Gelsey Kirkland - Giselle

[@webbsjwebb]

What you all are witnessing here is the greatest American Ballerina of the 20th Century. Film and video do not do justice to her extreme genius. To have seen her live, to hear the gasps and shouts of the audience will be a memory I will hold close to my heart.

[@notnek202]

No not Greatest American but the greatest ballerina ever.

[@jondavwal13]

@@notnek202 I agree.

[@gattiniregola]

Gelsey Kirkland in performance was extra-extraordinary. In the late 70s the Corps of ABT went on strike, and Kirkland participated in a fundraiser for their strike fund. They did a class on-stage, and Kirkland in class was one of the most beautiful things I have even seen. Every motion take to the artistic limit, and all rounded; she seemed to go through the endpoint of each movement and then round back. The combination of artistry, musicality, athleticism and a terrifying work ethic aimed at perfection... supernaturally beautiful. She was also the only dancer who could, though her virtuousity, divert your eye from Baryshnikov when they were onstage together.

[@patriciafoster3347]

YES! Thanks for finding the words. I couldn’t!

[@Ленд-лиз]

Барышников - одиночка!, В паре он терялся!, Похож на « Цирк лилипутов».

[@MishaGelsey]

Ugh! That control! That lyricism! That emotion! She is so vulnerable, and yet she's just so frigging technically pure... Her arabesque is a moving pose. She's nature's Giselle. Nobody else's Giselle can compare. Gelsey Kirkland is what classical ballet is supposed to look like. It's like watching poetry en pointe. Please post more! Give us more Gelsey!

[@joliannebaum7206]

She is sublime. Love her penches' and hops at the end. She makes them coherent and delicate. She makes them meaningful. Love her

[@kdub10009]

How I wish we had a complete video of Gelsey's Giselle, as generations of dancers could learn from this magnificent portrayal. Incredible technique but character first was always Gelsey's way. I agree with Misha, she was the best ballerina of her time and certainly the greatest ever produced in North America.

[@patrig47]

Right , this is ballet at it purest expression . Not athletics like some do now . Gorgeous , divine , Kelsey !!!

[@room2growrose623]

So patient and moving through the music. Still just one of the most iconic talented artists in Ballet of all time!!❤

[@havenization]

A Giselle that is so believably bashful and extremely vulnerable . Gelsey was an actress extraordinaire . Underneath the veneer A tour de force to be reckoned with .

[@DocDLH]

Wow. At her best, there has never been as lyrical a dancer as Gelsey. The BEST Giselle ever.

[@Hans6789-j9t]

I must have watched this 100 times ❤ it is truly as though her body is singing ..no one studies the detail to dance like this anymore 😢love love her , her talent , and her dedication to moving an audience ❤❤❤❤😊

[@jamiecarter1984]

she is the best at the variation. i've seen so many dancers do it and its just not the same. ever her in between steps are beautiful, so much care and attention to every detail. its an inspiration. I love it! thank you so much for posting this. when i have a bad day and feel like the worst dancers ever, i watch this and it inspired me to try again.

[@miranditasdad]

If you appreciate her feet on this video, her feet in Giselle Act II are breathtaking - not from this plane - dead yet alive. Still, there is no one like her. To watch her in person was beyond words. She mesmerized the audience because of her musicality, sense of beauty and line, her acting, and her meaningful and amazing technique. Every movement was there for a reason, it expressed something, and it was something of beauty. Please keep posting!

[@MrQbenDanny]

VIVA GELSEY!!!! You can't teach magic. Kirkland was magical. Her 2nd act was in the dimensions of the Gods. Thank you Gelsey. You made ballet better.

[@pediatrapaola]

lovely l had the previlege to see her live twice ,and still a great emotion remembering that

[@tiamia7139]

I could not agree with you MORE. She WAS magic! :-)

[@eliforgangil1400]

pediatrapaola so lucky!

[@anyssalucas3782]

I am Anyssa 's grandfather...ever since a saw The Nutcracker in PBS in 1977 with Gesley Kirkland I never miss a year of admiring her magical dancing and never miss a Christmas watching her dance with Brayshnikov..I first had her in VCR tape & now I enjoy her in DVD....God Bless her and keep her safe in Australia...!!

[@miranditasdad]

I had the privilege of seeing her perform many times: Giselle, The Leaves are Fading, Other Dances and even La Sonambula are the ones that I remember most clearly. Impeccable technique and line, great musicality, and a powerful dramatic ability. Her Giselle was breathtaking and magical - like no one else's... her mad scene and second act were beyond words... Truly a unique, gifted and radiant dancer, and a joy to see on stage. I am certain she is a phenomenal teacher as well.

[@4everballetdancer]

I love how she really becomes the role... You really believe she is Giselle! I agree that she is the best Giselle ever. She is so expressive and so light on her feet. That and her smooth smooth roll downs through demi-pointe are her trademarks to me. Bravo! We definitely need more Gelsey footage!

[@chloehall4270]

Kirkland is by far the better actor and, for my money, the better dancer when she was with the NYCB. Gelsey Kirkland and Mikhail Baryshnikov were the most wonderful dancers in classical vintage ballets; far superior to Farrell and Martins. Just my opinion.

[@thefurriest55]

Seeing Gelsey again proves to me that I haven't sentimentalized the past: she was just as wonderful as I remembered.

[@tiamia7139]

I remember my Russian ballet teacher telling me long (long!) ago with a very knowing smile, pointing her finger up toward the heavens, "Ve must alvays STRIVE for perfection, knowing all the vhile that ve will never achieve it...NYET!" Well, in my humble opinion, Ms. Vasiliev, Gelsey Kirkland was artistic and technical perfection personified. She possessed the most fluid, supple arms and hands and maintained that softness no matter how intricate or difficult the footwork she was executing - EXQUISITE port de bras! She had gorgeous, fully extended lines. Her footwork was BREATHTAKING. She had the cleanest, most lightning quick petite allegro I've seen in my 60+ years. Gelsey Kirkland was a "dancer's dancer" - she had it ALL and she BROUGHT IT! She danced with PASSION (is there any other way to dance?), as if possessed, propelled by the sheer beauty of the music. Gelsey Kirkland LIVED to dance, you could see it in her eyes. A lot of dancers have technical brilliance but they don't have Gelsey's passion or star quality, that "IT" factor in performance. Gelsey had "IT" in spades. You always knew, without question, she was going to bring it, but she was so technically brilliant, so exciting to watch, she blew your mind. No wonder Baryshnikov wanted her as his partner - theirs was a match made in heaven, never to be repeated. Like Baryshnikov, Kirkland was explosive, a heat seeking missile, when she danced, and made audiences gasp at her speed and technical fireworks. When she ran full board across that stage and FLEW into Baryshnikov's outstretched arms in a heart-stopping fish dive, she did so with total abandon and complete fearlessness! That duo - Baryshnikov and Kirkland - was AMAZING, belonging to that rarified realm of dancers that comes along, maybe, once a century. Gelsey was also an extremely expressive dancer and excellent actress. I recall her angelic, childlike look of wonderment as Clara in The Nutcracker, the way she could so believably transform herself into any character no matter what ballet she was performing - Gelsey was the "Meryl Streep" of prima ballerinas, Hers and Baryshnikov's performance of the Nutcracker is the gold standard, nothing surpasses it (I still have the video). Gelsey WAS Clara and Baryshnikov WAS the most handsome prince of them all - those two were heaven together! A dancer with Gelsey's technical and artistic brilliance is a very rare phenomenon - she was the whole package. For all these reasons, Gelsey Kirkland will forever be my favorite prima ballerina. As the saying goes, "they broke the mold." Gelsey, THANK YOU. You were an inspiration - and definitely PERFECTION.

[@2degucitas]

That was poetic. Thank you.

[@tiamia7139]

It is from the heart...and you're very welcome.

[@violetwilliamson1300]

Yes a thousand times yes!!!!!!!

[@violetwilliamson1300]

..that is yes to the long and complimentary comment regarding Gelsey Kirkland's technical and artistic brilliance!!! No one can ever surpass her!

[@mgolden556]

Amen!

[@2snowgirl520]

I wish there was more video of her dancing. One of the greatest!

[@bttrade6286]

She's the BEST Giselle that's ever graced the stage so far. NOBODY, I mean NOBODY dances that routine better than her.

[@jessworang]

Carla Fracci, Ferri, Ananiashvili, vishneva. There are plenty superior Giselles.

[@jilliantheguitarist1727]

Just watching this makes me wanna cry tears of joy

[@eleonoraclark2280]

My favorite ballerina of all time! There are no words....PERFECTION!!

[@osiasb]

ahhhhhhhhh...no one dances like her anymore!!! Dancers nowadays are all technique but no SOUL!!! please post more of Gelsey Kirkland's dancing especially theme and varitations!!!

[@patriciafoster3347]

Every single solitary move is mesmerizing. And she planned it that way in everything she did.

[@BoringGreenDinosaur]

She is just the quintessential giselle, graceful, delicate, bubbly, feminine, she could just make me cry.

[@ddchil41]

Gelsey was such a perfectionist. She almost drove herself crazy with her attention to the smallest details...but the result was incredible! I loved working with her in the studio, when I was piano soloist at NYCB...before she went to ABT...

[@feliciacoffey6832]

What a lovely anecdote!

[@violetwilliamson1300]

I agree with the comment you can't teach magic....and she was magical when she danced! In my opinion one of the most beautiful prima ballerina's of all time! BRAVISSIMO GELSEY!

[@spring-089]

I'm fascinated by her elaborate arm-work. So fluent, expressive...she is one-of-a-kind💝

[@lauriemiller6305]

Gelsey left her mark on so many pieces! Truly great!

[@debbiemyers3063]

she was the greatest ballerina in the world

[@jubedance15]

I am in such awe of Gelsey Kirkland. She overcame her hardships and is a stunning ballerina from whom we can all learn.

[@sallyjdawg]

incredible! I saw her do Giselle once with ABT in the 70's and the performance is still etched in my memory.

[@eatsleepdance7]

wow. she is so incredible. just when i watch her i get this feeling...and she has this grace and poise, that no one i have ever seen has. she is gorgeous!!!and thanks for posting!

[@Menstrala]

Thank you very much for sharing this priceless, historical footage of Gelsey Kirkland dancing Giselle. This is a great gift to all in the ballet world. Sincerely, Vanessa Tiegs

[@miranditasdad]

What a pleasure to watch her doing Giselle! I saw her in person many times, and she truly was Giselle - There is no one like her. What a shame more is not posted on KZbin- I always check. When she walked on stage from the very beginning of Giselle it was electrifying. Her death seen was magnificient; only Carla Fracci can compete. And her 2nd act......I once saw her in West Palm Beach and there were truly no words to discribe her 2nd Act of Giselle that night. Please post more!

[@taureanblue]

I cannot imagine anyone dancing this solo better. So beautiful!

[@staslurik]

you must be joking

[@rowbom]

To me this is hard to improve on

[@rmp7400]

I treasure the Gisele of Carla Gracci with Erik Bruhn ( online) .. not because Carla's interpretation is competitive with what what Ms Kirkland presented here, but because Gracci's partnership with Bruhn, (after his many years of dancing), gave him an opportunity to experience a partnership affording him a remarkable comfortable & gentle joy, which comes through in his performance!

[@TheBallerinaDoll87]

Very nice! She dances very gracefully and I love how her movements are so flawless and precise that she appears to be floating! Bravo!

[@mithrilmoon1]

Gelsey makes this fiendishly difficult solo look easy! What a great talent; what a phenomenally gifted ballerina.

[@ggarmy4320]

I saw her in Giselle in Chicago with Mikhail Baryshnikov.... it was breathtaking.! after the last note there was just silence in the theater.... a very stillness. I just wanted to say "do it again".!!

[@vnessie1]

Kirkland was simply amazing. Luckily, I had the opportunity to see her dance several times when I was a student living in New York City. Needless to say it was an incredible experience every time.

[@kdub10009]

It's so amazing, I have to watch it once a day.

[@sambossify]

It’s rare to see ballerinas today who create such steely softness as Kirkland. The way she rolls through her foot from arabesque is a work of art in itself.

[@manfredfinch]

I did a doubletake when I saw this--- thank you for posting it. Till now, I could only read about this performance. It's unbelievable.

[@24alexunder]

she is really great.i have never seen a ballerina dancing like this.i was watching zakharova at the same time and kirkland is something else.i wish i could see a ballerina dancing like this live

[@asiaoharasbutterflies9425]

OH MY GOD what a queen

[@LarryPayneDance]

The legendary Gelsey Kirkland! Her lightness. Her elastic quality. Those incredible extensions!! Nobody wore pointe shoes like she did either. She was the best!!! FYI: Gelsey was born on Dec. 29, 1952.

[@jjjunglejim]

Watch how quickly she spots as she does the chanais turns at the end. It doesn't look like her head is moving at all. I have never, ever seen anyone spot like that.

[@spershall]

That the human body is capable of this brings tears to my eyes.

[@debra607]

Gelsey Kirkland says more with her feet than most dancers say with their whole bodies.

[@smeton78]

This is absolut perfection in technique and expression! Wonderful!

[@notnek202]

The greatest of all time.

[@dogcat126]

gelsey has always been my favorite ballerina! she is one of a kind!!!! thanks soso much for posting this!!!

[@SqrtleVertis]

i would love to have a recording of every single one of her performances, and to see her act 2 Giselle, oh how i wish

[@KendraEMoyer]

She's the best Giselle hands down.

[@luceafarul579]

I’m usually not very impressed with oldies but this is one standing out example, alongside with Cynthia Gregory’s Aurora, that shows timeless great dancing and what ballet is all about-dancing as if having an unsophisticated immature body floating on a cloud.

[@2Chua]

Lucky and so grateful to have seen Gelsey Kirkland in Giselle, Coppelia and The River (Vortex) and of course, The Nutcracker (film). Absolutely breathtakingly beautiful!

[@orlihimmelweit2105]

She is remarkable. Her run! Love this video!

[@pediatrapaola]

l was so lucky having seen she with misha in venice in don q pdd in 1975 and bayaderka in 1977 were stunning.

[@cromulentwords]

Damn. I wish I could have seen her dance that whole ballet in person, but sadly I was not born yet.

[@Cherilynn100]

The most beautiful ballerina of all time.

[@mamallama29]

I can't stop watching this...amazing and so, so beautiful!

[@carissification]

I am a student at GKA and it was so lovely to read such a nice comment about my school and the hard work my teachers put into it! Thank you for your kind words!!

[@ktiffy9213]

She transcends technique and makes the music visible!

[@AriRHen]

Beautiful! You really feel the character in her Giselle. So sad I can't see the rest. Thank you for uploading.

[@kdub10009]

This makes me cry. She was THE BEST. Ever.

[@dawn220]

My favorite ballerina EVER! A great, great dancer...

[@veramentegina]

what loveliness! nobody like Gelsey.. Thanks for posting this video.

[@jeanemail7]

AGAIN THANK YOU. I cannot stop watching this video. Amazing dancer and artist.

[@stellaizzy1886]

i just read her autobiography " dancing on my grave" it made me cry and gave me chills. i cant watch her dance without thinking of her pain.

[@atis9061]

the softest plie in ballet. she's exquisite

[@AmusedChild]

Thank you for posting this breathtaking video. Ms. Kirkland is an inspiration for me for being an exquisite dancer and a lovely human being.

[@lmarti204]

Gelsey was a perfectionist- back then a few ballerinas would hammer the hardness out of brand new toe shoes then apply a type of polyurethane to harden them again .This would result in a soft shoe but strong at the same time!This also meant that you had to have extaordinary strong feet! Today I always notice when a ballerina relys on her shoes instead of her feet -they look like strapped on chevy novas! Gelsey was jaw dropping- she would develope ' in any postion then rise to fullpoint -no hop!

[@DCFunBud]

I had forgotten how perfect she was. Thank you for loading this.

[@BrendaLi1]

Simply AHHHmazing. This is THE performance gave me inspiration to dance with ABT (and I got to work with Gelsey as she taught class). RIP pianist Gladys

[@dogcat126]

beauatiful! she is one of my favorite ballerinas of all time!! thanx for poating!

[@TheLouisnavarrete]

STILL light years ahead of everybody else.

[@lar2090]

The BEST.... It is so honest and true. It was as if she wasn't even dancing... I'm so moved:-) the BEST.

[@NYC-jt5qk]

The original of this footage is without music and if I remember correctly, the pianist Gladys Celeste from her years as a rehearsal pianist at ABT, played along the silent footage at a Works and Process performing arts series at the Guggenheim. . . that took such talent.

[@jeanneadele]

one way to say it... she embodies the perfect combination of Ability & Willingness. Thanks so much for posting, Glebby2!

[@tinydancer9898]

Thank you so much for posting this, she's my favorite ballerina.

[@AllThatKazz]

My favourite female dancer. Amazing!

[@havenization]

Gelsey had her demons , its not too far fetched, most all genius's do . This is the gold standard posted here . Her FIERCE technique is hidden in that phrasing and musicality . You can compare this peice to others posted on youtube and they just dont have that "Je ne sais qua "

[@debbiemyers3063]

she was a a drug addict as well lesbian

[@SharonVeeLee]

@@debbiemyers3063 and?

[@mamie4]

Absolutely stunning. Thank you for posting this!

[@TheLouisnavarrete]

almost like a heartbeat in 3 counts with the fourth being silent....as always super soft landings and the grand jete diagonal was like a scissor slicing the air. never has there been such an exiting diagonal...It's seared into my memory....I saw almost every performance, but the one that stands out most was a certain one where she was scheduled to dance with someone and Baryashnikov partnered her. tons of curtain calls.

[@mirschultz9761]

Wow....how stunning she was.

[@TheLouisnavarrete]

2nd act of Giselle was a miracle, but before that there's the mad scene...while others aped Ulanova running around, Gelsey's was an internal struggle, as artless as her dancing. All natural, no pretense, every move was essential and as there were few, they were tremendously effective.She would do a jete from her mother to the floor that was unlike anything anyone did or has done. The second act was fast, as could be expected, but the phrasing was extremely nuanced.

[@LinHiril]

You should have seen her one and only pas de deux with Nureyev at the Met gala in 1976. It was inexpressibly beautiful, like the most perfect aquamarine and blood ruby. Stopped the show. She was breathtaking, almost touched the earth and he was so gentle and shining and carefully protective. Baryshnikov had just dumped her, and Nureyev treated her so respectfully, like the most precious and delicate flower imaginable. It was very touching.

[@pediatrapaola]

what did she dance with nureyev in that occasion?

[@LinHiril]

Le Corsaire pdd as I recall.

[@pediatrapaola]

Lin Hiril in this case l read the review of the event in the book AFTER IMMAGE OF ARLENE CROCE and she told that nureyev despite no longer at his top that night was special .

[@LinHiril]

It was a long time ago and that isn't what is most imprinted on my memory. It was how surpassingly perfect they were together, how perfectly they complimented each other's strengths. It wasn't so much what they danced as how.

[@rielmaee]

this literally took my breath away

[@winniecarlson5371]

I love this

[@1psoas9]

o, my God! Unbelievable lightness and grace.

[@toeknee1965]

so wonderful to see. thanks

[@veramentegina]

me too.. I would so love to see Act II of her Giselle..

[@Pearlaceous]

I am so grateful to have seen this! Just completely awe-inspiring.

[@anevastout5883]

Gelsey always stole the show (sorry Misha) her artistry was once in a lifetime

[@为民王-r3w]

She is absolutely amazing.Great master skills!I don't even see her ankle trembling.The last ballerina of ABT and the last Muse of Mr.B

[@ktdanza]

So. Exquisite. Thank you.

[@miranditasdad]

Mine too. No one compares - there was something special about that girl!

[@AvalonMorley]

BEAUTIFUL! Wish I could've seen her dance Giselle like this, instead of at a bad time for her. Saw her do many other roles magnificently in her prime, tho'. Truly an artist.

[@Elemenohpea440]

Gelsey Kirkland, the greatest American dancer of all time.

[@maibrowne4285]

Gelsey's Gisele was light, delicate, lyrical, exuberant!

[@charmedcripchic]

Ballerina Kirkland and Barishnokov introduced me to my llove of ballet

[@Picardy]

As Gelsey Kirkland's relays in her book "Dancing on My Grave", when she was with the NYC Ballet with Balanchine, he told her to drink wine for the pain her feet suffered (at 15 years old), and told her "eat nothing." Read her book and you'll see the veil come off as she exposes what she was put through. Baryshnikov treated her like a dog as well.