Hello dancers. I was curious to ask other dancers and/or dance lovers what makes you eye a particular performer? I have seen many ballet and modern dance performances, and I always seem to find myself drawn to particular dancers. Some dancers seem to have such great stage presence and that is something not all dancers have nor can achieve through technique and many classes. This is something that definitely comes from within. I would like to hear your comments on this?

Great question, Dancer101.<P>For me, it certainly isn't about technique. One of the ballerinas I have enjoyed the most, Margot Fonteyn, was not known for her great technique, she danced with her heart.<P>For that reason I preferred Nureyev over Baryshnikov. Baryshnikov certainly had a much much better technique, but I never felt his heart. As he once said in an interview, it was a job to him, like any other job. I found his dancing cold. Nureyev, on the other hand, always danced on the edge. He always gave me the feeling that whatever he was doing it was his very best.<P>I want to see the dancer in love with what she or he is doing. If the dancer is not in love with the dance, then I as an observer, am just that, an observer. Left out in the cold.<P>To my mind, the dancers that speak to me are the ones that include me, invite me in to share, offer their dance, give it away. <P>Connection.

For me, I don't quite like the dancing style of Pavlova, Fonteyn, and Markova (or Marcova?)<P>My favourite ballerinas are Viviana Durante,<BR>Darcey Bussell, Alina Cojocaru, Natalya Bessmertnova and Natalia Markarova.<BR>

BalletMad ....can you tell us why you like those dancers?

I'm drawn to different dancers for different reasons. Certainly one quality they have in common, though, is that of being totally present and focused.<P>One type of dancer I enjoy and greatly respect is the one who seems to be completely aware of what every part of his/her body is doing at any moment. Examples are Gelsey Kirkland, Joanna Berman, Parrish Maynard and Muriel Maffre (the last 3 are from the San Francisco Ballet). Every detail is thought out, and I think of them as "intelligent" dancers. Often such dancers bring the same intelligence to acting roles.<P>Another quality I appreciate is the ability to make me, the observer, feel happy and feel like dancing. Margot Fonteyn, former Bolshoi ballerina Raissa Struchkova, Judith Jamison, Tina LeBlanc of SFB, and Evelyn Cisneros and Christopher Stowell, formerly of SFB, are diverse examples. They exude pleasure in dancing and they want to share it with the audience. When I see Tina LeBlanc perform, she somehow makes me experience what she's feeling. She's always a mood lifter for me.<P>Another type of dancer I like to watch is the physically powerful type, such as Maya Plisetskaya, David Parsons and SFB's Lorena Feijoo. Plisetskaya and Feijoo have a very theatrical dramatic style, which adds to the impression of power.<P>Then there's an elusive quality that few dancers have, that I attribute to having a body that's built perfectly in the mechanical sense. These dancers (assuming they have other talents as well) have a smoothness and ease to their dancing that no one else has. It's as if there's nothing about their bodies that stands in their way. Guennadi Nedviguine of SFB is the most recent example I've seen. The first dancer I recall seeing who impressed me this way was Louis Falco, and I remember thinking at the time that he had a perfectly constructed body.<p>[This message has been edited by djb (edited May 04, 2002).]

For me, it's dancers who project an image that they're in command of their every movement, certain, strong, yet free and easy at the same time. I cannot name specific dancers, perhaps Angel Corella, but I know them when I see them. <P>Like Basheva said, they do not have to have the best technique to win me over. I recently saw several perfomances of one of those myriad of touring Russian companies. There were some very good people in the company, technically speaking, but their performances left me cold, their demeanor distant and remote. There was one member of the company in particular who was quite engaging, great at emoting and really into the dance. It showed in his entire body. His technique happened to be amazing which was like icing on the cake, but it was his entire attitude, using every gesture at his command to communicate that won me over. <P>Ed

I think it's the performance for me, but not so much that the dancer seems a bit self aborbed if you know what I mean. For example, I saw Darcy Bussel on one of these television specials performing a dance with a Spanish flavour, I think they called it a Seguidilla, and I know that in Spanish dancing one is allowed to look at the floor a bit, but she didn't take her eyes of the ground - she looked like she was just practising! Now I don't know if she's always like that, but living in the cultural vacuum that is Australia, the only other time I've seen her dance is on "The Vicar of Dibley" performing "The Mirror" with Dawn French (For those of you unfamilliar with this programme, "The Vicar of Dibley" is a British sit-com about a female Anglican vicar (Dawn French) in a small English village called Dibley. Dawn French is a British comedian who is, let's just say she's very um, er... heavy). Anyway, I was quite disapointed about this Seguidilla, here was this famous world class dancer and she didn't even perform. <P>The other extreme is a certain dancer in our local ballet company "The West Australian Ballet" who is very good and she knows it and she dances like she knows it. Well, thats what it seems to me. Well there's my ten cents worth. I don't know what that is in Pounds or American Dollars...<p>[This message has been edited by Failli (edited May 04, 2002).]

A shame you are making a judgement on Darcey Bussell on two clips from TV shows that must last all of 3 mins in total performed on stages that were tiny.

I don't think that Failli was making an overall judgement of Darcy Bussell, just on that particular performance, that particular time.

I like them because they look so beautiful when they were dancing.

My eye is often drawn to dancers who are good actors, and I'm not even talking about dances with a strict narrative. There are certain performers who really make you feel as though they're in love with the person they're doing a pas de deux with-- that to me is exciting. <P>Also, I like it when dancers can make the incredibly difficult steps they're doing look effortless. Not routine, mind you, but as 2 Left Feet mentioned, dancers who are simultaneously in command and at ease.<P>And (I can't help it) I like dancers who can jump really high. As long as they have adequate technique, a high jump will catch my attention every time.

I really CANNOT abide ballet dancers who enter the stage, perform a ritual of (admittedly) well balanced and technically correct movements and who then leave the stage and recieve such wonderful reviews the following day. Not that I'm saying that these dancers should not be rewarded for their obvious hard work and dedication - but to me I may as well watch a gymnastic routine, for whilst they are undoutedly great ''athletes'', to me they simply are not true ''dancers''.<BR>For this reason I must agree with Basheva in saying that I thoroughly admire Fontanes (I apologise for the spelling) dancing style and I am also a great fan of Darcy Bussell.<BR>I feel that Ms Bussell's performance's are consistently danced purely from the heart, and despite the amount of performances she repeats so many times this never seems to disapear.<BR>I honestly feel that, although I can't quite put my finger on what it is about her dancing, I could watch her over and over and over again and still see something different everytime.<BR>She seems to have this unique ability to bring more than ''moving around the stage'' to a performance and although she may well repeat the exact same moves as a previous dancer with her part has done, she can make the entire ballet appear to be brand new.<BR>I hope my opinion has helped you with your question.<BR>Best wishes<BR>Ellie

I love the lyrical dancers;they seem to bring a sense of warmth and rythym(spell) to the stage.<BR>Gelsey Kirkland is an EXCELLENT example of this type. So is Misty Copeland of ABT who is already getting bigger parts I understand(I KNEW she would);theres a sensuous quality about her dancing also.Someone described it as her having 'honey in her bones'.<BR> Theres GREAT charm in Alina C.'s dancing--almost a childlike quality to her.FRESHNESS.<p>[This message has been edited by angela (edited May 06, 2002).]

One thing that definitely draws my attention to a particular dancer is the confidence they show (or don't show) on stage. It is a pleasure to watch someone with great command of their dancing. If they look nervous or lacking in self-confidence, it makes ME nervous and worried that they will make a mistake. Even if a dancer makes a mistake, if they are confident you hardly notice it.

For me it is the music , you just want to get up and dance whether you know the steps or not ( making up your own can be quite fun!) , then you see a performance and wow you want to be able to do that as well , even if it takes you a few years to realise what you are missing!! then having the greatest dancer(s) on your own doorstep helps, oohh i'm getting all sentimenatl!!