fontenot. The final scenes burned in my brain. Both amazing

[@IsabelGarcia-uf1wb]

Ááaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[@manlioerta7221]

Estasiato! Bella , leggera come una farfalla, con passi bellissimi. Brava!Brava! BRAVA!!!!!!

[@veracruz7954]

Great video ! I’m a huge fan of Mme.Makarova, and specially thankful for the fact that it was she who “gave the world “ Angel Corella, my very favorite dancer ever !!!... 🥰🥰💕💕

[@tarantellalarouge7632]

In the US, they were doing Pilates (with apparels) already in 1987 !

[@janglass8219]

Yup.

[@Wee162]

Joseph Pilates was already working with dancers on his apparatuses in NYC in the 50s and 60s and earlier. And was training others to teach as well. He invented his method in WW1, perfected it and improved the lives of many through out the early and mid 20th century.

[@ОльгаРезниченко-й9щ]

Russian ballet teachers were taught and prepared in Russia. Then they left their motherland and live and work in the USA. They contribute to the world ballet art.

[@raymundoyanez3282]

ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS ! PRIMA BALLERINA ABSOLUTA !?!!

[@Dane_Youssef]

See? This thing isn't just shameless self-promotion for Natalia Makarova herself. This is about a plethora of ballerinas and their plum roles that defined them. Huh. I had no idea they turned this many different productions into ballets--things like OTHELLO and A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE. Natalia defected to England after the American Ballet Theatre chose Baryshnikov to be their Artistic Director instead of her. I like to believe she did a lot for England. She hosted a lot of different travelogue films (England is famous for those). And she always thought she was unqualified because of her "horrible accent", as she calls it. But if anyone is qualified to talk about ballet at it's finest, it's her. Because that's exactly what she is.

[@voraciousreader3341]

Well, Makarova didn’t “defect” to England....she had already defected from the Soviet Union. She simply left the US.

[@misshiss4040]

No amount of self promotion of markarova would EVER BE SHAMELESS!!!!! SHE FULLY DESERVES IT.... SHES INSANELY GOOD AND I WISH SHE WOULD BE IN EVERY DANCE VIDEO EVERRRRRR.... UR A COMISERATING IDIOT LOL... JK, BUT U GET MY POINT I HOPE

[@Parker-930]

Natalia continued to dance and work at American Ballet Theatre and Royal Opera Ballet simultaneously. She was a permanent guest artist at ABT, As well as a guest artist at The Royal Opera Ballet. She worked at ABT during Mikal Baryshnikov’s tenure as Artistic Director. Natalia Makarova was featured in many high profile projects as a principal dancer in productions for Live from Lincoln Center throughout the 80s. I’m not sure where you got your information, but it is incorrect.

[@allurach1746]

Thank you

[@marinawilliams7477]

For me Guillem is the best ballerina.she was and theres still no others

[@mariaellis2882]

Scetlana Zarkova (sp)

[@analynpalla4068]

I have always admired Svetlana Zakharova, Tamara Rojo and Julie Kent

[@mariaellis2882]

@@analynpalla4068 Julie Kent is gorgeous!

[@Trenchant468]

I stopped in my tracks, reversed the video, and froze it on her name. She’s a standout.

[@pierreleroy6826]

Osipova Can bé gorgeous too,but i agréé with you guillem is thé best

[@domperemendon]

Graaaaacias. Hermoso Natalia

[@melissasarahibarrerapena570]

This is very interesting, I am a ballet student.

[@ОльгаРезниченко-й9щ]

Очень сильный русский акцент у Натальи Макароаой. Обычно через несколько лет жизни в Америке акцент становится мало заметным.

[@violettrojo]

Je me souviens, cela devait être en 1978/79, j'étais en stage d'été au Centre R. H. J'avais 14 ans. J'ai remarqué un peu plus de place à la barre à un endroit de la salle et j'y suis allée. Là je me suis aperçue que je venais de me placer juste à côté de Natalia Makarova. Je lui ai demandé si je pouvais rester à cette place, elle m'a répondu par l'affirmative. Elle était enceinte. 43 ans plus tard, je me souviens de sa silhouette, de sa discrétion, de sa beauté et de tout ce que j'aurais voulu lui dire qu'elle avait déjà entendu.

[@edwardneill2852]

not darcey bussel being in the royal ballet class, so cool to see her as a student

[@iwonaskowronska7303]

Pure joy and beauty

[@orangeblueandlavenda]

i love the ballet

[@stevebutler812]

I'm not a ballet dancer at all. But, I'm an athlete. And, I took one Semester of Ballet just to get close to those lovely women. I LOVE their range of motion and ... turn out...💌 And, I learned Ballet was really, really hard. Compared to: Construction, Soccer, weightlifting, hangliding, parachuting, mountain climbing, mountain biking, whatever. So, I developed a particular appreciation for dancers, but ballet in particular. Oh, the way they flag their foot during certain motions... mmmm. We have in common that there isn't a "massage therapist" who can possibly massage too hard. Impossible. I hurt for three days after a massage. Can't wait to get back.

[@natividadramosvasconcelos8565]

I definitely agree;nevertheless there are great upcoming talents in today's Ballet World;that can't be overlooked.Happy Holidays and New Year 2023.to all readers of this Segment🕊🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲

[@abe_48]

Ballet dancing is perhaps the only form of art requiring extreme talent, practice, physiques, elegance and beauty. Gymnastics may come as prerequisite for ballet dancing, IMO. But let's make it official that Russia owns ballet music as the most beautiful and virtuosic performances are all by Russian composers, dancers and choreographers.

[@walkercatenaccio]

The Russians have been wonderful, needless to say. But much of ballet was developed in France, as the terminology of the art form makes clear.

[@abe_48]

@@walkercatenaccio Thanks for reading my comment. I did not say Russians invented ballet. French ballet is good but Russian ballet music, dancers and performances are SPECTACULAR. If it's any consolation, Tchaikovsky had affinity for French composers especially Bizet and Saint-Saens and respected Berlioz's music.

[@voraciousreader3341]

@@abe_48 First of all, you must remember that you are not the arbiter of taste for the world. _What you say is only your opinion,_ nothing more. Artistic taste is wholly subjective, bc it cannot be codified scientifically, and other people’s individual taste is just as valid as your own. _What we like is what we like....we don’t get to make decisions for everybody, or impose our taste on anyone._ Also, please remember that every part of Russian ballet-even the choreography-is FRENCH. When Diaghilev left Russia, he went straight to Paris, and he stayed in Paris and other places in France as the ground for his Ballet Russe. He utilized French composers, artists, and musicians to create his ballets, and his dancers were not only Russian. And, before that, Marius Petipa-a Frenchman-went to live in St. Petersburg and created more than 50 ballets, including most of the classics we love today, including The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, The Pharaoh’s Daughter, and revived Swan Lake, Le Corsair, Giselle, and many more which form the basis of the Russian repertoire and style. The Russians added their own style of discipline and eventually choreography, but it was a Frenchman who formed and re-formed the standard ballet repertoire for Russian dancers, and dancers around the world. Unfortunately, people don’t seek out the Danish ballet, which is also very old, and reflects the Danish spin on ballet which is incredibly beautiful. And the French dancers are nothing short of exquisite, with Sylvia Guillem being one of the best representatives of what the French offer in terms of ballet, along with many men and women whose artistry equals, and in some ways surpasses, Russian dancers. _IN MY OPINION!!_

[@abe_48]

@@voraciousreader3341 We have to accept the reality with rationalism and not "nationalism". Without the Russian ballet music, ballet dancing would not have survived the passage of time. All ballet companies around the world survive on account of the performances of, first and foremost, Tchaikovsky ballets, and then the ballet music of Prokofiev, Glazunov, Gliere, Stravinsky and others. For Russian composers, it is not only the beauty of their Slavic compositions but the quality that excel (note that the only memorable segment of Delibes' Coppelia is the Polish Mazurka dance). Russian composers integrated symphonic quality in large orchestra for ballet whereas the French ballet music seems to be better fit for smaller dance-hall or circus bands; definitely not in the same league in quality of composition.

[@dadabooboowaha2562]

ballet and figure skating both require extreme talent, beauty, elegance and grace

[@me67226]

Sylvie Guillium is the most beautiful ballerina ever

[@ImogenC-rt3fm]

@ImogenC-rt3fm 0 seconds ago Guillem is rightly admired for her unprecedented (then) mix of flexibility AND strength. I often think her artistry is missed because one’s trying to pry one’s jaw off the floor…! BUT, Makharova reminds us dance IS STORYTELLING. Sometimes I think ballet‘s post-modern athleticism obscures the stories of our seminal ballets. The extension of the leg obscures the extraordinary extension of intention needed to truthfully tell the story. To learn shared storytelling is to learn truthful, honest partnership.

[@shvartze]

I believe I have the rest of this and will try to post.

[@u.v.s.5583]

Please do it. Please please :-)

[@shvartze]

@@u.v.s.5583 I will do soon. My DVCAM recorder broke so I have to replace it first.

[@bgytube1]

Please please Natalia was amazing ... got a little less attention than deserved as Baryshnikov defected around the same time, She issuberb

[@eg-2585]

@@bgytube1 There’s a playlist on my KZbin profile with the other parts of this documentary compiled :) it has also been uploaded in 4 parts to Vimeo under the username Alex de Ravin.

[@redpillhope]

Ballet is something that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that humans are singularly amazing creatures. Evidence that God may indeed exist.

[@seethevolcane-qj8ys]

Elegant, beautiful....best femme Royal Ballet dancer of that era....

[@85vasilisa]

Какие стопы, Боже! Совершенство!👍

[@fabiesque]

Sylvie Guillem is still in 2024 unsurpassed in "Grand pas classique". That variation belongs to her. Fullstop.

[@ОльгаРезниченко-й9щ]

Наталья Макарова кажется читала текст. Зрачки не двигались.

[@judithschmeider1470]

Actually saw her take a slip. She bowed to the ground and touched her heart in apology. No need

[@AlejandroGarcia-ek3uy]

I would love to see the next episode...

[@eg-2585]

There’s a playlist on my KZbin profile with the other parts of this documentary compiled :) it has also been uploaded in 4 parts to Vimeo under the username Alex de Ravin.

[@rocioalvarado875]

Les agradecería que pongan subtitulos para disfrutar mejor el documental.

[@せのおなおこ-u7s]

i thought this cleanliness is of russian dancers. yet, i can't deny the charm of more reluxed french style.😊

[@nathaliek798]

I really want to see MANON ballet. It’s been said it’s fabulous. I was in St. Petersburg Ballet Marijinsky saw Giselle, … and when the seats were all occupied and viewers almost seated, everyone suddenly stood up and applauded to legendary Ulanova, who entered the Grande Lodge Box to see Giselle. It was majestic moment. I saw A fairy tale ballet Malachite Maid ballet at Bolshoi, I saw Nutcracker many times at Sheraton Center in Toronto, and Swan Lake at Dutch opera house in Amsterdam. All of them simply fabulous and regal.

[@VitlayPR]

perfect 😊

[@theresa42213]

Darcey. Always just SO beautiful. No wonder everyone noticed her.

[@vickismith8608]

The CC AI keeps calling Marius Petipa "Mario Pizza Pan" which rather disrupts the mood. Hee.

[@UsernamesForDummies]

Look! A very young Darcy Bussell!

[@michelinearthebise2783]

SYLVIE GUILLEM IS THE BALLERIN A!!

[@katalinx4617]

Yes, Makarova's Raymonda was terrible. Sylvie Guillem is the best.

[@hopescrewing543]

И техника абсолютная и Дар Обаяния Божественный.

[@Laurelberninteriors]

@16:25 - That looks an awful lot like a young Ulyana Lopatkina who would've been about 13-14 when this documentary was made.

[@user-kt2gh4rc1q]

notice how her right leg is much stronger than her left? more than likely bc ballerinas tend to turn to the right!

[@Wee162]

I would love to know how she keeps those head scarves on while doing the Pilates/ weights much less rehearsals!

[@김기생-g3o]

Thanks

[@catkendall5680]

I'm sure that was a young Darcey Bissell in the English clip😊

[@ОксанаВикторовна-л2в]

It was injoi to look you, sanc you so mach, lave you Natasha❤

[@ИринаАфанасьева-р7в]

Адский труд!👏🌺❤️

[@jdewitte100]

As to circle-Danse :The Nutcracker\Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Nina Kaptsova - Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy _ 2010 (Christmas) : Excellent!

[@jdewitte100]

"circle-Danse" like magic ring or magic circle, e.g. of witches, or here as of fairies too.

[@ОльгаРезниченко-й9щ]

Сильвия первая подняла высоко ногу как в художественной гимнастике по словам Дианы Вишневой? В этом одна из ее заслуг, ее величие?

[@misshiss4040]

Omg shes better than most dancers today..... omg.... technicaly and artisticaly shes superior.... she looks super modern....better than the mess that is Zarkarhova!!!!!!