I found photos of Eddie and Violette performing Tschai Pas at Jacob's Pillow in 1963. As it turns out, Eddie tells an anecdote about this exact performance in his autobiography:
"We were making a quest appearance dancing Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux at Jacob's Pillow [...] Violette had suddenly fallen off-balance during a series of turns. But there I was, anticipating her every movement, and I was able to quickly straighten her on her feet. We continued to dance the complicated series of supported turns and positions that close the adagio, which ends when the ballerina, held off the floor with her head down, turns her gaze up to meet her partner's eyes. As Violette's eyes locked with mine, she said, "Thanks!" What amazed me was that she said it in perfect tempo—it was her humor."
"Some dancers don't like partnering, don't like performing a service to the ballerina. But I grew to like being a cavalier. Looking after a woman onstage, projecting the sense of caring, of giving something to a woman is a wonderful feeling, and it became one of the great sensations of my life." — Edward Villella in Prodigal Son: Dancing for Balanchine in a World of Pain and Magic (affiliate link)
Violette Verdy and Edward Villella performing at Jacob's Pillow.
Photos by John Lindquist, 1963.
Check out these items in the Immortal Icons of Dance Shop:
Commentaires