Villella, Edward. (b. 1936). Signed Tambourine and Photograph from Balanchine's "Tarantella.". A remarkable autographed item, a tambourine used in the 1964 Balanchine ballet "Tarantella," written to music by Gottschalk. One of the two creators of the work, legendary dancer Edward Villella, has signed the face of the tambourine. Included is a framed original photograph of Villella with the tambourine, in the premiere with Patricia McBride.
Based on the popular South Italian folk dance and reflective of his belief that "ballet will speak for itself and about itself," Balanchine created this pure, neoclassical work for New York City Ballet dancers Patricia McBride and Edward Villella. It was performed for the first time at New York's City Center, January 7, 1964.
In his 1992 autobiography written with Larry Kaplan ("Prodigal Son: Dancing for Balanchine in a World of Pain and Magic," Simon & Schuster, NY), Villella says: "Tarantella is really about the body smiling -- it's just one huge grin. Today everyone worries about doing the tricks in the ballet 'correctly,' and they approach it too seriously, as if it were a grand pas de deux. Their bodies get tense, and that's not compatible with the wonderful rhythmic abandon of the piece. The body has to sing the music.… The relationship between the two dancers in 'Tarantella' is all important -- their knowing sidelong glances are part of the ballet. It's as if they're speaking to each other, playing with the music, dancing the steps off the beat."
Based on the popular South Italian folk dance and reflective of his belief that "ballet will speak for itself and about itself," Balanchine created this pure, neoclassical work for New York City Ballet dancers Patricia McBride and Edward Villella. It was performed for the first time at New York's City Center, January 7, 1964.
In his 1992 autobiography written with Larry Kaplan ("Prodigal Son: Dancing for Balanchine in a World of Pain and Magic," Simon & Schuster, NY), Villella says: "Tarantella is really about the body smiling -- it's just one huge grin. Today everyone worries about doing the tricks in the ballet 'correctly,' and they approach it too seriously, as if it were a grand pas de deux. Their bodies get tense, and that's not compatible with the wonderful rhythmic abandon of the piece. The body has to sing the music.… The relationship between the two dancers in 'Tarantella' is all important -- their knowing sidelong glances are part of the ballet. It's as if they're speaking to each other, playing with the music, dancing the steps off the beat."
Villella, Edward. (b. 1936). Signed Tambourine and Photograph from Balanchine's "Tarantella.". A remarkable autographed item, a tambourine used in the 1964 Balanchine ballet "Tarantella," written to music by Gottschalk. One of the two creators of the work, legendary dancer Edward Villella, has signed the face of the tambourine. Included is a framed original photograph of Villella with the tambourine, in the premiere with Patricia McBride.
Based on the popular South Italian folk dance and reflective of his belief that "ballet will speak for itself and about itself," Balanchine created this pure, neoclassical work for New York City Ballet dancers Patricia McBride and Edward Villella. It was performed for the first time at New York's City Center, January 7, 1964.
In his 1992 autobiography written with Larry Kaplan ("Prodigal Son: Dancing for Balanchine in a World of Pain and Magic," Simon & Schuster, NY), Villella says: "Tarantella is really about the body smiling -- it's just one huge grin. Today everyone worries about doing the tricks in the ballet 'correctly,' and they approach it too seriously, as if it were a grand pas de deux. Their bodies get tense, and that's not compatible with the wonderful rhythmic abandon of the piece. The body has to sing the music.… The relationship between the two dancers in 'Tarantella' is all important -- their knowing sidelong glances are part of the ballet. It's as if they're speaking to each other, playing with the music, dancing the steps off the beat."
Based on the popular South Italian folk dance and reflective of his belief that "ballet will speak for itself and about itself," Balanchine created this pure, neoclassical work for New York City Ballet dancers Patricia McBride and Edward Villella. It was performed for the first time at New York's City Center, January 7, 1964.
In his 1992 autobiography written with Larry Kaplan ("Prodigal Son: Dancing for Balanchine in a World of Pain and Magic," Simon & Schuster, NY), Villella says: "Tarantella is really about the body smiling -- it's just one huge grin. Today everyone worries about doing the tricks in the ballet 'correctly,' and they approach it too seriously, as if it were a grand pas de deux. Their bodies get tense, and that's not compatible with the wonderful rhythmic abandon of the piece. The body has to sing the music.… The relationship between the two dancers in 'Tarantella' is all important -- their knowing sidelong glances are part of the ballet. It's as if they're speaking to each other, playing with the music, dancing the steps off the beat."