Tuscany, Italy. 1996. By Paul Goldfinger. Villa Antinori, near Florence. Tri-X film. Leica M camera. My darkroom print. Photo cards like this one are available, signed, for $10,00. Contact Blogfinger@verizon.net.
By Paul Goldfinger, MD, Editor Blogfinger.net
It is very difficult for one swan to do a pas de deux, but this Italian swan is capable. After all, he (or she?) is the only component in this photo which is in sharp focus. Recently we posted a photograph of a seagull in a boat, misidentified as a duck. But a swan?—–never mistaken for a duck.
Has professional ballet ever been presented in Ocean Grove? I’ve never seen it mentioned in the OG history books. We certainly had a lot of opera, instrumental, and choral music, but classical vocalizing was always emphasized here thanks to Tali Essen Morgan who’s buddy was Caruso. There is no mention of Tali hanging out in the Grove with prima ballerinas.
Swan Lake made its debut in Moscow in 1877 by the Bolshoi. Tchaikovsky wrote it, and it has been almost constantly on tour ever since.
Maybe someday we will have Swan Lake on the stage in the magnificent Great Auditorium of Ocean Grove, New Jersey.
But we can dream.
Here is a pas de deux from Swan Lake Act II, It is called the Love Duet, and the star is Ulyana Lopatkina. Can you imagine these two going to Days after the show for hot fudge sundaes?
Tchaikovsky must be kvelling wherever he is.
Video below: Click on the full screen or picture in picture mode to enlarge all these ballerinas hopping on one leg.
Thinking about culture makes me remember when Paramount Theatre in AP used to have opera & plays . Seems like years since anything has been held at Paramount . Anyone know whats up with that ??