Laserdisc Title: "STARS OF THE RUSSIAN BALLET"
Edition: Fullscreen Edition (Single Disc)
Directed By: Gerbert Rappaport
Starring: Galina Ulanova, Maya Plisetskaya, Vakhtang Chabukiani, Konstantin Sergeyev, Natalya Dudinskaya
Production / Year: (1953 USSR) - 1984 Corinth Films, Inc.
Running Time: 80 Minutes / Color
Audio Format: Digital Sound, CX Encoded
Video Format: NTSC, CLV (Extended Play)
Miscellaneous Features: None
Distributed By: Image Entertainment
Catalog / Spine Number: ID700CO

IMPORTANT: This is a 12-inch Diameter Laserdisc, which is NOT the same as DVD and cannot be played on a DVD player!

Cosmetic Condition:
Disc (s): Excellent - Hardly noticeable to very minor hairline surface swirls or very light fingerprint marks
Jacket: Excellent - Original outer plastic shrink wrap still partially intact

Synopsis:

This is one of the greatest Laserdiscs I own. The three selections on this Laserdisc give us a glimpse of the magnificent talent that was hidden behind the Iron Curtain in the early 1950's. Fortunately, the film maker Gebbert Rappaport thought to preserve some of the work of these phenomenal artists.

These are excerpts from the Russian repertoire. The first, Swan Lake, features the supremely gifted Galina Ulanova, whose grace, delicacy and beauty of form awarded her the title Prima Ballerina Assoluta of the Bolshoi. There's a bit of predictably silly Soviet animation tacked into Swan Lake, but it's irrelevant. Ulanova must have had the most gorgeous feet in the world. It's a pity there isn't a complete Swan Lake with her.

The second feature, The Fountains of Bakhshiserai, based on a Pushkin poem, is the only time Ulanova and Plisetskaya were filmed dancing together. This segment has some of the marvelous legendary Russian male power dancing that had its roots in the folk arts. Plisetskaya, who was given the title Prima Ballerina Assoluta upon Ulanova's retirement, bares her flawless midriff in an erotic dance that is so hot my television started steaming. One of factors that contributes to the splendor of the Russian dance tradition is the quality of the acting. All the participants in Fountains are fabulous actors as well as very great dancers. The scene between Ulanova and Plisetskaya is perfection.

The last segment, The Flames of Paris, is a Soviet homage to the French Revolution. It is one of the only videos I can find with the tremendous Georgian dancer Vakhtang Chabukiani. What a pity he is not well known in the West. His speed and strength are miraculous. The speed with which he spins around the stage seems to defy the laws of physics. It was as if the editor fast-forwarded the film, but he didn't - Chabukiani had superhuman velocity. There is also a wonderful dancer I had never heard of - Musa Gottlieb, a beautiful, graceful artist who knocked of 32 fouettes like it was nothing at all.

Most highly recommended if you are interested in historic dance, Russian ballet, or just want to see some of the greatest dancers ever captured on film.

THIS IS NOT A DVD!!! THIS IS A 12" LASERDISC AND WILL NOT PLAY IN A DVD PLAYER

Thanks for checking my other auctions!
eCrater ID Verified!