BALLETS FRANÇAIS: Lifar, Babilée, Charrat (DVD) (Mademoiselle Fifi)

Ballets Francais features some of the most important proponents of modern French dance. Legendary ballerina Alexandra Danilova stars in Mademoiselle Fifi (1955), a delightful comic piece created for her and the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, in the style of the wildly popular Gaîté Parisienne. The celebrated French ballerina Violette Verdy is partnered by Scott Douglas in a poignant Romeo and Juliet (1958), choreographed by the chief architect of modern French ballet, Serge Lifar, to the music of Tchaikovsky. Two of the major French dancer-choreographers of the post-World War II era are also represented: Jean Babilée, who performs in his charming and acrobatic Balance à Trois (1965); and Janine Charrat, whose Préludes Nos. 8 & 20, set to music from Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, is danced by the French ballet star Claire Sombert (1965).

Black & white, 65 minutes, 4:3, NTSC (Playable all regions)

1. Mademoiselle Fifi 12:30
Choreography by Zachary Solov; Music by Théodore de Lajarte
Dancers: Alexandra Danilova, Roman Jasinsky, Michael Maule (1955)

2. Balance à Trois 19:05
Choreography by Jean Babilée; Music by Jean-Michel Damase
Dancers: Jean Babilee, Gerda Daum, Adolfo Andrade (1965)

3. Préludes Nos. 8 and 20 5:20
Choreography by Janine Charrat; Music by Johann Sebastian Bach
Dancer: Claire Sombert (1965)

4. Adagio - Pas de deux 7:20
Choreography by Gérard Ohn; Music by Tomaso Albinoni, arr. Remo Giazotto
Dancers: Claire Sombert and Adolfo Andrade (1965)

5. Romeo and Juliet 20:00
Choreography by Serge Lifar; Music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Dancers: Violette Verdy and Scott Douglas (1958)