Filmed on stage in London featuring extracts from Swan Lake Ondine and The Firebird.
Margot Fonteyn is beautiful to watch and these films were made way back in her career in the 60s before the defection of Nureyev to the west, and the partnership between them. Soames was Fonteyn's partner, a strong solid male dancer who excellently plays Princes and Knights to Margot's beautifully exotic firebird, light as air and magical and wild, her Swan Princess in act 2 of the ballet-a good classic performance, showing what a wonderful dancer she was; and her ethereal Ondine the water nymph who charms the knight. I loved Ondine when I saw it live many years ago. This was a very special role for Fonteyn, created for the partners, exciting modern ballet creation at the time telling a fairytale story. Alexander Grant was always a star - wildly exciting to watch as the water spirit he dances like a spirit indeed precursing the great leaps of future stars of the male ballet. The score by Henze is modern and suits the stylish production. There will never be a better Ondine. Old as the recordings might be now, they capture the wonder of our greatest British ballerina and show her at her youthful best. For any ballet lover this is a must have treat.
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Margot Fonteyn leads the Royal Ballet in this 1960 showcase which was filmed at the Royal Opera House. The footage includes three performances in which Michael Somes partners the prima ballerina, comprising Stravinsky's 'The Firebird', Act II of Tchaikovsky's 'Swan Lake' and Henze's 'Ondine' for which choreographer Sir Frederick Ashton specifically created the title role for Fonteyn.
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