Today, December 1st, we wish Violette Verdy a very happy birthday! Ms. Verdy is one of the premier ballet dancers of the twentieth century and has dedicated her post-performance life to training future generations of dancers. Violette Verdy was a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet for almost twenty years and performed as a guest principal artist with many major companies, such as the Metropolitan Opera in New York; the Royal Ballet at Covent Garden; and the Paris Opera Ballet. Upon joining New York City Ballet in 1958, George Balanchine created many roles for her, including ones in “Liebeslieder Walzer,” “Episodes,” “Jewels,” “Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux,” and “A Midsummer Nights Dream.” Jerome Robbins also created roles for Verdy in “Dances at a Gathering,” “In the Night” and “Beethoven Pas de Deux.” Ms. Verdy is the former Artistic Director of the Paris Opera Ballet and Boston Ballet, and she has taught and choreographed for dance companies and schools throughout the world. At the Bolshoi Ballet Company, she was the first outside female teacher invited since the 1917 Russian Revolution. Her remarkable achievements as a dancer, teacher, and administrator in several of the worlds foremost dance companies and ballet schools have garnered her international acclaim. Enjoy this clip of Violette Verdy as she coaches Isabelle Guerin (of the Paris Opera Ballet) in a solo she originally danced in Robbins’ landmark ballet Dances at a Gathering… youtube/watch?v=RaCpQzkc1ik
Posted on: Sun, 01 Dec 2013 06:31:50 +0000