Research Catalog

Boro's ballet the making of an Australian ballet, 1939-1961

Title: Boro's ballet [videorecording] : the making of an Australian ballet, 1939-1961 / ScreenSound Australia, National Screen and Sound Archive ; directed by Sally Jackson and Michelle Potter.
Publication: Australia : ScreenSound Australia, National Library of Australia, c2001.

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Status	Format	Access	Call Number	Item Location
Request Appointment Available - Can be used on site. Please visit New York Public Library - Performing Arts Research Collections to submit a request in person.	Moving image	Use in library	*MGZIA 4-5054	Performing Arts Research Collections - Dance

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Description

1 videocassette (70 min.) : sd., col. with b&w sequences PAL; 1/2 in. (VHS)

Summary

Documentary on Edouard Borovansky, the Czech-born dancer, teacher, and choreographer who founded and directed Australia's first major dance company, called the Borovansky Ballet or the Borovansky Australian Ballet. His former dancers and associates add their reminiscences to the company's history, which is richly illustrated by film clips and still photographs. The program examines not only his revivals of the classics (among them Les sylphides, Swan lake, Giselle, The sleeping beauty, and The nutcracker), but his original choreography, including Capriccio italien, Vltava, Terra Australis (the first full-length ballet on an Australian theme), and other works. Also discussed are his groundbreaking achievements in training and giving opportunities to Australian dancers, encouraging new choreographers (among them Laurel Martyn and Paul Grinwis), finding backing for his company through the J.C. Williamson Theatres organization, and importing dancers and repertory from overseas. The program also covers other dance companies, individuals and events with bearing upon the Borovansky Ballet: the competition offered by Ballet Rambert in its 1948 tour of Australia ; the National Theatre Ballet's production of Australia's first full-length Swan lake in 1951 ; Margot Fonteyn's engagement as guest artist with the Borovansky Ballet in 1957 ; the founding of the Australian Ballet, built upon the foundation of the Borovansky Ballet, in 1962.

Donor/Sponsor

Gift of Michelle Potter of Keep Dancing.

Uniform Title

Sylphides (Choreographic work : Fokin)
Swan lake (Choreographic work). Act II.
Giselle (Choreographic work)
Terra Australis (Choreographic work : Borovansky)
Boutique fantasque (Choreographic work : Massine)
Sleeping beauty (Choreographic work : Sergeev, N after Petipa, M)
Carnaval (Choreographic work : Fokin)
Pineapple Poll (Choreographic work : Cranko)
Symphonie fantastique (Choreographic work : Massine)
Tres diablos (Choreographic work : Grinwis)
Nutcracker (Choreographic work : Lichine)
Graduation ball (Choreographic work : Lichine)
Corrida (Choreographic work : Lichine)
Don Quixote (Choreographic work). Pas de deux.

Subject

Genre/Form

Dance.
Documentaries and factual films and programs.
Interviews.
Video.

Note

Running time given as 73 min. on wrapper.
Subtitle from cassette label and wrapper.

Credits (note)

Research and script, Michelle Potter, Sally Jackson ; executive producer, Jean Wein, ScreenSound Australia.

Performer (note)

Narrator: Micki Beckett.
Interviewees (on camera): Eric Clapham, Martin Rubinstein, Barry Kitcher, Laurel Martyn, Margaret Walker.
Interviewees (voiceover only): Edouard Borovansky, Paul Hammond, Kathleen Gorham, Tom Rothfield, Reg Bartram, Peggy Sager, Geoffrey Ingram, others.
Also appearing on tape: Xenia Borovansky, Edna Busse, Laurel Martyn, Dorothy Stevenson, Serge Bousloff, Kathleen Gorham, William Constable, Martin Rubinstein, Tamara Tchinarova, Belinda Wright and members of Ballet Rambert, Ray Trickett, Leon Kellaway, David Lichine, Paul Grinwis, Margot Fonteyn, Michael Somes, Rowena Jackson, Bryan Ashbridge, Robert Pomié, Marilyn Jones, Garth Welch, others.

Contents

Dance excerpts: among the many film clips of rehearsals and performances are: Edouard Borovansky as Pierrot with the Covent Garden Russian Ballet, 1938 -- En saga / choreography, Lauren Martyn -- Capriccio italien / choreography, Borovansky -- Vltava / choreography, Borovansky -- Swan lake. Act II / danced by Edna Busse and Serge Bousloff -- Giselle / title role performed by various dancers, including Laurel Martyn and Kathleen Gorham -- Terra Australis / choreography, Borovansky -- Le beau Danube / choreography, Leonide Massine ; danced by Tamara Tchinarova, others -- The nutcracker / danced by Ballet Rambert: Belinda Wright, others -- La boutique fantasque / choreography, Massine ; danced by Borovansky (shopkeeper), others -- The sleeping princess / choreography, Marius Petipa, reconstructed from Nikolai Sergeev's notation ; staged by Miro Zloch [Zolan] -- Carnaval / choreography, Michel Fokine -- Pineapple Poll / choreography, John Cranko -- Symphonie fantastique / choreography, Massine -- Fifth symphony, Les présages / choreography, Yurek Shabelevsky -- Los tres diablos / choreography, Paul Grinwis ; danced by Kathleen Gorham, Ray Trickett, Leon Kellaway, others -- The nutcracker / choreography, Lichine -- Graduation ball / choreography, Lichine.
Dance excerpts, continued: Corrida / choreography, Lichine ; danced in rehearsal by Gorham, Grinwis, others -- Swan lake. Act II / danced by guests Margot Fonteyn and Michael Somes with the Borovansky Ballet -- Don Quixote pas de deux / danced by guests Rowena Jackson and Bryan Ashbridge -- The sleeping beauty. Rose adagio / danced by Fonteyn, others -- The sleeping beauty. Grand pas de deux / danced by Marilyn Jones and Garth Welch -- Coppélia. Act II -- The nutcracker. Snow scene [under closing credits]. Several excerpts from Fokine's Les sylphides appear at various points in the program.

Call Number

*MGZIA 4-5054

OCLC

NYPY01-F568

Title

Boro's ballet [videorecording] : the making of an Australian ballet, 1939-1961 / ScreenSound Australia, National Screen and Sound Archive ; directed by Sally Jackson and Michelle Potter.

Imprint

Australia : ScreenSound Australia, National Library of Australia, c2001.

Credits

Research and script, Michelle Potter, Sally Jackson ; executive producer, Jean Wein, ScreenSound Australia.

Performer

Narrator: Micki Beckett.

Interviewees (on camera): Eric Clapham, Martin Rubinstein, Barry Kitcher, Laurel Martyn, Margaret Walker.

Interviewees (voiceover only): Edouard Borovansky, Paul Hammond, Kathleen Gorham, Tom Rothfield, Reg Bartram, Peggy Sager, Geoffrey Ingram, others.

Also appearing on tape: Xenia Borovansky, Edna Busse, Laurel Martyn, Dorothy Stevenson, Serge Bousloff, Kathleen Gorham, William Constable, Martin Rubinstein, Tamara Tchinarova, Belinda Wright and members of Ballet Rambert, Ray Trickett, Leon Kellaway, David Lichine, Paul Grinwis, Margot Fonteyn, Michael Somes, Rowena Jackson, Bryan Ashbridge, Robert Pomié, Marilyn Jones, Garth Welch, others.

Added Author

Rubinstein, Martin. Interviewee

Kitcher, Barry. Interviewee

Busse, Edna, dancer.

Walker, Margaret, 1920-1996. Interviewee

Stevenson, Dorothy.

Hammond, Paul. Interviewee

Bousloff, Serge, dancer.

Gorham, Kathleen. ive, dancer.

Constable, William. Costume designer

Bartram, Reg. Interviewee

Tchinarova, Tamara, dancer.

Wright, Belinda, 1929-2007, dancer.

Zolan, Miro.

Shabelevsky, Yurek, choreographer.

Kellaway, Leon, dancer.

Sager, Peggy. Interviewee

Fonteyn, Margot, 1919-1991, dancer.

Somes, Michael, 1914-1994, dancer.

Jackson, Rowena, 1926- dancer.

Ashbridge, Bryan, dancer.

Pomié, Robert, dancer.

Jones, Marilyn, dancer.

Welch, Garth, 1936- dancer.

Ingram, Geoffrey. Interviewee

Van Praagh, Peggy, 1910-

Borovansky, Edouard, 1902-1959, choreographer, dancer. Interviewee

Fokine, Michel, 1880-1942, choreographer.

Martyn, Laurel, choreographer, dancer. Interviewee

Lichine, David, choreographer.

Massine, Leonide, 1896-1979, choreographer.

Petipa, Marius, 1818-1910, choreographer.

Cranko, John, choreographer.

Grinwis, Paul, choreographer, dancer.

Potter, Michelle, 1944- Director. Respondent. Screenwriter

Jackson, Sally. Director. Respondent. Screenwriter

Borovansky Australian Ballet.

Ballet Rambert.

National Theatre Ballet Company (Australia)

Australian Ballet.

ScreenSound Australia.

National Library of Australia.

Added Title

Sylphides (Choreographic work : Fokin)

Swan lake (Choreographic work). Act II.

Giselle (Choreographic work)

Terra Australis (Choreographic work : Borovansky)

Boutique fantasque (Choreographic work : Massine)

Sleeping beauty (Choreographic work : Sergeev, N after Petipa, M)

Carnaval (Choreographic work : Fokin)

Pineapple Poll (Choreographic work : Cranko)

Symphonie fantastique (Choreographic work : Massine)

Tres diablos (Choreographic work : Grinwis)

Nutcracker (Choreographic work : Lichine)

Graduation ball (Choreographic work : Lichine)

Corrida (Choreographic work : Lichine)

Don Quixote (Choreographic work). Pas de deux.

Research Call Number

*MGZIA 4-5054

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