Deanne Bergsma at 80 - and beyond

[Jane S]

Someone mentioned Deanne Bergsma yesterday and looking at her Wikipedia entry I noticed that today is her 80th birthday.

 

It's more than 40 years since she retired from the Royal Ballet, but for me she is still unsurpassed in so many of her roles - Lilac Fairy, Myrthe, Lady Mary Lygon (her created role in Enigma Variations), the Tsarevna in Firebird, the third shade In Bayadere (that's as in Nureyev's production - it's the one with the cabrioles)...  And in my patchwork Swan Lake (all the best bits I've seen, sewn together) she does Odette's exit at the end of Act 2, and probably Siegfried's mother as well.

 

A lovely dancer, in every respect.

 

 

[alison]

Many happy returns to her.  It seems to me that she has had a somewhat lower profile than some of her contemporaries, certainly in recent years.

[Jeannette]

Lovely Sylvia, too, captured on film in rehearsals. Happy birthday, Ms Bergsma! 🎂 

 

One great reason to visit the Robbins Collection at the NYPL -

https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/collections/edme-wood-video-archive#/?tab=about&scroll=20

 

 

 

Edited April 16, 2021 by Jeannette

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Jeannette said:

Lovely Sylvia, too, captured on film in rehearsals. Happy birthday, Ms Bergsma! 🎂 

 

One great reason to visit the Robbins Collection at the NYPL -

https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/collections/edme-wood-video-archive#/?tab=about&scroll=20

 

 

 

 

A mouthwatering collection indeed. A shame they are not available to watch from home. 

[now voyager]

I will never forget her Myrtha (those bourrees!) or her Lilac Fairy.

Edited April 16, 2021 by now voyager

[ninamargaret]

And of course her Hostess in Les Biches

 

[Diandri]

I never saw Deanne Bergsma dance live (she was a bit before my time), but I've adored seeing her photos in the ROH programmes over the years as she always looks so dynamic; my favourite is the Siren from Balanchine's Prodigal Son opposite Nureyev.

Many happy returns of the day!

[DrewCo]

The first performance of the Royal Ballet I ever saw was a Sleeping Beauty at the Met with Bergsma dancing the Lilac Fairy. It was also my first full-length Sleeping Beauty in the theater--I was about 9--and I can't say I have very concrete memories of the performance itself. But I do have very concrete memories of how absolutely enchanted I was by Bergsma's performance. I just ADORED her Lilac Fairy and later commented very earnestly to my mother that every ballerina must want to dance the Lilac Fairy as much as they wanted to dance Aurora.  Unfortunately, that is the only time I saw her dance.

 

Many happy returns indeed!

[Keith Rosson]

Wishing Deanne Bergsma a very happy birthday on 16th April 2022. As one of the great ballerinas of her era her dancing gave great pleasure to so many people during her long career with The Royal Ballet. Her performances as the Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty and Queen of the Wilis in Giselle were acclaimed by Sir Anton Dolin and she achieved great performances as a favourite of Sir Frederick and George Balanchine, and other great choreographers.

Deanne  helped many of the younger dancers and continued a close relationship with The Royal Opera House, where her husband Keith Grant was General Manager of the Opera Company. They were close friends of Sir Benjamin Britten and were involved with Aldeburgh and Glyndebourne festivals. 

Less well known is the help which Deanne has given, and continues to give to many older dancers and other people involved with the Royal Opera House and the ballet world.

Congratulations to Deanne and to Keith.

[Jane S]

Keith, you will see from the number of people who have already 'liked' your post that Deanne Bergsma is remembered with  admiration and affection on this forum - we had a conversation about her a year ago, also on her birthday, and it showed that people still think of her as THE Lilac Fairy.

 

(And, assuming you are THE Keith Rosson, the first time I saw her in Swan Lake, you were her Siegfried!)

[Jan McNulty]

Hello Keith and welcome to the Forum!

[li tai po]

Deanne Bergsma had an unforgettable presence on stage, so stylish and elegant.  Her face was often mysterious, almost hypnotic, in the way she drew your attention.  I cannot watch Enigma Variations without remembering her as Lady Mary Lygon.

 

After she retired from the Royal Ballet, she came back in 1992 as Tadzio's mother, "the Lady of the Pearls", in Death in Venice.  It was a joy to encounter her elegance and sophistication once more, soft yet commanding.

 

https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/from-left-to-right-ballet-dancers-monica-mason-keith-rosson-news-photo/1293625

Edited April 16, 2022 by li tai po

[alison]

I thought we had an existing thread on Ms Bergsma, so have merged the two

[Peanut68]

2 hours ago, li tai po said:

Deanne Bergsma had an unforgettable presence on stage, so stylish and elegant.  Her face was often mysterious, almost hypnotic, in the way she drew your attention.  I cannot watch Enigma Variations without remembering her as Lady Mary Lygon.

 

After she retired from the Royal Ballet, she came back in 1992 as Tadzio's mother, "the Lady of the Pearls", in Death in Venice.  It was a joy to encounter her elegance and sophistication once more, soft yet commanding.

 

https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/from-left-to-right-ballet-dancers-monica-mason-keith-rosson-news-photo/1293625

The link above brings up Cricketer Alec Stewart…???