I have a friend who is an orthopedic surgeon. At one point he attended the injuries of both the Pittsburgh Steelers and The Pittsburgh Ballet. He said the football players wanted to be sidelined with minor injuries and were whiners whereas the ballet dancers often had serious injuries and simply wanted to be taped up sp they could continue to perform...
i know you haven’t explicitly added any value judgement to your comment, but it just makes me think that speaking up for self care and *not* just pushing through injuries is likely the healthier option. etc etc toxic productivity, internalized capitalism, etc.
What those who have never attempted ballet fail to understand is the athleticism it takes. The art of ballet is making it look effortless which is deceiving. It takes a true athlete in every sense of the word. The most beautiful "sport" in the world.
Years ago, I worked as a dresser backstage in a provincial theatre. After preparing my principal ready for her next scene, a short ballet sequence with two male dancers, I witnessed the strongest, bravest act I have ever seen. As my principal was lifted onto the shoulders of the two male dancers and they were entering the stage, she accidentally kicked one of them in the groin. It was not a gentle impact. The young dancer completed the entire dance without faltering and when he finally exited the stage he collapsed and had to be carried out of the wings to his dressing room. We stood in the wings and witnessed his strength and professionalism in absolute awe. That single instance changed my perception of male dancers and I hold them in the highest esteem. I will never, ever, forget that performance, or the courage of that young dancer. Strength, dedication, grace and courage is what defines these young men. The arts and our lives would be poorer without them.
wow. It's unbelievable what people are capable of ! To sideline that intense immediate physical pain for a performance is mind-blowing. It's almost supernatural ; beyond the realm of the ordinary, for sure.
Male ballet dancers have nothing to be ashamed of. I would kill to look as good as they do in a pair of tights and skimpy shirt. Discipline. Strength. Poise. These are fine attributes.
I marvel at male ballet dancers. Their athleticism, strength, stamina and fortitude is staggering. I doubt that an ordinary bloke with no fitness could last half an hour attempting ballet-they'd collapse very quickly exhausted as a lot of finesse and athletetism is required. Ordinary blokes wouldn't be so negative and sarcastic if they tried ballet! A wonderful video of male ballet. Very inspiring.😅🎉
Absolutely fabulous. And yes! We must continue to work hard to make sure "men in tights" is not longer a line that is used to ridicule anyone, but something that refers to athleticism, art and grace. AND that there is not just one way to be masculine and they are ALL OK and worth celebrating.
This male continues to show up in tights because that's the way I was taught and I don't give a shit about offended young females. Fall in line and learn! I'm straight, I dance ballet and I am straight and I am proud as hell of this.
Agreed. I don’t see male or female ballet dancers. I just see ballet dancers. Which must surely say something about gender norms breaking down in the ballet world.
It was delightful to hear that Prince George wanted to practice ballet, and that his parents support this. Ballet remains one of the greatest human achievements, a fusion of physicality and art. It's also a superb form of body conditioning and excellent for character development. Thank you for sharing this wonderful video!
I grew up watching Nureyev and Barishnikov. I am really glad male ballet dancers are getting popular again. I used to be glued to the tv when the greats of my day danced. Also, when I was growing up, football players took ballet for agility and strength.
Anyone who takes a single adult ballet class suddenly understands the level of insane strength, agility, and artistry ballet requires. I have seen it many times. I used to bring people I was dating to a class with me just so they’d glean the tiniest bit of what ballet takes, and what it is these guys do. They were humbled even from one little beginner class. We’d watch a ballet an and theyd be absolutely astonished at the pure athleticism. I really liked that they would share the experience with their friends who had no connection to the ballet world, and the idea of male ballet dancers as feminine would in some way be dispelled.
Our son did ballet when he was 5 before kindergarten. He was expected to be tall and uncoordinated so we wanted to instill good physical coordination early on. He’s very athletic now he’s in high school. He also sang with the boys choir age 7-8 and he still loves to sing. Music and coordination seemed linked to good educational performance.
Both male and female ballet dancers make it look too easy because they do it with grace. What they do takes sheer power. To make it look like you are flying or floating would knock out most other athletes.
as a trained ballet dancer since my youth, I find it so amusing that men who study and perform ballet are derided, especially in America. Speak to dedicated athletes, almost without exception they will tell you that ballet is a rigorous athletic art form. While in high school, I was asked by the school's football coach to provide his varsity team with weekly barre training. He knew that it would help their game. And the guys, to their credit, caught on right away that these exercises were challenging and they stepped up. people who are trained in athleticism appreciate ballet. And if I may be a bit crude, male ballet dancers are, well, more effective in other areas of their lives and their partners are quite aware of that.
The US has a very insecure relationship with masculinity. Football and guns cover up being truly in touch with one’s masculinity just like expectations about makeup and long hair mask a woman’s true relationship with her femininity.
Just wonderfully produced - thank you so very much! If only these twits who think ballet is all tutu's, should be ashamed of themselves! Knowledge gentlemen, is power!!
Joseph Sissens - IMPRESSIVE INSIGHT and WISDOM, coupled with zealous fire to zap out mediocre people with their mediocre world views impinging on him. Well done. Keep it up Joseph, you rule !
There is nothing as masculine as a male ballet dancer!!! I'm in absolute awe of these men for their artistry, strength, talent and perseverance! Pure magic! This was a wonderful documentary, thank you.
From a youth, I admired and loved ballet. My first encounter was a visit to a college in the countryside of my homeland. Many don't realize that ballet on the male part calls for strength, endurance, athleticism and mental fortitude most do not have. Hats off to those guys.
In 1964 (I was 13) my parents took me to Covent Garden to see Giselle, Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn. I was love struck! From then on for 3 years I went to Covent Garden nearly every Saturday pm after school to wait for return tickets to watch Nureyev/Fonteyn. again and again. I saw just about every classical ballet they did and several modern ones (Roland Petit (Paradise Lost) and another one who choreographed The Triumphs, I think it was Maurice Bejart). In my bedroom I had posters of Nureyev, no pop idols! Great to watch this video.
They were the very best ballet couple. Lucky you, indeed! I saw Nureyev dancing when I was seven, and now in my Sixties I'm still amazed, and grateful.
@@aureaaerea Brilliant but not even close to Vasiliev! 😉 And Lapauri - catching his wife, Raissa Strutchkova as she hurled herself sideways across the stage and into his arms... Walpurgisnacht.
I saw Nureyev and Fonteyn dance in New York in 1967, it was Swan Lake and I was mesmerized by every second of it. I was a sophomore in college. I had always loved ballet when I was growing up but that was the ultimate experience for me.
@@barbararussell9757 That's how I saw them as well, both Swan Lake and Romeo & Juliet. Fonteyn, simply a goddess... Ultimate indeed, have never forgotten the impact.
Training as the dancers do today, he would be as great a star, present day. In his day, Nureyev enlarged the scope for male dancers and created great interest, his incredible charisma, masculine physicality, his strikingly handsome face, general greatness. He had flaws, but not when he danced. Love the magnificence and perfection of The Royal Ballet. Much enjoyed, Thank You.
I met him once. I was walking through Green Park in London behind a man in shorts , I noticed his sandals. first as they had small heels,, then I took in his muscles . Huge muscles. He was walking so fast he lapped me so I sat on the bench before him. I was reading a book he was also reading. Sat next to me and gestured to the books. We sat and talked for a couple of minutes and he was funny, nteresting and it seemed to me unhappy. He got up and left after a while. Needless to say I felt the need to book a ticket to watch him dance. He was in late in his career. I watched him dance and yes he was brilliant BUT the effort of him dancing was visible and he wobbled a couple of times. He retired from regular dancing roles shortly after that and I wish I had seen him at his prime..
Two decades ago I read of a US football coach that sent his team to ballet class. They couldn't make it to the end...They could not keep up with the ballet dancers, male or female for that matter. And yet the salaries given to football players are insane by comparison to the pay of the premier danseuse. Well, you can't buy joy!
@@larkatdawn the problem is that sports serve the masses whereas, erroneously, ballet is considered elitist. As someone who has no interest in sport I, obviously and strongly, disagree.
Valentino is so talented. It’s beyond wrong to see these incredible individuals in a position where they cannot realize their dreams due to the constraints of what the performance “industry” dictates.
Thank you for this absolutely lovely presentation. And who can forget Baryshnikov’s dancing and jumps, my sister and mother ran into him in an elevator in NYC and couldn’t stop talking about him and his jumps. We all remember him. Amazing. And now we have young Vadim and several others, absolutely gorgeous men. 👏👏
Agree! Absolutely stunning! Amazing athleticism. What beautiful bodies these boys and men have. And the grace….love it. So gorgeous. I am so impressed. I am female and wanted to dance ballet when I was a kid, was told I was too old when I was around 8, but I always had super strong legs very agile and flexible as a young girl teen and beyond. I never cared about the looks or dress, just the music and movements. But we moved and I got no ballet classes. Instead I danced for hours in night clubs and at parties for years. And I went to medical school instead. I’m now almost 66 and still athletic. I’ve sadly injured one both of my knees, one pretty badly limiting how I can move around, but I love the gym and taking group classes. I have excellent stamina and think I could’ve been a good dancer. I certainly never, even now, get out of breath and have a resting pulse in the forties. So watching these young men brings me back to what I originally wanted to go with my knife. I think it was Swan Lake at the Royal ballet in Stockholm, Sweden that inspired me. It’s where I lived as a 6-9 year old and I didn’t care for the simplistic music of the Beatles, no I loved Tchaikovsky and Mozart etc. I still love them and many other classical,composers. Love the music! This documentary didn’t adress the music, but to me it’s paramount to express oneself with the music is such an amazing feeling. As I’m now turning 66 my ballet career would have ended likely 40 years ago or more. Perhaps not have had 3 kids. 🤷♀️
Diana would have been thrilled that her grandson George wanted to dance ballet. She'd probably have taken him to class. Coordination, strength, flexibility, balance, body awareness, expression, good posture, and grace are all good in life no matter where or how you get it.
Greek Gods... so true. Ballet dancers don't skip leg day, their entire physique and carriage is amazing. My first crush on an older man was a ballet dancer, he was perfection!
I admire his determination and acceptance instead of resignation. I'm not sure, but i would maybe be devastated and frustrated, living so close to the principals living my dream in front of me ... I would be sad. How does he make it ...
Loved watching this, learned a lot. I'll never be a Ballet Dancer. But have more appreciation of the hard work that goes with being a Ballet Dancer. Thanks for posting.
I watched the whole video, and I have to say that I am quite intrigued with men taking initiative to fight against the stereotypes and challenges. I am really proud of them!
I am straight, I love ballet and to hell with anything else. If younger girls can't stand me in tights then that's on them. I don't give a shit. Get off the stage!
There was an amazing program I’ve been trying to find on watching this, that had a bunch of top grade rugby players have a go at a ballet warm up and exercise class, not a dance rehearsal, just an exercise class and they came away with a huge amount of respect for dancers!
I grew up watching Baryshnikov in the 70s and 80s. He was an international heartthrob and I had a huge crush on him. Later Peter Martins followed in his footsteps.
I'm really surprised that there was no mention of Rudolph Nureyev in this programme. I wonder why? I thought he was the huge turning point that gave a fresh image to male ballet. Muscular, sexy, passionate. Actually the guys here seem to not have a sense of history of the place they-re employed at.
At age 45, Ed Watson gave his final performance as ROH principal in November 2021 as the lead in the Dante Project. He gave a stellar performance. As a dancer, he was not a classical powerhouse dancer, though he performed well in princely roles. But has a unique physicality and rare kinesthetic genius that is unmatched. I'm happy he and ROH choreographer Wayne McGregor found each other, as theirs has been a fortuitous partnership.
I was fortunate enough to see Edward Villella (who had formerly lettered in baseball and been a championship boxer) dance with the NYC Ballet many years ago. Spectacular! I remember, too when Lynn Swann an NFL wide receiver with the Pittsburg Steelers, took ballet to help home be a better footballer. Never thought ballet for men was effeminate.
In 1979 and 1980 I had the honor and privilege toperform with tge Dutch National ballet, as a young singer, The corps needed four young, thin sopranos to mingle with the corps when they had to sing during the performance. I have never felt such joy and fulfilment since then I've never made fun if people who, to me are so obviously strong, graceful, beautiful doing their thing.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Wonderful program. Male dancers deserve so much respect and I think finally they are beginning to get it. To know ballet is to know the hard work and effort that goes into the body to make it able to perform. The pain and suffering both emotional and physical takes a special kind of strength in those who dance. I take my hat off to each and every one of them, they are all stars no matter where they are in the pecking order of the company.
I am male and straight as hell and I absolutely love Ballet. I wear tights and to the girls who are half my age I say "deal with it." If you can take me on and outdance me then bring it on otherwise shut the f*ck up. I am so sick and tired of this feminine narcissism in dance.
It is ridiculous to hear “this is a job for a man in the 21st century”. It has always been a man’s job. For instance the Soviet Union brought the male performance on par with ballerinas already in the 1950s. The male dancers as “those who hold ballerinas” were no more. The Spartacus is the epitome of this.
You are exactly what you are meant to be, not odd at all. That is a construct created by some people, not a human truth. I admire dancers, congratulations!
I think Valentino Zucchetti is a delightful dancer, whose grace, precision, and charm is evident in his work. I look forward to seeing his choreographed works, and hope ROH offers him more opportunities to showcase his talents.
This is Awesome ! Have always been a big fan of ballet and had mad respect for the male dancers.. had a poster of Nureyev in my room as a young girl ❤❤❤❤ i am70 😊
Ballet dances are on a par with any other athlete. Just as in football, basketball, soccer, gymnastics, and tennis, to be a good athlete, it takes power and control. Each has its own aesthetic as well.
The required musicality adds dimensions of skill not developed in sports training. Ballet is the hardest to accomplish at the highest level, but it is for anyone, at any age, the ballet experience infuses life with joy and enhances self-awareness and all that other good stuff. I credit ballet with helping me develop focus and resilience, and much more.
What a great show. As a for,er professional (Female) ballet dancer, I have always admired the men and the talent, athleticism and artistry it takes to succeed in ballet. Amazing all the recent comments and that this is just showing up for me. ❤️
If you ever saw Rudi Nureyev or Mikhail Baryshnikov dance, you would see very strong athletic movements and incredible high jumps that only years of exercise and dancing could produce. Great body building exercise for Prince George and all children. Lara Spencer should be ashamed to pick on children.
Absolutamente maravilloso y perfecto en su dirección, producción y edición, música, etc. Etc. BRAVOO!!! Un sólo alcance, si NUREYEV existiera hoy, hubiera entrenado desde los 6 años con todo el apoyo afectivo, económico y en libertad, sin q asesinos lo estuvieran acosando, les aseguro q SI sería el mejor del mundo!! Lo amaremos SIEMPRE! Muchas gracias ❤
Wonderful video. Love watching the men-the strength, power, artistry. When they leap, it looks as if they remain in the air for a couple seconds. When I was young, I was embarrassed to watch them-but they grew on me. Didn’t know until very recently re: the need for ballet-specific supportive, protective undergarments-yet this is comparable to items worn by male athletes in many other sports.
We follow the Southern Ballet of Italy, home in Lecce, Puglia with every performance.Their male dancers are phenomenal, every one of them. The same with the Rome Ballet. Incredible dancers, artists who combine athletics and dance into a human, physical art form that brings pure emotion and awe ro their loving audiences.
what a fabulous celebration of the wonderful atheletes and performers that these dancers are - surely there are few people more talented - combining incredible physical ability with glorious artistry and storytelling 😃
Johaar Mosaval a South African ballet dancer, last performance with the Royal Ballet, as a senior principal dancer. danced the role of the Blue Bird pas a de deux with solo at age 48 in 1974. He retired from The Royal Ballet in 1975.
Funny story from back in the day when I was at the San Francisco Ballet school in the 60s. Nureyev had arrived in town and of course everybody was going to go see him. Imagine our surprise next day when we show up for class and the story spread like wildfire. One of our beloved teachers Madame Liudmila Shollar, who had danced at Diaghilev (with her partner Anatole Vilzak) had been at the performance. She apparently went backstage and shook her finger at Rudi. Told him he needed to clean up his pirouettes or he was going to fall on his ass. 😂
Sharon here: If you equate the male ballet dancer with a Scottish highland warrior, the Scots had to prove their worthiness by the requirements of highland dancing. Male strength coupled with grace and elegance of movement is fascinating to look upon.
I miss seeing Steven McRae dance, as his dancing is marked by speed, precision, and charm. I admire his work ethic and steely determination to address his untimely injuries straight on, never hesitating to get the best care for his physical and mental rehabilitation. As shown in the film, the love he has for his beautiful wife and children is a comfort and a motivator in his life.
Aren’t these men balancing on the shoulders of Edward Villella, Erik Bruhn, Peter Martins, Rudolph Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Alexander Godunov, Carlos Acosta, Roberto Bolle, Alvin Ailey, Jacques d’Amboise, Arthur Mitchell, Vladimir Vasiliev, Mikhail Fokin, Nijinsky and many, many others?
Every single muscle is honed to support the masculine body. The training is the hardest in any sport and the discipline outrageously tough. Only real men can rise above the pain and exhaustion. It’s a life style requiring 100% commitment and 100% dedication. It’s extraordinarily difficult and competitive……..you have to be mentally strong to live through the hunger and pain when you live for the ballet.
My late brother, before he died, told me that he used to stand and listen to the music coming from Knightsbridge (?) Ballet School in the 1950's and long to go in. He was appalled at himself as he thought he would be called a "cissy'. He kept it as a guilty secret all his life. Since my daughter is an RAD accredited teacher, I often wonder if maybe his love was in his genes. By the way, he was married with two children. My blood boils when the young men are stigmatised. And even if they are 'batting for the other side', so what? Sexual diversity is scattered through all walks of life. My HUGE respect to all dancers. PRINCE GEORGE, LISTEN TO YOUR HEART. God bless.
I was fortunate to see the Royal Danish Ballet many years ago in New York. I was blown away by the athleticism of this predominately male ballet troupe as they danced many different stories, quite a few of them military in theme and story. I have never made the slightest suggestion that they are anything but very, very manly.
Ballet can just be spell-binding to watcb. A group of us went to see a contemporary ballet performance in Moscow. Most of us knew nothing about ballet, but we were amazed by the sheer athleticism and emotion. I think when people think of ballet they always think of Swan Lake etc. While this is wonderful, the more contemporary classical ballet is the more thrilling and in many ways a better entre for the uninitiated into the artform. Also it is never the same on TV as it is watching it in live in a theatre.
It is interesting, there were two movies about ballet in year 2000. British Bill Elliott, set in 80's, stereotyp, boys don't do ballet, (but very beautiful,) and USA Center stage, where principal is almost rockstar. Everybody who makes living dancing has my deep respect.
Wonderful documentary, I took ballet a short time with Maria who's family lived near Lake ERIE OHIO, I wish I could have continued....but anwayin Florida mostly since I 13 yrs. Old, life problems have led me in all kinds of different directions 😢thank you for lovely informative documentary on men doing ballet, I have fond memories of childhood doing ballet just short time, taught me to discipline myself. ❤ self care most important but so is self motivation in all things. GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU IN VIDEO, GOD BLESS. DO THIS WHILE YOUR YOUNG TO THE FULLEST !!!🎉
I danced professionally in the USA with 8 companies, for over 17-yrs, from 1981 to 1999. I once danced in Guymon OK, where I was told by farmers in 1985 that they only came to see the ballet becuz their wives & daughters made them, & after seeing me dance they needed to reevaluate what they thought about Art & Dance. That was one of the proudest moments in my performing career. Another was in Greenville NC where I was performing as a guest artist in 1992, the local newspaper sent the sports reporter to review the performance. It’s one of the best reviews I ever got. This sports reporter compared me to Olympic & professional athletes, & saying that as a sports reporter he had had no idea what athletic-prowess was required to be a male ballet dancer. BTW I worked on the Mr. Rogers program with Lynne Swan (NFL Super Bowl wide receiver of the Pittsburgh Steelers) also with Willie Gault (of the Chicago Bears) and the Dallas Cowboys (with whom we shot a commercial & those line men were blown away with our strength becuz when tried to lift our ballerinas they discovered brute force didn’t work & the refinement of strength that we possessed was truly impressive. It was an honor to work with these pro athletes & to be recognized by them as “equal in athleticism.” I began dancing professionally at 17, leaving HS (not being allowed to receive my diploma for ten yrs becuz my HS wouldn’t allow me to graduate early even though I had 1.5 credits above the state requirements along with a solid B-average) dancing ballet also helped me escape from ridicule, discriminatory prejudice (including anti Semitism) & bullying in the small town where I went to HS. I’m married with two kids, neither dance, yet did take some basic lessons to assist their skills & confidence. This video is great. I wish there had been videos like this back in the 1980s. Thx.
"Manly" rugby players or basketball players carry a small ball around. The male dancer often carries a whole other person AND lifts them. They can also jump higher and faster than most players in a line-out or basket ball players scoring and for longer periods of time. They also do it with more grace, panache and elan. The tights look so good on them, which is the reason that in the medieval period the greatest courtiers and warriors wore them. In short they are elite physical athletes and should be lauded as such.
Grace, strength, coordination, artistry, emotion, elegance and such are neither masculine nor feminine; they are human. We all exist on a spectrum, and we are each an individual mixture of qualities. Embrace who you are, what and who you love, and how you are able to contribute to society. Best wishes to all humans, and congratulations to these amazing, accomplished dancers. May these professionals be paid well and treated fairly by their companies. (Furthermore, these programs and documentaries need to give more credit to the piano accompanists.)
I enjoyed this so much, thanks to those who uploaded this video and all who participated in making it. Ballet is the hardest and most beautiful art form, all who dance are supreme athletes and artistes. HRH Catherine loves ballet as did George's beautiful Granny Diana, I hope he's still dancing and will do so for a long time!
Valentino is also the most brilliant choreographer…I watched a rehearsal clip of his ballet over and over again during lockdown. His choreography is musical and makes sense….and is simply beautiful.
