Ballet Performance Videos

American Ballet Theatre Now Video (1859)
VHS Only - $29.95 On Sale - $19.95
Introduced by Natalia Makarova. Swan Lake: Black Swan Pas de Deux danced by Susan Jaffe and Jose Manuel Carreno; The Leaves Are Fading Pas de Deux danced by Amanda McKerrow and John Gardner; Cruel World Pas de Deux danced by Julie Kent and Robert Hill; Remanso danced by Vladimir Malakhov, Parrish Maynard and Keith Roberts; Romeo and Juliet Balcony Pas de Deux danced by Alessandra Ferri and Julio Bocca; Don Quixote Grand Pas de Deux danced by Paloma Herrera and Angel Corella; Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 3rd Movement danced by Ashley Tuttle, Ethan Stiefel, Julie Kent, Robert Hill, Paloma Herrera, Keith Roberts, Yan Chen, Angel Corella and Company. Produced by Judy Kinberg. Ballets directed by Thomas Grimm. Documentary directed by Judy Kinberg. Edited by Girish Bhargava. Lighting Director Alan Adelman, Executive Producer Jac Venza. American Ballet Theatre Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie, Executive Director Michael M. Kaiser and Orchestra conducted by Jack Everly. 83 mins. VHS-NTSC format only.

Balanchine Video (D2448) Balanchine DVD
DVD Only - $29.95
Regarded as the “Father of American ballet,” and having created 425 works, George Balanchine is, arguably, the foremost choreographer of the 20th century. Originally produced for the PBS series, DANCE IN AMERICA, Balanchine celebrates his artistry and pays tribute to the themes of his ballets. Through rare archival audio and video footage, interviews, film, and photographs, the program traces Balanchine’s life from his youth at the Maryinsky Theater, through his work for Hollywood and Broadway, to his creation of the New York City Ballet. It also examines his thoughts on dancemaking, using interviews with the choreographer himself, and features selections from many of his ballets, including Chaconne, Agon, Symphony in C, Apollo, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Western Symphony, among others. 156 mins. (2004) DVD-All-Region.

Baryshnikov Dances Sinatra Video (D1167)
DVD Only - $29.99
Starring: Mikhail Baryshnikov, Deidre Carberry, Elaine Kudo. Mikhail Baryshnikov performs in three ballets full of human drama, choreographed by Twyla Tharp. In one sense, they all tell the same story-- the vitality, daring, intelligence, and emotional depth that a great dancer possesses, and a brilliant choreographer’s vision of that dancer and of dance itself. As Mikhail Baryshnikov says in the commentary that links the ballets, Twyla Tharp is "classical but in a new way." She has the classical artist’s regard for form and technique and a musicality that some compare to that of George Balanchine, but her approach is always personal, radical and contemporary. 60 mins. (2005) DVD-All-Region.

The Blue Angel Video (1226)
VHS Only - $19.95
French choreographer Roland Petit’s highly acclaimed ballet “The Blue Angel” comes to home video in a superb stage production. This is the ballet rendition of Heinrich Mann’s dramatic story of the alluring Rosa Frohlich, the dancer at the famous Blue Angel cabaret. The program stars Roland Petit as Professor Unrat, Dominique Khalfouni as Rosa, Jean-Pierre Aviotte as Lohmann and features the company of the Ballet National De Marseille Roland Petit. Choreographer Roland Petit proclaims; “The Blue Angel” is the most passionate and most dramatic of my ballets. I decided to follow my choreographic inspiration, allowing the dance to be the driving force, which dictated the action to me. Obviously, the author of the novel is not far off, and the legend of the film is very much present, but it is the dance which calls the tune. The result is a completely new “hellish and heavenly” ballet, with the fol-de-rols of the cabaret, with plastic and with feathers.” This program is a visual and musical delight available for the first time in North America. 78 mins. VHS-NTSC format only.

Bolshoi Ballet Video (1105)
VHS Only - $19.95 On Sale - $14.95
Bolshoi Ballet is a lively and unusual color spectacle about contemporary Soviet ballet that accents the remarkable thorough training and daily rehearsal of dancers and choreographers. This lyrical blending of music and dance explores the difficult and self-sacrificing activity by those who aspire to achieve virtuosity of ease and grace upon the stage. Viewers enter the great rehearsal rooms of the Bolshoi and see how the solo artists and corps de ballet prepare themselves. In a burst of color and motion, the results of such arduous work are displayed in four pieces: Paganini to music by Rachmaninov, Prokofiev’s Stone Flower and a special version of Ravel’s Bolero and Waltz. 80 mins. VHS-NTSC format only.

Born to Be Wild Video (D2932)
DVD Only - $19.95
The depth of male dancing at American Ballet Theatre today is unprecedented in the history of American ballet, thanks to the cadre of international talent gathered by Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie. This performance documentary travels home with Jose Manuel Carreño (Cuba), Angel Corella (Spain), Vladimir Malakhov (Russia), and Ethan Stiefel (USA), exploring the dancers’ personal backgrounds and formal training. The program culminates with a work created especially for the four dancers by acclaimed choreographer Mark Morris, and includes revealing behind-the scenes glimpses of the rehearsal process along the way. 54 mins. (2004) DVD-All-Region.

Bujones: In His Image Video (1141)
VHS Only - $19.95 On Sale - $14.95
Starring Fernando Bujones In Performances and Conversations. Featuring classical variations from Giselle, Raymonda, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Le Corsaire, La Sylphide, and 7-Greek Dances. “10” might be a better title, with the subtitle – the Best of the Classic Male Variations. To have a young virtuoso whose stamina and explosive style have made him a favorite guest artist around the world perform nine variations back-to-back is unprecedented. Only once or twice in our generation, a dancer comes along that can create this special excitement that is always present whenever Fernando Bujones dances. In the words of Clive Barnes, dance critic of the New York Post “…he is the finest make classical dancer this country has ever produced.” “The audiences adore him because he gives all that he has,” says Jane Herman, presentations director of the Metropolitan Opera House. Produced and directed by Zeida Cecilia-Mendez, this video anthology offers an education impossible without video. With one viewing, one gains a sophistication that might escape you despite years of going to the ballet. One stellar moment of slow motion explains the mechanics of a jump better than any patient teacher’s verbalization. This is a dancer whose beats and aerial geometry mark him as one of the greatest of our times. Covering the spectrum from the Romantic bravura of the court, to the stark simplicity of the neo-classical 7-Greek Dances by the brilliant choreographer Maurice Bejart, this video inspires as it touches. The dancer is shown at his peak, and In His Image captures the excitement which Bujones brings to dance. 57 mins. VHS-NTSC format only.

Bujones - Winning at Varna Video (1887)
VHS Only - $19.95 On Sale - $14.95
Hailed as one of the greatest dancers of the 20th century, Fernando Bujones’ gold Medal victory at the International Ballet Competition VII in Varna, Bulgaria on July 24, 1974, developed into a history-making event for the world of dance. In Bujones’ own words, “Winning the gold Medal in the competition was an achievement that remains the truest challenge of self-discipline and courage.” And courage is what it took for a young Bujones to win at age nineteen (still junior age and competing in the senior category) a Gold Medal along wit the “highest Technical Achievement” award. This triumph established him as the champion of the competition, and the first male American dancer to win such an honor. Varna was an exciting turning point in Fernando Bujones’ life that rocketed him to international stardom and a global dance career. 30 mins. VHS-NTSC format only.

Cage & Cunningham Video (1401)
VHS Only - $19.95
Cage/Cunningham documents the fifty-year collaboration between two revolutionary American artists, composer John Cage and choreographer Merce Cunningham. Tracing the history of their renowned and enduring collaboration, the film explores the artistic and philosophical associations that Cage and Cunningham have had with a wide range of leading figures in the art, literary, dance and music worlds. Fimmaker Elliot Caplan combines eight years of world tour footage, archival material dating back to the beginning of their careers and interviews with principal figures involved in the Cage/Cunningham collaboration. Mr. Caplan’s daily contact with the documentary’s subjects has inspired a revealing and sensitive portrait of two men whose spirit of adventure and iconoclastic thinking have helped to revolutionize life, as well as art in the twentieth century. 95 mins. VHS-NTSC format only.

DVD (D1264) - $19.99
There’s never been a “Carmen” like this one – there’s never been a Don Jose like Baryshnikov! Ballet superstars Mikhail Baryshnikov and Zizi Jeanmaire sizzle in this erotically charged ballet set to the music and story of “Carmen”. The program highlight is a sexy duet between Baryshnikov and Jeanmaire, in which their characters express their fatal attraction to one another. Famed choreographer Roland Petit created this dance spectacular, set to Georges Bizet’s classic music. This remarkable ballet provides Mikhail Baryshnikov with one of his greatest roles, and proves yet again that he is one of the most charismatic and accomplished performers of our time! 44 mins. (1980) VHS-NTSC format only/DVD-All-Region.

Carmen - West Australian Ballet Video (D4090)
DVD Only - $29.99
Starring: Benazir Hussain and Daryl Brandwood. Conductor: Nicolette Fraillon. Choreographer: Ted Brandsen Composer: Georges Bizet. Carmen is a timeless tragedy, never more relevant than today. It is a tale of desire, seduction, jealousy and betrayal. And in this, Ted Brandsen’s minimalist production, the devastating finale is heightened by the complete lack of artifice. Rodion Shchedrin’s fluid and muscular musical adaptation fits this raw and original performance by the West Australian Ballet like Carmen’s red dress – tight, revealing and, like the production, impossible to ignore. 52 mins. (2006) DVD-Region 1.

Carmen Video (1200)
VHS Only - $19.95 On Sale - $14.95
The Bolshoi Ballet’s prima ballerina, Maya Plisetskaya, is the star of this lyrical film of excerpts from several of her most famous roles. The centerpiece of the film is the ballet of Carmen, a spectacularly choreographed and orchestrated version of George Bizet’s famous opera. Also included are scenes from Glazunov’s Raymonda, a choreographed version of a Bach work called Prelude, and the famous Dying Swan. First created by Mikhail Fokine for Anna Pavlova, The Dying Swan appeals, in Fokine’s own words, “not merely to the eye but to the emotions and the imagination.” This is a genuinely cinematic treatment of ballet and dancers and not merely a filming of a stage production. Choreography by Vladimir Vasiliev, Alberto Alonso and others is featured along with spectacular conducting by composer Rodion Shchedrin. 73 mins. VHS-NTSC format only.

The Children of Theatre Street Video (D1111)
DVD Only - $19.95
Princess Grace of Monaco is the narrator of this documentary about the Vaganova Choreographic Institute, also known as the Kirov School of Leningrad, where the Soviet Union trains an elite bundle of students who will be the cream of its balletic future. Each year thousands of children, 8 to 13 in age, apply for admission. Twenty are admitted, based on physical conformation, long legs, well-arched feet, and flexible joints. The rejectees cry. Those luck or unlucky enough to make the grade will find themselves separated from their families, isolated from the daily run of Soviet life, and totally immersed in the art to which they are expected to dedicate their lives. It’s a rigorous system, but it works. Graduates of the Kirov School include such greats as Nureyev, Baryshnikov, Nijinsky, Pavlova, and Blanchine. But dance is what “The Children of Theatre Street” is mostly about. The screen pulsates with fresh, supple bodies learning all aspects of their art from the most rudimentary exercise to the finest nuance of a finished performance. “The Children of Theatre Street” is a revealing view of the way the Russians go about continuing their great rendition of classical ballet. No lover of ballet and children will want to miss it. “ ‘Theatre Street’ tells an important story and tells it brilliantly…at the Kirov School there will always be another vintage year, and ‘Theatre Street’ tells why.” – Rudolf Nureyev. “I cried when I saw ‘Theatre Street’ for the first time. It brings back many memories. – Natalia Makarova. “Anyone interested in ballet should see ‘Theatre Street’.” – Anna Kisselgoff, New York Times. 92 mins. (1978/2004) DVD-All-Region.

DVD (D1269) - $19.99
This is an outstanding ballet of the timeless fairy tale that has captured the hearts of young and old for centuries! Set to Sergei Prokofiev’s classic score, the Bolshoi Ballet performs in this color motion picture from 1961. Filmed with multiple cameras which created long, medium and close-up shots and special effects, this is not simply a “canned” performance, but one in which film, dance and music combine to produce an unforgettable experience. And with Raisa Struchkova in the title role, and a teenaged Yekaterina Maximova in a supporting part, this historic program is a must for ballet lovers everywhere! 82 mins. (1984/2005) VHS-NTSC format only/DVD Region 1.

Cinderella Video (0050)
VHS Only - $29.95
Maguy Marin’s highly original and magical version of the Cinderella story, as conceived for and performed by the Lyon National Opera Ballet, was an unparalleled success throughout its world tour. Anna Kisselgoff of the New York Times said that Marin’s “..vision reaches back into the universals of everyone’s childhood – the hurts and joys resonate here with touching depth.” The characters in her beautifully child-like version of the ballet are live dolls with real human feelings projected upon them in the way children identify with their real playthings. The story unfolds with in a doll’s house set; the Fairy Godmother resembles a robot, Cinderella goes to the ball in a toy car ant the Prince goes in search of his new love on a rocking horse. 87 mins. VHS-NTSC format only.

Coppelia - Ballet de San Juan Video (D1120)
DVD Only - $19.99
Starring: Fernando Bujones. Coppelia is a love story in three acts. This beloved ballet is regarded as dance’s great comedy with music by Delibes. Based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s Der Sandmann, the ballet combines the romance between Swanilda and Franz with the story of the doll maker Coppelius, whose greatest desire is to create a doll with a soul. Franz promptly falls in love with Coppelia, whom he thinks alive, but eventually recognizes that she is just a doll and returns to Swanilda, after which the final grand divertissement sees everyone reconciled. With its touch of East European Folklore, the ballet continues to enjoy undiminished worldwide popularity…and is one of the most delightful and best-known ballets. Fernando Bujones, one of the most acclaimed male dancers of our time, gives an extraordinary performance as Franz, the young lover. Taped live in Puerto Rico with the Ballet de San Juan. 110 mins. (1980/2006) DVD Region 1.

Coppelia - The Kirov Ballet Video (D4068)
DVD Only - $29.99
Starring: Irina Shapchits, Mikhail Zavialov, Petr Rusanov, Elvira Tarasova. Conductor: Alexandre Viliumanis. Composer: Leo Delibes. Coppélia is a classical ballet in the true sense, and with its touch of East European folklore, continues to enjoy worldwide popularity. It combines the romance between Swanilda and Franz with the story of the doll-maker Coppelius, whose greatest desire is to create a doll with a soul. Franz immediately falls in love with Coppélia, who he thinks is real, but eventually recognizes is just a doll. He returns to Swanilda, after which the final grand divertissement sees everyone reconciled. 91 mins. (2006) DVD-Region 1.

Coppelia Video (1485)
VHS Only - $29.95
Maguy Marin’s Coppelia is a hugely entertaining and constantly surprising piece of Dance Theater. The modern idiom of her imaginative choreography teams perfectly with the infectious melodies of Delibes’ lively score. The much-loved classic has lost none of the charm of Arthur Saint-Leon’s original, but has taken on a wry humor which ads to its appeal for today’s audiences. The story of Coppelia concerns a young man’s passion for a beautiful girl who turns out to be a mechanical doll, the invention of the wily Dr. Coppelius. The theme is that of a created being who is more beautiful, more perfect, more tantalizing than any human counterpart. Marin transposes the piece from its original rustic setting to a modern, run-down urban environment and adds a new twist to the story. 62 mins. VHS-NTSC format only.

DVD (D1291) - $29.99
Now, for the first time on home video, the Dance Theatre of Harlem is presented in Creole Giselle, their acclaimed interpretation of the ballet classic. Making only minor changes in the story, music and traditional choreography of the repertory staple, DTH founder Arthur Mitchell has set the ballet in 1841 Louisiana. It was a time when social status among freed blacks was measured by how far removed one’s family was from slavery: the community’s “aristocrats” looked down on those whose immediate family had been enslaved. Thus, in the DTH version, Giselle faces the same social obstacles and heart-breaking rejection by Albert and his family as their classical counterparts. Giselle is danced by Virginia Johnson, hailed as “strong and yet delicate…very moving…remarkable.” Eddie J. Shellman co-stars, and was praised as “an attractive and unusually brash Albert, his solos securely dispatched.” See for your self why Creole Giselle is one of the Dance Theatre of Harlem’s most popular works. 88 mins. (1988/2005) VHS-NTSC format only/DVD-All-Region.

Denishawn Dances On! Video (D2234)
DVD Only - $19.99
Between 1919 and 1931, Ruth St. Denis, Ted Shawn, and their company toured the entire United States, England, Cuba, and the Far East. Within that period, they created some 300 pieces, using their original technique based on classic ballet discipline molded to pliant bodies and bare feet, with emphasis on various ethnic cultures. With this new expression of movement, they became the creators of the choreography from which American Modern Dance evolved. Sadly, little of the rich body of work from that time could be visually preserved. Only over the last twenty years did Barton Munaw, a member of Denishawn in its last year, and Jane Sherman, the last living member of the original Denishawn company, succeed in creating this video-documentary - the largest re-creation of Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn's dances in existence, featuring 23 powerful works of the Mother and Father of American Modern Dance. With the issue of this video, their mission to preserve these seminal works from oblivion has been accomplished. 100 mins. (2002/2006) DVD-All-Region.

DVD (D1301) - $19.99
This historic dance documentary tells the story of one of the least publicized, yet most-influential modern dance companies in America. Founded by Ruth St. Denis and her husband Ted Shawn at the turn of the century, Denishawn has become legendary for its unique approach to contemporary dance. Martha Graham, Jack Cole, Doris Humphrey, Charles Weidman and countless others have built their companies and their work on the foundation established by St. Denis and Shawn. Incorporating elements of Far and Middle Eastern dances to create abstract pieces they called “musical visualizations,” the couple rejected the tradition of basing dances on fairy tales: their dancers played human beings, not sugarplums or swans. Husband-and-wife actors Paul and June Reed portray the Shawns in “interview” segments, and rare film footage of the real St. Denis and Shawn show them at the peak of their creative talents. The current Denishawn Company re-stages some of the founders’ original choreography, which remains as vital and modern today as it was then. 40 mins. (1988/2006) VHS-NTSC format only/DVD-All-Region.

DVD (D1217) - $29.95
The tremendous resources of the Kirov Ballet flash and dash through the four acts of joyous Petipa and Gorsky choreography making Don Quixote a thrilling visual treat. This delightful spectacle features the great Soviet dancers Tatyana Terekhova and Farouk Ruzimatov as the lovers Kitri and Basilio. Don Quixote is performed by Kirov star Vladimir Ponomaryov. The story f Don Quixote tells of the old knight who dreams of chivalry, and his comic squire Sancho Panza. They come to Barcelona where they find Kitri, the daughter of an innkeeper, who is in love with Basilio the local Barber. But her father wishes Kitri to marry the foppish Gamache. How Kitri and Basilio outwit this plan by fleeing from Barcelona, and how Don Quixote tilts at windmills and dreams of fair ladies, and how eventually Kitri and Basilio are united, is the action of this joyous ballet. Don Quixote is staged in the celebrated designs by Golovin and Korovin. This performance by the Kirov has been hailed as one of the greatest large cast ballet productions ever recorded on film. 120 mins. (1988) VHS-NTSC format only/DVD-All-Region.

DVD (D1175) - $29.95
Rudolf Nureyev’s film version of Don Quixote which he co-directed with Sir Robert Helpmann, stars famed dancer Nureyev and Lucette Aldous of the Royal Ballet as the young lovers. Their romance flourishes with the assistance of Helpmann, who portrays the title role. Dancers of the Australian Ballet are featured in this elaborate production which was photographed in lavish color by Academy Award winning cinematographer, Geoffrey Unsworth. The virtuoso pas de deux in the final act of Don Quixote has been until recent years, the only portion of the full length ballet to be seen in this country, a tour de force for major dancers, it is but the tip of the iceberg of a brilliant and colorful production, conceived by the great 19th century choreographer, Marius Petipa. With the filming of Don Quixote, another dimension has been added. New sets and costumes were designed, and advanced camera techniques used to enhance the action in transferring the classic from stage to screen. DVD digitally re-mastered. This lavish production stars Rudolf Nureyev, Robert Helpmann, Lucette Aldous and The Australian Ballet. This spectacular program has been hailed as the finest full-length dance film of all-time. Includes a special feature documentary on the making of the film. VHS-110 mins. DVD-127 mins. VHS-NTSC format only/DVD-Region 1.

DVD (D1366) - $24.99
Conductor: Aleksandr Sotnikov. Prima ballerina Nina Ananiashvili stars in this spectacular new full-length production of one of the world’s favorite ballets Don Quixote with the Russian State Perm Ballet. In this delightful ballet, Nina Ananiashvili and Aledsei Fadeyetchev portray the lovers Kitri and Basilio; Aleksandr Astafiev is featured in the title role as Don Quixote, and Evgeny Katusov is his comic squire Sancho Panza. This joyous new production of composer Leon Minkus’ ballet, which tells the tale of an old knight who dreams of chivalry and tilts at windmills, is a visual treat for dance lovers of all ages. Nina Ananiashvili’s superb technical command is a thrilling dance experience which the viewer will want to enjoy again and again. 120 mins. (1992/2005) VHS-NTSC format only/DVD-All-Region.

The Dream Video (D2933) The Dream DVD
DVD Only - $29.95
A comical tale of fairies, mismatched lovers, and a mischievous sprite, Sir Frederick Ashton’s enduring one-act ballet, The Dream, has delighted audiences since its premiere in 1964. Set to the ethereal music of Felix Mendelssohn, the ballet is a charming interpretation of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. “Ashton’s genius soars typically to the heights of poetic metaphor,” boasted The New York Times. “Charm is making a comeback in New York this spring,” enthused The Washington Post. The New York Observer described the ballet as “so fluent, so charged, so natural,” that “you know you’re in the hands of a master.” To celebrate the centennial of Ashton’s birth, DANCE IN AMERICA presents American Ballet Theatre’s acclaimed staging, starring Ethan Stiefel, Alessandra Ferri, and Herman Cornejo. 54 mins. (2004) DVD-All-Region.

DVD (D1151) - $19.99
Margot Fonteyn & Rudolf Nureyev…perhaps the greatest partnership in the history of ballet. For the first time, their most acclaimed performances, which have long thrilled audiences worldwide, have been captured together on one videocassette. The program traces their partnership from its glorious inception in 1962 (in “Giselle” at Covent Garden), to its grand finale some 17 years later. It is unique in that it includes rare, behind-the-scenes footage of both dancers. This special tribute program has now become even more of a treasure due to the passing of both Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev. Their legendary partnership was recently hailed by the press as when “…ballet was never more gripping, never more transporting, than when her perfect pose met his ardent theatricality.” Robert Powell narrates and ballet personalities such as dame Ninette de Valois, founder of The Royal Ballet, provide their thoughts and memories on the lives of Fonteyn, Nureyev and their association. The synergy of their partnership was electrifying, and their impact on the world of ballet remains unmatched. This collector’s item is an intriguing visual biography of the greatest ballet partnership of all time. 90 mins. (DVD-2005) VHS-NTSC format only/DVD-All-Region.

Giselle - The Kirov Ballet Video (D4069)
DVD Only - $29.99
Starring: Galina Mezentseva, Konstantin Zaklinsky, Angelina Kabarova. Conductor: Viktor Fedotov. Choreographer: Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot. Composer: Adolphe Adam. The romantic ballet, Giselle, first seen in 1841, was the finest of the ballets staged in Paris during the age of Romanticism. Over the years Giselle disappeared from the repertory outside Russia, and has only survived through the recognition of its quality and the preservation of its traditions by the Kirov Ballet. The role of Giselle has been compared to that of Hamlet. She is a simple peasant girl, driven from joy to madness and death through an unhappy love. She is transformed into a ghost and ordered to help destroy the man who betrayed her, while still seeking to sustain him because of her undying love. 108 mins. (2006) DVD-Region 1.

DVD (D1473) - $29.95
Giselle is without question the most romantic of all the classical ballets. It is a tragic love story which has touched audiences for over one hundred years. This new production from Russia was filmed live on the stage of the State Theatre Academy in the Kremlin. The intensely theatrical nature of this ballet places immense demands on both the technical and dramatic powers of the lead dancers. The role of Count Albrecht is danced by Vladimir Malakhov, a sensational dancer of enormous talent. Giselle is portrayed by Ludmilla Vasileva, who gives a memorable performance as the quintessential ballet heroine in this enduring tale of love lost. 100 mins. (1994) VHS-NTSC format only/DVD-All-Region.

Giselle Video (1172)
VHS Only - $19.95 On Sale - $14.95
Supreme among the romantic ballets, Giselle is a beautiful and heartrending love story. Never before has Giselle been delivered with such intensity as in this deeply moving performance, filmed live at the world-famous Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. The Russian influence has enriched the deep, pathetic dilemma of a country girl forced to destroy the man she loves. When this classic love story opens, Giselle is leading a very happy life. Yet this happiness is eventually overshadowed and made impossible. The man she loves, Prince Albrecht, is not only hiding his aristocratic background from her, but also the fact that he is engaged. When this deceit is uncovered, tragedy begins for both of them. Natalia Bessmertnova has breathed new life into the part of Giselle, a role which has been the touchstone by which ballerinas have been judged for over one hundred years, due to the great demands made on the dramatic powers, technique and sensitivity of the ballerina. The part of Count Albrecht is danced by Mikhail Lavrovsky, a dancer of enormous expressiveness and great ability. Along with the entire Bolshoi Company, they have given us a tour de force that is likely to live on forever. 85 mins. VHS-NTSC format only.

Giselle Video (1289)
VHS Only - $19.95
Ballet virtuoso Fernano Bujones stars in this brilliant production of Giselle with the Ballet Teatro Municipal of Rio de Janeiro. This electrifying performance captures Bujones at the peak of his career. Critically acclaimed as one of the great male dancers of the 20th century. Bujones’ stamina and explosive style fill his every performance with special excitement. Clive Barnes hailed Bujones’ technique as “possibly unmatched anywhere.” Reporting on his role in Giselle, the NY Times asked, “could any dancer jump so high?” Supreme among the romantic ballets, Giselle has never before been delivered with such intensity as in this performance by Fernando Bujones…”the finest male classical dancer this country has ever produced.” (NY Post) 104 mins. VHS-NTSC format only.

DVD (D2020) - $29.99
During the Bolshoi Ballet’s first tours abroad in the mid-20th century, Western audiences were brought to their feet by the Bolshoi style – thrilling athleticism that never lost the essential beauty of the dance. Five years research in Russia’s archives has unearthed fascinating footage, much of it never before available in the West, of many of the company’s great dancers. Natalia Bessmertnova, Vakhtang Chaboukiani, Ekaterina Geltzer, Musa Gottlieb, Pyotr Gusev, Mikhail Lavrovsky, Olga Lepeshinskaya, Maris Liepa, Ekaterina Maximova, Asaf Messerer, Irek Mukhamedov, Maya Plisetskaya, Marina Semenova, Vasili Tikhomirov, Galina Ulanova, Vladimir Vasiliev. 96 mins. (1995/2005) VHS-NTSC format only/DVD-Region 1.

Ivan the Terrible Video (1205)
VHS Only - $19.95
Yuri Grigorovich has choreographed Sergei Prokofiev’s haunting score to Sergei Eisenstein’s film Ivan the Terrible. A visually dazzling, completely original work, this is a balletic rendering of the story of murder and intrigue at the court of the Czar known as Ivan the Terrible. During the Bolshoi Ballet’s visits to America, this ballet was one of the most enthusiastically received productions and here it is rendered the full cinematic treatment. Starring Yuri Vladimirov, Natalia Bessmertnova and Boris Akimov (the original cast), and featuring the orchestra and corps de ballet of the Bolshoi Theatre, this is an outstanding example of dance on film. 91 mins. VHS-NTSC format only.

Kirov Ballet in London Video (1259)
VHS Only - $19.95
This thrilling program captures all of the excitement and visual grandeur of a Kirov Ballet performance live on stage. Recorded in London, this video contains excerpts from many of the world’s favorite ballets performed by the greatest dancers of the Russian troupe. A rare and distinct highlight of this program is a special guest appearance by Natalia Makarova reunited with her former company after an absence of 17 years. Ms. Makarova gives a memorable performance of the Swan Lake Pas de Duex partnered by Konstantin Zaklinsky. This performance by the incomparable corps de ballet of the Kirov is sure to become a cherished addition to every dance video collection. 126 mins. VHS-NTSC format only.

DVD (D0086) - $29.95
This production of Les Sylphides is from Agrippina Vaganova’s 1928 restaging under its original name. The dancers include soloists Altynai Asylmuratova and Konstantin Zaklinsky (Mazurka and Valse), Yelena Pankova (second Valse) and Anna Polikarpove (Prelude). Like many spectacular Soviet ballets, Oleg Vinogradov’s Petrushka is a glorious feast of vigorous steps, danced with inexhaustible energy by a large cast. However, it is far removed from Fokine’s original Petrushka about the sad puppet who could not win the love of a heartless ballerina. Instead, this innovative ballet concerns itself with the politics of today and shows a populace intoxicated by propaganda. Barber’s Adagio, set to Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings, is an example of Vinogradov’s more lyrical choreography, and is beautifully danced by Yelena Yevteeva and Eldar Aliev. In contrast, the pas de deux from Le Corsaire is a showpiece danced with dazzling virtuosity by Lyubov Kunakova and Faroukh Ruzimatov. The Fairy Doll, staged by Nicolai and Sergei Legat in 1903, is a pantomimic divertissement, charmingly danced by Larissa Lezhnina, Dmitry Gruzdev and Yaroslav Fadayev, and Arthur Saint-Leon’s Markitenka to a lively score by Cesare Pugni is a pas de six of exuberant dancing. Originally a two-act ballet, the Pacquita we know today is essentially the ballet’s glittering core, the Grand Pas, which was choreographed by Petipa in 1881. Inspired by the flamboyance of Ludwig Minkus’ music, Petipa created a stylistic showpiece, flavored with a delectable Spanish air. 147 mins. (1991) VHS-NTSC format only/DVD-Region 1.

L’enfant et les Sortileges Video (0080)
VHS Only - $29.95 On Sale - $19.95
The Nederlands Dans Theater is one of Europe’s most exciting ballet companies and many of its recent successes are due to its Choreographer and Artistic Director, Jiri Kylian, whom critics have hailed as a choreographic genius. This prize-winning recording of Kylian’s version of Maurice Ravel’s L’enfant et les Sortileges is danced to Lorin Mazel’s interpretation of the opera which has a libretto by Colette, who originally devised the scenario as a remarkable combination of poetry, drama, and ballet entitled “A Ballet for my Little Girl”. As he has no daughter himself, Ravel asked for Colette’s permission to change the central character in the story from a girl to a boy. 50 mins. VHS-NTSC format only.

The Leningrad Legend Video (1298)
VHS Only - $19.95
Natalia Makarova hosts this behind-the-scenes look at today’s Kirov Ballet. The company’s great past is recalled in clips and archival photos, but the focus of the program is on the determination by the Kirov to develop into a modern entity. Makarova takes us to the Vaganova School, where the great tradition of classical ballet began 250 years ago. We see the Kirov of today and the changes that have taken place since she left in 1970. She gives us a rare glimpse of the dancers on- and offstage, and shows us why the Kirov Corps de Ballet is still considered among the best in the world. Among the great dancers featured are Altynai Asylmuratova, Farouk Ruzimatov, Irina Kokpakova, Natalia Dudinskaya and Konstantin Zaklinsky. The program also includes excerpts from La Bayadere, Raymonda, Potemkin, Chopinianna and Giselle. 71 mins. VHS-NTSC format only.

Makarova Returns Video (1297)
VHS Only - $19.95
“All these years in the West, away from Russia, my country, it never came to my mind that I would ever go back. I never thought I would dance again on my stage – the Kirov…I can write a thousand pages and still not describe what happened in these two weeks. Just two weeks – it’s like a lifetime.” – Natalia Makarova Natalia Makarova is the first artistic exile to be invited to return to the Soviet Union. After nearly twenty years of separation, Makarova is overwhelmingly welcomed back to her native Leningrad, and reunited with her family, friends and colleagues. This unique program includes her triumphant return to the Kirov stage where she began her illustrious career, and features excerpts from her performance in Eugene Onegin, plus her personal reflections on her amazing career. As the Iron Curtain is lifted, Makarova becomes a living example of perestroika. 60 mins VHS-NTSC format only.

Manon - The Australian Ballet Video (D4089)
DVD Only - $29.99
Conductor: Noel Smith. Choreographer and Composer: Sir Kenneth MacMillan. This highly-rated production of Manon by The Australian Ballet was recorded live at the Adelaide Festival in 1995 and features premier dancers Justine Summers, Steven Heathcote, Nigel Burley, Jonathan Kelly, Lynette Wills and Paul De Masson. In 18th century Paris, Manon, a captivating young woman, falls passionately in love with a penniless student, des Grieux. Manipulated by her avaricious brother, she makes a fatal decision to shun her true love and exploit the pleasures of wealth. Des Grieux, a victim of Manon’s desires and depravity, sacrifices everything to follow her to a tragic end. 110 mins. (2006) DVD-Region 1.

DVD (D1489) - $29.95
Choreographer: Kenneth MacMillian. Designer: Nicholas Georgiadis. Scenario: Gillian Freeman. Stage Lighting: John B. Read. Staging: Monica Mason. Music: Franz Liszt. Arrangement: John Lanchbery. Conductor: Barry Wordsworth. The Orchestra of The Royal Opera House – Leader: John Brown. Cast: Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria-Hungary: Irek Mukhamedov. Baroness Mary Vetsera: Viviana Durante. Countess Marie Larisch: Lesley Collier. Mitzi Caspar: Darcey Bussell. Princess Stephanie: Jane Burn. Empress Elisabeth: Nicola Tranah. Bratfisch: Matthew Hart. Mitzi Caspar: Darcey Bussell. Four Hungarian Officers: Stuart Cassidy, Adam Cooper, Errol Pickford, William Trevitt. Artists of The Royal Ballet – Executive Producer: Revel Guest. Producers: Stephany Marks and Jane Pleydell-Bouverie. Director: Derek Bailey. 135 mins. (1994) VHS-NTSC format only/DVD-All-Region.

The Merry Widow Video (1236)
VHS Only - $19.95 On Sale - $14.95
“McBride’s special quality of flirtatious allure, dramatic intensity, and technical clarity transforms the title role into a study of seasoned elegance. And Martins, as the profligate Prince Danilo, brings to his role the verve, with, and brilliance of the true romantic idol” – Dance Magazine The Merry Widow a beguiling, romantic ballet starring Patricia McBridge and Peter Martins makes its long-awaited premiere on home video. Choreographed by Ruth Page, The Merry Widow also features Rebecca Wright, George de la Pena, Warren Conover, and Larry Long. Based on the Franz Lehar operetta, The Merry Widow ballet has been captivating the dance world since its debut at Chicago’s Lyric Opera House in November 1955. This production of The Merry Widow is brilliantly executed by the six principals and a 20-member corps from the New York City Ballet, costumed in elegant 19th century Parisian fashion. Costumes were executed after the Rolf Gerard originals used in the 1955 ballet. The musical score was recorded in stereo as performed by members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The one-hour program includes an introduction by choreographer Ruth Page who tells a brief story about the characters found in The Merry Widow. With Peter martins as the dashing Prince Danilo and Patricia McBridge as Sonia, the beautiful widow, Page has acknowledged that the production captures the sensuous romanticism of the operetta. “Peter and Patricia are probably the most beautiful and perfect of all dancers who’ve performed those roles,” said Page. “They’ve projected the personalities with great style and they dance like absolute dreams.” 60 mins. VHS-NTSC format o

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