This documentary is wonderful in that it reveals a legendary dancer as have great critical insight and candor into himself personally and professionally. Enjoy!
For what it is worth, I was in Ballet Theatre in 1958 with Erik and I have many stories of Erik Bruhn - He was a dancer of excellence and a lovely person. So glad I can count him as a memory and for those who have never seen him dance - he was the best ballet dancer of his time and so handsome on stage. No one could compare to him at that time.
At this time 1958 it's very far from to day but when an Artist is great j remember very well : in 1958 j saw to day Lili Krauss playing Mozart Alla Turca à Alger and her final with claps also others great pianists the time is always here j think as you about a great Artist we have saw very far from to day
What an absolutely beautiful dancer. His line and technique are so flawless; those pirouettes and triple tours are KILLING me. And his port de bras, and his grace and his nobility. What a gift.
Красивый, милый, с внутренней духовно-прекрасной жизнью, с новым вееньем танца. Рудик понял только он, поможет обрести стабильность и технику танца А ещё и глубокую любовь на всю жизнь. Все самое красивое, очаровательное в Рудике, его мощь, виртуозность, очарование-это Эрик.Он научил его танцевать технически лучше всех и вдохнул любовь.Благодарный ученик встал вререди своего учителя, обожал и любил всю жизнь!
He was a wonderful dancer,choreographer, actor and man. I keep watching this video to see him dancing and to listen to his voice! I have to be honest, Nureyev is my favorite ballet dancer I have seen him dancing Scheherazade in London in 1979, but now I can see where most of the greatness came from! I love and will cherish Erik Brunh's legacy! Thank you for posting this marvelous documentary!
Великий мастер и светлый человек! Какая красивейшая техника, четкая выверенность линий и артистизм! Гений танца! А голос просто завораживает! Спасибо, что выложили это видео! Огромная вам благодарность!
For me Erik Bruhn was born with the best body for ballet in the world. His talent and artistry must be unsurpassed to this day. A divine gift and inspiration for all dancers. He hoped to mark somebody with his art. Well he certainly marked me forever. Also a wonderful person with a hypnotic voice. He's got it all. I would have queued all night for his autograph. Thanks for this documentary. Love to watch his every performance and read articles about him.
you put it well in "He's got it all". the doco gives a real insight into his character and dance ideas, doesn't it. i only saw him on stage once - in a character role, as Madge the Witch in 'La Sylphide' in a London Festival Ballet production - i didn't think to queue for an autograph - i should have!
He makes Nureyev and Baryshnikov look overstuffed. I would love to “hear” his insights but there’s no closed captioning option provided. I’ll hopefully search elsewhere for a transcript. Thanks for the great images.
"I was not born to be a dancer...I just happened to dance" What? What??? How tragic, how frightening is that message, so simply revealed! This man gave his all to create such mesmerizing beauty through an art, a discipline that he would not have preferred?! Blessed be the lovers of Ballet - to have benefited from his gifted & intensive efforts! Thank you, & Rest in peace, Mr. Bruhn.🙏
@@JohnRaymondHall. His perspective on himself was limited. His own description of his younger self shows that he was on the autistic spectrum with a curtain between himself and others. A great deal of retreat and therapy helped him to connect with people. He said nothing about the passionate nature of his relationship with Nureyev whose love dragged him out of his fog and into life.
yes, i was disappointed he did not fully canvas his relationship with Nureyev - these days it is not such a problem to talk about these relationships@@maryrosenblatt6741
To me, Erik Bruhn was the greatest male ballet dancer of his time. His technique was solid, he could do great leaps, incredible turns, and light airy beats - but it was his phrasing, musicality, and interpretive depth that still have me in awe. He was the epitome of restrained elegance, a pure classicist, and perhaps the greatest danseur noble ever.
I totally agree. I feel so fortunate to have seen him dance in person when I was a child. Giselle, so many other roles with ABT. Watching this documentary reminds me of his fantastic turns, leaps, such incredible line , power, and technique.
Paula cunningham shennan hi Paula yes, a wonderful documentary in which this dancer candidly reveals much of himself - makes this one really worth watching. x
What a phenomenal dancer! It is fascinating seeing his dazzling display of virtuosity in the studio. I've seen him perform some incredible technical feats on stage, but he was such a consummate artist that his technical supremacy was always subordinate to his characterisiation of the role. This documentary is compulsive viewing.
What a gift you have shared with us showing Erik Bruhn‘s incredible artistry and talent,! He should be made more well known and publicized. Bruhn’s leaps and turns were “ beyond the beyonds”. I was fortunate enough to see Nureyev once . Both he and Bruhn were awesome! Both geniuses,!
i only saw Bruhn once onstage - as Madge in 'La Sylphide' - so admire his dead honesty. i was lucky to have seen Nrureyev a lot in Europe from 1970-1975 - at the ROH, at the Paris Opera with Makarova, in Milan dancing Giselle with Carla Fracci ... .
Absolutely beautiful! It's sad that so little of Erik's dancing has been preserved on film. His name is now almost unknown to all but dedicated ballet fans - in fact, since the publication of the most recent Nureyev biography he's probably better-known for his stormy love affair with the Russian star than as a great dancer in his own right.
Julia Atkinson yes, sad Bruhn was not/has not been fully appreciated - the mi-end of career was of course overshadowed by Nureyev who had the Russian and defector statuses. i was very moved by his candor and proper lack of modesty. i saw him only once on stage in a Festival Ballet production of 'Sleeping Beauty' - he was Carabosse
@@JohnRaymondHall. Bruen was overshadowed by Nureyev because he was humble, modest and an introvert. Ironically it’s he who inspired Rudi. Rudi was an extroverted showman on and off stage. He went to nightclubs and danced all night long. Can you imagine Eric doing that? Eric’s reality was the ballet world. Rudi functioned in a few different worlds along with his self-promotion activities. It was just a matter of fact result of human nature along with advances in technology, mass media and PR agencies. Eric made things look effortless and perfect. Rudi was like a monsoon on stage mastering the wildness in him. He was passion and restraint. Eric’s elegance surpassed everyone else’s. Too bad he didn’t have a PR team and too bad he chain smoked. I wish I had seen him dance live. He was sublime.
Very nice. The ballet world is strange. They work like the dickens, and aim for perfection, but rarely feel they approach it. They are products of their age, & the style/expectations/costumes of that period. The Prime soon passes, and then it's on to character parts. Maybe they teach or coach then; and burn out. But they are all part of the long process of keeping Ballet alive, and making their little mark. Bruhn is very eloquent about the process, & self-aware. You can feel the solitary, intelligent, slightly difficult independence in him; & that adaptation to aging (which is SO difficult); and you can not NOT admire his work ethic & humility. He comes off as someone worth knowing (if he would have ever let you).. as well as a handsome and talented guy. A real Star.
And let me say: he was also a gorgeous character dancer! His Coppelius is tremendous - even in this two glimps - you can see it! And in other roles of course - Jean.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful documentary. What a remarkable artist and thinker Erik Bruhn was. The purity of his lines has an innate quality that transcends his training. A most graceful man whose eloquence conveys a sense of being deeply alone in this world.
I recall being in the audience for Bruhn's National Ballet of Canada Coppelia and his performance as the dollmaker was unforgettable. A rivetting, electrifying performance....pure magic.
I saw him dance in Denmark many times and then in the latter seventies in Edmonton with the national ballet of Canada but in a character role. He had an amazing stage presence, musical ability and was simply spellbinding
I saw him dance many times and everything you've heard about how wonderful he was is without question is true. I was even lucky enough to see him in Copenhagen on stage acting.
+ganamor lucky to have had the Bruhn experience - i never doubted he lived up to his legend. i only saw him once on stage with London Festival Ballet, as Madge the witch.
a deep and insightful look into the life and mind of Erik Bruhn the dancer and the man. the cool, calm exterior masks a complex individual who in my opinion is more loveable as a consequence, i have never doubted his brilliance. thanks for sharing this precious documentary, a window into this legendary dancer and oh so human individual!
TheBallet1 hi! i too came away from the documentary with a greater sense and appreciation for Bruhn the man - it was his gentle self-deprecation and insight into himself that made me warm to him too. decided to upload this doco i couldn't see it anywhere else on YT lots of similar docos as just sycophantic tributes to the dancer in question w- this gives some real substance.
I'm glad I found this video. Unfortunately, I live in a former communist country, so I've never heard of Erik Bruhn. Nureyev is also because he is Russian. I loved him. The "holy crazy" Tatar. It was like a dynamite. But now I see the Master, the elegant, noble prince of fairytales brought to life by Erik Bruhn. Thank you for the video.
We didn't hear of the great dancers in Russia at that time. Now we have the internet. I was most moved by his Petroushska. I would have loved to have seen the whole of that. It was a beautifully edited film.
@@casteretpollux Of course, you didn’t hear about the Russian dancers of the ’60s, because beyond the barbed wire, it was the graveyard of the great communist empire, the talent! The dissident Nureyev did was tantamount to his death sentence! That’s why his family and friends also suffered! But He was a self-destructive, Crazy genius! Not as sophisticated as Erik Bruhn. But what the two created was itself artistic perfection!
@@csillasuta5511 Sadly, we were only told bad things about Russia, but as a child I had a book of photographs of dancers and my grandmother talked about Pavlova(who travelled everywhere) and knew Russia was the source of and the high point of ballet. RU-vid has given us a chance also to see and hear the wonderful Russian audiences electric response
@@casteretpollux Russia is not equal to communism. Politics and the soul of the people are very different. The false ideology of communism is destruction itself, death !!!!!! It has 100 million victims in the world. The Russian people, good-natured, sentimental and talented. They also suffered a lot. I say this that my country was subjugated and I lived under their rule for 40 years. Yet I see what the truth is!
Yes, Pavlova traveled, but only with strict escorts. But there were thousands more dancers in the country like Pavlova who could not travel abroad. Nureyev also traveled to Paris with the company and sought political asylum there. This would have been fatal for him if he had failed. There's a movie about this called "The White Crow."
Thank you for this documentary. i never knew how brilliant he was intellectually. What a deep thinking he was as well as a brilliant dancer. I saw him with Carla doing Giselle and it felt transparent, ethereal and otherworldly in the 2nd Act.
Considering how much physical pain his incorrectly diagnosed digestive illnesses caused him...and how much certain individuals let him down ( both male and female) am very impressed with his discipline about and dedication to the rigors of exceptional ballet. Add to that his willingness to be a talent scout! Not a selfish man. Nor a cowardly one. Thanks Erik!
omg he was so insightful, to be aware of oneswlf like him, he said "i want to walk alone but not lonely" and wow what an incredible dancer , Rudolph Nureyev tried all his life to have the same body lines like Erick Bruhn but never achieved it, one must be born this way I guess.
This is wonderful! I wish I could find a fiilmed recording of the entire performance of John Neumeier's Epilogue with Erik and Natalia Makarova in 1975.
Stupéfiante humilité : le beau danseur de la Sylphide et du Lac des cygnes danse Petrouckha et Coppelia...Ce film redonne sa grandeur à un danseur magnifique longtemps éclipsé par Rudolph Noureyev. C'est bien, très bien même. Bruhn, l'école danoise, Bournonville...
I really wish there was more footage of Erik in the 1950s when he danced with, for instance, Alonzo. In the film from the late 60s (when a lot of this was shot) he was already 40 years old and his body looks like a shadow of what he was in the mid-50s when he seemed a lot more muscular. There are very few male dancers who look in peak form after the age of about 34 which Erik was in 1962. Certain roles like James in La Sylphide are really young men's roles.
+kabardinka1 yes, it was just before the era where a lot was filmed for posterity there is quite a lot of film of Bruhn in this compilation but still from 1961 to 1967: balletoman.com/338-rudolf-nureyev-erik-bruhn-their-complete-bell-telephone-hour-performances-1961-1967.html there's film of the dancer in Giselle with Alicia Alonzo from 1955 which you'll probably know of? if not, i'll upload it for you here.
+kabardinka1 yes, it was just before the era where a lot was filmed for posterity there is quite a lot of film of Bruhn in this compilation on balletoman's site but still from 1961 to 1967: there's film of the dancer in Giselle with Alicia Alonzo from 1955 which you'll probably know of? if not, i'll upload it for you here.
Yes! As others have said - Erik is a fine piece of porcelain, exceptional artist and person, with hypnotic voice. Hope all fans see the wonderful 1970 photo of the beautiful man at top of "The Erik Bruhn competition 2018-19 season". He inspires me to do my ballet stretches again so I every day try to watch u-tube footage of him.
Christine Still sadly i can't see your comment here - but you are right about the two dancers and pointing their toes - you say "I do not know ballet" but that can be an advantage as you watch without prejudice and can see flaws in the greats :)
Can someone tell me who the composer was of the score for Dygnets Timmar? I can't seem to find out anything about it online. It was sounding a lot like Messiaen.
An online dance bibliography lists the composer of the music for Dygnets Timmar (Hours of the Day) as Swedish jazz pianist Bengt Halberg. It wasn't until I typed this that I noticed who asked this question. Greetings.
i read he is buried Mariebjerg Cemetery in Gentofte, Gentofte Kommune, Hovedstaden, Denmark - perhaps the grave itself is unmarked? i have just also read "He is buried in an unmarked grave at Mariebjerg Cemetery in Gentofte, an affluent northern suburb of Copenhagen, near the house where he grew up"
Меет Людмила Михайловна здравствуйте здравствуйте здравствуйте здравствуйте здравствуйте здравствуйте здравствуйте здравствуйте и в России не знаю что это такое счастье
I think opera is fine....there is not Scott...or Norwegian, English or other wise that lost a life nor would they give up thier life if this is all there was
i Marys tucker. i too never knew about his focussed intelligence - like you saw him but just the once - sadly only in the mime role of Madge in 'La Sylphide' at London Festival Ballet in 1972
pleasure - so many documentary just put the dancer on a pedestal - here, while seeing Bruhn's greatness there's a a sense of a fuller picture of the man.
erik bruhn such a great dancer and a nureyev ex boyfriend ( nureyev cant love or get in love he broked people hearts) great artist dancer but bad person
"great artist dancer but bad person" - my view exactly! he was not good to his boyfriend in Russia - Teja Kremke - who filmed a lot of him at the Mariinsky from the auditorium
you are wrong - maybe you do not have facts enough. From respected people who knew Rudolf Nureyev he was a warm hearted person and loyal true friend. When he defected in Paris he immediately called Kremke to join him..According to Kremkes sister who was a witness of those phone calls Kremke hasitated and then (as you may or may not know) Berlin wall was built ( it was the peak of cold war ) and he was trapped in East Germany. As for Rudolf - he for example supported Margot Fontayn when she had cancer - sending her huge ammounts of money, because she spent all her money on her huseband. Bad person? hm..
@@bobinalimesova7329 thank you for sticking up (defending) for Rudi. I can't stand it when he is criticized. He had the jolly laughter of a nice person and that beautiful smile of his ❤️
There is some news film of him when he was arrested with Fonteyn - drugs bust at a random party. Surrounded by clicking cameras and flash and journos shouting at him for comment and him completely cool, offering his face up to the cameras with slight smile, with subtle changes of angle and regard. I saw him on stage only when he shouldn't have been there: poor feet. Mainly taking bows. Fonteyn had to keep going for money and maybe he did, too, or maybe just couldn't help himself.
