3 VERSIONS OF A GREAT BALLET. Which is your fav?

A classical era ballet often seen in its “excerpts” version and rarely seen in its entirety, so much so that many people don’t even realize it has an entire plot. Which is really just as well, it’s a thin, problematic and predictable plot that doesn’t add much (or anything) to the exquisite score and choreography.
Balanchine agreed with this so much that he stripped his version of the plot entirely to creat Raymonda Variations, a love letter to the musical score.
A more modernist recent version by Tamara Rojo (premiering at San Francisco Ballet this season) takes it out of medieval times and into the 1800s Crimean war and gives Raymonda a point of view in her own right, beyond being captured and saved by French and Arab knights.
We’ll be doing a DEEP DIVE on this ballet and Giselle and Carmen next month in our Dance Talks Live courses. They’re interactive small classes that are for dance enthusiasts and dancers alike.
They’re super fun and informative, no ballet experience necessary 😉 LINK IN BIO 💞💞💞
#ballet #ballerina #petipa #classicalballet #pointshoes #dancemedia

[@hannekekoolen8243]

Actually... The Dutch version of het Nationale Ballet (also with Smirnova) completely turned the plot around to make it a less problematic story!

[@santi7616]

my favorite is the Bolshoi , my first Raymonda was Natalia besmertnova!!! I think classical ballets shouldn't be recreated as neoclassical or contemporary , Raymonda will always be linked to that medieval story and certainly not new ideas.....😳

[@theDanceLens]

I understand and I also loved Bessmertnova ❤❤❤

[@bethanbaker7066]

I'm very much with you. Yes there may be problematic implications of the original but what is acceptable changes between centuries or less. It is a story based in history and history is not always pretty and not even that it's a old ballet created in history somewhat based on history. By leaving it as it is we don't erase the history and we can see why it's problematic but can enjoy it in its own way recognising that.

[@littlebumgorf]

Did SFB use AI art as the poster there?

[@gisellefogaca2721]

Petipa version forever