Ballet Videos and DVDs - Performances, Profiles and Documentaries 1

Ballet videos - American Ballet Theatre, Australian Ballet, Balanchine, Ballet Favorites, Baryshnikov Dances Sinatra, Baryshnikov at Wolf Trap, Bolshoi Ballet, and Carmen.

See Ballet Videos 2, Ballet Videos 3, Ballet Videos 4, Ballet Videos 5, Ballet Videos 6.

See also our Instructional Ballet Dance Videos 1, Ballet Dance Videos 2, Ballet Videos 3

Bringing Balanchine Back - New York City Ballet DVD

The historic return to Russia. New York City Ballet Bringing Balanchine Back tells the story of New York City Ballet's historic visit to St. Petersburg, Russia to perform at the famed Mariinsky Theater, where ballet legend and NYCB co-founder George Balanchine received his training and began his career.

One of the most famous theaters in the world, the Mariinsky is where Tschaikovsky created The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty, and where other greats of the ballet world such as Nureyev, Nijinsky and Baryshnikov took their first ballet steps.

The eagerly-anticipated trip coincides with the worldwide celebrations marking the centennial of Balanchine's birth, and takes place during St. Petersburg's annual White Nights festival.

Included is performance footage of several of Balanchine's most acclaimed works, as well as ballets by Jerome Robbins and Peter Martins, and a rare glimpse behind-the-scenes for a number of backstage dramas.

"Through interviews with NYCB's dancers and artistic staff, Russian audiences and performers, and the sights and sounds of an extraordinary city, Bringing Balanchine Back is a beautiful and unforgettable look at Balanchine's birthplace and his legacy." - New York City Ballet.

Special Features: Additional interview material: Peter Martins, Valery Gergiev, Rosemary Dunleavy and Darci Kistler; and tour of the Mariinsky Theater.

Video: 91 mins. (2009)
DVD - Region 1 (Canada, United States; more ...)

Balanchine DVD

Balanchine DVD DVD - $29.99

Regarded as the “Father of American ballet,” and having created 425 works, George Balanchine is, arguably, the foremost choreographer of the 20th century.

Originally produced for the PBS series, DANCE IN AMERICA, Balanchine celebrates his artistry and pays tribute to the themes of his ballets. Through rare archival audio and video footage, interviews, film, and photographs, the program traces Balanchine’s life from his youth at the Maryinsky Theater, through his work for Hollywood and Broadway, to his creation of the New York City Ballet. It also examines his thoughts on dance making, using interviews with the choreographer himself, and features selections from many of his ballets, including Chaconne, Agon, Symphony in C, Apollo, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Western Symphony, among others.

Video: 156 mins. (2004)
DVD - Region 1 (Canada, United States; U.S. territories; Bermuda)

Trilogy of Ballet: A Bolshoi Collection DVD

Trilogy of Ballet: A Bolshoi Collection Video DVD - $39.99

Originally founded in 1773, the Bolshoi Ballet is one of the world's most renowned dance companies. Famous for its dramatic performances, the company has become a symbol of excellence in the classical Russian tradition and gained a nearly mythical reputation in the West.

This stunning collection presents three classic ballets by some of the Bolshoi Ballet's most legendary stars. Includes: Romeo and Juliet, starring Natalia Bessmertnova and Mikhail Lavorosky, Giselle, also starring Natalia Bessmertnova and Mikhail Lavrosky, and The Nutcracker, with Vladimir Vasiliev and Yekaterina Maximova (in the first act) and Vyacheslav Gordeyev and Nadia Pavlova starring in the second act.

Video: 280 mins. (2004)
DVD - Region 1 (Canada, United States; U.S. territories; Bermuda)

Carmen Suite DVD

Carmen Suite DVD - $29.99

The Bolshoi Ballet’s prima ballerina, Maya Plisetskaya, is the star of this lyrical film of excerpts from several of her most famous roles. The centerpiece of the film is the ballet of Carmen, a spectacularly choreographed and orchestrated version of George Bizet’s famous opera. Also included are scenes from Glazunov’s Raymonda, a choreographed version of a Bach work called Prelude, and the famous Dying Swan. First created by Mikhail Fokine for Anna Pavlova, The Dying Swan appeals, in Fokine’s own words, “not merely to the eye but to the emotions and the imagination.” This is a genuinely cinematic treatment of ballet and dancers and not merely a filming of a stage production. Choreography by Vladimir Vasiliev, Alberto Alonso and others is featured along with spectacular conducting by composer Rodion Shchedrin.

Video: 64 mins. (2008)
DVD - All Region