Olga Spessivtzeva - In Conversation With Anton Dolin

Many would argue that Olga Spessivtzeva was the supreme Giselle of the C20.
In this video, she is in conversation with Anton Dolin, her sometime partner, about her life and career in ballet, and in particular about the role for which she is so famed.
John Gilpin is also present and occasionally steps in to interpret what Olga Spessivtzeva is saying -- there is a sense he has perhaps had some special connection and thus understanding of the ballerina. He had also been the long-time companion of Dolin, before he married Princess Antoinette of Monaco in 1983, so perhaps this explains his presence.
What is so instructive and fascinating in this conversation are insights given by the ballerina into the legends of late C19 and early C20 ballet - Nikolai Legat, Olga Preobrajenska, Mathilde Kschessinska, Aggrippina Vaganova, Tamara Karsavina and finally Vaslav Nijinsky, with whom she danced in 'Spectre de la Rose' and 'Les Sylphides' in the United States in 1916.
Particularly moving is the glowing and loving tribute to Tamara Karsavina, as a woman as much as a dancer.
I like the following exchange very much as much as establishing the stature of Serge Lifar as a dancer, and also indirectly reveals the competitiveness between Lifar and the other leading Ballets Russes male dancer of the mid to late 1920s, Anton Dolin himself.
Dolin: You danced a great deal with Lifar didn't you ... 'Giselle' ... in Paris ... at the Opera
Spessivtzeva: [Yes]
Dolin: Did you like dancing with him?
Spessivtzeva: Yes, he is not bad
Dolin: Not bad?
Spessivtzeva: No
Dolin: But not good either
Spessivtzeva: Yes
I've of course included some of the amateur footage of the 1932 Savoy Theatre 'Giselle'. The film is of Act One and includes mime and dance from Spessivtzeva and Dolin together as well as solos from the ballerina.
The quality of the picture and the audio here is not the best but I hope you will be engrossed by this unique and historic record nevertheless.
Enjoy!

[@lesleystansfield9366]

What a wonderful wee film. To see Spessivsteva talking with Dolin and a young John Gilpin, both of whom gave her much care in her sad, later years...was wonderful. To see her dancing in Giselle was stunning...Never knew such footage existed. She was indeed a truly beautiful dancer.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

yes, even with the quality of the film you get a sense of Olga's greatness - the lack of music my not be such a big issue as one would think - Antony Tudor said she danced to some inner music, unrelated mostly to what the orchestra was playing.

[@georginawheatley9864]

There has been so much written about this legendary dancer. Growing up I had a poster of her in her iconic Giselle role. For me, she represented Ballerina perfection. I have to say I felt quite sad watching this film. The image I have of her is ethereal and other-worldly - the epitomy of Romantic ballerina. But here she is so fragile and all too human. I was especially moved by the little pas de deux with Dolin in the garden. She really sparkles. Their joy and pleasure is palpable. Thank you for sharing this touching tribute.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

the legend of legends. yes, my ideal of perfection. her fragility, and being driven, may have been the well-spring of the greatness of her performances. did you see my upload of footage that seems pretty certain to be the second example of her dancing on film? 'Olga Spessivtzeva Dancing to Chopin's Waltz No. 3'?

[@GrandOldMovies]

My god, what a dancer! And artist! She has such freedom in her technique, in the way she uses her upper body and in the energy and attack in how she moves her legs - you're not conscious of the technical aspects, only her motion and rhythm in dance.. I don't think there's anyone who compares with her.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

i agree with every word of your comment - and extending, technique is invisible - you only sense expression

[@ВалентинаБойко-ж1п]

!!!!!!!!+++ БОЛЬШОЕ СПАСИБО ЗА ПРЕКРАСНОЕ ВИДЕО!!!!!!!

[@MsTortille]

Удивительное сочетание невесомой одухотворенности и захватывающей жизненной силы!

[@JohnRaymondHall]

да, это так!

[@sweetaliena]

I'm glad you're bringing back the goodies!

[@bloodandwinearered]

Anton Dolin and John Gilpen showed us this video in our studios on a Saturday afternoon. It was wonderful to have them there and on screen all at the same time. He staged Giselle for us twice. I danced the first act Peasant pas de 2. Dolin did the Duke in performances!

[@Ромашка-б3ф]

Уникальные кадры, я просто в восторге. Для того времени она очень хорошо танцевала, в сравнении с Павловой

[@JohnRaymondHall]

я согласен - вы видели недавно идентифицированные кадры - Olga Spessivtzeva Dancing to Chopin's Waltz No 3 vimeo.com/244389236

[@alanaronald244]

How wonderful! So lucky to have this film fragment. How ballet has changed! It has become more athletic, and, I think, more popular. But these two speaking at their ages are remarkable. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

hi Alana yes, it's so interesting Olga Spessivtzeva talk about such now legendary performances. i totally agree - ballet is a different world now - the technique is so much more developed and extensions are now extraordinary.

[@alanaronald244]

John Hall I wonder how the current generation will find the effects of all this stress on the body in later years.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

Alana Ronald yes someone commented yesterday that all the hyper extensions of today will lead to lots of hips surgery tomorrow.

[@02Mistress]

Великая балерина, пусть земля будет пухом!

[@JohnRaymondHall]

великая балерина! Have you seen the recently acknowledged film of her: Olga Spessivtzeva Dancing to Chopin's Waltz No 3 vimeo.com/244389236

[@JohnRaymondHall]

i'm just pleased people are enjoying what i'm lucky enough to find!

[@JohnRaymondHall]

i think just to be able to sit with her and have a sense of her presence would have been wonderful - lovely that you had something meaningful to take with you i see the copies now and have sorted them - thanks for the alert - really appreciated.

[@casteretpollux]

Thankyou.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

pleasure. i bought a VHS tape and had in digitalized to make this video - quite a journey LOL

[@pediatrapaola]

l like listening anton dolin ,he has so great knowledge and style

[@Scabrous77]

So special. Thank you for posting this.

[@natulenka1962]

Здравствуйте, дорогой Джон! Вот что прислал мне Санкт-Петербургский музей театрального и музыкального искусства. Отвечает г-н Сергей Лалетин, куратор департамента фотографий балета. В Мариинском театре пела великая русская певица Мария Долина. Серафима Астафьева её знала. Именно Серафима Астафьева настояла на том, чтобы её ученик был ещё раз приглашён в дягилевскую антрепризу. Об этом написано в книге : С.Л. Григорьев "Балет Дягилева" 1909-1929, Москва, издательство "Арт", 1993 год, стр 156( имеется в виду повторное приглашения Долина в антрепризу). Я внимательно прочла статью об этой певице на Википедии. Марина Ивановна Долина ( настоящая фамилия - Саюшкина, после замужества её фамилия стала Горленко). 1868-1919 годы жизни. У неё контральто, а это голос редкий. Прославилась она исполнением классического русского оперного репертуара. После 1904 года она закончила театральную карьеру , выступала с концертами , в том числе к примеру во Франции, Чехии и Германии, исполняя в основном русскую классическую и народную музыку. Это была великая русская певица, которая половину планеты исколесила. Ей посвящали свои произведения лучшие русские и зарубежные композиторы. Она работала с Ф. Шаляпиным. После замужества она носила фамилию Горленко. Так что на афишах могли писать Maria Gorlenko-Dolina. Наберите это имя на интернете, и Вы увидите такую афишу. Она была организатором многих концертов, в том числе и благотворительных, энтузиастом- пропагандистом искусства, в первую очередь русского искусства, но не только русского. Теперь сопоставим даты. Г-жа Астафьева уходит из Мариинского театра в 1905 году, г-жа Долина уходит с театральной сцены в 1904 году. Значит они скорее всего были знакомы. Г-жа Долина взяла эту фамилию как псевдоним. Это сценическая, а не собственная её фамилия. Значит скорее всего, если этот псевдоним был предложен Антону Долину в школе Серафимы Астафьевой, именно Серафима Александровна эту фамилию и предложила, или кто-то ещё, кто мог знать г-жу Горленко-Долину. Тут с г-ном Лалетиным наши мнения сходятся. Значит скорее всего была взята именно артистическая фамилия. Я полалаю, что возможно это и есть ответ на Ваш вопрос. Я искренне благодарна всем, кто участвовал в поиске ответа на этот вопрос, большое им спасибо. Спасибо и Вам за то, что Вы этот вопрос задали, что интересуетесь балетом, культурой и искусством. Прекрасная эпоха, хотя по времени она кажется совсем рядом, пока ещё не очень хорошо изучена.

[@carlosf0130]

Please. El documental completo. Mil gracias.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

glad you liked it - yes, absolutely unique wonderful to hear this legendary ballerina talk about her legendary performances.

[@HelgaMaq]

Do you know that we have another unique video of Olga from 1929 y. silent movie "Monte Cristo"? I guess it only a week before and am so happy from then! There is a fragment on YT, but not in the best quality. You must see and mb try to post in better quality from original movie.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

to me too, she is equally enchanting in the interview and on stage - how lucky that amateur movie camera person had the foresight to make this (unique as it turns out) record. yes, very moving!

[@JohnRaymondHall]

hi Sima yes, i felt particularly touched when Dolin said she did not dance Giselle all that often and she said it made her very tired - i think the mental strain of portraying going into madness in the role was too close to her own fears.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

hi Numberone filmfan seriously wow - i noticed in the interview she switched to French - which probably felt more comfortable with - that is so wonderful to have been able to meet her. now i have two degrees of separation - LOL! how lovely to have a real sense of this great artist!

[@bloodandwinearered]

Yes, he is teaching at the SFBS. He seems to be very popular and very happy. He was a most spectacular physique to watch in movement. If I remember the deal, no money was exchanged. We bought a new dance floor for the Cuban National Ballet in return for their appearances.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

hi Numberone filmfan although you say 'That was it' it is something wonderful to have heard Spessivtseva talk about Nijinsky in the context of dance, and of Romola! precious memory! my knowing Natasha Kirsta made Paris of the 20s and those in the artistic scene not seem so remote - brought them a little closer.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

LOL - i especially put the Lifar part of the conversation in the notes as i knew you'd like it! and we know she was a very kind person so his hesitant criticism of Lifar speaks volumes!

[@Ромашка-б3ф]

Wonderful

[@numberonefilmfan]

I was there for about half an hour, but she didn't talk too much unless spoken to. I spoke a fair amount to the nurse, who showed me her room, and kind of just sat with her. I had some presents to give her, including a letter from someone she'd known many years before, which the nurse read to her

[@nnnnnnnnnnn7292]

Какой хороший балетный аккомпаниатор! Ловит по плёнке ритм, темп и движения различных частей балета. Я немного другой представляла Спесивцеву. Более неземной. А тут - довольно крупная и крепкая молодая женщина. Стройная и худенькая, но не прозрачная. С большим прыжком и мощными подъёмами ног вверх. И ещё нигде не пишут, что Уланова смотрела Спесивцеву а детстве. Даже мать её к ней приводила. Впервые это услышала от самой Спесивцевой в этом видео.

[@siempremarisol]

wonderful

[@numberonefilmfan]

Spessivtseva said in French, "I remember Nijinsky and his wife, they had a coupe, and she would come to take him from rehearsal and while she was waiting she would feed the baby in the car." That was it. :)

[@siegfried923]

Thanks I read the book about her but until now had never seen her in any interviews

[@JohnRaymondHall]

hi Siegfried i had read quite lot about Olga Spessivtzeva, but tangentially, mainly in books about the Ballets Russes i was amazed a long time ago to learn that Olga Spessivtzeva had been interviewed on film - and i finally managed to get a VHS of the interview - part of 'A Portrait of Giselle' - and managed to get the tape converted into a digital format - and hence this upload. glad you like the interview too.

[@siegfried923]

Yes it brought the subject of the book to life what a sad end she had though

[@JohnRaymondHall]

Siegfried hi Siegfried by the way what book did you read - maybe something i have missed seeing about!

[@JohnRaymondHall]

how wonderful to have the three languages accounted for - so the was the possibility to chat. did she have any topics that she seemed to enjoy talking about?

[@pediatrapaola]

l am a great fan of anton dolin ,not particoularly as dancer but for his great knowledge in ballett

[@pediatrapaola]

DID YOU? WOW THIS IS GREAT REALLY.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

hi sweetaliena thanks - i put so much work into some of them i just couldn't not re-post them - but i want to get some new things up on the channel too! cheers

[@numberonefilmfan]

It was indeed. At that point, she understood French but spoke only in Russian, so to have a conversation I had to speak to her in French, she answered in Russian and the nurse translated to me in English.

[@kabardinka1]

And, curiously, she outlived both Dolin and Gilpin. You see so many tragic photos of her, but I love her impishness here.

[@numberonefilmfan]

I did ask her a few questions but the only one I recall was that since a lot of times a very elderly person will remember something from many years ago better than something recent I asked her to talk to me about Nijinsky.

[@simaraft7373]

How great and how sad.

[@Scabrous77]

This is from A Portrait of Giselle, which I saw on VHS years ago. I think I got it from the library.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

hi Sally yes, it is - a wonderful documentary! i managed to get a copy of the VHS not so long ago. :)

[@marjorieallworth6172]

O.M.G I have the book - The sleeping ballerina - and the actual exercises she wrote for dancers !!!

[@JohnRaymondHall]

extraordinary - and there is the film documentary of the same name - which i have

[@JohnRaymondHall]

yes, he is very authoratiitve - he can occasionally be a bit of a crawler - like when he tells Spessivtzeva he fell in love with her and when he draws a compliment from Karsavina in the same documentary - but yes for the most part he is very interesting to listen to.

[@bloodandwinearered]

The first occasion was Alicia Alonso And Jorge Esquivel.

[@sergiocaballero260]

Hello John, I am directing a video that pays homage to Olga Spessivtzeva. Is the footage of her performance of Giselle public domain?

[@JohnRaymondHall]

yes, i believe this is a common phenomenon with the elderly - i knew Natasha Kirsta, wife of BR designer George Kirsta and friend of Picasso, Nijinska and others - she was in her late 80s and the 1920s were alive for her in a way that the present was not. at a dinner party, she showed a napkin Picasso had drawn her eyes on with an inscription in French, translated as ' i am seduced by your eyes' - she was Georgian and her eyes green and almond shaped.

[@bloodandwinearered]

Alicia Alonzo and Jorge Esquivel

[@sashan1975]

и кроме минутки из Жизели ничего не осталось((( как я счастлив что могу смотреть балеты с Улановой.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

This seems fairly certain to be footage of Olga Spessivtzeva dancing - it appears in the film 'Monte Cristo' (1929). vimeo.com/244389236 The current distributors of the film (ZZ Productions) indicate that, in the ballets sequences in the film, Olga Spessivtzeva dances to Chopin's Waltz No 3. Lia Constantinou tells me: “The footage in question is listed as Spessivtseva's footage in the proceedings of the Harriman Institute (Columbia University) Symposium "Russian Movement Culture of the 1920's and 1930's" organised by Lynn Garafolla and Catharine Nepomnyashchy (February 12-14, 2015) see. p. 99 harriman.columbia.edu/files/harriman/newsletter/Russian%20Movement%20Culture%20Corrected%20July%202017pdf.pdf" If this is the case, it can be added to the only other known film of the ballerina - amateur film shot in 1932 of her in Act 1 of ‘Giselle’ Act at Savoy Theatre, London. 902/5000 Это, по-видимому, довольно уверенно - это кадры из пьесы Ольги Спесисвцевой - она появляется в фильме «Монте-Кристо» (1929). vimeo.com/244389236 Текущие дистрибьюторы фильма (ZZ Productions) показывают, что в балетных сериях в фильме Ольга Спессивцева танцует на вальсе Шопена № 3. Лия Константину рассказывает мне: «Кадры, о которых идет речь, перечислены как кадры Спесисцева в материалах Симпозиума Института Гарримана (Колумбийский университет)« Культура русского движения 1920-х и 1930-х годов », организованного Линн Гарафоллой и Катариной Непомнящим (12-14 февраля 2015 г.). п. 99 harriman.columbia.edu/files/harriman/newsletter/Russian%20Movement%20Culture%20Corrected%20July%202017pdf.pdf» Если это так, его можно добавить к единственному другому известному фильму балерины - любительскому фильму, снятому в 1932 году в ней в 1-м акте «Жизель» в театре Савойя в Лондоне.

[@numberonefilmfan]

visited her there before she died, but alas she could no longer understand English. What a sweet presence she was nevertheless.

[@pediatrapaola]

l love her very much expecially when more or less told awful lifar being not so good.

[@natulenka1962]

Здравствуйте, Джон! Смотрите, что я нашла! На англоязычном интернете намного больше статей об Антоне Долине. Вот одна из них :" sir Anton Dolin essays research".Буквально в самом начале статьи говорится о том, что Патрик Хили посещал в Лондоне школу Астафьевой. Дягилев во время посещения этой школы заметил талантливого танцовщика и пригласил его участвовать в спектакле. Потом говорится :" Someone at the school suggested "Dolin" ". Это может быть очередная неточность или опечатка, но тем не менее тут сказано, что произошёл выбор второго псевдонима в школе Астафьевой.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

Natalia Segal sadly i can't find your comment: "Yes, i did! He is so quit! And those birds are not afraid of him, not a bit! They like ... communicating! But he is careful, anyway ... Quit video!" i ed to be able to reply to it.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

Natalia Segal my guess - and it’s only just a guess - is that Diaghilev or Patrick Kay or both together thought that the great Sleeping Beauty production of 1921 might be best received by the audience as an old great Russian classic if all the dancers had non-Anglo-Saxon names. i guess they might have thought Patrickeyev’ sounded like a fake Russian name - just ‘Patrick’ with ‘evev’ added i’m looking through Rickard Buckle’s books on the Ballets Russes and on Nijinsky to see if the answer is there. he liked detail, like why someone had a name change, who suggested the change and so on. i’ll keep looking and tell you if i find something .

[@natulenka1962]

John Hall Дорогой Джон, я решилась перепечатать Вам ответ из Toronto Reference Library, Art Department. Пишу дословно. Потом я уберу это сообщение, т.к. это личное письмо. Просто прочтите. "We generally do not do extensive research for free. However, we have looked at Dolin autobiography , that you mentioned below , and read the end portion of the chapter 1 called "Patrick Kay", that covers the ballet "Sleeping Princess" of 1921 - where we thought the name change. In the chapter 2 called "Anton Dolin" he writes in the first setence only " I made my first appearance as Anton Dolin at the Albert Hall on June 26-th , 1923 (p.23 , Autobiography by Anton Dolin , Oldbourne Press, , London, 1960). We are also briefly checked the early years portion of Dolin Friends and Memories ( 1982 Routledge) and can find no mention of why or how he came up with the name . In the section called "In the beginning" above an illustration for the programme of the ballet Fedora 1917 he writes :" This was the last time I appeared as Patrick Kay". (this book is unpaginated) In a brief online search we did find the NY Times obituary which says, that the name change happened in 1921 and is associated with the "Sleeping Princess"ballet, but we are not able to confirm this with the two sources above . www.nytimes.com/1983/11/27/obituaries/anton-dolin-79-ballet-star-and-choreographer--is dead.html Thank you for your inquiry. If you wish further research , you would need to use our Intellsearch paid services : www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/intellisearch/ Вот что-то такое... Дело в том, что если меня заинтересовал какой-то вопрос, я стараюсь всегда найти на него ответ. А что это за балет "Федора"? Есть такая опера Умберто Джордано, а насчёт балета ничего не знаю... Вроде бы была и пьеса... А что за балет, где и кем и когда ставился - понятия не имею... Насчёт псевдонима я кажется кое-что поняла.... Угадать личность подсказавшего мне не удалось.

[@JohnRaymondHall]

Natalia Segal yes, i agree, Patrickeyev sounds too simple and contrived. and yes it may well not have been Diaghilev who suggested 'Dolin' - other in his inner circle (Benois, Baskt, etc) often made suggestions for Russianized names for dancers entering the company, according to Richard Buckle.

[@natulenka1962]

John Hall Вот ещё один интересный момент... Я поначалу сказала Вам, что фамилия Патрикеев звучит как-то недостаточно громко, чуть провинциально для русскоговорящих... Ах, как же я ошиблась! Дело в том, что это только для нас, сегодняшних... На самом деле Патрикеевы - древний княжеский , боярский род, Гедиминиды ( потомки Гедеминаса). Их родня - князья Булгаковы, князья Голицыны, князья Хованские, князья Трубецкие , князья Чарторыйские и многие, многие другие... Этот род известен по-моему с 14 века! Среди его представителей люди очень высокой духовности... Есть Патрикеевы и среди очень знатного купечества, с огромнейшими состояниями. И тоже люди глубокой веры и Православных вековых традиций и семейных устоев. Например, семья купцов и рестораторов Патрикеевых, жившая в начале 20 века в Химках Московской области ( ныне Москва). Ведь само слово "patricius" на латыни означает "благородный"! Человек, назвавшийся такой фамилией, одной шестой частью планеты, которой является Россия, мог восприниматься как представитель знатнейшего и богатейшего рода. В то же время я нашла только одну актрису , которую звали Н. Патрикеева. Больше о ней нет никакой информации. И есть ещё одна женщина , родившаяся в Англии, её зовут Kay Patrick. Что же касается фамилии Долин, то хотя звучит она ярко, но на деле я пока не нашла ни княжеского, ни дворянского, ни купеческого рода Долиных. Зато и по России, и по всему миру среди людей искусства и науки просто десятки Долиных! Только среди актёров и режиссёров я насчитала 12 - с русскими и западными именами. Получилось, что Патрик поменял княжескую и купеческую фамилию на артистическую. Актёры часто носили фамилии Долин ( имеется в виду счастливая судьба, доля), Счастливцев ( от слова счастье), Таланов ( от слова талант). В старину долью называли длину. Т.е фамилию Долин мог носить просто человек высокого роста. Эта фамилия - от имени - оберега. Имя Доля должно было желать ребёночку лучшей судьбы и оберегать от бед. Так что сама по себе фамилия могла быть взята как бы для удачи. Эта фамилия могла быть и от имени Адолий ( от германского "адаль" - благородный, то же самое значение, но звучит иначе) .Тот, кто посоветовал Патрику сменить фамилию, скорее всего неплохо разбирался в русской словесности, весьма неплохо, может быть даже и профессионально. Хотя могло быть и так, что фамилия просто оказалась звучной и просто приглянулась.

[@pediatrapaola]

wow wow wow nothinglessthan them ?wow really.he is teaching in SFB isn't it? he defected late but was a marvelous dancer .

[@pediatrapaola]

who danced main roles in that occasion?

[@numberonefilmfan]

:) :) :)

[@jayneforryan4830]

Her legs are beautiful!

[@JohnRaymondHall]

aren't they - dancers say she had a modern dancer's body

[@pediatrapaola]

with all the respect for dame alicia at his place l would have gone for dollars very before LOL

[@alfiiamansi]

So strange to see her... Bright star of Silver Century of Russian art, now speaking in English like few generations American....

[@JohnRaymondHall]

yes, legends from another world!

[@siempremarisol]

poor woman she was great but,,,sick

[@JohnRaymondHall]

hi Frigide. yes, a great but ultimately doomed soul. sad for what could have been, but maybe she would not have been so great had she not been so obsessive compulsive.

[@susannevollmer2347]

@@JohnRaymondHall I`m so sure, her soul is in heaven.

[@numberonefilmfan]

I was there for about half an hour, but she didn't talk too much unless spoken to. I spoke a fair amount to the nurse, who showed me her room, and kind of just sat with her. I had some presents to give her, including a letter from someone she'd known many years before, which the nurse read to her