Now & Then - Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux Balanchine 1/3 - male solo 1960s-2010s d'Amboise, Baryshnikov,

[@JanetteHeffernan]

Baryshhikov every time. He really dances it and flies through it.

[@elizzy8754]

It is worth seeing the entire PDD and watching how Patricia McBride (+ Baryshnikov) dances and flies!

[@freddiemercury4evr]

All lovely, but Baryshnikov.. there are just no words!

[@dmmchugh3714]

Love Baryshnikov here ! Stupendous!

[@evealicelucienne]

Baryshnikov. No question.

[@Marcel_Audubon]

if you knew anything about Balanchine, you wouldn't say that

[@garotadagavea]

@@Marcel_Audubon given that Mr. B. himself directed that version, I guess he did not know what he was doing.

[@yunieyquiala2616]

Buscar a Rolando Sarabia

[@lilbatz]

This is wonderful. Thank you so much 💕 ETA Loved the 1962 versions. So interesting. A real treat for the eyes. Misga can get it morning, noon and night. So light So crisp. And he performs! It's not all technique for me. My interest died off about two dancers after Misha.😴 It all looked like generic ballet, and all blurred together.

[@barbaralemere5183]

Thanks for posting this great clip. I enjoyed watching all of the dancers. They all bring their own style to the solo as they should.

[@andrereyes6395]

There are some very knowledgeable viewers here and that is wonderful. The diversity in the comments stems from the fact that viewers AND the performers have different expectations from this often-performed piece. If every single one of the performers were doing this as a guest artist for NYCB or lets even say pre-1983 NYCB when Balanchine was alive - then most of them would be way off the mark despite being brilliant dancers. I'd say that most of them use this ballet as a substitute for tired, overused, pas de deux like Don Quixote etc. and use Balanchine's Petipa format pas de deux to showcase their individual skills as a virtuoso. They don't try to perform it how "Mr B" would have wanted it. This ballet has a very specific look to the virtuosity exemplified beautifully by Baryshnikov, Helgi Tomasson (my former director), Peter Martins and many others. Balanchine supervised the Misha/Patty version that was televised on Dance in America so those of you that think the Baryshnikov version is off, well then I guess you know more about Balanchine than George himself.

[@Marta44339]

Extremely well said, thank you! I adore the Misha/Patty version above all others, live or on youtube, and I always liked Helgi in anything at NYCB. The most recent live performance I saw was Tiler Peck and Joaquin de Luz. They were excellent

[@42abyz]

Thanks for your spot-on commentary.

[@HD-vk4dl]

Барышников-танцор от бога!!!

[@simaraft7373]

I actually like Jacques in this. He has a light and spontaneous touch that fits the music, a kind of Sunday in the park with George quality! Btw I'm always amazed at how Jacques rarely puts his heels down. He always reminds of toddlers who walk on tiptoe!

[@user-vn7sj5ig8w]

I did too! He is amazing to watch!

[@barbaralemere5183]

Me too!

[@exaudi33]

His huge heart and gorgeous charisma came across in everything he did.

[@georgiegirl0621]

@ 7:27 what the heck is up with the tuba player!?! At least he toned it down later.

[@user-vn7sj5ig8w]

Wow! What a difference thru out the years. The technique became easier for the danseur. Did they just cut the Cabrioles derriere, brise vole and sissone brise assemble all together or Baryshnikov was the only that can do them? He set the bar so high for the male dancers. I thought they were all good. My opinion only Baryshnikov was the greatest dancer in the world.

[@giovannasperni1209]

Monica Lebon I agree the absolute maximum let us not forget who his teacher was

[@user-vn7sj5ig8w]

@@giovannasperni1209 Ah yes! 👍

[@alexingresss2420]

The greatest shock comes with the two Russian performances from 2000-2002, particularly the latter. Very un-Balanchine. No sparkle, no vitality. The variation and coda should be like champagne, light and bubbling. Only Baryshnikov does it that way and to a lesser degree d'Amboise.

[@Feliandyx16]

Te falto el de Julio Bocca ¡¡¡ Pero me quedo somo siempre con Baryshnikov ¡¡¡

[@rossi7056]

Only in the earliest of all the videos do I see those off-balance "quirks" that I keep hearing Balanchine was K own for. Pirouettes into piqué battement devant?? Devious and delicious-- and then totally disappeared. Sad.

[@arepo]

Watching the variations one after another is indeed an eye opener. I thought the female variation changed a lot, but that's nothing compared to the male variation. None of the later performances matches the earlier ones in style and easy elegance. Tempo went to the dogs, particularly in the Russian performances of the early 2000's. Lots of affectations and little else. I wonder about the Trust, they're usually so picky about respecting the original choreography, and yet there are so many versions around... Don't understand why the insist wearing that Romeo/peasant shirt. It's not a sentimental piece, Balanchine was not sentimental.

[@MrQbenDanny]

After Misha, I vote Rolando SARABIA, whose version is almost identical to Baryshnikov's. You must see Rolando in it, it's incredible.

[@juliette3597]

it's interesting how the final diagonale seems to have changed after Balanchine's death into an en face enchainment. The diagonale version was more difficult. I also find it very interesting the choices with the sissone assemble series where some developpe on the second and fourth step and some keep them all as simple sissones. The 2012 Bolshoi dancer didn't even incorporate his head at all.

[@uptownsunni3560]

+Navarre Brixen I heard Peter Martins in a lecture demonstration that NYCB gives in honor of Balanchine's birthday. He said that Balanchine would change the choreography, particularly the variations. Peter had his variation, Misha had his, Jacques had something different, etc. Mr B would arrive in rehearsal with the principals and ask, "What can you do?" and want to know any special "tricks" or spectacular steps they had. I don't know how the Trust is dealing with that, but maybe some of the dancers at POB were given a choice, or maybe it depends on the time period that the stager worked with Balanchine. Still, I haven't found that POB dancers from the 70's-2010's were very faithful to Balanchine's intent.

[@user-vn7sj5ig8w]

@UptownSunni. So true! Suzanne Farrell wrote in her autobiography.

[@georgiegirl0621]

**sigh** The choreography has changed so much, can it even be considered "Balanchine" anymore?

[@juliette3597]

I find it incredibly irritating the way the Mariinksy and Paris dancers do whatever they want with the musical phrasing and destroy those counts.

[@staslurik]

Juliette Dupre Balanchine came out of Mariinsky

[@margaretyoung1576]

The Mariinsky that produced Balanchine was a different bird than the Soviet and post-Soviet one.

[@erpollock]

Jacques is at a disadvantage with the terrible camerawork, but he does not have that airborn quality. That much is visible. Also, his legs don't have the power of Misha's, which are more muscular, so he has the strength to leap higher. Much better performance. Misha has ballon, meaning the quality of seeming to hover in the air. Moreover, Misha's music is faster than Jacques'. The 1990s performance is a marvel - grace, power, speed. Which ballet is RB? The Mariinsky dancers from 2000 and 2002 are excellent, with the addition in 2000 of the more difficult ending on one knee.

[@elizzy8754]

RB, I assume to be Royal Ballet.

[@goranandersson]

They are all excellent, but I prefer Sarafanov!

[@avesraggiana]

What the Hell are the French doing?!

[@geefull]

the first clip marked POB 2000's is Manuel Legris and the second Herve Moreau I think.

[@avesraggiana]

This video demonstrates quite starkly that just like in real life, men in ballet feel at liberty to do whatever they want. Men are more headstrong and more willful, while women, in general, are more compliant, more inclined to people-please, and are more willing to submit themselves to the dictates of a choreographer. It's probably why Balanchine much preferred working with women. It's also probably the reason that so much choreography for women's' variations is largely unvarying and more in keeping with the original. So much of women's choreography is sacrosanct, while so little of men's choreography is.

[@avesraggiana]

Navarre Brixen Got it. In my rush to judge, I hadn’t taken that into account. Even for the women, Balanchine was perfectly willing to change choreography for their variations to play to their strengths, to work their better “side” or to accommodate lingering injuries.

[@서형-k3t]

.

[@kevindonohue2912]

David Hallberg.

[@danielle7833]

He has a special place in all our hearts

[@kenjoneslee]

wish they'd lose those fluffy sleeves.....too distracting and feminine looking.....MB was flawless....the first dancer..not so good.....surprising how some of them don't have perfect technique....can be seen in slow mode....like not starting in 5th with both heels down before double tour and you can see they pretty much all started the turn during preparation....bending twisting away from front center

[@Duncan456]

For my money d'Amboise is the best. His line may not be as pretty as the other's, but he brings just the right flavor and elegance for the role. Even Baryshnikov with his incredible technique looks to me like a well mannered farmer compared to d'Amboise.

[@alexingresss2420]

+mk w I disagree with your statement about Baryshnikov looking like a farmer, but ok :) Like them both in the Tchai pdd, d'Amboise as an exponent of Balanchine's early aesthetics, and Baryshnikov as representative for the latest. Balanchine was known for adapting his ballets to suit his dancers.

[@kabardinka1]

+mk w Yes, d'Amboise was from another era (and another school of teaching) with differing expectations from male dancers (no pointed feet, no turnout, bent knees, little flexibility) and yes, messy line. Understood. But sorry, I've never been a fan of his dancing... elegant is was not. Look at someone like Igor Youskevitch (20 years older than d'Amboise), Eglevsky or even Royes Fernandez (much less someone like Erik Bruhn) and they were all way more elegant dancers than d'Amboise was. Baryshnikov was certainly one of the greatest dancers of the second half of the 20th Century with amazingly clean technique, flexibility, line, musicality and how he links steps together. Was he perfect for Balanchine... he would be the first to tell you he wasn't. That said, look at his Theme and Variations with Kirkland and it's miles ahead of anything the NYCB ever produced. My favorite Tchaikovsky PDD is with the incredible Leonid Sarafanov who dances this variation like a dream. It's later than the 2002 one with him shown here when he was only 20 years old (but still flawless).

[@kabardinka1]

+kabardinka1 The one thing I will say is that in the Baryshnikov video, the music is horrific. Too fast, too percussive... it sounds like a small town oompah band, not Tchaikovsky. Were it a little slower Baryshnikov would have more time for phrasing and his flawless performance would have looked a touch more elegant.

[@kabardinka1]

Thank you for your perspective. Yes, he sure preferred non-SAB male dancers (which is a horrible statement to make of his school) and continued to bring in people like Adam Luders. I guess what really bugs me about Villella and D'Amboise is their "I'm just a normal guy who dances" sloppiness and their refusal to do anything with a fully expressed gracefulness. Did someone like John Gilpin have that attitude? Yousekevich and Eglevsky certainly didn't. Maybe that Mr. B. seemed to be okay with it is what I mean about Balanchine male dancers. The irony being that the best male dancer the SAB ever produced, Bujones, didn't want to dance with NYCB. Honestly, I can't blame him.

[@pediatrapaola]

l know that this a very idiot comment but l always faund very irritating the haircut of d'amboise .

[@pediatrapaola]

Navarre Brixen because has that irritating haircut .

[@ivelinapancheva3681]

+pediatrapaola you and your haircut comments... joking aside the hairstyle and face of a dancer are very important for the character they are trying to project

[@pediatrapaola]

Ivelina Pancheva d'amboise haircut is really irritating

[@TheBallet1]

Sarafanov for me, effortless!!! Baryshnikov's variation is much too fast.

[@arepo]

Baryshnikov's variation is part of the series of video tapings Balanchine personally supervised every shot (the one nominated for an Emmy in the 70's). The tempo might feel too fast for you and is probably too fast for Sarafanov who can't handle it, but it is what Balanchine wanted. Leonid Sarafanov is a lovely lyrical dancer and I like him very much in lyrical roles, but not in Balanchine. No attack, no surprise, dynamics all wrong. Balanchine didn't like dancers who were "safe" in their dancing and calculating in their effects.

[@giovannasperni1209]

TheBallet1 fast ah that is why it is so good

[@BalletBabyBoy]

Some Crazy version there I have seen them all

[@BalletBabyBoy]

Really it's do what you want withing a few basic steps