Baryshnikov Dances Sinatra and More: A Dance Creation by Twyla Tharp

At 65 yrs old and new to the world of ballet (but already have seen over 25 ballets through the courtesy of Amazon.com and my library) I am a "dyed in the wool" fan of Baryshnikov. Is there anything he has danced badly?Baryshnikov Dances Sinatra and More is a must for anyone's library collection. I bought my DVD just a short time ago and received it last week. I've already watched it about 10 times. I love it! Baryshnikov once again shines and makes the people who dance with him shine too. The ABT dancers with him are great!The "Little Ballet" is a serious type of ballet. Beautifully choreographed by Tharp. Dances Sinatra has 4 serious dances and one funny dance. Every one should see the "apache" type dance. It's wonderful and funny. Misha chews that gum and tosses Elaine Kudo around like she's a limp mop. She appears not to have a muscle in her body. And last but not least "Push Comes to Shove". Each time I watch this performance by Mikhail and the ABT dancers, I am literally awed by the way they make it look so easy, relaxed and fun.If you're expecting a lot of Mikhail's twists and turns in this, you are going to be disappointed. If I remember correctly from reading his biography, he wss just recovering from a severe injury the year he did this DVD. Mainly this DVD shows Mikhail learning to dance a new way which was one of his passions. If you are looking only for classic ballet, this DVD is not for you. However if you are looking for Baryshnikov, this new way of dancing for him is really wonderful to watch.Gloria

There is an old show biz adage which says that you should always leave the audience asking for more. As did I, so will you. Ask for more; after watching this 60 minute video of a 1984 PBS TV show with Baryshnikov and the American Ballet theater performing in a Twyla Tharp production directed by Tharp and Don Mischer. I spell out the credits because of the errors in the listing by Amazon.As other reviewers have pointed out, there are three short ballets included in this neatly organized program. The last, Push Comes to Shove, seemed to me the most creative and joyful, but Baryshnikov doing Sinatra is certainly a nostalgic hit for those of us who remember Fred Astaire introducing the song with a classic song and dance number in one of his films and Sinatra performing it later in essentially the same setting. The Little Ballet which leads the way for the others gives a full measure of pleasure to Glazounov's music.Baryshnikov, 25 years ago, was a marvelous artist in full command of his body, those who shared the stage with him were truly partners enhancing the impact of every move he made while sparkling in their own moments in the spotlight. Twyla Tharp proves herself a worthy successor to the ABT tradition established by Balanchine and those he influenced, like Jerome Robbins.While, I suppose, a very short DVD as time is measured in minutes, it is long on quality and enjoyment.

This is an exquisite video. Baryshnikov is in superb form, and there's ever so faint a touch of world-weariness around the edges of these pieces, informing even Baryshnikov's copious perfection, which makes for a beautiful, rich viewing experience. Push Comes To Shove, especially, is sweet and ironic, and hearing the audience chuckle now and again adds to the depth of artistic triumph that marks each piece on this dvd. Tharp's ideas crystallize with snap and magic, and Baryshnikov delivers exactly what every moment asks. His legendary nonchalant classicism changed the world, and surely the heart of every person who ever saw this man dance, and these Tharp pieces make his insouciance ineffaceable. Amanda McKerrow wows in the Glazunov 'Little Ballet', and Baryshnikov's partnering is lithe and understated, intimate,even. Wonderful stuff. One of the greatest things you can ever see is Baryshnikov's solo tour of 'One More For The Road', at the end of the Sinatra Suite. Tharp's luscious familiarity is all over it, beginning to end, but in 'One More For The Road', Baryshnikov reaches a fusion of idea and means that flat out overwhelms. It's vivifying in its greatness: inevitable becomes irresistable. Pretty neat. It's too bad ballet is a forgotten word in any culture, but inexcusable in a rich one. People don't know what they're missing. Get this dvd and reaffirm your faith.

Baryshnikov and Sinatra . . . what's not to like? Baryshnikov's absolute mastery of ballet is on display here. Even if you've never seen any of the classic ballets, Mikhail Baryshnikov takes you to a magical place where Sinatra's romantic phrasing is transformed by graceful movement and elegant styling. Baryshnikov's interpretation could not be more on point, and seeing Sinatra performed this way will take you back to an earlier, more gentle time when all that mattered was Love.

It's Baryshnikov and Twyla Tharp; what more could you want? Baryshnikov may be past the time of his astonishing flying jumps he did for George Balanchine, but whatever he performs he does it better than anyone else. Twyla Tharp is, well, Twyla Tharp. Nobody has ever been able to fit her unique style of dance into any category. Fluid and contemporary --usually. Always new, she has influenced almost every dance company, both ballet and modern, over her long career. The dances shown here are a good mixture showing some of Tharp's many styles. The supporting dancers from American Ballet Company are flawless in technique and make a wonderful foil for Baryshnikov's famous stage presence. The production values are the highest as you would expect. If you think you don't like dance, this would be a good place to start.

Ce DVD propose trois courts ballets (une vingtaine de minutes chacun) de Twyla Tharp. Le génial Baryshnikov se montre (comme toujours...) au delà de tout reproche, dans un spectacle totalement adapté à son brio, sa légendaire perfection technique et ses immenses talents expressifs. L'ensemble est filmé en studio, dans des décors élégants et bien éclairés, avec une qualité d'image exceptionnelle pour l'époque (1984). Le seul reproche que l'on puisse faire à ce DVD est de ne durer qu'une heure (la durée de l'émission de télévision, dans laquelle les trois ballets sont liés entre eux par un ingénieux abécédaire commenté par Baryshnikov lui-même).Peu connue en France, Twyla Tharp est une remarquable chorégraphe, maîtrisant une large palette de styles. Les trois œuvres proposées ici sont plutôt néo-classiques. Mais à l'inspiration balanchinienne (élégance, complexité, virtuosité) s'ajoute le goût de la chorégraphe pour la vitesse et l'humour.« The Little Ballet » (musique de Glazounov) est l'œuvre la plus classique. Un peu comme le poète des « Sylphides », Baryshnikov s'y partage entre plusieurs danseuses.La « Sinatra Suite » dansée par un Baryshnikov en smoking, d'abord en duo, puis en solo, narre la séduction, la passion, la rupture et la solitude d'un élégant noceur. Très brillant, et digne d'une comédie musicale.Enfin, « Push Comes to Shove », dans lequel Baryshnikov est entouré d'une vingtaine de danseurs, est un rare exemple de ballet humoristique, dans lequel les danseurs multiplient toutes les gaffes possibles et imaginables : arriver en retard, tirer la couverture à soi, etc. Comme toute bonne parodie, elle n'est vraiment efficace que parce que les interprètes sont de grands techniciens. Au contraire des deux autres, ce ballet est filmé avec un public (invisible), dont les rires sont certainement indispensables pour rendre la réalité de ce spectacle vivant.Dans les trois ballets, la principale partenaire de Baryshnikov est Elaine Kudo. Si elle n'est certainement pas la plus grande soliste du monde, elle est une partenaire idéale. Son style, son physique s'accordent à merveille à ceux de son partenaire, et tous leurs duos montrent une complicité et une confiance totale. Au bout du compte, un excellent témoignage de l'art de celui qui fut probablement le meilleur danseur classique du siècle dernier.

Könnte mir die DVD ewig ansehen

If you can overlook bad video quality and concentrate on the dancing, buy this DVD. This program was recorded in 1984, but even then, video technology was much better. The DVD looks like a mediocre VHS transfer. The supposedly deep blue night sky in the romantic Sinatra Suite, turned sickly green. It seems, that the people doing the transfer did not care to correct, or had a very poor original. Killing the chroma and increasing contrast will result in a B&W version for acceptable playback. Elaine Kudo is excellent.

An outstanding display of modern dance by a Master of Ballet to the unforgettable recordings of Frank Sinatra.

If you like Baryshnikov - you'll love this - lots of dance and a quite exciting story line.All good Cold War stuff - didn't they all look delightfully young too? Enjoy!!