Thursday, April 10, 2014

A to Z Blog Challenge -- I is for Prince Ivan from The Firebird



Welcome to Day 9 of this year's A to Z Blog Challenge.

Time for more ballet!


Remember, kids -- when you're a ballet freak, there's never enough ballet.
  


I is for Prince Ivan from The Firebird ballet

Prince Ivan is played here by Andris Liepa, former Bolshoi dancer and now an artistic director for the Russian Seasons 21st Century project, which reproduces the ballets of the golden era of Les Ballet Russes headed by ballet legend Sergei Diaghilev.

The Firebird is played by Nina Ananiashvili, also with the Bolshoi at the time this film was made in 1997. Andris and Nina enjoyed a 15-year dance partnership and it really shows in this piece. Their trust in one another allows for bolder movements than usual during steps that rely on one another for balance.

I suppose we could sneak another 'I' word in here, as the fabulous score is by Igor Stravinsky. At the time, Diaghilev tapped the young unknown composer for this initial collaboration which ultimately led to The Rite of Spring and the historic May 29th, 1913 audience riot when the public was confronted with a piece that became one of the most influential works in the 20th century.


  

1 comments:

Arlee Bird said...

I've never seen the ballet, but I remember listening to the recording when I was in 4th grade. I'm sure there was a film strip of some kind of images. They had to keep us visually stimulated.

Lee
Wrote By Rote
An A to Z Co-host blog