Balanchine

Rating:
Summary: Great archival footage!
Review: I saw this documentary when it was on public television, and it was fabulous. I have read a lot about Balanchine and his dancers, and actually seeing them was amazing. There is even footage of Pavlova and Tanaquil LeClerq dancing in their prime. A definite must-see for ballet and Balanchine enthusiasts!

Rating:
Summary: Completely impersonal biography
Review: I've never seen a biography that contained less personal information about its subject. This DVD, for example, never mentions Balanchine's marriages to the dancers Maria Tallchief and Tanquil leClerc, or his obsession with the forty-years-younger Suzanne Farrell. These relationships are important for more than just gossipy reasons - all three women had a significant effect on his work. There are some good performance clips on the DVD, but the selection is oddly biased: lots and lots of Peter Martins, but never a glimpse of Edward Villella. A fine "starter CD" for those just learning about Balanchine, but frustrating for fans.

Rating:
Summary: Lovely tribute to the great choreographer
Review: This dvd, originally seen on PBS, is a great tribute to the Russian-born choreographer George Balanchine, who founded the New York City Ballet and is often creditted with bringing classical ballet to the United States. This documentary focuses almost exclusively on his professional and artistic life, and this is right and proper. There are books, as well as several documentaries ("Dancing for Mr. B," "Elusive Muse") which focus on Balanchine's complicated personal life. Here, we can just look at his great artistic creations.
There;s archival footage of so many great ballerinas and ballet dancers that were Mr. B's inspiration. Tanaquiel le Clercq (who judging from the footage may have been the most beautiful ballerina to ever step onstage), Diana Adams, Maria Tallchief, Edward Villela, Allegra Kent, Suzanne Farrell, Peter Martins, Patricia McBride ... None of the dancers are interviewed, perhaps because of time constraints. But just the footage of the dancing was enough to keep me happy. I was struck by Mr. B's diversity -- there are many clips of his ballets, and it's a testament to Mr. B's genius that I was always upset when the clips ended, because I wanted to see more.
There are also several interviews with Mr. B. His soft, gentle voice and almost childlike enthusiasm are infectious. Particularly amusing are the clips of him and Igor Stravinsky, the composer whose music whom Mr. B set so many of his best ballets (Rubies, Apollo, Agon et al.) Mr. B talks about his love of cats and cooking. So even though the documentary focuses squarely on the artistic, these interviews with Mr. B humanize him. Read the various memoirs and autobiographies for Mr. B's darker, more complex side: he was famously possessive of his ballerinas, and did not think they should have families or even personal lives apart from him. This video focuses purely on Balanchine as a creative artist.
Recently, more extensive dvd's have been released of Mr. B's complete ballets. But this documentary is still a must-see, a wonderful tribute to one of the 20th century's most prolific and remarkable artists.