Product Description

The three ballets on this remarkable DVD tell no stories, but they are full of human drama. In one sense, they all tell the same story--of the vitality, daring, intelligence, and emotional depth that a great dancer possesses.They are also about a brilliant choreographer’s vision of that dancer and of dance itself. As Mikhail Baryshnikov says in the breezy 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 ."THE LITTLE BALLET" Music: Alexander Glazounov. Cast: Mikhail Baryshnikov, Deidre Carberry, Elaine Kudo, Amanda McKerrow, Nancy Raffa The Little Ballet, to music by Alexander Glazounov, offers Baryshnikov, Deidre Carberry, and three other American Ballet Theatre dancers in a sweet-tempered, fluid work that makes subtle allusions to the dreamer-hero-elusive-heroine ballets of the 19th century. "SINATRA SUITE" Performed to the music of Frank Sinatra. Cast: Mikhail Baryshnikov, Elaine Kudo In Sinatra Suite, Baryshnikov and Elain Kudo express the less innocent world of Sinatra’s moody, bittersweet voice –from the tender "Strangers In The Night" to the tough and contentious "That’s Life. ""PUSH COMES TO SHOVE" Music: Joseph Lamb, Franz Joseph Haydn. Cast:Mikhail Baryshnikov, Elaine Kudo, Susan Jaffe, Robert LaFosse, Cheryl Yeager and Members of American Ballet Theatre. Choreography: Twyla Tharp. Push Comes To Shove, created by Tharp in 1976 for American Ballet Theatre, can be seen as a witty and affectionate tribute to a major ballet company – its casual rehearsal behavior and backstage commotion, as well as its traditional grandeur and polished performing. – Deborah Dewitt, Village Voice

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13191 in DVD
• Brand: BARYSHNIKOV,MIKHAIL
• Released on: 2005-10-25
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 60 minutes

Customer Reviews

something so special
This is an exquisite video. Baryshnikov is in superb form, and there's ever so faint a touch of world-weariness around the edges of these pieces, informing even Baryshnikov's copious perfection, which makes for a beautiful, rich viewing experience. Push Comes To Shove, especially, is sweet and ironic, and hearing the audience chuckle now and again adds to the depth of artistic triumph that marks each piece on this dvd. Tharp's ideas crystallize with snap and magic, and Baryshnikov delivers exactly what every moment asks. His legendary nonchalant classicism changed the world, and surely the heart of every person who ever saw this man dance, and these Tharp pieces make his insouciance ineffaceable. Amanda McKerrow wows in the Glazunov 'Little Ballet', and Baryshnikov's partnering is lithe and understated, intimate,even. Wonderful stuff. One of the greatest things you can ever see is Baryshnikov's solo tour of 'One More For The Road', at the end of the Sinatra Suite. Tharp's luscious familiarity is all over it, beginning to end, but in 'One More For The Road', Baryshnikov reaches a fusion of idea and means that flat out overwhelms. It's vivifying in its greatness: inevitable becomes irresistable. Pretty neat. It's too bad ballet is a forgotten word in any culture, but inexcusable in a rich one. People don't know what they're missing. Get this dvd and reaffirm your faith.

On the down side
The problem I personally have with this presentation is artistic: the choreography seems to lack overall structure and form. Instead of building a dance from, say, simple to complex or simple-complex-simple, the choreographer throws in complexity at the beginning, then tends to alternate helter-skelter throughout. The result is a lack of building toward a clear climax or clearly shaping the work for so long numbers.

There's nothing wrong with the dancers, though; they're all great. Perhaps I'm influenced by the great film dance sequences of Astaire, Kelly and O'Connor. Their choreographers (often much added by the dancers themselves) knew how to structure a number.

As for Baryshnikov himself, he's one of a kind, utterly magnificent, as are the member sof the American Ballet Theater.

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If you love ballet, don't miss....
Baryshnikov at his very best! Twyla Tharp is enchanting, and the music is amazing. Seeing these two legends perform is nothing short of breathtaking . I highly recommend this.