EMERALDS (Opening and Verdy'd solo)

Here are two excerpts of the original principal cast of EMERALDS, Violette Verdy and Conrad Ludlow, in the opening (with music added by myself) and her variation (with piano accompaniment by Dianne Chilgren from a different video, but adjusted by me so it matched here). These are silent films by Lucia Wayne, an ardent NYCB fan who used to sneak in her silent brownie movie camera and film her favorites. Thank God she did! Now most of her films are at the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts. EMERALDS was the least showy of the ballerina roles from JEWELS. Mr. B knew that Violette's and Mimi Paul's (the second ballerina who danced the big adagio) artistry was all that was needed. Since he taught virtually every company class, he knew his dancers better than we knew ourselves. Violette was French, and trained in Paris. Everything she danced carried this rich heritage. She was unlike all the American ballerinas because she couldn't help but do what he normally didn't like. She "acted" every role. The difference was it came from her soul...and was not pasted on. Once, standing next to Balanchine in the wings (my habitual spot because I didn't want to miss anything he said), he turned to me during her variation in TCHAIKOVSKY PAS, and with a twinkle in his eye, said, "Well...she does tell a story." I almost laughed out loud. What B wanted from his dancers was HONESTY! Be yourself, no matter what. He detested dancers who put on some kind of phony affectations. As dancers get older (even the best ones), they sometimes add things to cover up a failing technique. OK, but what really irritated him (and me), are the ones who started "faking" way too soon. He didn't like someone "pretending" to be a ballerina. That's kinda what did Gelsey in. The pressure to "be" a ballerina...but that's another story.