I feel this is by far the most difficult variation for any female to dance, and she does it wonderfully. She never seices to amaze me. Her cor is so incredibly strong and the presence she has on stage is out of this world. This is something that can't be taught, you either have it or you don't. She just sparkles and amazes on stage, she is a name no one will ever forget☆
Dame Bussell gives pure joy in her delightful interpretation and excellence with such a radiance in this challenging Rose Adagio. She is the ultimate Aurora💖
Am I the only one that loves the part that starts at 2:35? The arms move like a blossoming rose, and I find it quite sad that other versions other than Royal's don't have it
It's divine! As soon as you gave the time stamp I knew exactly the part you were talking about! It's always been one of the highlights of this piece of choreography! The music makes such a dynamic change. It's very stiring And Darcey is so elegant as well, so it's a incredible treat!
The filming was not that bad. I saw this gala on TV and it was fine. The fault is with all these people who do duff copies with basic equipment and then post on RU-vid.
Very nice. Every develope a la seconde is sharp and full of strength, her port de bras capture her emotion and her pirouettes are as if she's savoring them. Wonderful Ms. Bussell.
Yep - I've seen her do much better too. Every dancer has 'off' days. I've seen the great Sylvie Guillem twice fall completely off balance (not this particular adagio, but another). On one occasion she actually had to put her leg down and start again. I think that's part of why Guillem didn't like to be filmed - you could be caught in a poor performance and judged on that forever (not that this is an poor performance overall, just that a couple of the balances are a bit shaky).
My second favorite Rose Adagio :) The best part is not her impeccable technique, but her amazing portrayal of 16 year-old Aurora! She doesn't hold back!
Bussell was due to dance in the recording of the Dowell production but, due to illness, was replaced by Viviana Durante. She is wonderful here - nice tight attitudes, lovely finish to her movements and that old English demureness. Thanks for posting.
Thank you for the comments. I have always been wondering why I couldn't find a complete recording with Darcey Bussell? Now I see. I love a lot the video with Viviana Durante, of course, she is sensational, but I would love to see the whole ballet with darcey Bussell. At least we have this video ✨😉
Most professional ballet dancers have to train from the age of three in order to get to that standard. Darcy didn't begin ballet until she was 14! That is a rare.
The brilliance of this performance totally transcends the fuzziness of the video. In fact, Herman Hesse wrote about this very phenomenon in Steppenwolf. At the end, Mozart chastises the Steppenwolf for complaining about the quality of the radio, and commands him to acknowledge the miracle inherent in the very fact of listening to Mozart through a little box. I think Darcy Bussell equals Mozart in this clip. I watch it over and over again.
I have to be honest. I would've thought this was an amazing performance IF I HAD NOT WATCHED CYNTHIA GREGORY before viewing this. It's like Night and Day.
No, the definitive in my book is Viviana Durante. I don't think it's on RU-vid but I have the DVD of her Royal Ballet performance (wish I'd been there - absolutely rock solid, not a wobble in site!
Viviana is too stiff and not as graceful and genuinely fluid as Darcy. No, Viviana barely waits a second for one of the suitors. Darcy is the very best ever 16 year old enchanted princess 🌷
Nothing but nothing is definitive in art or one might say why bother reviving Hamlet after Olivier? We all have favourites, we wouldn't be human if we didn't but our favourite performances are influenced by endless factors. This is a breathtaking achievement, saying it doesn't compare to something Margot Marianonavichnakov did in 1805 really doesn't contribute much to the proceedings.
Guys, that's enough. E-NOUGH!! Stop judging her, every ballerina can make a mistake so stop talking like: "Oh, she's wobbling too much! Oh she makes it look difficult!" For God's sake, who do you think she is? A ballerina! She can do all the movements in ballet after all! Did you see her wobble in any other performances of hers except THIS?! No words or judgement, without hesitation, she is the Queen of Ballet!!!!
The super high extensions usually bother me, but for some reason they look just right for her. Must be the line she develops. So many lovely things going on in this version. (Did not like the "sit lift" for Ms. Aurora--not proper for a young lady to sit on a gentleman's shoulder. LOL.)
You do not need to start ballet at age 3 to be a professional. 3 year olds are learning to skip and cartwheel in classes. If Darcey started at 14 yes that is rare and clearly she is a natural, but modt dancers start around 8 years old and that is when you are physically able to demonstrate proper ballet and stand up straight.
I read the comment which stated that she didn't start dancing till aged 14 lower down after I had already replied to you. It's an absurd notion that anyone, however naturally gifted, could rise to being a Prima Ballerina at a company like the RB without extensive training in childhood, and Darcey is no exception. As I said earlier, she was accepted into the Royal Ballet School at the age of 13, so must have already been of a high standard. There is a BBC documentary on here where she talks about her time there, and her career and views. It's very interesting and would recommend viewing. Lasts about 40 mins, I think.
Ok let's be fair. She is not Cynthia or Sylvie, but she is good, at least she tried the balances (some very high ranked ballerinas have cut them off). Furthermore she is graceful and cheerful
it doesn't really make a whole heap of difference when you've been on your toes the whole performance.... ballerinas are used to pain and just put up with it
Sad that the over-high uber-extensions have become the norm. They're tasteless in this context. Much prefer Cynthia Gregory's developpés, as well has how smoothly she rolls down from relevé. The current preference for over-arched feet and hyperextensible hips yields dancers who are weaker, with those wobbly balances, and the spectacle of contortion a poor stand-in for the beauty of line.
I must agree. As much as I love many of today's dancers like Cojocaru and Osipova, they look downright mechanical when compared side-by-side to dancers like Gregory. It truly is sad that lines, technique, and body type have become more favorable than artistry. Ballet has just become so overly competitive today.
Lizzie H. I think that's why the dancer I most like to see do *anything* these days is Nela Nunez. She does have a high extension and can turn like there's no tomorrow, but she's a superlative dramatic ballerina, and every inch of her body comes alive with the music no matter what she's dancing. Much as I enjoy watching Osipova, I feel like the BalletCinema series is giving her an unfair amount of exposure (Nunez got Manon this year and Don Q last) compared to Nunez and Cuthbertson and the others (at least Laura Morera and Yuhui Choe appear frequently in soloist and demi-soloist roles)
Fonteyn was an "Old School" ballerina - she didnt have high extensions or that linky-ness that dancers today have, but she had more than that - the emotions! Why do dancers of today differ so much more then the dancers of the time she came from? Is it becasue they are more occupied with technique?
I have to agree, I've seen both in person [and countless others including the great Kirkland and Makarova] and while there's a 'cleanliness to this type of dancing the same could be said of Kirkland's without the whacking. Ms Gregory's control on the way down from every pose should be studied. I blame the coaches. But don't let's fall into the Ratmansky trap, equally awful.
wow.immaculate.love how she gets those legs right up high and straight. love costume. Soak feet every night in a basin of hot water. pour baby oil into water, mussel soak and bubble bath. use soap and a nail brush to scrub feet. this way u avoid any blisters and nasty infection. feet stay soft clean and moistureised.
I have to agree---she actually cuts one balance in the first set. I realize that in order not to fall on your face, you sometimes have to extend quickly from attitude to arabesque on the last balance, but compare Cynthia Gregory and Sylvie Guillem. They had the control but also the understanding that the beauty of this movement is in the transition itself, not in going from attitude to arabesque at the speed of light. She's filmed at an odd, uncomplimentary angle in places, and sometimes it is harder to pull everything together---the character, the dance, the sense of occasion---when, as here, you're only doing an excerpt from a 3-hour ballet.
To her defense, I saw her in NYC a few years back and she was amazing. her balances were like steel....I still don't like that there's no resistance in the legs....just whacking and she's not the worst of the batch in this.
"Going from attitude to arabesque at the speed of light" is probably something she learned from Margot Fonteyn, who used to do the same, and sometimes coached Darcey. It's a response to the music and creates a level of excitement that many performances just don't have. Check this video about rare film footage recently discovered ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-UEqxqOLnQVo.html
Hmmm I watched this after watching Margot Fonteyn performing the Rose Adagio. Miss Bussell doesn't even come anywhere near Margot's performance, Miss Bussell looks like a rank amateur in comparison.
Fonteyn was an "Old School" ballerina - she didnt have high extensions or that linky-ness that dancers today have, but she had more than that - the emotions! Why do dancers of today differ so much more then the dancers of the time she came from? Is it becasue they are more occupied with technique?
Awful. .Margot Fontayn is best..Fonteyn was an "Old School" ballerina - she didnt have high extensions or that linky-ness that dancers today have, but she had more than that - the emotions! Why do dancers of today differ so much more then the dancers of the time she came from? Is it becasue they are more occupied with technique?
I respect your point of view but im so disagree with you... theres no comparation to the artistry level of ms Fonteyn, but i dont think that Darcey isnt an artist... the royal ballet ballerinas are amazing in that way, even now! Represented by ms Nunez who is an amazing artist! But..if you think like that... you should see the mariinsky dancers...they are all emotionless(except V. Tereshkina) they dont even look their partners! They have amazing positions, but ballet is not thar. Darcey is amazing! (Sorry my english)
