John Clifford Chat, 2019, on Makarova and NYCB

What you post online isn't readily available elsewhere (shame on the NYCB for that) and provides an invaluable look into the original intentions of the NYCB's creative forces. Without it, viewers are going to naively believe how pieces are currently danced are an improvement (which they aren't) and that they provide a similar experience to the works as they were initially created (which I doubt they do).

I love the past!

Shame, shame, shame. It is always a mistake to not know about the past. Keep on. The future will benefit from you

What they do now is less. I make no comment about the current ballets nor the dancers but the training and the coaching fails them and that is demonstrated on the stage nightly. No doubt their intentions are the highest but if it’s less, and it is, then they need a frame of reference to be able to address it. I saw Ms Whelan pull a face as a comment on Ms Farrell’s instruction for the beginning of the Diamonds duet and she made the comment: not how I was taught. Ms Ashley and Mr D’Amboise just looked. Says it all for me. Also, and it’s a temptation for everyone, when you can’t compete with the past, it’s easy to diminish it to keep yourself comfortable.

And I’m on a little bit of a rant here. Mr. Balanchine continually referred to his own past. “Focusing on the future” in a company that doesn’t have Balanchine and his teachings as part of a credo may sound forward thinking but the previous management tried that for longer than Balanchine’s time with his company and it took them from being a unique company to what we have today. I read a Russian teacher once said: Forward to Petipa. Does anyone have the chops at today’s NYCB to say: Forward to Balanchine? (Rant over)

These posts are terrific, thanks. i love Makarova and the Makarova anecdote! I never knew she wanted to join NYCB.

I always enjoy what you have to say.

You are absolutely right, John. All great artists looked to the past. These people who do not examine the past are only interested in anything new, no matter how substandard. In essence, they lack high standards. As far as you being too old, you look great and think young but wisely. Thanks for the chats and the great clips you find.

I really respect the details you point out ……… from sets, choreography , costumes … etc and knowledge about mr B … I find it so helpful

You worked with Zacharova

This ballet is beautiful Lisa is stunning , danced with her shortly at pbc

How does one pick up the shattered pieces of Martin’s mess strewn across the loss of too way much time? How does anyone pick up the pieces when they are not Balanchine? We all know within human history, only once in a great while someone extraordinarily unique appears … who simply changes everything. After they are gone, then what? No matter how anyone directs company now and into the future … no one will be ever be happy. It does not matter whom has his estate choreography. Only he knew how to set each piece of his exactly the way he knew it worked, just like he trained each unique individual. I really feel for your situation John, especially because you have such a deep reverence for what was … that has really been lost now. NYCB can never be what it was. Yes it can be much better. The technique will live on. But it will never be the magic that it was under Balanchine. All I can say is that IMO, it has to evolve into something else (instead of perpetually bleeding out for decades more).

Thank you so much for your recollections! It's great to hear about the ballet world back when you were in NYC. Your stories about Balanchine and the other dancers of that time are just priceless! I can't wait for your book.

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Bravo for everything you say John. And thank you so much for educating me. I love all your videos. They are treasures

I appreciate your wisdom, which comes from knowing the past!

You are absolutely right about recalling and studying the past. What you are doing is building a narrative foundation, solid understanding of standards that define and guide the present company. The great ballet companies all have built rich narratives of their past through years of retelling and recalling the past. They should be thankful you are willing to do so.

Hi. I've ordered your book. I look forward to it. I used to see you and the LA Ballet way way back in the day. I used to know Clyde...and I had family who worked at KFAC.

I can't imagine Balanchine being interested in hiring Makarova (or, indeed, her really thinking NYCB would be a suitable or even possible place for her.) Makarova was already 30 when she defected; she was never a good turner (essential in most of Balanchine's choreography); she was extremely opinionated (to say the very least) and wanted things done her way at all times. None of this would have been feasible for five minutes in NYCB under Balanchine. I worked in ballet and knew many ABT dancers from the period Makarova was there; their stories are almost all of an insufferable Russian diva with an endless list of non-negotiable demands.

I hope they do ask you back to NYCB... you are needed

I'm blown away by your choreography. So inventive! So free! Thank heaven for film and capturing performances. If you don't film things what do you have? Nothing. Zero. Gone and unknown forever. It never existed. After all that effort from everyone. Nothing for the record.
And the dancers doing your choreography are superlative. I could hardly believe what I was watching sometimes. It was like she was skimming a pond effortlessly with her legs and feet through this wonderful, intricate but natural and flowing choreography.
What an incredible piece of choreogeaphy. Unique and visual to the last drop. So fresh, so new, so un-boring. It was so incredible not to see the same boring lifts we always see. The utilization of the music is to such a potent degree.
In Suzanne's book she spoke about how as Balanchine evolved he would say oh I didn't understand how the steps should be done with the music. I was putting too many steps in. I didn't need to put so many steps to the music. Now I understand better.
Something like that! I'm paraphrasing! I read that long ago.
I can't remember which ballets it was that he was talking about but I remember gasping because I thought oh no no no! I liked it better with the extra abundance of steps! I think you had it right the first time!
Balanchine was trying to say less is more and I was sort of thinking well, but sometimes it isnt! Sometimes more is more!
But in your choreography I feel that it is the highest manifestation of the music. The steps and music are this splendid blend together. You have so many steps but it is uncrowded. It is melting. That flowing, effortless movement!
And the man all in white and white tights! Thank you two million times for not putting him in black tights which obscures the legs and balletic muscular beauty or the legs disappear into a dark back drop and we suddenly have a truncated dancer.
Maybe as a person gets older you get a little tired in thought or whatever and maybe that's what Balanchine did sometimes. I'm referring to Suzanne in her book when she said that Balanchine would take away or change some gorgeous step and Suzanne would tell him oh please don't change that. And Balanchine would say well they're just steps dear.
I know he would change steps for different dancers according to what they could do best. But sometimes I think that a person is so close to their work it's dangerous. Inotherwords, you take if for granted. And since Balanchine's creativity just flowed out of him like water, you can think it's nothing so can just cast some of the diamonds out that should never be cast out.
I love when you do Balanchine how he talked. It gives such a feel of who he was. It's almost like I feel I was there with him in the studio. It's wonderful.
The two dancers who performed your work were two sacred creatures. You could see how sacred they were with the choreography, like they were ensconced in this beautiful choreographic world for a time and were holding it like a sacred candle and trying to honor it fully.
Both are BEAUTIFUL dancers. And she is SUBLIME. Her technique melts into the choreography. Her technique is fantastic top level but you are never jarred out of the magic of the piece with the sudden editorial intrusion of an overly high extension that suddenly shouts look at me. It's like she was never out of character. She was always wrapped purely in this wonderful creation.
When you talk about Balanchine I can't get enough. Yes, you get things in a book and I bought your book and appreciated it alot and everyone should definately buy it. But verbal depiction is very important too. They're different. Different things come out when you are writing it and different things come out when you are talking it.
If only I could have been a fly on the wall when you choreographed this gorgeous ballet piece. I would have loved to watch a rehearsal of it and it's creation. It's a masterwork.

Wow! There isn't anything you said that I didn't 100% agree with. I just ordered your book and look forward to more enlightening and entertaining stories. Also.....I really really loved your choreography following the chat. Blessings John!!

I love your videos! Thank you…❤👏👏👏❤🧘‍♀