The Friends of the Australian Ballet were privileged to attend a screening of the rare, fascinating documentary FONTEYN AND NUREYEV: THE PERFECT PARTNERSHIP at the luxurious Art Deco Cremorne Orpheum .

We were welcomed by Greg Khoury and settled back to enjoy the show. Both black and white and colour footage is used and there are interviews with dance luminaries including Dame Ninette De Valois and Sir Frederick Ashton and others such as Clement Crisp the critic and Fonteyn’s secretary. The film examines the partnership between the two, ‘an artistic love affair conducted in public’ looking at how the almost polar opposites melded and the chemistry between them. Fonteyn was older, far more restrained and of the British ‘school’ of technique, whereas Nureyev was younger, fiery and impetuous an explosively temperamental Tartar.

Their seventeen year partnership, in twenty six roles, became legendary, internationally famous and not just in ballet circles.  It became a global phenomenon.

The film is arranged chronologically from Fonteyn’s performances in the 1930’s and looks at how Fonteyn was already the leading ballerina of  the Royal Ballet and considering retirement when Nureyev exploded onto the scene and changed her life and career . There is fascinating early  TV footage of a  very young Fonteyn from the 1930’s .Much later another interesting snippet of footage is included of Fonteyn and Nureyev in  the 1975 ‘Lucifer’ for the Martha Graham gala , which was most unsettling for Fonteyn in particular.

There is stunning footage of them together in their prime in the ‘Le Corsair’ pas-de-deux – Nureyev is astonishing. Another highlight is the extraordinary black and white footage of the pair in ‘Giselle’ which is simply breath taking .Fonteyn is as fragile as mist and close-ups of Nureyev show his powerful acting.

We also see dress rehearsal footage of them in Ashton’s ‘Birthday Offering’, as they spend time reworking the final balance and pose. Ashton is seen chain smoking all the while.

Their appearance in the Act2 pas de deux from Swan Lake on the Ed Sullivan show is of an aching, diamond beauty.

There is a delicate sequence of them in ‘Les Sylphides’ where they bend, breathe and move as one. Fonteyn is glorious- what an incredible expressive back and lyrical arms! Another rare interesting section is the two of them in Ashton’s ‘Hamlet and Ophelia’ choreographed specially for them; dramatic , swirling and intense .

Two other main ballets are focused on. We see almost the whole of Ashton’s ‘Marguerite and Armand’ created specifically for them – very overblown Romantic, very passionate acting, exquisitely danced .Both give glorious performances . Nureyev has an extraordinary entrance in an ‘Ulanova run’ the cloak billowing behind him .What is also extremely obvious and in some ways distracting is the use of soft-focus lenses at times.

We also see their performance of Macmillan’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ – both the Balcony scene and the final death scene, one full of joyous exuberant young love , one of despair, heartbreak and finality .

The impact Nureyev had on male dancers at the time is examined as is how he changed and extended Fonteyn’s career. His hypnotic animal magnetism glows through the screen .The camera LOVES the hot sexy young Rudi and his high cheekbones. If you want to see explosively powerful jaw dropping male dancing this is it! Watch out for the amazing footage of him in ‘Sleeping Beauty ‘with the Marques de Cuevas company just after he defected.

Newsreel footage of the Australian tour is included and we also see how the paparazzi – particularly in America- developed and heightened their image, following them everywhere.  Mention is also made of Panamanian politics (remember Fonteyn was heavily involved, she was wife to the ambassador in London , Tito Arias – Tito was shot in June 1964 and paralysed and we see Fonteyn looking after him ).Footage is also included of them in rehearsal and the dressing room, as well as the queues and screaming crowds that gathered everywhere they went .The audience reaction to their performances was incredible .

Balletomanes will love this fascinating, intriguing insight into the world of one of the most  stellar and legendary ballet partnerships.

Running time 90 mins no interval

Screening at Cremorne Orpheum

http://www.orpheum.com.au/coming-soon?view=movie&movie=O-FONTEYN