WTF Wednesday – Lord of the Dance Edition (or, when did I get old?)
Yet again the BFF comes through with the WTF moment. Today, she was talking with an acquaintance – an acquaintance who styles herself as person who goes to the theater, ballet, all the high brow cultural stuff. [I love the symphony, enjoy the ballet, and am ambivalent about Broadway but passionate about Shakespeare, so take that for what it's worth.]
BFF happened to run across this ad in the Louis Vuitton core values campaign and commented on how good Mikhail Baryshnikov looks for 62. Sixty. Freaking. Two. He looks good in general and fantastic for 62 (though his feet are wretched, as all ballet dancers). Anyway, BFF comments on how good he looks.
“Who?”
“Baryshnikov.”
“Who’s that?”
*crickets chirping*
Really? Aside from casting a huge shadow in the world of ballet as a dancer, putting down the benchmark performance of the Nutcracker*, he’s a ridiculously famous choreographer and has performed on Broadway. Not to mention the movies – but, well, those were a long time ago, so we’ll only mention them in passing. Because White Nights has some of the best classical dance sequences** on film – including an outstanding emotional scene by Gregory Hines, for which I couldn’t find a clip, so here’s a great tap scene instead. Plus it’s funny. Then there’s Turning Point.
Anyway, the point is that I can’t imagine how anyone with a modicum of interest in theater and dance could not know who Baryshnikov is. I totally get how someone without any interest in or exposure to dance or theater would be in the dark as to his complete awesomeness. But, well, all I can say is that I suspect this person is much less well-versed than they want my BFF to believe.
Plus – wow. I feel old. I mean, Baryshnikov was one of my formative crushes. I blame him for my foray into Russian language and my bizarre love for the hungry Slavic hero look. The idea that he is an unknown commodity makes me want to buy some Ben-Gay and sit in a rocker. Well, at least I didn’t grow up with a crush on Nureyev. Though with pics like (NOT SAFE FOR WORK OR ANYONE WITH A HEART CONDITION) these, I think I would have. Darned Slavic hotties.
No wonder I wrote Eric. I suppose it was…Destined.
LOL
*This link is the first in a series of links that display the entire ballet.
**This is possibly my favorite dance sequence ever. It’s beautiful, passionate, moving, wrenching. Gorgeous.
62?!?!
Damn, Scoot over in that rocking chair granny. I brought the denture adhesive.
And hello PEEN!
I loved White Nights. And I drooled over him on SATC (I even loved how they called him the Russian).
And that picture….uh….wow. THAT’S how you start a morning.
Would this be a good time to mention that my hubby is Slavic. Hehehhehee
(just for the record – hubby can’t dance)
Mmmmm… Miiiisha… Come to mama.
I had a huge crush on Baryshnikov, too. I think I was the only kid in my Jr. High who knew who he was. And he still looks good. *happy shiver*
Holy Hotness!
That picture of Nureyev made me forget what I was going to say….
Brain working hard here….
Oh, yeah, I love Baryshnikov, Nureyev, and others like them for all their talent but also that they had the courage to defect. I can’t imagine what that would have been like.
OMG! My eyes nearly popped out of my head at that picture of Nureyev! Yowsa! As a former dancer, can I just say duh to the snob? Even my non-dance friends knew who Misha was. WTF? And I won’t lie…I hated taking class with male dancers. I inevitably got stuck behind them and would totally get distracted by their very fine bums. Bar work was a real challenge on those days! LOL!