Community Chat

[Oznell]

Ekaterina Maximova:

There's a weirdly fascinating twitter site called "Soviet Visuals",  where I first encountered this obscure but compelling little clip of Ekaterina Maximova dancing the "Tarantella" segment of the ballet "Anjuta".   I think it ran on Russian TV.  

I think you'd only ever have seen this rare short clip if you were in Russia in the Eighties.  There's something of such abandonment in her dancing-- despite the sedate set and lovely traditional costumes, there's a kind of "wild", kaleidoscopic quality to this scene, I found it so watchable.  But maybe you'd have to be an avid ballet fan, ha:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e4bSOikvrY

[bluetail fly]

Dancing the Tarentella whisks me back in time to when I spent hours reading to my granddaughter.  Tomie dePaola did a series of books about an oId Italian woman with uncanny ways, Strega Nona, and one plot involved night life and dancing the tarentella.

Pleasant memories of pleasant hours well spent.

[manny2]

@Oznell I have to tell you I love your interpretations, and descriptions of all that you post. You are amazing. I have never been a fan of ballet, but you made me want to watch this video. 

Happy New Year! Keep posting

[MarieIG]

I am not an avid ballet fan, but certainly I enjoyed this!  Thank you. 

[Oznell]

@bluetail fly--  I've heard of Tomie de Paola, and that story sounds so charmingly fanciful.

@manny2--  How very generous of you to make that comment-- thank you for your kindness, and Happy New Year to you too!

[Oznell]

@MarieIG, so glad you liked it!  I almost didn't post it, but it seemed suitably "New Years-ish"!

[MarieIG]

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@Oznell wrote:

@MarieIG, so glad you liked it!  I almost didn't post it, but it seemed suitably "New Years-ish"!

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Yes!  It made me smile. 

[Carmie]

I went to an Italian grade school.  We were all taught to do the tarantella and performed it often on stage for others.

When we go to Italian weddings, my friends and I and generations ahead of us still do this dance.  This dance is part of my heritage.

The  ballet is not the tarantella we do, but it is a beautiful version of it. We do the folk version with tambourines.

[x Hedge]

   Holy moley!!

Couldn't look away,

her feet are unreal!

Thanks for posting @Oznell .  ☺

edit- she must have steel shanks in her feet and ankles!

[Bird mama]

@Oznell   wow, two words came to mind - bird and fairy

She flitted around like a playful bird on a summer day. 

She also reminded me of a fairy.

Thank you for sharing this.