"Pas de Deux" from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker Rudolf Nureyev as The Prince Merle Park as Clara Orchestra of the Royal Opera, Covent Garden John Lanchbery From a 1968 BBC broadcast
I was taken to the Royal Opera House to see Nureyev dance in The Nutcracker one Christmas when I was young - unforgettable. Much later I saw him dance with Merle Park and everyone was simply holding their breath because it was so wonderful. I was taken backstage to meet Merle Park and she said Margot Fonteyn had been in the wings watching, and that she herself could hardly believe she was dancing with him as Margot had.
I dance with national ballet 20 years ago when Rudy was still with us. His lines were so beautiful. It was perfection, and such a pleasure to be with him.
Did you ever meet Merle Park, too? She is very daring in this pas de deux.. Is it true that ultimately, she had an accident while dancing ...that somewhat shortened her brilliant career?😢❤
So much is amazing about the way THESE TWO execute this pas de deux! BUT PLEASE!!! Has anyone watching this video ever seen any male dancer hold the final position like Nureyev does here: her full body weight so high aloft upon his one leg - so cleanly and for so LONG a time? Yikes!!! Almost as breathtaking as that amazing twist in the air she does after he throws her high above his head. (Honestly - how did they even REHEARSE that?) Phenomenal... daring ...memorable... Beautiful!🌹🎆
I had the privilege of watching the two of them from the wings of the Met. As I see this clip now I can't help but compare their performance of Swan Lake's Pas de Deux with that of so many others--something I could not have done back then, when in my early twenties. What I see is that while many of today's premier male and female dancers have physical proficiencies not seen in dancers of Nureyev's and Fontayne's time, it is the connection the two maintained with each other on stage--a respectful intimacy--that needed none of the acrobatics we often see in dance today. They danced. My thanks to whoever posted this clip. It's brought me back to a very happy time.
absolutely.. I had rainy cold night here .. had nothing else to do. I watched so many on RU-vid from different era, different theaters. And this is THE BEST performance!!! So emotional, makes you feel wonderfully alive ❤as well
@@angelsandocean2853 How about this one with Megan Fairchild & Joaquín De Luz? PS: The precision, the timing and the snaps positioning are Spectacular! Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker―Sugar Plum Fairy & Cavalier (Megan Fairchild & Joaquín De Luz - New York City Ballet) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-BslfO16GcZM.html .
Extraordinary Rudolf Nureyev!!! I'm ballerina and always have admired, the talentous, brilliant, energetic, personality and of course Artist Rudolph Nureyev. Before married I had a great poster into my bedroom of him at an incredible jump! He really seemed to fly .I love forever Rudolph Nureyev. 🌹❤️
Почти 70 лет Адажио из Щелкунчика П. И. Чайковского моя сама ая любимая музыка, независимо, кто танцует, слушаешь ли в театре, на пластинке или как сейчас - в планшете. Поистине гениален наш великий Пётр Ильич!
Там,где Рудольф Нуреев,дух захватывет!все меркнут!Совершенство смотреть бесконечно!Его постановка Щелкунчика непревзойденна!Гений,так много сделавший для развития балета и поднявший на высоту мужской танец!!!!!!Он должен бы жить!Его искусство на века с нами!!!!
Moved to tears. Only on repeat viewings have I become conscious that the music is magnificent; so mesmerised by the beauty, grace and strength of the dancers. Thank you for sharing this- we are enriched
And who but Nureyev could have done it - holding (for over 7 seconds) during that final lift, the two of them on his one leg - so decisively, so poetically!🎆
Right!?!? Excitement in every moment because it could go wrong at a y moment, yet they don't let it!!! This is Ballet at it's best if you're in the house watching, you're on the edge of your seat, and if they make it you can't help but shout Bravo!! Please compare this Nutcracker pas to any other you might find: I guarantee that sense of dangerous excitement sill be lacking.
What poise grace and strength this dance piece requires. Here it was carried out beautifully. The timing was excellent. What most don't see is all the hard work and practice that has gone on behind the scenes.
Rudolph will always be a legend - timeless & perfection in every deliberate move. He always stole the show & presented the ballerina in the best way, yet one still watches him. Miss when ballet had lavish costumes & backgrounds. Now it’s all just lighting & simple costumes.
The most beautiful performance mesmerising and ‘other worldly’ it’s just extraordinary, thank you so much for the opportunity to witness it’s a rare treasure indeed.
Siempre me ha gustado el ballet y si volviera a nacer cambiaría mi profesión de arquitecta por esta manifestación de arte que me lleva a la gloria. Mis lágrimas lo confirman.
It’s lovely to see so many comments from Russians who love Nureyev so much! I have no idea if he even thought about how the _people_ in his country would feel about him after his defection-I’m pretty sure he was only thinking of the politicians and secret police-but I’m glad that they revere him for what he did and how he always represented Russia, no matter where he went or what he did. Even Merle Park’s headdress speaks Russian! Beautiful dancing here, just a beauty and symmetry filled with feeling, so much more beautiful and artistic than physical pyrotechnics!
I watch this over and over I love everything about it from the beautiful corps de ballet, the costumes, the lovely music-centered dancing. I do not care for the acrobatics of modern ballet. I can’t get enough of this style!❤
Нам теперь Цискаридзе предлагают и не только он сам. Меня упрекают за то, что я восхищаюсь Нуреевым и не воспринимаю Цискаридзе. Вроде как вообще ничего не понимаю
Thank you so much for posting this. I saw this interpretation of The Nutcracker with Rudolf Nureyev in NY many years ago, but didn't appreciate it as much as I do now (too young I think). This pdd I watch at least once a day now! So beautiful....
This original version of The Nutcracker pas de deux by Nureyev may not appeal to every viewer, but it is worth examining because it is exceptional in two ways. In it Nureyev abandons doing the thing that made him famous both in Russia and the west, surrendering his ability to bring intensely emotional and personal interpretations to male roles in classical ballets. Here, he chooses to fulfill the traditional concept of a Russian male partner in a ballet: a man who supports the ballerina and obscures his emotions. Why would he choose to do this? This is not your ordinary project. It may feel strange to the eye, but there is a reason. As a choreographer, Nureyev chooses to stage the pas de deux in a manner characteristic of the 19th Century Russian pas de deux--a spectacle in which the ballerina was presented as a hard-edged, ornate, glittering queen. Regal, confident and in command of her world, her male counterpart carried her in the air, spun her like a top and hurled her about in his arms, never so much as displacing a curl on her forehead. Is it formal? Yes. Is it ornate? Yes. Is it ugly? Absolutely not--if you know your ballet history. This was how they did it up in 19th Century at the Mariinsky. Wearing an extravagant costume adorned by jewels and a tiara the size of a crown, the ballerina represents the power and wealth of Imperial Russia. In service of his overarching design of the ballet, Nureyev faithfully plays his part as an old fashioned danseur noble. Still, he is fully present and never erases himself. His withholding of emotions may feel uncomfortable for some viewers for it's not what we're used to seeing. Further, Nureyev improves on the extremism of the 19th Century pas de deux by adding components of his unique contribution to the 20th Century pas de deux, something he began to introduce after he began his partnership with Fonteyn. In this pas de deux, we can see his use of parallel movement. It unifies the man and woman and brings them into a more intimate relationship. This was but one component of his innovative concept of the pas de deux as a dialogue between two equals (rather than a conversation in which one person is mute). The parallel movement mirrors Tchaikovsky's use of multi-layered strings, underscoring the intensity of emotions implicit in the struggle of personal transformation, the primary theme of the ballet. Clara is a child in Act I, but by the time she dances this pas de deux, she has undergone the rite of passage from girlhood to womanhood. With the help of the Nutcracker Prince, essentially a construction, not a three dimensional character, she makes the transition flawlessly. (Because he is a construction Nureyev's choice to play him in the traditional manner of the Russian danseur noble works especially well.) By the end of Clara's odyssey, she is a 19th Century Russian goddess--sparkling but remote in her hard-edged glory. Nureyev' choice to idolize her this way is an ironic one, but is consistent with his repeated use of extremes throughout the ballet. In the course of a transformation, one extreme is pulling against its opposite. At the peak of their struggle, something new emerges. Nureyev's psychological interpretation of the story suggests he was steeped in Freud and familiar with his theory of the Oedipus Complex. Clara resolves her anger over her helplness as a child and a girl (the boys break her Nutcracker!) by latching onto the doll given her by Heir Drosselmeyer. Eccentric, elderly and wise, he is keenly aware that Clara is standing on a precipice. He has the time and wherewithal to take an interest in her happiness. (Parents are too busy keeping their social world afloat and getting the children tucked in.) Clara senses his benevolence and in her dream, Heir Drosselmeyer transforms into a handsome prince. He rescues her from the rats in her parents 19th century home and she goes on a wonderful adventure. Rather than watching a projection of herself as the Sugar Plum Fairy, she becomes all grown up. The Nutcracker Prince helps Clara elevate her image of herself. Within a man at her side, she can magnify her power ten times. This is symbolized by the first step in the pas de deux, when each dancer raises up in arabesque and Nureyev holds Parks hand, enabling her to balance endlessly. Here, he echoes the psychological dynamic of the Rose Adagio. Aurora's test is one of trust; Clara must allow the Nutcracker to help her overcome her fears. Nureyev had great compassion for the character of Clara. Perhaps her fears reflected his fears own fears of the world as a child in Ufa--fear that he would never escape the poverty and limitations of his life, fear that he might never fulfill his dream of becoming the greatest dancer in the world. His vision of Clara's journey is filled with extremes, as was his life. (I recommend watching the other video posted by canal de yupzy, which includes the solos and the finale. This one only has the opening of the pas de deux.)
here nureyev already lost his magnificent kirov style and started to develop some awful mannerism and stiff ugly arms and hands sorry for his fans often blind in front their idol .
Penthesilea he was a true phenomenon in his kirov time the dancer that dudinskaya chosed as her partner in roles of the great chabukiani and rudy was only 20 there are a couple of videos posted by john hall showing him in laurencia and bayaderka when he was in SPB rudy was simply superb ,but later in west he lost so much .obvsiously l respect his decision to defect ,and what he did for diffusion of maledancing is priceless ,but saw so many awful performances from him in 70's .west did him rich and famous ,but not a better dancer.
pediatrapaola- Hi there. I appreciate your comment. I saw that you had commented on another one of my own replies, but I cannot find it. (sad). Just wanted to let you know that everytime I click on a ballet video here on RU-vid, the first thing I do is look to see if you have made comments because I always learn something when you do. So .... thanks!
This is so beautiful! Love the video. Rip Rudolph. You were a amazing talent and beautiful. Especially Nureyev. He really works hard to make it look effortless and to make Merle look good. Very impressed!
I first saw this video 11 years ago and it sparked an interest in ballet that still lives in my heart today. I'm a musician, not a dancer, but I've had the privilege of playing in the orchestra for the nutcracker and it was one of the most musically satiating experiences of my life. I'm so happy to have found this video again! I thought it was taken down for the longest time. Seeing it again, I can't believe it's from 1968! The passion, the drama, this might be the most incredible pas de deux choreography ever. I just love it so much!
