Meredith Daneman's "Margot Fonteyn" has captured what few know: the heartbreak behind the heroine. Fonteyn offered physical symmetry as a moral force. In her tiny tutu, rhinestone tiara and pink pointe shoes, she remained the jewel of the empire when the empire was no more, and became muse to the choreographer Frederick Ashton in such ballets as "Cinderella," "Ondine" and "Marguerite and Armand." She redefined the 19th-century classics - "Swan Lake," "Sleeping Beauty," "Giselle" - with her faultless line, presenting images of such integrity that a simple pose could pierce your heart. No less than Admiral Nelson, she personified the very best of British bravery. Margot Fonteyn (1919-91) gave Pavlova's sylph a woman's body and an English accent. Anna Pavlova (1882-1931) brought the ballerina of 19th-century Russian ballet to the West and gave us a vision and thus a deep yearning for the woman as sylph - beautiful, silky, impossible. $32.95.ĪMONG the great female dancers of the 20th century, only a few transcended their immediate careers and personalities to become true epic creatures of dance history.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |