Together! Polunin & Baryshnikov in Don Quixote, A Glorious Montage

This is a celebration of two extraordinary dancers, not a comparison. The idea was inspired by your very kind comments... I don't think I've enjoyed the creative process more than during the researching and making of this video. What joy these two incredible artists bring to our lives, each fully capable of transcending their own time, and each, without a doubt, sure to leave a legacy that will allow them to long outlive their own mortality.

Mikhail Baryshnikov from 1983, Sergei Polunin from 2014.
And now "together" ...what could be more glorious?

Thank you kindly for watching,
Pam Boehme Simon for Graceful Beast Ballet

#baryshnikov
#sergeipolunin
#pamboehmesimon

[bellosardo]

With all due respect, Baryshnikov is on an entire different level. He is not only masterfully dancing, he is also acting. He is not only executing perfect steps, he is telling a story. That and his presence, incomparable to anyone else.

[donnaglobe]

Оркестр играет в разном темпе. Темп той школы, когда танцевал Барышников, трудно повторить. Отсюда у Полунина торжественное исполнение, а Барышников — озорной, заводной, артистичный, владеющий сумасшедшей техникой! А за этим всем стоит колоссальный труд.

[mexpqyp]

От Барышникова такое впечатление, как-будто он не поставленный танец представляет, а просто вышел и станцевал от души. Настолько натурально и с огнем, и всё это просто и легко. Вот прям сидел с друзьями, потом вышел к зрителям и, не запыхавшись, пошел дальше. 🎉 Жаль, что живые выступления мне застать.

[SJ-kuhk]

Mikhail doesn't dance. He floats. He flies. He's the perfect blend of the masculine and feminine, beauty and power. None can compare. The other dancer makes it look like work, which it is. Mikhail reminds us of the joy.

[Jude]

Part of what gave Baryshnikov his magic was his acting skills. He wasn’t just dancing to the music he was using his dancing as a tool to tell a story. Like Barbra Streisand used her voice as a medium for her acting, he used dance. He understood that ballet is basically beautifully executed pantomime. The performers are dancing instead of speaking or singing but the intent is essentially the same, to tell a story. Baryshnikov used every ounce of his being to tell you who that character was and what he was about. Nothing was ever clinical with him, every movement had meaning. His ballets felt like true theater, you could tell what the story was by the action on the stage not by the liner notes in the playbill. That’s a truly rare gift.

[nuplanner]

The thing about Baryshnikov is, his ballet appears effortless and he is mesmerizing. It’s impossible to look away from him.

[soo_zee_q]

No one will ever compare to Mikhail Baryshnikov. He is in a league all his own. Breathtaking!

[kitty]

Both are excellent dancers, but Baryshnikov still takes the cake. I'm only a ballet amateur, but to me Sergey looks like a more technical dancer, more athletic & tense, while Mikhail is while also athletic, at the same time very elegant, effortless & very light. The way he dances it's as if he doesn't put any effort into it and it all comes naturally to him, he's like a feather, moves around as if he's flying.

[tiamildred]

Polunin is one of the best but Misha is a God.

[lazymom]

Я не знаю, что такое делает Барышников, но это какой-то совсем другой уровень... Гений! Такая филигранная отточенность каждого движения! Фиксация момента. Артистизм! Харизма бьёт ключом! Он реально живёт в этом танце.

[kris]

No way ... Baryshnikov is the one and only. Watch him dance and feel hypnotized ....

[stephanie]

Polunin is a master, and one of my favourite dancers of all time… which just goes to show how incredible Baryshnikov is. There is no match for his talent. It is almost otherworldly. I was lucky enough to watch Baryshnikov on stage in the 90s. It was like watching magic. He defies gravity. There may never be another dancer like him.

[pridenprejudice]

Both fabulous. But, in my opinion, nobody comes close to Baryshnikov’s combination of technique, style, and presence.

[Malgosia]

Misha is unbeatable. The elegance, the charm, the magic, the acting skills...

[Veravsvet]

Невозможно объяснить словами, магия какая-то у Барышникова. Порхает по сцене! Вдохновение и любовь к этому искусству у Барышникова во всех движениях, и голова, и руки, поворот корпуса... Что-то необъяснимое... Загадка природы.

[ka]

Baryshnikov is definitely the best! Polunin has a simple technique, it is clear that he is trying to do just as well as possible. Baryshnikov has a gift from God, and the fouette in the end is magnificent

[dariafm]

Мне кажется, это видео отлично демонстрирует разницу в мышлении и постановках хореографов прошлого и наших современниках. Барышникову в танце дано чуть больше времени на "точки", элементов меньше, акценты расставлены по другому. И за счет этого у нее остается пространство и время для того самого артистического маневра и самовыражения, которое безусловно делает его танец более художественно ярким и этим цепляет больше. С точки зрения количества прыжков в секунду - их безусловно меньше. Но зритель от этого только выигрывает. У Полунина наоборот: прыжков больше и просто не остается времени ни на какую артистическую доработку эффектной позы: он с трудом укладывается в музыку. Да, технически и физически его исполнение более сложное, но зритель от этого скорее потерял, поскольку у танцовщика не осталось времени и сил проявить свой артистизм. Имхо, технически и просто элементами перенасыщенный подход к танцевальным партиям - бич современной хореографии. Странное искажение ума.

[vilmabrueggemeyer]

If you focus on the beat of the music, you are left in awe at Baryshnikov’s control, passion, and beauty of his art. His timing is impecable and the energy put in his steps brings the Spanish in me to scream “Bravo y Olé”! Polunin’s mastery of Basilio’s role cannot be ignored, but lacks passion.

[Oksana___]

И все таки Барышников - Бог!!! Лучшие танцоры меркнут перед ним!!! ❤❤❤

[iocyfzg]

Барышников- Гений.От него глаз не оторвать, даже если он танцует с балериной, все внимание ему.Вечное БРАВО!!!