The Little Humpbacked Horse / Maya Plisetskaya, Vladimir Vasiliev, Bolshoi Ballet

Rating:
Summary: Stars shine through.
Review: Despite the datedness of this production (including some primitive animation and an unintentionally funny undersea scene), it is well worth owning for the dancing and charisma of its two principals. In 1961, Maya Plisetskaya was considered by many to be the greatest ballerina of her time; Vladimir Vasiliev (now Gen'l & Artistic Director of the Bolshoi) was a rising young star of the Bolshoi. Plisetskaya's unusual strength and flamboyance created a unique presence, and Vasiliev's clean technique and unmannered style are admirable even by today's standards. Also very enjoyable are the Russian folkloric elements of the production, with wonderful character actors and dancers.

Rating:
Summary: Stars shine through.
Review: Despite the datedness of this production (including some primitive animation and an unintentionally funny undersea scene), it is well worth owning for the dancing and charisma of its two principals. In 1961, Maya Plisetskaya was considered by many to be the greatest ballerina of her time; Vladimir Vasiliev (now Gen'l & Artistic Director of the Bolshoi) was a rising young star of the Bolshoi. Plisetskaya's unusual strength and flamboyance created a unique presence, and Vasiliev's clean technique and unmannered style are admirable even by today's standards. Also very enjoyable are the Russian folkloric elements of the production, with wonderful character actors and dancers.

Rating:
Summary: Old-Fashioned, but Rewarding
Review: This ballet-film is of the Russian folk story of the little humpbacked horse. It features the Bolshoi Ballet, starring two dancing legends: Maya Plisetskaya and Vladimir Vasiliev. The promotional copy describes it as "a magical tour through the land of flying horses, dancing fish, and tumbling clowns...." This is primarily a ballet, although there have been some animation and other elements added to enhance the film.

When I first purchased this title, I was somewhat restrained in my enthusiasm for it--primarily because of its comedic style--but as my ballet collection grew, I came to realize that I had overlooked and under-appreciated certain other aspects of it. There's some outstanding dancing here, but I fear that the tape may be of limited appeal because this production is old-fashioned. For me, that's not necessarily a problem, because I enjoy watching old ballets and movies. But if your tastes and sensibilities trend toward contemporary productions, then you might not be very well served by this movie.

I remember Olympic gold medalist figure skater Peggy Fleming commenting recently on television that subtle comedy is one of the hardest things for an ice skater to attempt. In my opinion, it would seem so with ballet, as well. I've been fortunate enough to build up a fairly large collection of ballet videos and DVDs--well over one hundred of them--and examples of well-made tragedies are much more common in my collection than examples of good comedies. There's indeed some good humor to be found here, but I think that at times it gets to be a little too corny. As prospective purchasers of this video, I think that you'd be wise to read all of the reviews, as one person described it as "very dated in style." One of my on-line friends pointed out to me that you can always fast forward through certain sections of the tape, if necessary.

But, enough of the warnings and on to the good parts! One of the things that I really respect about this title is that it was created during an era when the Bolshoi ensemble had a strong cast of character dancers. This ballet was filmed in 1961, and it's a disappointment to me that there aren't more videotapes and DVDs by the Bolshoi available from this time period. In this production, I enjoyed the gypsies and clowns, and I also appreciate how Ivan (Vladimir Vasiliev) does a very stylish job with the Russian folk dance aspects of his performance. (If you'd enjoy watching some fine gypsy dancing by the Bolshoi in another production, then check out the "Stone Flower" excerpt on "Bolshoi Ballet '67.")

Other than "Swan Lake," I can't think of too many examples of ballets with demi-charactere corps de ballet work, meaning that the corps dancing has a unique and special character to it, although it's done on pointe while using techniques of classical ballet. In this case, the corps does a fine job of imitating the movements of birds and fish. The role of the little humpbacked horse is danced by Annya Scherbinina, who prances around on pointe in an adorable manner.

Maya Plisetskaya dances the role of the Queen-Maiden, and she's particularly strong as a jumper and a turner. There are many fine examples of chaines (linked turns) and piques (pricking turns), while at one point she does over thirty consecutive fouettes (whipped turns) and makes them all look simple. The dancers is this production are all very expressive; Maya's mother was a Russian film actress, and Maya seems to have inherited her photogenic traits and good looks.

Some of the filming was done on the Bolshoi stage, particularly the parts involving the corps de ballet, while other parts utilize custom sets. There's lots of rich colors in the scenery, as well as beautiful traditional costumes. If you're in the mood for something light-hearted and cute, and you don't mind if the humor is occasionally a bit corny, then I believe that you'll come to appreciate some of the distinguished dancing by Maya Plisetskaya, Vladimir Vasiliev, and the Bolshoi ensemble that's on display in "The Little Humpbacked Horse."

Rating:
Summary: Great ballet for children
Review: This is my daughter's favorite ballet. The story and presentation are children-friendly. And the absolutely fabulous dancing will make this a treat for adults. My family watches this ballet at least once a month.