Henning Kronstam Movies

Students of ballet, and those who aspire to understand what all the fuss is about, will particularly appreciate this black-and-white documentary, which closely follows the rehearsal process of the famous ballet originally choreographed by Adolphe Adam, Giselle. The focus here is entirely on the process by which ballet master Henning Kronstram conveys the spirit and the endless details of the ballet to his dancers. Kronstram is particularly adept at miming and acting out for his dancers in a way that illuminates the meaning of each gesture, which he wants them to understand so as to perform them better. Dance aficionados will be particularly pleased by the single-minded focus on the dancers, rather than on artsy effects of fancy camera angles. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Black Tights is a filmed ballet anthology divided into four all-dance episodes. "The Diamond Cruncher" spotlights Ziza Jeanmaire as a lady mobster who gives up her life of crime for the love of a good man. "Cyrano de Bergerac" stars Roland Petit (who also choreographed) as Cyrano and Moira Shearer as Roxanne; its music was composed by Marius Constant, of Twilight Zone fame. "A Merry Mourning" finds Cyd Charisse flittering her way into a deadly romantic triangle. And "Carmen," starring Jeanmaire once more, is the old story, danced rather than sung to the music of Bizet. Both the French and English-language versions of Black Tights are narrated by Maurice Chevalier. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide