Last night I watched the silent film October 1917 by Sergei Eisenstein. In that there was a short clip of wild celebrations with older men breaking into folk dancing. It struck me that much of the time they were very high on the balls of their feet. And I wondered in what ways Nureyev's early folk dancing training influenced him in terms of dancing ballet later in his life. For example he is said to be the first man to dance on high demi-pointe. Could this have come from his folk dancing training?

Nureyev was far from the first man to dance à trois quarts (on three-quarter pointe). And if I recall the same sequence you're mentioning, take a look at those guys again. They're not on demi-pointe, they're on Russian folk dance full pointe, done by dancing on the knuckles of the toes - ow! What seem to be toes forward of the instep is really just the soft leather of the boot, puddling down as the toes are curled under.

I'm reading a book called "18th Century Dance Styles" and there are several drawings of men on three-quarter pointe. It existed in folk dance and the fairgrounds performers and the noble style of dancing. Nureyev may well have been the one to bring high three-quarter pointe BACK, though. I've read that, too, and know from talking with dancers of the '60s that it was an issue, in the West, after his defection. (Also the extended, pointed foot; you can see this in photos.)

There were David Blair, and John Gilpin, and Vladimir Skouratoff, and quite a few others before Nureyev, and those are just the twentieth century. Blair's very high relevé was thought to have contributed to his facility in pirouettes.

In Gennady Smakov's "The Great Russian Dancers," he says that Nureyev's going on high three-quarter point caused impassioned discussions among the balletomanes. In Denmark, there was a question of whether it was Nureyev or Bruhn who brought in the high three-quarter pointe. Haven't read anything about Nijinsky Point being that this has been around since the beginnings of ballet, and has come in and out of fashion.

Here is the source for the claim that Nureyev was the first man to dance on high demi-pointe. Perhaps Solway was misquoted - maybe Solway meant the first Kirov dancer. I don't have the book on hand to check the quote.

"On the other hand, Nureyev was eager to express himself and refused to be enclosed in a mould. He 'didn’t fit the Kirov mold ... He was the first man to dance on high demi-pointe and the first to extend his leg high in the air.' (Solway, 1998)."

from:
"Making Sense of Nureyev’s Career Through Career Theories" by Elodie Tran Tat in Otago Management Graduate Review Volume 3 2005
http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:3GDUTF...;cd=1&gl=au

Nureyev seems to have been praised for or accused of any number of innovations.

In the Aug 27 New Yorker, Joan Acocella has a brief note about the upcoming PBS Great Performances film Nureyev: the Russian Years. What's hyperstretching, and why might it appear effeminate? What did men do with their torsos before Nureyev?

Alexandra (several posts above above) suggests that his use of the "extended, pointed foot" was controversial. Why controvesial? Did it appear exagerrated? Affected? Or even -- horrors! -- "effeminate"? What was the norm in foot-pointing before Nureyev?

P.S. The Nureyev film is scheduled for August 29 in New York City. For other public stations in the U.S. -- those that bother to show it -- consult, as they say, your local listings.

Actually, that's Georgian folk dancing, though you'll also find similar dancing among other peoples of the Caucausus, such as the Chechens, for example. Performances by Georgian dance troupes inevitably includes a male dancer hopping across the stage on the knuckle of one foot a la Giselle.

Circassians, too. The Soviet Army Band, Chorus and Dancers used to have package show where everybody did some specialty on pointe.

Now as for "hyperstretched torso", I have no idea what that means.

bart, I think it was considered effeminate, at least in the West. (real men don't point their feet, I guess.) I'm speaking specifically when the man is standing with both feet on the ground, partnering (think of the fish dives in Western productions of "The Sleeping Beauty") and one foot is extended -- and planted on the floor, rather than arched. I think anything that looks "refined" is considered "effeminatei" in some circles -- and in some companies today, I'm seeing less stretched line, less tautness of line, in male dancing, as though the dancer is "just one of the guys". It's a line that's fine in modern dance, but looks odd, to me, in classical ballet. Point of that being that, like most things, the pointed foot goes in and out of fashion according to time and country.

innopac, I've read what you quoted, too. It could be that Nureyev was simply doing something different from what had been done in recent memory in St. Petersburg.

I remember Nureyev's first appearance in London and very many of his subsequent appearances in the next seven years. I do not recall any mention of his performances being referred to in any aspect as "effeminate" by critics or audiences.
He was a whirlwind in which ballet audience’s and critics alike wanted to get caught up in. I remember complaints of his noisy landings (which he cured) and changes made to choreography but effeminate, never.
His so called mannerisms to me, were central to his conception of a role and they seemed to me to be a stylised approach that had the elegance that one imagined echoed the grace of "Le ballet de la Cour."
Nureyev's approach was undoubtedly more physical than for instance the exemplary noble prince Vladilen Semenov who seemed to epitomise "Le ballet de la Cour" whose poses with "outstretched foot", were the same. I think Konstantin Sergeyev can be found in photographs with the same pose and same stylistic approach indicating a tradition. Is it my imagination that Helpmann, Somes and Blair used the pose referred to in the 'fish dives'?.
I agree with Alexandra she says, " I think anything that looks "refined" is considered "effeminate" in some circles -- and in some companies today, I'm seeing less stretched line, less tautness of line, in male dancing, as though the dancer is "just one of the guys". It's a line that's fine in modern dance, but looks odd, to me, in classical ballet. "
Academic classical ballet is not about naturalistic or "method acting", instead, it should be what is "natural" to the genre.
When a male dancer in a classical ballet goes on to demi-pointe in an arabasque with the front arm extended out, it not only creates an elongated line, it also implies a sense of reaching towards or yearning which for me is touching and old-fashionedly moving.

Ed. to add last sentence.

I am not sure of the source, although it might have been Bronislava Nijinska's "Early Years," but I remember reading that Nijinsky developed his own series of strengthening excersizes so that he could go on pointe. His technique was also the source of his overly developed thighs, (the book also mentioned that he had his trousers especially tailored to minimize this fact).

The impact of Nureyev's stylization is one of the things discussed in an article by Lewis Segal in the LA Times about the upcoming documentary and the upcoming biography, "Nureyev: The Life," Julie Kavanagh's which is coming in early October.

I've never seen a picture of Nureyev with overdeveloped thighs. Was this rather late in his career?

Thanks, ViolinConcerto, for the link to the Segal piece on Nureyev's career. Nureyev a sociopath? Talk about slash-and-burn!

Segal gives a highly personal (and no doubt exagerrated) hint of the kind of icon-breaking that will be part of Julie Kavanagh's new biography -- Nureyev: The Life -- coming out on Oct. 2. About the issue of "feminization", he writes: Segal also refers to what he calls Nureyev's
I suppose that we all know that there was a powerful element of self-invention in Nureyev's life story. Reports of his sad decline as a performer and (Segal claims) con man are also well known.

It certainly can't hurt to have this reminder that the documentary must be watched with a healthy dose of critical judgment.

P.S. The Kavanagh book is available for pre-order on Amazon. Click the Amazon box above and a portion of your purchase price goes to Ballet Talk.

I have just read Segal's article and found the article appalling in tone and much of what he reported
that others have said or written unbelievable.
No one wants a hagiography, but historical accuracy must prevail and judgement of someones truth
or otherwise when telling a story needs to be applied.
As to KGB files we already know the lies that were spread about Nureyev and others who chose to leave Russia.

AddedL
PS what has this got to do with pointed feet, demi-pointe or other comments on Nureyev's dancing or performance manner.

[Edited by Helene to add: The discussion of the Kavanaugh biograpy can be found on this thread.]

You're absolutely right, leonid. On reflection, I see that my post does not belong on this thread. The original question is so interesting, it should remain at the center.

A propos: I would love to hear more about the "folk dance" aspects of the 3/4 pointe position for men (raised by innopec in the original post). Was this a source for Nureyev, as he began to expand the way he carried out conventional movements and positions?

Bart, I don't know, but I'd hazard a guess it had as much to do wiith his (and his teacher, Pushkin's) knowledge of classical ballet and art, especially the statue to which Leonid referred in the thread on classical line (quoting Leonid): "the Flemish mannerist sculptor Giambologna’s (1529-1608) "The Flying Mercury"� created in 1564 as it beautifies the harmonic line in a pose of the god who flies through the air." (and is on high demi-pointe, part of the illusion of flight). As I've written above, this wasn't a new invention, but was known in classical ballet at least as early as the 18th century. There are many references in the literature to it. It may have been new to that generation, or group of young balletgoers who were watching Nureyev and wrote about it, but he didn't invent it.

With regard to the high extensions, Nureyev himself told me that when he was young he could shoulder his leg: "but then it all went into jump". As to the high demi pointe, he was aware that his legs were short so it could be that he wanted to give the impression that they were longer than in fact they were.


[Edited to Add: a branch of the discussion about Nureyev's proportions and beautifully proportioned males dancers can be found here.]

No, it was Nijinsky who had the big thighs.

Thanks for pointing that out... have watched again -- more carefully this time -- and see what you are saying... amazing!

A friend just emailed me about Alexandra's comment:

"That was the difference I saw between Thibault and the two other men in
Emeralds. [dvd] His lines were so clean, so beautiful..."

I have started to read the above study but as at first sight it appeared to lack academic rigour in some small things, which irritated me. I will have to return to it later.
Men who employed high demi-pointe poses include: Mikhail Mordkin in Bacchanale if not elsewhere, Nijinsky in Chopiniana, Spectre, Carnaval, Petrushka, Les Orientale. Chabukiani in Don Q and probably elsewhere. Knowledge of the above repertoire and photographic evidence confirms this. Did Nureyevev really have a more stretched and higher arabesque than Soloviev or Vasiliev? I think not!

PS As Alexandra mentioned men en demi-pointe was a feature of 18th century ballet. I would be interesting to know if Danseur Noble used this technique to add grandeur and an extra nobilty to their stature in the Ballet de la Cour.

ED: to add 3 words

I think it came from the idea of the necessity of verticality, of reaching for the Heavens as a metaphor for ballet as an idealistic (rather than realistic) art form, and it was mostly danseur noble (based on the "18th Century Dance Styles" book; this isn't my period, but the author quotes widely from contemporary sources, mostly descriptions of dancers.) It was a male grotesque dancer, Malgri, who claims, in his own writings, to be the first man on pointe. He did it as a trick, and it didn't much interest him.

My conversations about this with dancers were among Danish dancers and very provincial The Danes had been so isolated in the 20th century that they had missed quite a few technical advances, including spotting. Some dancers "got out" in the 1930s and brought back some steps, but then there was the war, and they were really locked in. Several Danish men (Bruhn, Stanley Williams, Flindt among them) went to London as soon as they could get there after the War and came back with lots of new knowledge, but I heard no mention of Gilpin or Blair's dancing on high demi-pointe. Not saying they didn't, just that it didn't make a dent. It was when Nureyev came there to take class with Volkova that Bruhn started using it and it became de rigeur. And then there were two men who said Bruhn had always danced on high demi-pointe.)

Could this have developed as a way of keeping elevation when dancers abandoned court shoes (a la Louis XIV) with heels? In other words -- to retrain the effect of high heels without the actual heels?

Alexandra mentions, as an aside: No spotting! How did they accomplish that? The walls are spinning just from thinking about it!

bart, re the high heels, I thought about that when I was reading (and, truth to tell, skimming, because there are a lot of quotations that say more or less the same thing). This was the time that Camargo ripped off the heels of her shoes; I'm sure men followed suit, and that would have thrown the line off, in the same way that women going on pointe in the mid-19th century caused some adjustments to be made in the height of the arabesque when dancing roles created in the earlier part of the century. But I don't know I've never read mention of it, though serious, detailed research in this era is still in its infancy, and we may learn more.

Re the spotting -- one of the mysteries of life. It's probably why Bournonville had trouble with pirouettes! the Danish story is that Hans Brenaa went to Paris in the 30s and studied with Egorova and brought back the Trick of Spotting. Bruhn said that he always spotted naturally. (A maximum of two pirouettes in Bournonville remained an article of faith in Copenhagen well into the 1950s; it was considered part of his aesthetic.)

Start tangential rant

Don't get me started -- my local PBS station (KCTS, for those who live in the area) did not show the Morris/Mozart Live from Lincoln Center program, and when I called to ask when they might be broadcasting it, was told that they would not. This in Mark Morris' home town.

end rant

I think leonid is correct about the issue of the high, trois-quart, demi-pointe in male dancing.
My recollection brings to mind John Gilpin.

It seems to me, that, the innovation that Nureyev introduced to the 'west' after his defection,
is the very high retire position of the working leg in pirouettes en dehors.
[I'll be interested to see his pirouettes in the PBS Russian Years.]

I can't recall any male (at least non-Soviet) dancers placing the working leg around the knee area for
pirouettes before Nureyev's defection.

Nureyev's innovation spred rapidly.


Edited to add last sentence.

Going back almost half a century I cannot quite remember if people like David Blair and John Gilpin
used a high retire in pirouette's before Nureyev arrived in London, but methinks they did.
I can remember some soviet dancers especially of the older generation who did not, which was confirmed recently in a showing of BBC archive films at London's National Film Theatre.
Of course you are correct about Gilpin's "high, trois-quart, demi-pointe" he was an extraordinary dancer, partner and prince par excellence.

I'm finding this discussion so fascinating. Mostly because I must plead ignorance about anything other than garden variety demi-pointe for the male dancer. I had never known about high demi-point or the 3/4. I was under the impression that the male foot simply didn't have the flexibility of the female foot and thus the inability to rise to a fully stretched demi point position. If I'm understanding correctly, it's more of a stylistic issue. Or does the cart go before the horse? I was recently re-watching a video of the Royal Ballet's Romeo & Juliet from the mid-1980s with A. Ferri and Wayne Eagling. Now I've always loved Eagling but I have to say that having recently come out of the ABT Spring Season and watching the simply amazing footwork of David Hallberg, it was nothing short of glaring to see Eagling's pirouettes done on a very very low demi point. I sort of assumed Hallberg is blessed with a naturally high instep that most men don't possess - lucky for us in the audience that love to watch him. Can't wait to watch the Nureyev documentary tonight and see if I can notice the high demi. BTW, this is my first post but I've been reading for a few months now. This is a wonderful repository of ballet news and information and I feel so lucky to have found it. Thanks to its creators!

Welcome to Ballet Talk, Barbara. We're glad you found us, and we thank you for the compliment.

Well not that this negates your greater point, but Hallberg *does* indeed have extraordinary feet.

So many male dancers (especially historically, but still true I think today) do not have feet that are nearly as good as their female counterparts.

Hallberg has feet most female dancers can envy.

The simple explanation is that women have to have a certain amount of flexibility in the feet and ankles to be able to dance en pointe.

Less to do with the instep, actually, than the flexibility around the ball of the foot -- allowing the toes to flex back against the floor -- and also the ankle, to adjust for the realignment.

Hallberg's feet were not always wonderful. If you flash back to his corps days you will see how hard he has worked on the foot/ankle area, in addition to every other element of his dancing.

Mr. Hallberg has always had incredible physical facility, including his feet. Did he need time to gain strength as a professional performer and gain strength technically, definitely! He was/is an extraordinary American talent who has had an advantage of meticulous training. Experience can only make a talented and well trained dancer better.

I'm both of a mind to agree and disagree.

One of the things I like and admire about Hallberg is how serious and dedicated and hard working he is. He is always working on improving himself and its wonderful to watch.

That said, while he may not have been WORKING his feet as well in his earlier days (and thus they were not "wonderful"), as someone born with mediocre feet who was never able, no matter how hard I worked to improve them to any appreciable extent, you don't get feet like that from work--the articulation? yes. The facility? no.

Exactly.

I also think there is a tendency in ballet to focus more on the use of beautiful feet. Some teachers and directors will pay a great deal of attention to dancers with lovely arches and insteps, constantly teaching and encouraging them to use their feet better, and I think that some dancers think to themselves, however unconsciously, "well, my feet aren't that great so it doesn't really matter that much how I use them," or "my arches are high, so everyone's going to be looking at my feet--I'd better use them really well." Everyone needs to use his/her feet well, as it enhances the beauty of the naturally beautiful foot and makes mediocre feet shine.

Fascinating discussion. How does Nureyev fit into the quality spectrum on feet? I'm not thinking so much of his releve, which we've discussed, but his use of feet in retire, whilel jumping, etc. One aspect of his dancing that was very noticeable in the PBS documentary was the great improvement in this area from 1958 (when he had been at the Kirov school ... what? only 2-3 years?) to his stage performances in Paris in 1961.

Back to David Hallberg -- he began as a tap dancer and was pursuaded to take ballet. In addition to lovely basic anatomy, the tap very likely helped with the flexibility. In fact, the reason given for not wanting serious ballet students to continue with tap is that it makes the ankles "too flexible." There used to be a photo of Mr. Hallberg on the website of this high school, Arizona School for the Arts: in it, one foot is gloriously pointed. It is not clear from looking at the photo whether he was still a student, at that point, or whether the photo was from his early professional days.

The problem with tap is not that it makes the ankles flexible, but that it can habituate the student to use the flexibility but not the strength to point the feet fully, especially in petit allegro.

Nureyev's feet showed that he had worked and worked them in order to make them into the devices that they became. His basic foot was a good foot, but nothing exceptional. What he made them WAS what was exceptional. From the information on the recent PBS broadcast, I'd have to say that Bruhn came first in the three-quarter pointe use, then Nureyev followed his lead.

Thanks Major Mel! Very interesting, as usual.