Thank you……….So beautiful

The spirit of the dance is beautiful. I wonder if it would be as beautiful if I could possess the talent of this woman and still do the dance of “The Dying Swan” in my normal weight?!

I did not see the ballerina, only the swan.

Yes, I showed this to my daughter on Saturday and she burst into tears—she’s like her old man on that score, because I did too when first I saw this last week. BTW that’s Valery Gergiev conducting the Kirov Orchestra. I have her in Swan Lake with Gergiev conducting and Uliana is breath-taking there too. Classical Ballet has been the love of my life in art, even more so that Shakespeare performed; for me it’s the perfect art form with such grace and beauty — I lose words to describe the emotional impact it has on me. It moves the deepest parts of my soul like no other art form does. Uliana is tall for a ballerina assoluta, at 5’ 9”. As you’ve seen she has long lovely arms and hands to die for. She uses them to perfection. I’ve seen Plisetsieva and Makarova dance this and Uliana is their equal. I saw Makarova dance a long time ago with Anne—she’s a stunning beauty and an incredible dancer. At 33 Uliana is at the pinnacle of her dancing. Plisetsieva danced this one dance into her 70’s—amazing that when most burn out in their late thirties or early forties. I’d love to see Uliana in the Mariinsky —I’d brave the Russian winter and live there to see her dance as often as I could. One sees a jewel like this once in one’s life.

Frannie dear: another Balletomane? Hot damn! Yes she is perfection isn’t she. You’re so tight about Makarova—untouchable grace—well said, Frannie, exactly, my dear. She was like watching heaven . I have dvd’s of her dancing.

Perfection! Saw her dance in “Sleeping Beauty” at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in LA a few years ago. We have a great ballet company too that was a hit in Paris, but the Kirov is the gold standard. I was thrilled to see Suzanne Farrell several times. And because he’s a friend of an acquaintance met Baryshnikov back stage after he danced his White Oak Project…immense thrill…extremely charming. I read that Uliana has grapefruit juice or tea for breakfast, sometimes oatmeal. Rehearses most of the day or teaches, skips lunch, has grapes or grapefruit juice after performing, and kefir before going to bed. As Bogart said of Audrey Hepburn, “Those ballet dames are all disciplined.” Markova had an amazing life. Diaghilev gave her the ‘Russian’ name. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl8qskS2ZIM

Absolutely, incredibly, magnificent!!!!!!!! She IS a Swan! So beautiful — she stirs pleasure to the senses and stirs emotions with her beautiful elegance. Thank you Frank.

The difference between Uliana’s and Pavlova’s dance and how it has evolved over nearly 90 years is amazing yet subtle—I’d not seen the Pavlova before—that was a treat—thank you to whoever posted it :-)