Suzanne Farrell - Elusive Muse

Starring:Jacques d'Amboise, Jorge Donn, Paul Mejia, George Balanchine, Suzanne Farrell
Director: Deborah Dickson, Anne Belle
Studio: Winstar
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Romantic triangles. Unconsummated passion. Jealousy. Revenge. Just another day offstage at the New York City Ballet for ballerina Suzanne Farrell and her mentor, legendary choreographer George Balanchine. Elusive Muse traces the development of Farrell into an extraordinary performer while trying to define her passionate professional and personal relationship with "Mr. B." (Farrell says dancing with Balanchine was "more passionate, more loving" than a sexual relationship would have been.) Relying heavily on interviews with Farrell and her longtime dance partner, Jacques d'Amboise (who calls her a "goddess" and the "last, great muse for Balanchine"), the film follows her evolution from awestruck student to inspiration--Balanchine created some of his most breathtaking ballets for her, and lengthy footage of them, including "Diamonds" and "Mozartiana," is shown. The story is as tortured as ballet's best: Marriage to another dancer causes their banishment from the company and she's forced to dance in Europe to keep her career alive, but she triumphantly reunites (professionally) with her mentor. While performance footage documents her artistry, interviews with other dancers and choreographers testify to her growing talent and help explain how Mr. B worked. "God sent her to me," he is quoted as saying. Here, the rest of us get to glory in his handiwork. --Valerie J. Nelson

Customer Reviews:

They called Suzanne Farrell elusive for a reason............2007-06-14

There is also a good reason for beautiful and accomplished ballerina Suzanne Farrell's muse status. For the first time (as is documented in this film), Suzanne Farrell came out of her self-imposed silence as far as her relationship with the legendary choreographer, the late George Balanchine (or "Mr. B," as Farrell knew him), as well as other aspects of her personal life, from her formative years at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Balanchine's School of American Ballet up through her years at the New York City Ballet, as a member of the corps de ballet and then, later, as a principal dancer. Farrell was nothing short of a true inspiration for George Balanchine, and there were a couple of significant relationships in Suzanne's life that created a strain between her and Mr. B. Those connections include that with her mother and then with fellow dancer, Paul Mejia, who eventually became her husband. Though, aspects of her personal life are delved into, we also see wonderful footage from some of the most beautiful roles of her career. Farrell has such poise and grace, like no other dancer I have seen. The woman moves like the most graceful angel, fallen to earth. I can see why Mr. Balanchine was so drawn to her, as a dancer, and enjoyed dancing with her so much (some feel a little too much, even). I would definitely reccomend this film because it features great anecdotal footage with numerous dancers who worked with Suzanne Farrell and knew her well, professionally, as well as personally, and also really gives us a better sense of a true American Master in the dance world.

Dancing is better than sex.......2006-01-17

Others have already made clear that this is an inspiring documentary. I would simply add that one of the things that I found most moving was Suzanne's characterization of dancing with Balanchine as transcending anything that could have arisen from actual sex. She makes us believe that meeting another in one's devotion to art is one of the most meaningful experiences available to human beings.

What a treat !.......2005-11-03

I am only marginally knowledgeable about ballet, having seen fewer than a dozen NYCB and ABT performances primarily to hear the music (e.g., The Four Temperaments). I don't even know why I decided to purchase this DVD, but I'm so glad I did ! I found it completely engrossing, and now I'm driven to explore ballet further. There is amazing footage, but it was the Don Quixote clips which brought tears to my eyes, the music, choreography, and execution were so lovely. Farrell's Don Q solo is absolutely stunning ! I highly recommend this DVD to anyone who has even the slightest interest in ballet.

Portrait of a Beautiful and Wonderful Life.......2004-11-20

Overall, the documentary "Suzanne Farrell - Elusive Muse" is a masterpiece. It takes us from her childhood in Cincinnati through her move with her mother to New York City to her audition for Mr. B, and on to both her first and second tenures with the NYC Ballet and her stay in Brussels with Maurice Bejart in between from the late 60's through about '74. The interviews with Paul Mejia, her former husband; Maurice Bejart, Jacques d'Amboise, Edward Villella, Arthur Mitchell, her own mother, and of course Suzanne Farrell herself were so honest, insightful, and very poignant. D'Ambroise was quite correct in characterizing her performance in Don Quixote as "demonic"...but then clarifying his description by saying that during her performance, she appeared to have been possessed not really by a demon but by a goddess. She truly became the music, combining impeccable technique with transcendent, poetic and musical interpretation. The mounting agony Ms. Farrell recounts in describing the night she ultimately decided to leave Mr. B's company the first time, coupled with both her and her own mother's admission that her "stage" mother really would have preferred that she remain alone, and not marry Paul Mejia for fear of antagonizing Mr. B, is very touching, and one can't help but be completely empathetic with her predicament at that point in her life.

Watching her walk along the Seine recounting her first trip to Paris as a performer at the age of 19, during which time she enjoyed many quiet walks throughout the city with Balanchine, brought back too many memories of my own junior year abroad in Paris. But unlike her, I occasionally have some "if only's" in my life today, including one in which I sometimes wish that I had remained in Paris beyond one year to further pursue studies and a career in opera. Marketing won out...but that's an aside.

The only shortcoming of this documentary is that more of her performances should have been showcased! Though a very good cross-section of stills, her rehearsals, her performances, and her role as teacher is portrayed, I craved more! Therefore, a note to the directors, archivists, and anyone else who may have access to more of her on film: please create a compilation of all her performances available on DVD.

The ending is wonderful (and I won't give it away, though others have already quoted her), but I would make a sequel, if you will, to portray her life today, as teacher, choreographer, and founder of her own company. (This sequel should accompany the requested separate DVD of all of her rehearsals and performances). I would also like to find out why she and Paul Mejia split up (in 1997), if they would care to share.

Listening to the glorious music alone transports me to another level, as does the story that so artfully unfolds. But of course, to see her dancing draws me into a completely beautiful, idyllic world that I never want to leave. And for that reason, I watch the film fairly regularly. In the end, this documentary is a completely moving, honest portrait of a beautiful, intelligent, articulate, compassionate and very gifted artist who led a wonderful, passionate, and very charmed life.

A Tantalizing Look at a Ballet Goddess .......2004-09-17

Those curious about Suzanne Farrell's biography will find this disc very satisfying. Those more interested in her art will end up tantalized by the ballet excerpts but wanting much much more. The two very short scenes from Balanchine's exquisitely choreographed "Midsummer Night's Dream" were nothing short of astonishing. I am very familiar with this ballet and have never seen the Titania part danced with such a combination of art and ahtleticism, technical perfection and naturalistic abandon. A search of the Internet reveals no available discs or tapes of these Farrell performances. Can't some company put together a collection of excerpts? Or better, how about issuing the entire "Midsummer Night's Dream"? The image quality and camera work were very good. The odd musical instrumentation did not particularly detract. I assume the MSD performance is currently on tape. Let's get it on discs before the tapes degrade!

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