Dance-Actresses

[Melody]

I've been reading the reviews of the latest RB triple-bill, and I was struck by the number of reviews (not just of this triple-bill but also previously) referring to Zenaida Yanowsky as a "dance-actress." I'm wondering if this is some new subdivision of dancer, because I thought that being an actor was an intrinsic part of being a dancer (or opera singer). I suppose this goes back to the argument about whether pure technique is becoming paramount, and the tendency for contemporary ballets to be abstract to a greater degree than a few decades ago, but it seems strange to me that the ability to act is being called out as something apparently different from the norm.

 

Is ballet training these days de-emphasising acting in favour of spending more time on pure physical ability and technique, or is this "dance-actress" business just a currently fashionable catch-phrase?

Edited June 1, 2016 by Melody

[loveclassics]

Clement Crisp has often referred to 'dance-actors' over the last two decades so it's not newly fashionable.

 

Linda

[alison]

Sarah Wildor was referred to as a "dance actress" maybe 15 years ago.

[bridiem]

Yes, it's a term that's been used for a long time. When I started watching ballet, it was often used in relation to Lynn Seymour but it may well have been used before that too. Dance-actor was and is a recognised term too (e.g. David Wall, Stephen Jefferies etc).

 

From what I can gather from what dancers have said over the years, the acting element of dance has sometimes been somewhat neglected in training, though I'm sure that varies according to school. But some dancers have an exceptional ability to express/embody a character through dramatic ability and not just by dancing the choreography very well. I think it's comparatively rare, and incredibly precious. Zenaida Yanowsky is definitely in that category. I don't know to what extent the talent is instinctive or innate in some dancers, but I think it can also develop. e.g. Fiona Chadwick at the beginning of her career was a beautiful but rather reserved and sometimes even inexpressive dancer; by the time of her retirement she had developed into a superb and sophisticated actress.

[Sim]

The same can be said about Jonathan Cope, who didn't make much dramatic impression at the start of his career, but by the end of it was up there with the finest dance actors around. His Rudolf was wonderful, and I think his partnership with Tamara Rojo, especially in MacMillan, really brought him out of himself to great effect.

 

I think the terminology is a valid one, because it differentiates between those who can dance the choreography, and those who can dance it, feel it, interpret it, characterise it and, most importantly, elicit empathy and emotion from the audience.

[Melody]

The same can be said about Jonathan Cope, who didn't make much dramatic impression at the start of his career, but by the end of it was up there with the finest dance actors around. His Rudolf was wonderful, and I think his partnership with Tamara Rojo, especially in MacMillan, really brought him out of himself to great effect.

 

I think the terminology is a valid one, because it differentiates between those who can dance the choreography, and those who can dance it, feel it, interpret it, characterise it and, most importantly, elicit empathy and emotion from the audience.

 I agree with all that, but I don't recall Margot Fonteyn being referred to as a dance-actress, yet she could inhabit a role better than almost anyone I remember seeing. When she danced Aurora or Juliet in her mid-40s, I was seeing a teenager on the stage, while her Marguerite was all woman and Ondine was very other-worldly.

Edited June 2, 2016 by Melody

[Jan McNulty]

In my opinion "dance-actor/actress" is a very high accolade for a dancer.

 

Yes, dancers are expected to act, particularly in narrative works, and most can.  To be a dance-actor/actress, for me, transcends that dancer who can act tag.  Some of the dancers I have seen who have attained this status are:

 

Trinidad Sevillano

Koen Onzia

Desire Samaii

Marion Tait

Martha Leebolt

Toby Batley

Robert Parker

[Ian Macmillan]

I have no issue with the terminology and, if we are to have dance actresses, then Zenaida Yanowsky must be in the first rank of those around today.  And the need for dancers to be also actors and actresses was one faced by the ROH management back around 1957, when there was the 12-strong Opera Ballet group.  The dancers were told that they would be given a number of acting lessons and, on turning up in the Crush Bar on the first appointed morning, they found that their tutor was to be Sir John Gielgud.

[Josephine]

Lovely posts by bridiem and Sim. So agree that this interpretative ability is indeed 'incredibly precious'.

 

On another note, I do wish that reviewers would switch to using 'actor' for both men and women, as J Mackrell does, I think. I often wonder why the term 'actress' is not seen as archaic, like poetess or paintress!!

[Two Pigeons]

Good list Janet. Please may I add David Bintley and Michael O'Hare.

[Melody]

I have no issue with the terminology and, if we are to have dance actresses, then Zenaida Yanowsky must be in the first rank of those around today.  And the need for dancers to be also actors and actresses was one faced by the ROH management back around 1957, when there was the 12-strong Opera Ballet group.  The dancers were told that they would be given a number of acting lessons and, on turning up in the Crush Bar on the first appointed morning, they found that their tutor was to be Sir John Gielgud.

Wow, so they took it really seriously by the sound of it.

 

Does the current curriculum at the RBS include acting lessons?

[Melody]

Lovely posts by bridiem and Sim. So agree that this interpretative ability is indeed 'incredibly precious'.

 

On another note, I do wish that reviewers would switch to using 'actor' for both men and women, as J Mackrell does, I think. I often wonder why the term 'actress' is not seen as archaic, like poetess or paintress!!

Or dancress. Ack!

[capybara]

In my view both Francesca Hayward and Yasmine Naghdi have this week consolidated their places as very fine dance actresses. The Invitation makes huge, wide ranging demands on its dancers, especially on The Girl, and they both took their audience on that harrowing journey.

[alison]

Good list Janet. Please may I add David Bintley and Michael O'Hare.

 

How anyone could leave Edward Watson out of that list is beyond me   Or Gary Avis, Bennet Gartside, ...

[capybara]

How anyone could leave Edward Watson out of that list is beyond me   Or Gary Avis, Bennet Gartside, ...

 

I think that there is sometimes a tendency to hark back to the past rather than to celebrate the amazing talents of today's artists.

[Two Pigeons]

Irek Mukhamedov?

[Two Pigeons]

Lovely posts by bridiem and Sim. So agree that this interpretative ability is indeed 'incredibly precious'.

On another note, I do wish that reviewers would switch to using 'actor' for both men and women, as J Mackrell does, I think. I often wonder why the term 'actress' is not seen as archaic, like poetess or paintress!!

Sorry but I disagree. To me the word actress suggests glamour and excitement. Actor is either male or just utilitarian.

[zxDaveM]

On another note, I do wish that reviewers would switch to using 'actor' for both men and women, as J Mackrell does, I think. I often wonder why the term 'actress' is not seen as archaic, like poetess or paintress!!

 

Its a 'Guardian' thing - they always refer to males or females as 'actor', rather than actor for men, and actress for women. House style I guess!

[Anna C]

How anyone could leave Edward Watson out of that list is beyond me   Or Gary Avis, Bennet Gartside, ...

Agreed - and personally I would add Lauren Cuthbertson to the list. Was it in "Infra" that she was required to stand still and cry? Moved me to tears. She's my favourite modern-day Juliet too because she's able to inhabit the role so completely.

[Ian Macmillan]

Amongst today's Links, Ismene Brown describes Francesca Hayward as 'a blistering actress' when reviewing The Invitation - and if she is happy with 'actress,' then I don't expect to change my usage of the term anytime soon.

[Fonty]

Sorry but I disagree. To me the word actress suggests glamour and excitement. Actor is either male or just utilitarian.

 

Yes, I can't see anything wrong with being called an actress, it just indicates the sex of the performer.  Otherwise, you have to say female actor, which is the term they use at the Oscars now.  Seems just plain silly to me.  

[alison]

I think there's a view that "feminising" certain professions reduces the esteem in which they are held compared with their male counterparts. Although possibly in this case it may be linked to the justifiable concerns about the lack of parity between male and female acting in Hollywood.

 

I think that there is sometimes a tendency to hark back to the past rather than to celebrate the amazing talents of today's artists.

Very true, capybara. When Cory Stearns was promoted to principal at ABT, I remember pointing out that some balletgoers, in bemoaning the fact that he wasn't Carreno, Stiefel or one of his other illustrious retired or on-the-verge-of-retirement predecessors, risked missing out on appreciating the different qualities which he would undoubtedly bring.

[capybara]

Amongst today's Links, Ismene Brown describes Francesca Hayward as 'a blistering actress' when reviewing The Invitation - and if she is happy with 'actress,' then I don't expect to change my usage of the term anytime soon.

 

But, unfortunately, this article is behind a paywall.

[Sim]

That's strange....it wasn't for me, and I don't pay a sub for the Spectator!

[Ian Macmillan]

The Spectator permits limited access per month or somesuch before closing access to non-subscribers, like the Financial Times and others - it's not a total paywall as used by The Times.  

[Angela]

Marcia Haydée. Alessandra Ferri. Alina Cojocaru. How could you forget them???

[annamicro]

Marcia Haydée. Alessandra Ferri. Alina Cojocaru. How could you forget them???

I don't know, they are the 3 names popping out in my head when I hear "dance actress".

I would just add Silvia Azzoni and Tamara Rojo (when she want) among the contemporary dancers.

Edited June 2, 2016 by annamicro

[Jan McNulty]

How anyone could leave Edward Watson out of that list is beyond me   Or Gary Avis, Bennet Gartside, ...

 

 

I listed dancers I have seen a lot of.  That is not the case (for me) with the three gentlemen you list.

[Jan McNulty]

But, unfortunately, this article is behind a paywall.

 

You get a miserly quota of articles per month.  I was locked out on my laptop (apart from the first couple of paragraphs) but was able to access it from my phone.

[CHazell2]

How about Galina Ulanova - she was reputed to be the greatest dance-actress of her day. I can certainly see why whilst I am watching her Juliet.

[FLOSS]

Melody I can't help thinking that the obvious answer as to why you find references to the acting abilities of dancers in reviews and on sites like this has a great deal to do with the nature of the repertory that a company is dancing at a particular time. Cranko's Onegin and MacMillan's Manon and to a lesser extent Mayerling, ballets created for the choreographers' home companies, now form part of the international repertory and are now danced by many more companies than in the past. As these works are dance dramas this makes it likely that at some point you will read accounts of performances which discuss the expressive qualities of some dancers. In my experience it is the exceptional dramatic dance performance that tends to be noted by critics and fans alike.No one,to my knowledge,ever wrote about Bussell's abilities as a dance actress, except, perhaps to say that they were limited. They did write about Rojo's acting.

 

If you have noticed a lot of references to the moving quality of performances by dancers like Hayward and Naghdi that is because they are both dance actresses of considerable quality and have recently been appearing in ballets which call for those skills. It is true that dancers are called upon to dance roles and portray characters in many ballets but the amount of emotional and psychological truth that are required varies from ballet to ballet and choreographer to choreographer.

 

Fonteyn danced a lot of Ashton's ballets but Marguerite and Armand is the closest that Ashton ever got to dance drama and in this ballet everything clearly remains firmly within the bounds of classical dance with all that implies. Ashton did not go in for the psychological truth that Tudor did or the style of acting that MacMillan did.The distraught Julia of Ashton's Wedding Bouquet is sad and forlorn, but we are not invited to take her fate seriously. As for her other pre war roles I know that Pamela May said that there were ballets in which they both appeared in which Fonteyn made her cry but I have no idea whether she moved her audience as well.Perhaps the reason we don't think of Fonteyn in terms of her acting ability has more to do with the roles and the choreographer that we now associate her with than anything else. Perhaps it is Ashton's method of creating characters through choreographic detail and the fact that so much of the work with which she is associated with were demi character/classical roles that leads us to have our current view of her. After all today Michael Coleman is remembered, if at all, for the comic roles that he danced rather than as a fine classical dancer. Hardly anyone, except those who saw him, associates him with roles like Solor in Nureyev's Kingdom of the Shades and the first cast Swan Lake pas de trois.

 

Lynn Seymour clearly brought something very different from Fonteyn into the studio with her. She had a truly extraordinary expressiveness which both MacMillan and Ashton exploited to the full. Like a great actor you were not aware that she was acting a role she simply was the character that she was playing. I don't recall whether the critics wrote at great length about her acting skills. However she was not the first great dance actress of the twentieth century. That title belongs to Nora Kaye who danced a wide range of roles but is best remembered for her appearance in the first American performances of Tudor's Lilac Garden, took over the role of Juliet from Markova in Tudor's Romeo and Juliet, created Hagar in his ballet Pillar of Fire and created the role of Lizzie Borden in de Mille's Fall River Legend.

 

 

I somehow think that ballet's dramatic output in the mid twentieth century was a return to its nineteenth century roots after all it was not all Italian technicians. I think that a dancer like Carlotta Grisi must have had some skill as an actress when you consider that both Giselle and Esmeralda were created for her. Please remember neither of these ballets looked much like they do today when both have suffered from "improvements"by stager's afraid of boring the audience.

Edited June 4, 2016 by FLOSS

[Jamesrhblack]

Its a 'Guardian' thing - they always refer to males or females as 'actor', rather than actor for men, and actress for women. House style I guess!

If it's a "Guardian thing'" sounds like a good reason to ignore it ;-)

[Jamesrhblack]

I'd also add that when referring to a "dance actor" or "dance actress'" I would think of an artist who has the specific ability to create expression through movement quite as many as anything extraneous. I agree that we shouldn't always hark backwards but for me David Wall had this absolute ability: you really didn't see the joins. I didn't see enough of Seymour to be able to have such specific recall, but I'm confident that she had much the same ability, and although neither was a virtuoso in sheer technical terms (although Wall was certainly very able shirking nothing and I've a hunch Seymour was technically stronger than seems to be assumed given the standards imposed by De Valois) with neither dancer was the actual dance quality made secondary.