In the classical ballet, we fans are attracted sometimes not only by a
single dancer but also by amazing ballet couples. The most famous and interesting in this writer’s memories, is, without any doubt, Rudolph Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn. This legendary couple cast its spell all
the world, leaving us unforgettable sensations and turning us into lovers of the art of ballet forever. When we remember their beautiful interpretations of "Romeo and Juliet,” "Marguerite and Armand," or "Le Corsaire,” we understand that, even now , when ballet tecnique may be more perfect, we can't find as wonderful a total performance where the man & woman seem to understanding each other.

We can say almost the same about Ekaterina Maximova and Vladimir
Vassiliev, unforgettable virtuoso-interpreters of all the classical
repertory. They also have helped to make the Russian ballet known and perhaps the most beloved to all the world. (By this we mean - recognized by average persons who occasionally enjoy ballet, not ballet specialists in specific countries who love NYCB, POB, the Royal Ballet, Ballet de Cuba, etc.).

Carla Fracci and Erik Bruhn made history especially with the "lyrical classical repertory" (such as "Giselle" &"La Sylphide"). She imbues a sweet and gentle character in all her heroines and he was generous and noble in his manner.

In more recent periods we have not had examples of such great pairs even if couples like Alessandra Ferri - Julio Bocca, Agnes Letestu - Jose Martinez, Alina Cojocaru - Johan Kobborg or Agnes Oaks - Thomas Edur are very nice and interesting but they can't become history like "couples" maybe because they do not have the same harmony and charm that has characterized their predecessors and maybe because they don't dance together all the time.

In Russia, too, used always to have many beautiful couples. -- not just Maximova - Vasiliev but Struchkova - Lapauri; N. Pavlova - Gordeev, to name a few Moscow examples. However, it seems that this tradition is also disappearing little by little, even if, for example, in St.Petersburg, our favorite ballet place where we follow more carefully all the ballet events, we still have some interesting examples.

The most legendary couple here were Natalia Dudinskaya and
Kostantin Sergeev who for many years enchanted the audience with their
awesome technique and impressive innovations (for that time) in the classical ballet. Even now we can't find more ingenious versions of "Swan Lake,” "Sleeping Beauty," or " Raymonda" by Sergeev.

In the sixties and seventies, there were very interesting pairs like
Alla Sizova and Yuri Soloviev, characterized by their high jump and ample movement, being unforgettabble interpreters of "Sleeping
Beauty" and " Flowers Festival in Genzano.”

Alla Osipenko and John Markovsky, after been one of the most nice and followed couples of the Kirov Ballet, they left the Mariinsky Theatre and they were leading soloists of the Leonid Yakobson's ballet troupe and beautiful interpreters of many of his ballets ("Rodin").

Irina Kolpakova and Serghei Berezhnoi were always a clear and lovely
example of the real Petersburg ballet style: strict ballet school with
definite arm poses. In the same period, at the Maly Theatre, we found almost the same qualities of Kolpakova - Berezhnoi, in the couple of Nikita Dolgushin ( now artistic director of the Conservatory Opera and Ballet ) and Tatiana Fesenko, amazing interpreters of " Giselle," "La Sylphide" ( first interpreters in Soviet Union) and "Esmeralda.”

Natalia Bolshakova and Vadim Gulaiev from the Kirov, a very popular
pair in the seventies and the first half of eighties, were very interesting interpreters not only of new works of young and talented choreographers of that time ( Eifman, Vinogradov, etc.) but also of some classics like "Napoli" by Bournonville and "Chopiniana.”

At the Maly Theatre, Irina Kirsanova and Yury Petukhov, now director of the St. Petersburg State Academic Ballet, also known as the “Choreographic Miniatures Ballet Troupe,” worked in the same way. Besides, Petukhov has created many interesting works for themselves and, later, for different dancers and companies.

Later, in the eighties, the most famous pair in St.Petersburg and later
the rest of ballet world, were Altynai Assylmuratova (now director
of the Vaganova Ballet Academy) and Farukh Ruzimatov. This couple was
able to collect every time a huge enchanted audience and their every
performance was like a "holy event"! It was a big pity that later they
broke up and didn't have permanent partners for several years.
Just recently, Ruzimatov seemed to find a big "stage feeling" with
Diana Vishneva but unfortunately they also broke up and now only rarely
dance together.

Margarita Kullik and Vladimir Kim were another very famous Petersburg
Pair. They had a lot of fans especially because she was one of the
best pupils of Natalia Dudinskaya, having a very strong technique,
absolutely necessary for their best pieces like "Flames of Paris,” "Harlequinade" or "Tarantella" by G. Balanchine. They recently retired, their place perhaps having been taken by another technically strong and charismatic couple, Irina Badaeva and Fethon Miozzi. Badaeva – Miozzi began as one of the most interesting couples at the Mariinsky Ballet and now, as freelancers, they dance throughout Russia & beyond, keeping the best traditions of Russian ballet style and enchanting the most knowledgeable audiences. We especially love their interpretations of "Giselle,” " Swan Lake" and " Diana and Acteon."

But we wonder why the concept of the "great ballet couple" is slowly
disappearing? What is the reason?

Interesting topic! I think there are many reasons. The major American companies discourage partnerships. The big reason is people come to see the partnership, not the ballet, and so they wield too much power.

Well, that's very logical, Leigh, because from the point of view of the audience, we buy tickets to see dancers and to have a fulfilling theatrical experience. Do the dancers wield too much power? Why not get rid of them? Then there would be no power issues whatsoever!

Still, the most stunning partnership I've seen in my home companies was the one between Susan Jaffe and Jose Manuel Carreno at ABT. They always exuded a palpable passion when dancing together that was never quite the same when they had other partners. Also at ABT, we rarely see Dvorovenko dancing with anyone but Beloserkovsky. He, however, partners a number of ballerinas.

Ballet lovers, you mentioned the pairing of Assylmuratova with Ruzimatov, but I associate her more closely with Zaklinsky.

We don't think that Assylmuratova was closed more to Zaklinsky.
He was a beautiful dancer but he didn't make a permanent "couple" with his wife. With Ruzimatov there was the most interesting partnership !

Ballet-Lovers is right about Assylmuratova having forged a stronger professional partnership with Ruzimatov -- esp. during the mid-to-late '80s -- than with Zaklinsky, who danced more often with Mezentseva or Chenchikova than with his own wife.

Cojocaru-Kobborg are probably as close as it gets today to a magical, somewhat-permanent partnership. They are adored as guests in St P (last 2 Mariinsky Festivals + the 2003 RB tour during White Nights). Have you seen Cojocaru-Kobborg at th Mariinsky Theater, ballet-lovers? I'll never forgt their 'Giselle' in Feb. 2003 or Romeo & Juliet in 2004....then their 'Cinderella, last month, at the Royal Opera House. They are the personification of the ideal strong-man-and-delicate-princess couple. They truly 'click' as a team & we love them for it. It's not about technique but artistry...although their technique is pretty darn good, too.

Ballet-lovers, have you seen Badeeva-Miozzi in a full-evening work? I've seen them only in short gala pieces. Great technique & bubbly personalities but I was wondering if they had the depth of 'soul' to sustain a full ballet.

That's interesting... But following that logic, then the directions of ballet companies should discourage the existence of "stars" ?
Also I'm wondering if it has a link with the fact that now, principal dancers are expected to dance more and more different roles in the same season, and so it often leads to many different pairings (and complicated schedules, probably).

Ballet lovers, thanks for your detailed posts about the great couples of Russian ballet.

You mentioned Agnès Letestu and José Martinez among POB dancers, they are indeed often paired together (especially as Agnès Letestu is very tall and so needs an even taller partner), however they tend to be cast less and less often nowadays. Letestu often is paired with Bart, but I think the pair doesn't work as well as with Martinez.

Some other examples of French ballet couples would also be Ghislaine Thesmar and Michaël Denard in the 1970s and early 1980s, especially in "La Sylphide" which was something like a signature role for Thesmar, and more generally in Pierre Lacotte's reconstructions. I've never seen them on stage, but on photographs they look wonderful together, both blond elegant dancers. During the same period, Noëlla Pontois and Cyril Atanassoff also often were paired, and Wilfride Piollet and Jean Guizerix (who happen to be husband and wife).

In the "Nureyev generation" of POB principals, there also was Isabelle Guérin and Laurent Hilaire (who were promoted to "étoile" the same day), and Manuel Legris and Monique Loudières, but later in their careers they also danced with a lot of other partners. Now there are so many different casts for each ballet that the pairings change a lot... Delphine Moussin often danced with her husband Lionel Delanoë, but now, even though he's only 37, Delanoë almost never performs and
works mostly as a ballet master (he suffered from a very serious back injury a few seasons ago). And the only couple of husband-and-wife POB principals, Nicolas Le Riche and Clairemarie Osta, seldom perform together, because Le Riche is much taller than Osta.

We have seen Cojocaru - Kobborg on the last festival in St. Petersburg. They were beautiful even if we think that Cojokaru is much more touching and expressive than Kobborg. He has an awesome tecnique but sometimes he is not enough deep in his feelings .We think she is more "complete" and interesting.
We have seen also Irina Badaeva and Fethon Miozzi in " Swan lake" , "Giselle", "Nutcracker" and "Sleeping Beauty" (except of the gala programs) and they were unfogettable! We think that they are even much more interesting in full-evening works that in gala.
Badaeva is so sweet and tender and she has a nice and aristocratic manner that remind very much Irina Kolpakova, especially in the "Nutcracker".
Miozzi is very charismatic and emotional in every his hero. He is an amazing actor and he is able to enchant any audience , especially in " Giselle".

In the "Nureyev generation" of POB principals, there are not in any case "consolidated pairs" because they are not dancing together everytime even if they are superb .

Thanks for the answers, ballet lovers.

Regarding your main question, I believe that couples are not given the chance to develop nowadays. Casting for new pieces is usually up to the choreographer (as it should be). Casting of continuing repertoire is up to the Artistic Director or a combination of the director & coaches...who don't seem to want to pair the same ballerina-and-male dancer combo often.

Leigh's explanation about not giving too much power to dancers sounds right...certainly at NYCB, where casting news comes late on purpose. People are supposed to buy tickets to the ballet -- not to see specific dancers. (yeah, right...aye-aye, sir...in pre-internet days I remember the throngs of people trying to read the casting sheets posted in the lobby...maybe they were just exercising their eyes)

ABT has tried to forge a few partnerships --- Wiles/Hallberg, Herrera/Corella, Mr & Mrs Beloserkovsky (Dorovenko/Beloserkovsky) but they haven't really blossomed. I wonder why?

Well in the case of Wiles/Hallberg, I've seen enough of them to have a theory: there's seems to be a partnership based on physical appearances (both tall athletic blonds). But I think a lot of great partnerships 'click' because of complementary qualities. For instance, the quote about Nureyev/Fonteyn: "He brought her out, and she brought him up." For Fracci and Bruhn, her sweetness melted his Apollonian reserve, etc. I think at this point Wiles and Hallberg are too similar temperamentally to really generate much chemistry (besides the joy that audiences get from looking at youth and athleticism together.) I think they both have growing to do as dancers.

For Herrera/Corella, I think they're both physically and temperamentally too DIFFERENT. Herrera seems like a hard person to match: she has a large head, long, thick torso, and extremely thin legs. Temperamentally, I'd say she can be exciting but is often more placid than anything. Corella is slight but has more classical proportions. Now the idea seems to be Murphy/Corella. Maybe that'll work.

And as for Mr. and Mrs. Dvorovenko (sorry, I love her too much ) I think they do work. Because you get a melding of complementary looks and temperament: shes tough, sexy, and dark, he's more reserved and classical, blond. They're a bit like Fred and Ginger.

But mostly I think great partnerships are by definition rare, and the reason people still talk about Sibley/Dowell or Makarova/Nagy (or nowadays Cojocaru/Kohborg) is because it's special. If every partnership caught fire, then there wouldnt be "great" partnerships, the way gold wouldnt be valuable if every handful of dirt had gold dust.

On the NYCB side, great partnerships were formed by Balanchine when he created works on dancers, like McBride and Villella, and Farrell and d'Amboise/Martins. From everything I've read in the last decade about the Company, Whelan and Soto have had a great partnership.

I preferred to see the great partners distributed around, particularly when there were so many wonderful, tall ballerinas In my main NYCB-going years, these were Adam Lüders and Joseph Duell. Heather Watts was partnered by Jock Soto much of the time.

Re: Wiles-Hallberg, there are few men tall enough to partner Michele. Both are still young -- especially David -- and developing their artistry. They share a joy when dancing together that pours out into the audience, and that's an indispensible ingredient in a great partnership (not saying theirs is "great" . . . yet).

When they were both very young, Paloma and Angel were often paired and were a kind of wunderkinder sensation. Then her development seemed stalled while he seemed to grow from performance to performance.

Paloma has recently shown a willingness to relate to her partner. When she finds someone with whom she clicks, the pair's physical appearance will matter less.

As for Dvorovenko-Beloserkovsky, I completely agree, canbelto. Like K. Hepburn said of Astaire and Rogers, she gives him sex and he gives her class.

--Carley

Boy. . .what if that were the other way around . . .

I agree that Michele's extreme height is an issue. Especially in T&V. The part where she has to link arms and wind around the corps ... She was so much taller than all the women that I thought it was going to be a domino topple. It wasnt of course but ... (For anyone who has met Michele how tall IS she exactly? She seems to be almost WNBA-ish but I have no idea if she's just giant compared to the other ABT girls.)

In general, I think with more acceptance of different figures and body types for ballerinas there's the inevitable difficulty in finding partners. For instance, it'd be hard to find someone tall enough to partner Darcey Bussell. Also, I think that some dancers will be very great ballerinas but might not EVER really find a great partnership. Especially the more purely virtuostic dancers. This is something I've noticed with some of the POB videos. It's not a crime either. I mean Anna Pavlova never found HER dancing lobster (and yes I'm a dork I loved Friends).

I'd estimate Michele at around 5'9"-5'10". But I wouldn't worry about her toppling in Theme's "winding line" -- or anywhere else. Her balance is so solid that I wonder if a wrecking ball would make her wobble.

Michele Wiles is 5'8" (unless she has grown in the last few years ).

We think that the partnership of Sibley - Dowell or Makarova - Nagi were beautiful but in any case the best "duo" was Makarova - Dowell even if they were not a permanent couple.
Besides, before Makarova leave Russia she was a very close partner of Nikita Dolgushin and they were really a rare pair!

I think that discouaraging the formation of partnerships is a bad idea for ballet companies, artistically as well as financially. I won't go and see Giselle (or whatever) for the hundredth time just to see the production, but I will go if I hear Cojocaru and Kobborg are dancing. Most ballets, after all, revolve around a core partnership, (Romeo and Juliet, Prince Rudolf and Maria Vetsera, etc.), and therefore not to foster good partnerships seems to me downright senseless. I feel very strongly about this because I got very frustrated with Cape Town City Ballet for seeming to deliberately break up very complementary partnerships. The result? I went to see less ballets than I would otherwise have done.

I have been wondering for a while who would be the best partner for Nikolai Tsiskaridze, a great favourite of mine. I read in an interview that he greatly admires Sylvie Guillem and would love to dance with her, but personally I don't think that their styles suit each other. Here on the southernmost tip of Africa I don't get to see anywhere near as much of his performances as I would like (I wish they would release a lot of videos of his dancing soon) and I would love to hear the thoughts of those of you who see him more regularly as to which ballerina he "clicks" best with.

The disadvantage for me is when I don't like one of the partners but love the other, and either have to "suffer" through one or miss the other. Or, when I was very young and more stupid, miss Erik Bruhn because he was paired with Carla Fracci -- I know -- because I had to see Makarova and Makarova only the two times a year I could get a ride to NYC, and she was paired exclusively with Ivan Nagy. (There was no suffering whatsoever involved with watching Nagy dance and partner. I just missed out on seeing one of the great male dancers of the 20th century. I did eventually see Fracci, in Giselle.)

Yes, that can be a problem, but I think it occurs oftener when dancers at matched more or less at random than when complementary partnerships have been established. Not that there shouldn't be some mixing-and-matching, I just mean to say that not allowing the development of partnerships on principle seems to me to be a pretty senseless policy.

We don't think is "senseless" to love a great couple . The most of people love the talent pairs like in the Hollywood films!

I think you misunderstood me, Ballet lovers. I didn't mean that it was senseless to love a great couple. I think it is senseless not to!

O.K. Sorry !!!

For me, the great pair in recent years has been Wendy Whelan & Jock Soto...but with Jock retiring that will be coming to an end. Another frequent and beautiful partnership has been Kyra Nichols & Philip Neal.

This just reminded me of a passage in Makarova’s autobiography, where she comments on what a pleasure it was to dance with Bruhn, and how she regretted that the disparity in their ages and injury made a continuing partnership impossible. “I am sure a long and harmonious partnership would have developed,” she said (as I recall).

At the Royal Ballet the Cojocaru and Kobborg partnership is the most celebrated. They are perfect together. Though both of them are fantastic dancers on their own when together they are even better. This partnership is one rooted in similarities both are rather small, both have clean techniques, and they have similar, or so it seems, personalities. I see that no one has mentioned the great partnerships at the Royal. Margot Fonteyn and Michael Somes were, before Nureyev came along, the star couple at the RB. My mother tells me that her and her friends would all rally after school at Covent Garden whenever there was a Fonteyn- Somes performance. Antoinette Sibley and Anthony Dowell was in my opinion the greatest partnership I have ever seen. They had a sort of telepathic understanding, a deep communion. Nadia Nerina and David Blair's partnership, immortalized in La Fille Mal Gardee. A partnership that was sadly cut short too soon was Lynn Seymour and Christopher Gable, they were one of a kind. Another great partnership was the Darcey Bussell and Jonathan Cope pairing. Both tall, dark, and good-looking.

What a wonderful post, Lovebird, acknowledging the great Royal Ballet partnerships over several generations and the timelessness of the concept.

I've gotta chime in on the Royal! Sibley and Dowell were gorgeous together, and definitely Kobburg and Cojocaru are the staple couple of the day. While Cope and Bussell dance well together, many of us Johnny fans see more out of him when he's dancing with his other famous partners - Sylvie Guillem and Tamara Rojo. (not to forget Leanne Benjamin!!) I personally love the Cope-Rojo partnership - at the Manon Insight Evening last week they were on fire - so in tune it's mesmerising. It's also interesting to watch how the Royal is experimenting with partnerships a bit as well - having Cojocaru dance with others such as Bonnelli, looking towards its other dancers such as Ed Watson, Lauren Cuthburtson, Martin Harvey, Thiago Soares, Rupert Pennefather, Ivan Putrov, Roberta Marquez. The last two have been paired together fairly consistently of late. I also feel that they are really trying to overcome the height issue for some of their taller women, especially Zenaida Yanowsky. And finally, Sarah Lamb has won hearts here very quickly - it'll be interesting to see how they experiment with partners for her.

I'm not sure why you consider the styles of Guillem and Tsiskaridze to be at odds, as he has made guest appearances with the Paris Opera Ballet with great success and both understands and appreciates French style.

Because of his height he is invariably paired with taller dancers and in Paris he danced with Marie-Agnes Gillot. I have seen him dance with Inna Petrova, Maria Allash, Svetlana Lunkina, Anastasia Volochkova and Anna Antonicheva at the Bolshoi and Irma Nioradze and Diana Vishneva at the Kirov. I liked him particularly with Elena Kniazkova when they guested in London with the Chisinau Ballet.

Margot Fonteyn danced very much also with Robert Helpmann and not only with Michael Somes but , in any case she had the most "understanding" with Nureyev.
You are really true when you write that Cojocaru-Kobborg is a perfect pair ! We like also very much (even if we think that Cojocaru is more interesting and expressive). They have very similar personalities like also the most of the couples in Russia we have mentioned. But what it is better, a similar or a different personalities for a great couple?
For exemple, Fracci- Bruhn were very similar but Fonteyn-Nureyev were very different.
Maximova-Vassiliev were similar but Dudinskaia-Sergheev were different.
Sibley-Dowell were similar but Makarova-Dowell were different.
In St.Petersburg , for exemple, Kullik-Kim were similar but Badaeva-Miozzi are different.
Tsiskaridze-Nioradze are similar but Tsiskaridze-Lunkina are different.

Edward Watson and Lauren Cuthbertson, it seems to me, are being groomed as a future partnership.

I think I generally prefer pairings when there are strong personality contrasts between the man and the woman. One cool, the other passionate; one spiritual, the other earthy. When a pair of "opposites" has worked together for a long time, the "dialogue" takes on interesting balancing. There are exceptions, of course, where similar personalities create magic, but none that springs immediately to mind.

You know who came to mind for me after reading your post?

Gelsey Kirkland and Mikhail Baryshnikov. Now that was chemistry!

ESP, socalgal! They were on my mind as I was writing it. Also Farrell & Martins.

carbro, your post made me think first of Fonteyn and Nureyev -- maybe the supreme example of the contrasting-styles type of partnership.

We also prefer usually couples with different personalities. Without any doubt, they are the most interesting. But what about great pairs like Fracci-Bruhn ,both gentle and lirical ? Kirkland-Baryshnikov ( even if, unfortunately , they were not couple for longtime ), technical and charming? Assylmuratova-Ruzimatov, both with their hipnotic oriental beauty?
Sometimes we think that the same qualities in two talent artists, are something like a firework that is able to make the audience be in a frenzy.
For exemple , we think that Vladimir Malakhov and Svetlana Zakharova ( Bolshoi Ballet ) are perfect together especially for their similar and incredibles physical qualities.
Kenneth Greve (Royal Danish Ballet) and Uliana Lopatkina (Mariinsky Ballet ) could be great ! They are tall, handsome and with a nice " nordic coldness".The same for Agnes Letestu ( Paris Opera Ballet) and Danila Korsuntzev ( Mariinsky Ballet ) that are very similar but more "hot".
Aurelie Dupond and Andrian Fadeyev were very similar and perfect together in "Romeo and Juliet" and they could be also a very interesting pair.
Alina Cojocaru and Fethon Miozzi could be a great pair for their similar deep sensibility even if many of us think that Diana Vishneva and Fethon Miozzi could be the most interesting couple for their similar wonderfull tecnique and personality.
The most of the couples we have mentioned, didn't dance together yet. We are waiting with impatience this event !

Interesting post, Ballet lovers. I think the partnerships you mentioned in the second part would be very interesting to see too. It's always fun to come up with your fantasies about perfect ballet performances.

Hmm, come to think of it, that's a topic with potential...

Thank you for your reply, Mashinka. The reason why I said that I think Tsiskaridze and Guillem are not suited is because I feel that Guillem's style is too reserved for him - not "Bolshoi" enough, if you know what I mean. Not that I criticize her - I admire her dancing a lot. However, as Ballet lovers points out, often great partnerships work because of the differences, rather than the similarities, between the partners.

We don't understand what does it mean: but we are very glad if you like our posts.Thank you a lot !

means "what an idea!"

It's common for American cartoonists--and maybe cartoonists in other countries as well--to depict people coming up with "bright" ideas by drawing pictures of lightbulbs flashing over their heads.

You're welcome.

Thank you very much, we are very honoured !

In the early years of their partnership Kirkland and Baryshnikov seemed to take a deep delight in each other on stage. As distant as it seems now, they showed a kind of tenderness towards each other as well. I remember in particular a Coppelia they danced in Washington during the first year after his defection in which every moment seemed to be freshly invented in relation to each other--as well as (to my eyes) technically spectacular. I also thought that despite their different training, they both danced with a complementary classical purity.

In thinking about different training yet shared classical purity, I also want to put in a word for Mckerrow and Malakhov. I saw them dance in Bayadere and Giselle and thought they created an image of the utmost classical purity and beauty. In addition his greater temperament on stage was a good frame for her somewhat more introverted presence--it brought her out while somehow honoring and preserving her refusal of any showiness. In Act I of Giselle they were always moving, dancing, even standing in relation to each other. They created a deeply convincing image of two lovers who were in their own world even when they were surrounded by others. Unfortunately they did not dance together often enough to develop a public presence as a great partnership. I noticed that even when Mckerrow was still dancing, he increasingly danced with Kent instead. I can't know, but I assume that with more performances they would also have developed (even) more artistically, but certainly the few performances I saw were very much worthy of a genuine partnership--that is a partnership in which the two dancers together create something that transcends, without erasing, their individuality.

That's a lovely definition, Drew.

In my opinion, the greatest ballet couple of the past few decades is Alessandra Ferri and Julio Bocca. They first began dancing when he was still in his teens, and over the many years they have forged a partnership which probably will not reappear in a long time. When they dance together, it is like their souls become one, they look so free and recently, even nostalgic when they dance. Ferri says, in the new book "A Closer Look", by Rosalie O'Connor, that when they dance together in Romeo and Juliet they do not act, for they aren't afraid "just to be". They feel so at ease with eachother, and it is apparent onstage. I would recommend going to the library, and viewing "Ballet", a film by Frederick Wiseman released in 1995 which follows ABT on their European tour. Culminating the film is the Balcony Pas de Deux and Bedroom Pas de Deux with Ferri and Bocca, which was actually filmed in 1992, when they were still quite young. I think it is one of the most amazing ballet performances ever recorded. The emotions are raw- you could see, hear (the cameras are right onstage..) and feel them. Plus, Bocca is one of the most phenomenal partners- Ferri is not one of the most outstanding technicians, but in his arms she whips off turns on those dangerously gorgeous arches of hers as if it were nothing. True, they don't dance as often together as other ballet couples do, but that is because they are often on seperate continents- Bocca directs and dances with Ballet Argentino, and Ferri often guests with the La Scala Ballet in Milan. If I were to compare them with anyone, it would not be with Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn, as they often are. Fonteyn was almost two decades older than Nureyev, and it makes a difference. I would compare them to the husband-wife team of Vladimir Vasiliev and Ekaterina Maximova, who had similar palpable chemistry on stage and very similar movements.

They do not have a very wide repertoire together, limited mostly by Ferri's own. But those ballets that they did dance together, and especially Giselle and Romeo and Juliet, will go down in history. They also do a very beautiful "Other Dances" together. (Also available at the NYPL). Ferri also danced with Bocca in Argentina several times, including mambo and tango pieces, some of Bocca's favorites. :-) (Todo Buenos Aires, anyone?)

Ferri and Bocca mostly dance(d) romantic pas de deuxs together...For me, they always epitomize a love story. They clearly have nothing to hide from eachother, and it always becomes clear on the stage. What they create is absolutely beautiful.

Unfortunately, both Ferri and Bocca are close to retirement. Sadly, great ballet couples are disappearing.