Jan McNulty Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 I've put a link to a featurette in Today's links: MarieClaire I thought people might like to discuss! Of course I am biased but I would have included Mao's Last Dancer. Another film I would have included is White Nights. Over to you......... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 There's one on the list that I think has already been consigned to Room 101...? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mart Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 I'm giving you my list The red shoes Mao's last dancer (Chi Cao is magnificent ) White nights Turning pointe Billy Elliot Disney' Fantasia (The Ostriches /Hippos and the Crocodile Hippo Pas de deux Genius) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted December 5, 2013 Author Share Posted December 5, 2013 Oh, good list Mart! Yes Chi is good isn't he! I dont actually like The Red Shoes but it is a good film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 The Red Shoes (in the cinema) The Red Shoes (on dvd) The Red Shoes (on vhs video) and, er....... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidW Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 I'd have to include my guilty pleasure ballet movie - Center Stage! Not least for the glimpses of Ethen Stiefel and Julie Kent in Stars and Stripes and the R&J Balcony Pas de Deux... Agree that I'd include Mao's Last Dancer too. Definitely need to watch White Nights, Red Shoes and Turning point! (I always forget that Center Stage was directed by Nicholas Hytner...) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mart Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 Janet the red Shoes to see Massine in the cancan and Helpmann being outrageous !!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted December 5, 2013 Author Share Posted December 5, 2013 And not to see because it depresses me! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aruna S Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 (edited) Any list which includes Black Swan - let alone putting it at the top - is garbage-bin worthy IMO. However it does include three of my all time faves, Red Shoes, Turning Point and Billy Elliot so it redeems itself. I would also have included Centre Stage and Waterloo Bridge. Ashamed to admit I haven't seen either White Nights or Mao's Last Dancer but they're on my to do list. Edited December 5, 2013 by afds 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 I'm giving you my list The red shoes Mao's last dancer (Chi Cao is magnificent ) White nights Turning pointe Billy Elliot Disney' Fantasia (The Ostriches /Hippos and the Crocodile Hippo Pas de deux Genius) Absolutely! I 've only seen Red Shoes (about 50 times) and Billy Elliot, although I do have Black Swan recorded and intend to watch it at some point. Not having seen them, i can't say how much ballet is actually in included. However, can I extend the list with films that contain ballet sequences? 1. What's Opera Doc? Bugs Bunny does a lovely pas de deux with Elmer. 2. Flashdance - well, the heroine does want to get into ballet school, doesn't she? 3. Fame - some fabulous dancing, and there is some ballet in there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 Any list which includes Black Swan - let alone putting it at the top - is garbage-bin worthy IMO. I'll second that! It's not a ballet film, it's a film about someone losing their marbles - who just happens to be a ballerina! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 However, can I extend the list with films that contain ballet sequences? 1. What's Opera Doc? Bugs Bunny does a lovely pas de deux with Elmer. 2. Flashdance - well, the heroine does want to get into ballet school, doesn't she? That's my fave Bugs Bunny cartoon - top choice! And love flashdance! also sequences in American in Paris (Gene Kelly) and in Carousel (the movie) which is one of my favourite films 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Macmillan Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 Dave: I agree absolutely on the long Gene Kelly/Leslie Caron dance sequence in American in Paris. And I'd add the barn-raising sequence in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - though neither was strictly a 'ballet film.' 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 Dave: I agree absolutely on the long Gene Kelly/Leslie Caron dance sequence in American in Paris. And I'd add the barn-raising sequence in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers - though neither was strictly a 'ballet film.' Seven Brides was a cracking dance sequence. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zxDaveM Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 ...an so was the 'June is Bustin' Out All Over' in Carousel. I think i'll have to watch that tonight now... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 Yes, a vote here for the dancing in Seven Brides - dd's favourite film - and Carousel. I'm with Janet on The Red Shoes - I find it incredibly depressing! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anjuli_Bai Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 If we are keeping it to ballet as being the center of the story, not peripheral, and not including musicals - mine would be: Turning Pointe - for the inclusion of the many great stars of the day (which was a stated purpose of the producers) Mao's Last Dancer Centre Stage If we include in the list ballet as a well done but a peripheral element, I would have to add "Limelight,." If we include musicals, I would have to add: "West Side Story", "Fiddler on the Roof (Wedding Dance)", everything by Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. If we include a movie in which dance occurs: everything by Charlie Chaplin Moira Shearer does dance beautifully in The Red Shoes, but I agree, I don't like the movie. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aruna S Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 I did hesitate over Flashdance, but decided it wasn't strictly speaking a ballet film. If it's to be widened to dance in general, apart from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers I think almost anything with Fred Astaire would count including the one in which he danced with a hatstand. Was it Royal Wedding? There's no way I can keep this down to 5! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anjuli_Bai Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 If we have a catagory in which a dance scene adds splendidly to a movie: The tango dance scene in Scent of a Woman. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O`Brien Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 If we`re not talking about just ballet ; the "Surprise" dance [and song] the guy does in the film A Chorus Line. He is extraordinary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrischris Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 I'll second that! It's not a ballet film, it's a film about someone losing their marbles - who just happens to be a ballerina! Exactly. It's a stunning, stunning film. Don't think any film has shown that kind of obsessive paranoia so effectively. The fact that she was a ballerina was pretty irrelevant. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted December 6, 2013 Author Share Posted December 6, 2013 Stunning dance in film - well you've got to include Strictly Ballroom. Apart from all the other dance sequences shown, the paso doble at the end is just stunning. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 I love that film - as you can probably tell by my signature. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aruna S Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Another nomination for stunning dance in film: All That Jazz 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anjuli_Bai Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Janet - I just watched that Paso Doble on Youtube - it is marvelous. It has a lot in common with the Tango scene in Scent of a Woman. It's not about flinging the body about - it's about skill and passion that comes with ....well....age. In Scent of a Woman, the entire set up for that scene is wonderful. The young guy sees a pretty woman but he has no idea how to approach her. The older man - Al Pacino - with years of practice, shows the younger dude how to do it. He's older, he's blind - she couldn't possibly be interested and yet he captures her attention. His entire aspect changes, softens - hides the steely resolve. He sits down with her, and then with the wisdom of age, gets her to dance with him. The dance is all about the subtlely of possession - while the younger man watches "the technique" and learns. Dance is the medium - but the intent is much deeper. There are also three marvelous Flamenco films - I have all three - by and with Antonio Geddes: Blood Wedding with Geddes and Cristina Hoyos, Carmen, Geddes, Laura Del Sol, Christina Hoyos, El Amor Brujo, with Geddes, Laura Del Sol, Cristina Hoyos. While Laura Del Sol is young beautiful and a wonderful dancer - it is the older Cristina Hoyos who brings down the house. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted December 6, 2013 Author Share Posted December 6, 2013 How could I forget that wonderful trio of Antonio Gades films - absolutely glorious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 You are all a bad influence on me, I hope you know! So I had to buy Strictly Ballroom after watching that mesmeric paso doble! The copy we had moved up to Lincoln with our eldest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi66 Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 Well if you are including Antonio Gadez/Saura films (Carmen etc), then I must add "Tango" -1999 film directed by Carlos Saura about Tango Argentina. Julio Bocca plays himself in that film and dances beautifully. Also his company, Ballet Argentina shows off some contemprary-ish dances about the dictatorship era of 1970s. On top of a lot of truely beautiful Tango Argentino (NOT the stuff you see on Strictly - those are as ballroom argentine tango, really). I also love Gene Kelly films - very impressive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trog Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 In no particular order Black Tights (Cyd Charisse, Zizi Jeanmaire, Moira Shearer - what's not to like!) The Red Shoes Suspiria (tenuous I know, but it's a great film) White Nights Fantaia 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pas de Quatre Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Sorry Trog can't agree with you over Suspiria. I have to admit I couldn't watch it all the way through as I thought it was sick (in the true meaning of the word not the modern kids way of approval). In fact I thought it had the same merits as Black Swan, i.e. none! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loveclassics Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 Does anyone else remember Michael Powell's 1959 film "Honeymoon"? More of a travelogue than a drama it featured the Spanish dancer Antonio, with appearances by Massine & Ludmilla Tcherina. Worth watching for Antonio's performance in an excerpt from Massine's El Amor Brujo (conducted by Beecham). Rather kitschy but I loved it nevertheless. And if we can include musicals, a must-see is Kiss Me Kate for that wonderful dance sequence with Bob Fosse & Carol Haney ('From This Moment On') and any Fosse fan must see 'Who's got the pain (when they do the mambo)' from Damn Yankees with the stunning Gwen Verdon. Still back in the 50s, the film version of On the Town includes a little ballet dancing from Vera-Ellen but only the music from the original Coney Island ballet scene is included. The John Wilson Orchestra played this lovely piece in a Prom several years ago and just listening to it made me wish I had been around to have seen the original stage show. I'm a bit surprised no one has used this music for a new work - it is perfect for a ballet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Still back in the 50s, the film version of On the Town includes a little ballet dancing from Vera-Ellen but only the music from the original Coney Island ballet scene is included. The John Wilson Orchestra played this lovely piece in a Prom several years ago and just listening to it made me wish I had been around to have seen the original stage show. I'm a bit surprised no one has used this music for a new work - it is perfect for a ballet. And On the Town also includes the wonderful Ann Miller tap dancing too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Williams Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Has anyone suggested the superb Herbert Ross-directed 'Nijinsky' (1980)? I found it an absorbing and beautifully made film. It was as much about Diaghilev as about Nijinsky himself (Alan Bates was Diaghilev and George de la Pena played (and danced) Nijinsky). Everybody but everybody in ballet at the time seemed to be in it (check the IMBb listing http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081235/fullcredits?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm). Sigh. They don't make 'em like that anymore. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now