Check out my latest video on YouTube on Mikhail Baryshnikov’s early training under Alexander Pushkin. Baryshnikov is one of the most celebrated dancers in history. His defection from the Soviet Union in 1974 made headlines, launching an illustrious career in the West and making him a pop culture icon. His performances were breathtaking, combining preeminent athleticism with uncanny dramatic timing. But how did Baryshnikov become the G.O.A.T? This video focuses on his early training in the Soviet Union. His skills were honed by a legendary teacher at the Vaganova Ballet Academy: Alexander Pushkin. Pushkin was a father figure to Baryshnikov—perhaps the most important person in his early life next to his mother. Behind every great talent, there is often a mentor who steers them toward greatness. For Baryshnikov, that figure was Pushkin. This video examines this relationship, along with an analysis of Baryshnikov’s dancing in his early days when he was in his late teens and early 20s. This video examines this relationship, along with an analysis of Baryshnikov’s dancing in his early days when he was in his late teens and early 20s. Check it out!

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Check out my latest video on George Balanchine’s Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux. It is a short, eight-minute work filled with explosive energy, a global fan favorite, performed regularly by various companies, and highlighted in galas. In this video, I examine two of my favorite versions on YouTube, by Mikhail Baryshnikov and Julio Bocca. The variations, separated by about a decade, reveal extraordinary athleticism and technique, pushing the boundaries of ballet. These variations were preeminent and have stood the test of time. 

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Check out my latest YouTube video on the great Julio Bocca. He burst upon the dance scene in the early 1980s after winning a prestigious ballet competition. American Ballet Theatre Artistic Director Mikhail Baryshnikov hired Julio as a Principal Dancer at the remarkably young age of 19. For the next two decades, Julio wowed crowds globally with his preeminent athleticism and technique, combined with rare dramatic action. He became an icon in his native Argentina, where his performances filled massive football stadiums. He became not only one of the best dancers of his generation, but of all time. What made Julio a ballet rock star? In this video, I break down his Don Quixote variations, shedding light on this question. Check it out!

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This is a video I wished I didn’t have to make: a memorial to Vladimir Shklyarov, who died in November.

As a Principal Dancer with the Mariinsky Ballet and a guest artist with major ballet companies, Vladimir Shklyarov gained worldwide acclaim as one of the leading male dancers, dazzling crowds with a refined mix of athleticism and grace. I saw him dance in New York on 3 occasions and was impressed by his complete package as a dancer: robust stage presence, technical prowess, dramatism, and strength as a partner. His repertoire was vast across the major classics and contemporary works.

The ballet world was shocked when Shklyarov died on November 16, 2024, at age 39. Fellow dancer Irina Baranovskaya said that he had gone out onto a very narrow balcony to smoke, lost his balance, and fell five stories, in her words, in a “stupid, unbearable accident.” Russian media reported that he was due to undergo complex spinal surgery and had been taking serious painkillers for some time. Shklyarov married Maria Shirinkina, a first soloist at the Mariinsky, in 2013. They had two children.

This video remembers Shklyarov’s great dancing. I analyze his Nutcracker variation, an exceptional solo filled with stellar technique and princely grace. A great artist. He will be missed.

The post Vladimir Shklyarov: In Memoriam 1985-2024 appeared first on Ballet Focus.

Check out my latest YouTube video. I was stunned by Takumi Miyake’s Instagram post from American Ballet Theatre’s Études in October 2024. An audience member’s 10-second pirate video clip showed Takumi doing a remarkable athletic feat: nine consecutive double tours, with the last one to a controlled landing to the knee. I’ve never seen a 9-tour sequence on stage, with sturdy technique and few compromises. This video provides a technical analysis of Takumi’s stunning series that he makes looks easy, breaking down the critical elements of this treacherous and rarely performed segment. Check it out!

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Check out my latest YouTube video on Rudolf Nureyev, one of the most celebrated dancers of all time. After his defection from the Soviet Union, he became a sensation in the West. His technical prowess, charismatic stage presence, and innovative interpretations of classical roles distinguished him as a path breaking artist. Across global stages, the public flocked to see him; in terms of recognition and fame, he was often compared with rock stars. The popularity of ballet surged because of Nureyev’s many global tours, reaching audiences with little exposure to dance. Through his technical prowess and work as a choreographer, Nureyev enhanced the male dancer’s role in ballet, which traditionally focused on female roles. His contribution to ballet is unparalleled, not only in his performances and choreographic innovations, but also his role in breaking cultural barriers and fostering a greater global appreciation for ballet.

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Check out my latest YouTube video. American Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer Devon Teuscher posted a short video clip of her first turn section in her Odile variation from Swan Lake on July 6, 2024 at the Metropolitan Opera House. The clip from the wings showed a remarkable turn series that I have not seen performed in front of a live audience, a triple pirouette to 5 turns in attitude derrière. I’ve seen dancers post rehearsal clips of crazy difficult steps on Instagram, but it means a lot more when impressive feats are done in front of 3,000 people. This clip shows Devon’s preeminent turning ability, done with exquisite technique with no technical compromises. In this short video, I break down the segment and why it is so special.

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Check out my latest YouTube video on Alexander Godunov. With dynamic athleticism and abundant charisma, Godunov made his mark as one of the leading male dancers of the 1970s and early 1980s. His variations were a whirlwind of powerful turns and leaps in showpiece variations such as Don Quixote and Le Corsaire. Added to his persona was his status as a Soviet defector in 1979, joining Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov; to many of Godunov’s fans, his dancing was unrivaled.

Godinov had one characteristic the others did not: very tall for a dancer at 6 foot 4 inches with long blond shoulder-length hair, he looked like a rock star. Looking at photos of Godunov in the 1980s, Godunov is indistinguishable from any charismatic frontman of a significant rock and roll band with appearances in major movies with A-list Hollywood elites in the 1980s, celebrity girlfriend, and hoards of paparattzi. Unfortunately, he also shared another characteristic with megastars: substance abuse and addiction. He ultimately succumbed to this temptation at only 45 years of age. 

This video focuses on Godunov’s stellar dancing, revealing a unique combination of athletic prowess and refined technique.   

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