Sylvie Guillem documentary BBC2

[Beryl H]

Just noticed there's a Culture Show documentary about Sylvie Guillem this Wednesday BBC2 at 10pm til 10.30pm, looks like a new programme.

 

 

[alison]

Thanks for that, Beryl.  That'll teach me not to look ahead in my TV guide!

[LinMM]

Great thanks for that....just been trying to find out her height on another thread just now but no hard info yet!

[loveclassics]

5 ft 8 inches, I believe.  Sorry not fully metric-converted yet!

[LinMM]

Me neither had to use one of those conversion charts!!

[alison]

Thought Sylvia was probably 5' 7", actually

 

Anyway, just bumping this to remind people it's on tonight.  I believe The Culture Show does get repeated later in the week, should you miss it, but can't spot it in the listings at the moment.

[LinMM]

Yes definitely on at 10 pm tonight on BBC 2!

[Jacqueline]

Just watched the programme on iplayer. It was an interesting programme, with lots of footage of her career, from early days in gymnastics and ballet, then onto her time with Nureyev, the RB and onto the modern stuff. I like her rather laid back style and sense of humour. She gives the impression she is totally at ease with herself and content that although her career as a dancer is coming to an end, she did it how she wanted!  The middle section of the programme was about her involvement in environmental issues, which included some footage of man's inhumanity to man and beast, shocking and horrible to see, even though we know it goes on. I greatly admire the people who have the guts to stand up against this horror and Sylvie is a wonderful spokesperson for them. We then returned to Sadler's Wells and footage of prep and performance of 6000 Miles Away. I have to admit I did not enjoy this show, in fact I loathed it. However, I suppose as she says, people interpreted it in different ways, one of which was to see her role in the third piece as a woman getting older and reflecting on life. So, it was a fitting end to what could have been a much better programme if it had been on for an hour. Giving it half an hour made it seem rather truncated, with a little bit of this and a little bit of that all wedged into 30 minutes. The early footage of her reminded me of what a fabulous dancer she was and I have just received my DVD of Push, which I am looking forward to, as I loved that show. 

[alison]

Jacqueline, I rather agree about the truncatedness, but still good to see.  I remember watching that piece she was doing in the white tutu at the POB on French TV just after she'd been promoted to étoile - I know it caused a lot of talk at the time, but I wasn't sufficiently interested in ballet at that point to pay heed to it.

[LinMM]

I thought a longer programme could have been dedicated to her as well. It felt a little rushed and I feel she is such an interesting person. And wow to be dancing like she is at 48 is pretty admirable.....even though she herself says she feels she's had the right body for it all.

 

There must be loads of material they could have used but would have been nice to see her in collaboration with someone in the actual creation of a work. Anyway better than nothing as I believe she hardly ever gives any interviews.

[Josephine]

Part of this programme is now on YouTube:

 

[John Mallinson]

The programme on iPlayer

[alison]

I see we finally have a repeat of this: 12.05 am next Monday (but showing in the Sunday TV schedules, of course).

[LinMM]

Worth a second viewing I think.

[alison]

I see we finally have a repeat of this: 12.05 am next Monday (but showing in the Sunday TV schedules, of course).

 

I've just re-checked my TV guide and realised that it's a sign-language-interpreted broadcast, so thought I'd warn anyone who'd been thinking of recording it.  Unfortunately, I've deleted the original recording now because I thought I could re-record it tonight

[alison]

I've just re-checked my TV guide and realised that it's a sign-language-interpreted broadcast, so thought I'd warn anyone who'd been thinking of recording it.  Unfortunately, I've deleted the original recording now because I thought I could re-record it tonight

 

Not only that, but the programme totally failed to record anyway, so I can't re-watch it, sign-language interpreter or no. Grrrrr!!!