First stop, China [electronic resource] / produced by the National Film Board of Canada in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Société Radio-Canada, and the Department of External Affairs ; produced and directed by John N. Smith.
1 streaming video file (NTSC) (81 min.) : sd., col.
Summary
Documentary on a ten-week tour of Asia made by Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, covering China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, and Japan. In addition to footage of company class, rehearsals, and performances, company members are seen sightseeing, attending special events, and coping with various emergencies that arise in the course of the tour. Among the tour's highlights are a class in tap dancing taught by John Stanzel at the Peking School of Dance; the performance of the Chinese Red ribbon dance, staged by Madame Zhong Yu Yi and danced for the first time in China by a western company; and Candlelight blues, a new ballet given at a command performance before King Bhumibol of Thailand, who composed its jazz score. Individuals singled out for mention include company director Colin McIntyre; balletmistress Linda Stearns; lighting designer Nicholas Cernovitch; conductor Vladimir Jelinek; choreographer James Kudelka; and dancers John Stanzel, Sylvain Lafortune, Rosemary Neville, Suzanne Gagnon, Annette av Paul, Betsyann Baron, Sylvain Senez.
Donor/Sponsor
Gift of the Estate of John Butler.
Uniform title
In paradisum (Choreographic work : Kudelka)
Soaring (Choreographic work : Humphrey)
Concerto barocco (Choreographic work : Balanchine)
Dance excerpts (in order of appearance): In paradisum / choreography, James Kudelka ; music, Michael J. Baker.
Soaring / choreography, Doris Humphrey with Ruth St. Denis ; music, Robert Schumann.
Concerto barocco / choreography, George Balanchine ; music, Johann Sebastian Bach.
Red ribbon dance / choreography, Zhong Yu Yi ; music, traditional.
Astaire / choreography, Brydon Paige and John Stanzel ; music, Irving Berlin, Vincent Youmans.
Graduation ball / choreography, David Lichine ; music, Johann Strauss.
Candlelight blues / choreography, James Kudelka ; music, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand.
Tam ti delam [woman's solo] / choreography, Brian Macdonald ; music, Gilles Vigneault, orchestrated by Edmund Assaly.
Serenade / choreography, George Balanchine ; music, Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky.
Othello / choreography, John Butler ; music, Antonín Dvořák.
Tam ti delam [various excerpts, seen under closing credits] / see credits above.
Call number
*MGZIDF 9172
Access (note)
Patrons can access streaming video file only at the Library for the Performing Arts.
Credits (note)
Photography, Kent Nason and David de Volpi ; editing, Roger Hart and Paul Demers ; written by Donald Britten ; associate producer and production manager, Elizabeth Klinck ; executive producer, Andy Thomson.
Performer (note)
Narrator: Donald Brittain.
Funding (note)
Preservation of this video was supported by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Title
First stop, China [electronic resource] / produced by the National Film Board of Canada in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Société Radio-Canada, and the Department of External Affairs ; produced and directed by John N. Smith.
Imprint
Canada : National Film Board of Canada, c1985.
Country of producing entity
Canada.
Performer
Danced by Les Grands Ballets Canadiens.
Narrator: Donald Brittain.
Music performed by the New Japan Philharmonic, conducted by Vladimir Jelinek.
Credits
Photography, Kent Nason and David de Volpi ; editing, Roger Hart and Paul Demers ; written by Donald Britten ; associate producer and production manager, Elizabeth Klinck ; executive producer, Andy Thomson.
Restricted access
Patrons can access streaming video file only at the Library for the Performing Arts.
Funding
Preservation of this video was supported by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.