Marguerite Porter, Mark Silver Rehearse 'Daphnis and Chloe' with Michael Somes

This is film of Marguerite Porter and Mark Silver rehearsing 'Daphnis and Chloe' with Michael Somes, the original Daphnis when Sir Frederick Ashton created the ballet in 1951.
At the beginning footage, Marguerite Porter talks to camera about how she deals with injury. This chat gives some sense of the ballerina as a person, which is nice.
I was at a gala at Covent Garden for the retirement of Sir Fred and unexpectedly Dame Margot Fonteyn and Michael Somes danced a little bit of this ballet - it brought the house down and drew tears from everyone present, including your truly!
Enjoy!

[@daffo595]

I guess its the fashion of the time but its so interesting to see them in leg warmers with leotards and the men in small t-shirts tucked into their pants. It looks much more casual than how I see pros dress in the studio today. And Daphnis et Chloe seems like a beautiful ballet, the dancers here look so good doing it, even though its only a couple of minutes. I have only heard Daybreak but its a beautiful piece of music. I often wish RB would bring back more Ashton and MacMillan, which is what their company is known for and they like to brag about. They do at least one every couple of seasons but there's so many hidden gems that I want them to revive instead of doing La Fille everytime someone thinks there should be another Ashton.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

yes, pros today seem to be in designer stuff and lycra. speaking of Daphnis et Chloe i've uploaded some rehearsal footage of Margot Fonteyn performing a solo from the ballet - the original Chloe she seems to dance it as though it were something antural and inevitable to the music. yes, there are a lot of Ashton and MacMillan works that need reviving. yes, 'Fille' can become the company's 'Swan Lake'!

[@Miriana727]

Marguerite Porter, I absolutely loved your BALLET exercise video. IF ONLY I COULD GET IT NOW IN DVD. ANY SUGGESTIONS? THANK YOU, AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

a copy is available on Amazon www.amazon.com/Balletcise-Beginners-VHS-Marguerite-Porter/dp/B000006HYY for only $7 :)

[@simaraft7373]

First time I've seen a bow tie in studio! Love it.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

+Sima Raft i wonder if it was just for the camera? in fact Somes does not strike me as a bow tie kinda guy.

[@pediatrapaola]

l saw once live mark silver live doing swan lake but was not among my favourites in RB in that period .did you see him alex?

[@JohnRaymondHall]

+pediatrapaola yes, i did see him a number of times - adequate enough but with he did not shine bright for me among other greater stars.

[@David-pt8ge]

@@JohnRaymondHall I always thought Silver never quite realised his full potential. I thought he was always a sympathetic partner, who on a good day could give a very good noble dancer. But sometimes, there would be little errors that would detract from the overall performance. There were other dancers, like Dowell, Jefferies and Eagling that were just better and although he was a principal, in the end, he seemed to wane a bit.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

@@David-pt8ge yes, i agree - he never got to the level one imagined he would. yes, hard to know how much to count small errors, isn't it