American Masters (1985–…): Season 28, Episode 5 - Tanaquil Le Clercq: Afternoon of a Faun - full transcript
♪ ♪
- TANNY IS MYTHIC.
SHE WAS WITH THE GREATEST
CHOREOGRAPHER EVER.
SHE WAS AT THE HEIGHT.
SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL.
SHE WAS A MUSE.
AND AT THE VERY HEIGHT,
SHE GETS STRICKEN DOWN.
- TANNY HAD A VERY UNIQUE
SENSE OF MUSIC,
WHICH MADE HER MOVEMENT
INTERESTING.
I THINK SHE WAS BORN WITH IT.
BECAUSE OF HER HEIGHT,
AND BECAUSE OF THE FACT
THAT SHE WAS ANGULAR,
SHE HAD A DIFFERENT KIND
OF MOVEMENT.
- SHE REALLY COVERED SPACE.
SHE WASN'T ASHAMED
TO USE THOSE LONG LEGS
AND MAKE THEM LONGER
IN HER DANCE.
DANCES WERE USUALLY
SHORT AND QUICK,
STOCKY AND FAST.
ALONG COMES THIS ELONGATED,
STRETCHED OUT
PATH TO HEAVEN
THAT SHE WAS.
- TANNY'S BODY CREATED
INSPIRATION FOR CHOREOGRAPHERS.
THEY COULD DO THINGS
THAT THEY HADN'T SEEN BEFORE.
- WELL, THERE IS
THE FAMOUS STORY;
SHE WAS A TEENAGER AT
THE SCHOOL OF AMERICAN BALLET.
BALANCHINE WAS THE HEAD
OF THE SCHOOL,
BUT CERTAINLY DIDN'T TEACH
ALL OF THE CLASSES.
HE WALKED DOWN THE HALLWAY
WHILE ALL THE CLASSES
WERE IN SESSION.
AND STANDING OUTSIDE
THIS CLASSROOM
WAS A PRETTY, LONG-LEGGED
LITTLE GIRL
WITH HER ARMS FIRMLY CROSSED.
AND HE STOPPED AND SAID,
"WHY ARE YOU NOT IN CLASS?"
AND SHE SAID, "KICKED OUT."
AND HE SAID, "WHAT'S YOUR NAME?"
"TANNY."
- I MET HER WHEN I WAS A STUDENT
AT THE SCHOOL
OF AMERICAN BALLET.
SHE WAS A STAR
WHEN I WAS A BEGINNER,
AND ABSOLUTELY DESTINED
FOR GREAT THINGS.
- I LIKE TO DANCE, YOU KNOW.
I HAD BEEN TO THE BALLET.
I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY NICE.
I LIKED IT.
I WAS ALSO TAKING PIANO LESSONS,
WHICH I WAS A DUD AT.
I MEAN, YOU COULD
TELL RIGHT AWAY,
THE KID CAN'T PLAY,
SO I BETTER DO DANCING.
- WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 14,
WE BECAME VERY,
VERY CLOSE FRIENDS.
SHE HAD HAD SUCH
A SHELTERED LIFE.
SHE LIKED THE NORMALITY
OF OUR FRIENDSHIP.
SHE WAS TUTORED A BIT,
AND ALSO GOT A SCHOLARSHIP TO
THE SCHOOL OF AMERICAN BALLET.
TANNY HAD NEVER HAD
ANY NORMAL GIRLFRIENDS
OR A SOCIAL LIFE
WITH CHILDREN HER OWN AGE,
AND SHE YEARNED FOR IT.
SHE YEARNED TO GET AWAY
FROM THE HOTHOUSE LIFE
HER MOTHER PROVIDED FOR HER.
EDITH WAS VERY MUCH
THE BALLET MOTHER.
DARNED HER TOE SHOES,
KNITTED HER TIGHTS.
THEY LIVED IN PARIS
WHERE TANNY WAS BORN,
SPENT A FEW YEARS THERE, AND
THEN THEY CAME BACK TO AMERICA,
AND I THINK THE MARRIAGE
TO JACQUES MUST'VE ENDED
WHEN TANNY WAS QUITE YOUNG.
I DON'T KNOW THAT
THEY ACTUALLY DIVORCED,
BECAUSE OCCASIONALLY
HE WOULD APPEAR,
BUT EDITH PRETTY MUCH WAS ALONE,
AND A BALLET MOTHER.
RATHER SUPERIOR BALLET MOTHER.
- WHEN I WAS 15,
I CERTAINLY KNEW A HELL
OF A LOT MORE THAN...
OR EXPOSED...
THAN ANOTHER 15 YEAR OLD
WHO WAS GOING TO SCHOOL,
AND THE PROM.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
- YES.
- SO I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT
THE LATEST RECORDS,
OR FRANK SINATRA.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE I COULDN'T
DANCE THE LATEST DANCE.
BUT YOU DO KNOW A LOT.
IT'S A VERY GOOD EDUCATION.
FIRST THING YOU KNOW,
YOU GO TO EUROPE.
EVERYBODY ELSE
IS SITTING AT HOME,
AND YOU'RE GETTING...
PLUS YOU'RE GOING TO ITALY AND
FRANCE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
AND MEETING FAMOUS PEOPLE
AND BEING IN FAMOUS THEATERS,
EATING DIFFERENT FOOD,
AND EVERYBODY ELSE IS STILL
AT HOME GOING TO HIGH SCHOOL
YOU KNOW?
- I LIVED, AT THAT POINT,
IN BRONXVILLE,
AND TANNY LOVED COMING BACK
ON WEEKENDS WITH ME,
BECAUSE IT WAS JUST A KIND OF...
THE WHOLE LIFE WAS SO DIFFERENT
FROM ANYTHING SHE EXPERIENCED.
MY PARENTS WERE MUCH SIMPLER.
THEY WOULD COOK
LOVELY MEALS FOR US,
AND WE WOULD GO TO THE MOVIES
IN BRONXVILLE IN THE EVENING.
I CAN REMEMBER ABSOLUTELY
THAT WE WENT TO A MOVIE...
I CAN'T REMEMBER
WHAT THE MOVIE WAS...
BUT I REMEMBER THAT
THEY SHOWED THE NEWSREELS
OF THE CONCENTRATION CAMPS,
OF THE AMERICANS
WHEN THEY HIT UPON AUSCHWITZ,
AND PHOTOGRAPHING THE PEOPLE
BEHIND THE BARS.
I MEAN, WE BOTH WERE TOTALLY
UNDONE BY IT.
I REMEMBER TANNY GETTING OUT
OF THE CINEMA AND RUSHING OUT.
I RAN AFTER HER,
AND I FOUND HER
IN THE LADIES ROOM SOBBING.
I WAS SORT OF AMAZED
AT HER REACTION.
NOT... I MEAN, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY
MORE THAN YOU COULD TAKE ON.
IT WAS ALMOST UNBELIEVABLE
SEEING THAT.
I DO REMEMBER HER REACTION
VERY STRONGLY.
WE LED A VERY TEENAGE
KIND OF LIFE IN NEW YORK,
AND WENT TO LOTS
OF MOVIES TOGETHER
AND GOSSIPED ABOUT EVERYBODY
AND BEGAN TO BE INTERESTED
IN BOYFRIENDS.
TANNY WAS A VERY CHARISMATIC
CHARACTER,
AND I KNOW QUITE A FEW MEN
WHO WERE VERY INTERESTED
IN HER.
WE WERE JUST INSEPARABLE,
FROM ABOUT, OH, 14 TILL,
YOU KNOW, ABOUT 17 OR 18.
AND THEN I WENT
TO LIVE IN PARIS,
SO I WASN'T AROUND
BEFORE SHE GOT ILL.
- ONCE IN A WHILE, YES,
I WOULD THINK THERE'S ANOTHER
LIFE, WOULDN'T IT BE NICE,
LIKE, I'D BE ON A TRAIN
GOING SOMEPLACE,
AND I'D THINK, "WHAT WOULD
HAPPEN IF I GOT OFF HERE?"
AND I'D GET A JOB
AT THE FIVE-AND-TEN,
AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS...
THIS WAS BEFORE I WAS MARRIED,
YOU KNOW...
I'D MEET SOME MAN.
BUT I DIDN'T.
THAT KIND OF THING, I THOUGHT,
I'M DEFINITELY MISSING
ANOTHER LIFE.
BUT YOU GO TO A FEW PARTIES
WITH BOYFRIENDS,
AND YOU SEE THE OTHER LIFE,
AND YOU THINK,
"I DON'T THINK I'M MISSING
SO MUCH ANYMORE."
- NOW THIS NEW YORK CITY
BALLET IS TEN YEARS OLD.
THERE'S SOMETHING INCREDIBLE
ABOUT THE SUCCESS
BALLET HAS BEEN HAVING
THESE LAST FEW YEARS.
I MEAN, TO AN OUTSIDER,
IT LOOKS SO COMPLICATED
AS AN ARTISTIC FORM OF
EXPRESSION,
AND YET IT'S BECOMING
A POPULAR ART.
IS IT A MIRACLE,
OR DO YOU EXPLAIN IT?
- WELL, I THINK THAT...
I MUST SAY THAT DANCERS
ARE VERY NICE,
AND PEOPLE LIKE TO SEE
BEAUTIFUL DANCERS ON THE STAGE
AND TO HEAR LOVELY MUSIC.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE IT IS.
I WOULD SAY EVEN IN RUSSIA,
THEY LIKE, YOU KNOW, GOOD MUSIC,
IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING.
- IN FACT, IT WAS THE HOME
OF THE BALLET.
- YEAH.
- AND GREAT DANCERS LIKE YOU.
- YES, I WAS BORN THERE,
BUT WE TRY TO PERFECT
THE GESTURE
AND DANCE A LITTLE MORE,
AND SORT OF LONGER,
AND JUMP A LITTLE HIGHER
THAN ORDINARY PEOPLE WOULD DO
IN A, YOU KNOW, BALLROOM,
WHATEVER THE...
- THAT BRINGS US
TO SOMETHING I WAS TOLD
ABOUT THE CITY OF BALLET...
IT'S ALSO A SCHOOL OF THE DANCE.
YOU TEACH ALSO.
- OH, YES, WE STARTED
SCHOOL IN 1934,
AND WE BROUGHT UP THE DANCERS.
THIS YEAR, WE...
MAJORITY OF THESE DANCERS ARE...
- OH, SO IT STARTED AS A SCHOOL?
- THEY WERE LITTLE GIRLS, YEAH.
SCHOOL, YEAH.
- BALANCHINE ALWAYS WAS LOOKING
FOR THE NEXT ONE.
THERE WAS A CUTE LITTLE GIRL
IN THE CORNER BALLET
THAT HE LIKED.
MAYBE SOMEDAY SHE WOULD BE,
SO I'LL GIVE HER A LITTLE ROLE
AND SEE.
THERE WAS THIS BALLERINA,
AND THIS BALLERINA.
HE LIKED...
THIS ONE I'M MARRIED TO.
THIS ONE I'D LIKE TO DO
MORE TO.
I'D LIKE TO CHOREOGRAPH
FOR THIS, AND NOT MY WIFE.
AND... RIGHT, THAT WAS GOING ON
ALL THE TIME.
- YOU WANT TO DO THE WIVES?
BALANCHINE OFTEN COMPLAINED THAT
TAMARA GEVA,
HIS FIRST WIFE,
WAS NOT A VERY GOOD DANCER,
BUT HE WAS YOUNG,
THEY WERE IN LOVE,
AND, VOILA, IT WAS A MARRIAGE.
HE LEFT RUSSIA
MARRIED TO GEVA,
AND, OF COURSE,
ON THE TRIP
WAS ALEXANDRA DANILOVA.
DANILOVA WAS,
WITH REGARD TO HIS EMOTION
AND HER ABILITY AS A DANCER,
IT BECAME A COLLABORATION
OF CHOREOGRAPHER AND ARTIST.
SO HE MET THEN, VERA ZORINA.
SHE WAS SIGHTED FOR BROADWAY.
THEY WERE A TEAM, AND THEN THEY
WENT TO HOLLYWOOD TOGETHER.
AND THEN I OFTEN FELT THAT
HE REALLY LOVED ZORINA.
BUT THEN SHE MOVED ON
IN HER CAREER,
AND HE WAS SINGLE AGAIN,
AND THEN WORKING
FOR BALLETS RUSSES,
HE MET MARIA TALLCHIEF.
AND, YOU SEE, MARIA WAS
A DIFFERENT KIND OF DANCER.
SHE WAS FAST.
SHE WAS TECHNICALLY GOOD.
SHE WAS VERY EXOTIC.
YOU KNOW, SHE WAS HALF INDIAN,
OSAGE INDIAN.
AND HE COULD SEE THE DIFFERENT
KIND OF MOVEMENT,
AND THEN THAN CREATES THE NEXT
STYLE OF BALANCHINE.
AND THEN SHE MOVED ON
TO SOMEBODY ELSE
AND HE MOVED ON TO TANNY,
AND THAT CREATED ANOTHER KIND
OF CHOREOGRAPHY.
ALL HIS WIVES LEFT HIM.
THEY ALL MOVED ON
TO EITHER OTHER CAREERS,
OTHER MEN.
I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHY.
I SUPPOSE GENIUS
IS HARD TO LIVE WITH.
- BALANCHINE NEEDED
THE UNATTAINABLE.
HAD TO BE INSPIRED
BY THE UNATTAINABLE.
AND WAS CONSTANTLY LOOKING
FOR THAT YOUNG DANCER
THAT WOULD SPARK HIM
TO WANT TO DO WORKS FOR HER,
TO ATTAIN HER,
BUT IF HE EVER ATTAINED HER,
IT WOULDN'T WORK.
RIGHT?
HE SUDDENLY WOULD BE LIVING
WITH A REAL WOMAN, NOT AN IDEAL,
WHO GETS PNEUMONIA
AND HAS HER PERIOD, AND... RIGHT?
SO MANY OF THOSE PAS DE DEUX,
THE MAN AND THE WOMAN
ARE SEEKING EACH OTHER.
YOU CAN SEE A THREAD.
THE MAN SEARCHING
FOR THIS IDEAL, THE WOMAN,
FINDING HER,
DANCING TOGETHER GLORIOUSLY,
AND LOSING HER.
IT'S IN LA VALSE,
WHICH IS ONE OF THE GREAT
IMPORTANT WORKS,
DONE AT AN IMPORTANT TIME.
AND EVOCATIVE OF WHAT RAVEL
HAD WRITTEN IN MUSIC
BETWEEN THE TWO WARS,
THE WORLD WAR I AND WAR II,
AND HOW BALANCHINE CAUGHT THAT,
THE LAST OF THE WALTZ,
THE EMPIRE,
THE AUSTRIA-HUNGARIAN EMPIRE,
THE LAST OF THIS WONDERFUL
THING,
DEATH COMES.
SEDUCES HER WITH BLACK STONES.
SHE WEARS IT, PUTS THE GLOVES,
AND DEATH TAKES HER
AND STARTS DANCING WITH HER.
DANCING WITH HER,
AND THE DANCE GETS FRENETIC,
LIKE THE WILDNESS
OF THE '20s AND THE '30s
THAT'S IN THE MUSIC,
AND THEN TANNY GETS EMBRACED
BY THIS WILD,
SWIRLING FIGURE OF DEATH,
AND DROPS DEAD.
AND DEATH FLEES,
AND HER LOVER IS LEFT
WITH HER BODY.
AND THEY PICK IT UP,
AND THE WHOLE STAGE STARTS
TO SWIRL CLOCKWISE IN MADNESS.
IN MADNESS OF,
WHERE ARE WE GOING?
I DON'T... I THINK I CAN'T
TALK ANYMORE ABOUT IT.
- YOU KNOW, PEOPLE OFTEN TALKED
ABOUT HIS WHITE BALLETS,
BUT THERE WERE HIS
BLACK BALLETS AS WELL.
UM...
I DON'T THINK HIS PREMONITION
WITH REGARD TO TANNY
HAD MUCH TO DO WITH LA VALSE.
I DO THINK HE FELT GUILTY
ABOUT...
IF YOU CAN...
ABOUT THE MARCH OF DIMES.
- SHOW BUSINESS GETS TOGETHER
TO GIVE THE MARCH OF DIMES
A BIG BOOST.
POSTER BOY LARRY MCKENZIE
AND POSTER GIRL JOYA MOORE
ARE FEATURED,
AS A FASHION SHOW SPARKS
THE POLIO DRIVE AT THE WALDORF.
- BALANCHINE WAS ASKED
TO CHOREOGRAPH
FOR A BENEFIT LUNCH
AT THE WALDORF IN 1946
FOR THE MARCH OF DIMES
TO RAISE MONEY FOR POLIO
RESEARCH AND TREATMENT,
AND HE DID A BALLET ON...
IT WAS VERY MUCH LIKE LA VALSE,
IN WHICH THE BALLERINA
IS HAPPILY DANCING,
AND THE MUSIC AND MOOD CHANGE
AND THE FIGURE OF POLIO EMERGES,
DANCES A GRIM PAS DE DEUX
WITH HER,
AND LEAVES HER COLLAPSED
ON THE FLOOR.
IN THAT VERSION,
IT HAD A HAPPY ENDING,
BUT SHE WAS THE GIRL
BALANCHINE SELECTED FROM
THE SCHOOL OF AMERICAN BALLET
TO DANCE THE ROLE
OF THE VICTIM,
AND, MOST INCREDIBLY,
HE DANCED THE ROLE OF POLIO.
- I THINK BALANCHINE'S
INTEREST IN TANNY STARTED
THE DAY SHE ENTERED
THE SCHOOL OF AMERICAN BALLET.
HOW IT DEVELOPED...
IT DEVELOPED ALONG WITH HER
DEVELOPING AS A DANCER.
BECAUSE OF HER UNIQUENESS,
TANNY HAD ONLY DONE
SOLO ROLES.
SHE WAS MORE LIKE WATCHING
A MODEL ON A STAGE MOVING.
NOW WE TAKE IT FOR GRANTED,
BECAUSE WE'RE SO USED
TO SEEING THAT.
DANCERS BECAME TALLER.
THEY BECAME SKINNIER.
THEY BECAME WHAT PEOPLE CALL
"THE IDEAL BALANCHINE DANCER."
- IT WASN'T AN ABSOLUTELY
PERFECT CLASSICAL BODY.
SHE HAD A VERY STYLISH
WITTY WAY OF DANCING.
IT WAS VERY INDIVIDUAL.
WHAT'S INTERESTING
IS THAT BALANCHINE,
ALTHOUGH HE LOOKED FOR
WONDERFUL CLASSICISM,
AND HE LIKED DANCERS
WHO WERE ABLE TO DO THE STEPS
WONDERFULLY,
HE ALSO WENT FOR PEOPLE THAT HAD
A STRONG PERSONALITY ON STAGE.
THOSE WERE THE ONES
THAT BECAME HIS MUSES.
- ARE THERE PARTICULAR DANCERS
THAT YOU FOUND
REALLY FED YOU SOMETHING
THAT REALLY INSPIRED YOU AND...
- WELL, TANAQUIL LECLERCQ.
I SAW A PERFORMANCE OF...
SYMPHONY IN C.
AND IT WAS AT THE TIME WHEN
EVERYONE WAS DANCING AT A...
SO RAPTUROUSLY
THAT I ABSOLUTELY
FELL IN LOVE WITH IT.
TANNY LECLERCQ MADE ME CRY
WHEN SHE FELL BACKWARD.
AND I THOUGHT, WELL, BOY, I WANT
TO WORK WITH THAT COMPANY.
HER TALENT COULD TAKE IN
ALMOST ANYTHING.
WHEN YOU THINK OF THE PARTS
THAT I CREATED FOR HER,
THEY'RE ALL DANCED BY
FIVE OR SIX DIFFERENT WOMEN.
NO ONE CAN DO THEM ALL.
- MM-HMM.
- SHE COULD DO THE CONCERT.
SHE COULD DO...
YOU KNOW, SHE COULD DO
THAT CRAZY THING,
OR SHE COULD BE VERY ELEGANT,
OR SHE COULD BE VERY CLASSICAL,
OR SHE COULD BE A WILD...
THE LAST OF THE FOUR
TEMPERAMENTS.
- MM-HMM, MM-HMM.
- SHE... SHE WAS REALLY
A PHENOMENAL DANCER.
- YEAH.
- "DEAREST TANNY,
"TODAY I REALIZED HOW MUCH
YOU ARE IN MY THOUGHTS,
"BECAUSE I BOUGHT SOMETHING
HERE IN FLORENCE.
"SOMETHING PERFECTLY USELESS,
BUT WHILE I WAS LOOKING AT IT,
"I THOUGHT OF WHAT FUN
IT WOULD BE TO SHOW YOU.
"HOW MUCH YOU WOULD ENJOY IT,
"GET THE SAME KICK OUT OF IT
AS I WOULD.
"AS A MATTER OF FACT,
SO MANY OF THE THINGS I SEE
"I PICTURE YOU IN THEM OR ON
THEM OR LOOKING AT THEM TOO.
"AND NOT TOO CONSCIOUSLY,
JUST,
"AS I CAN IMAGINE
YOU SEEING THEM
"AND ALMOST HEARING
WHAT YOU'D SAY.
SO, YOU SEE, I MISS YOU."
- THAT WAS ALSO A VERY,
VERY CLOSE FRIENDSHIP...
JERRY ROBBINS
WITH TANNY LECLERCQ.
THEY WERE IN THE NEW YORK CITY
BALLET TOGETHER
IN ITS VERY EARLY DAYS,
BEGINNING IN 1948.
THEY KNEW EACH OTHER FROM
THE SCHOOL OF AMERICAN BALLET
EVEN BEFORE THAT.
HE WAS A LITTLE BIT OLDER
THAN TANNY,
BUT JERRY WAS ALREADY FAMOUS,
BECAUSE HE HAD
HAD SENSATIONAL HITS
AT AMERICAN BALLET THEATER,
WHERE HE HAD GONE TO WORK,
AND WAS BEGINNING TO HAVE
SUCCESS ON BROADWAY.
SO ALTHOUGH THEY WERE COMPANIONS
IN ONE SENSE,
AND NOT TOO FAR APART
IN AGE,
JERRY WAS MUCH FARTHER ALONG
IN HIS CAREER.
IN THOSE EARLY DAYS,
SHE WAS THE...
I WON'T SAY SHY,
BECAUSE I DON'T THINK TANNY
WAS EVER EXACTLY SHY...
BUT SHE WAS THE EARNEST,
EAGER TO PLEASE,
EAGER TO ACHIEVE, YOUNG DANCER.
AND IN HER EYES,
JERRY WAS ALREADY MADE,
ALREADY SUCCESSFUL.
- TANNY HAD A QUALITY
ABOUT HER
THAT MADE ME THINK OF A YOUNG
ANIMAL COMING INTO ITS OWN.
LIKE A GAUCHE YOUNG COLT
SOON TO BECOME A GRACEFUL
THOROUGHBRED,
THERE WAS A KIND OF AURA
ABOUT HER.
ALL THE BALLETS I EVER DID
FOR THE COMPANY,
IT WAS ALWAYS FOR TANNY.
- HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE
THE BALLERINA YOU DANCE WITH?
I MEAN, THERE YOU ARE,
FEELING THE HEFT OF HER
AND THE SWEAT OF HER
AND THE TASTE OF HER
AND THE DANCE WITH HER,
IN LOVE PAS DE DEUX.
- AFTERNOON OF A FAUN
WAS CHOREOGRAPHED ON TANNY.
SHE HAD A TERRIFIC SEXUALITY
UNDERNEATH.
WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF THAT
WHICH WAS MUCH MORE INTERESTING
THAN THE OBVIOUSNESS OF IT.
- JERRY ROBBINS HAD THIS IDEA
TO TRANSFORM THIS WONDERFUL WORK
IN HISTORY,
AFTERNOON OF A FAUN,
TO A COUPLE OF INNOCENT DANCES
IN A STUDIO,
AND THE BRILLIANCE OF MAKING
THE MIRROR
THAT THE DANCERS ARE LOOKING IN
AS THEY DANCE
TO BE THE AUDIENCE.
AND YOU SEE HOW BEAUTIFUL
TANNY IS IN IT.
- HE USED HER ALLURE, REALLY.
SHE HAD A MAGNETIC QUALITY.
SHE JUST HAD IT,
AND MEN RESPONDED TO IT.
SHE JUST KNEW HOW
TO SEDUCE PEOPLE,
HOW TO ENCHANT THEM.
SHE WAS FASCINATING.
SHE REALLY COULD FASCINATE
ANYBODY THAT SHE WANTED TO.
- "TANNY, I LOVE YOU SO,
FOR JUST THAT QUALITY,
"WHICH REALLY IS VERY HONEST
"AND ALWAYS MAKES ME BLINK
AT ITS DIRECTNESS AND ACUTENESS.
"WAS IT BECAUSE OF GEORGE THAT
YOU WERE SO ANGRY WITH ME,
"OR WAS IT YOU...
BECAUSE OF YOU?
AND WHERE DO I STAND,
ANYWAY, WITH YOU?"
- "I KNEW WE WOULD GET AROUND
TO WHO STANDS WHERE,
"AND WITH WHO.
"I JUST DON'T KNOW.
"ANYWAY, I'M STAYING WITH
GEORGE.
"I JUST LOVE YOU,
TO TALK TO,
"PLAY GAMES,
LAUGH LIKE HELL,
"HOWEVER, I'M IN LOVE
WITH GEORGE.
MAYBE IT'S A CASE OF
HE GOT HERE FIRST."
- "GEORGE IS YOUR IDEAL,
GOOD,
"BUT DON'T BE A LITTLE GIRL
ABOUT IT
"AND EXPECT EVERYONE ELSE
TO BE LIKE HIM.
"HE'S MY IDEAL TOO.
"I ADORE HIM AS A PERSON,
"AND HE IS MY GOD AS AN ARTIST,
BUT YOUR FEELINGS AROUND HIM
MUST AFFECT
YOUR FEELINGS TO ME."
- CERTAINLY, SHE WAS
FLATTERED BY JERRY.
JERRY, I'M SURE,
WAS IN LOVE WITH HER IN A WAY.
BUT I THINK EVERYONE HAD A SENSE
THAT BALANCHINE WAS
VERY INTERESTED IN HER.
I THINK NO ONE WAS
TOO SURPRISED,
BUT I REMEMBER THAT HE BOUGHT
HER SOME JEWELRY,
AND SHE MADE ME GO WITH HER
BECAUSE SHE WAS
SORT OF EMBARRASSED TO GO
INTO THIS FANCY JEWELER'S.
I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME.
IT WAS THE JEWELER THAT GEORGE
USED FOR OTHER LADIES.
IT SEEMED, UH,
ALMOST INEVITABLE THAT SHE WOULD
BE THE ONE THAT HE WOULD GO FOR,
BECAUSE THAT WAS THE PATTERN
OF HIS LIFE.
WELL, IT SEEMED TO ME
THAT HE WAS...
YOU KNOW, I WASN'T OVERWHELMED
WITH THE FACT
THAT HE WAS PAYING AN ENORMOUS
AMOUNT OF TENSION...
ATTENTION ONLY TO TANNY.
EVERYONE IS DOING THEIR BEST,
AND EVERYONE IS DOING THEIR BEST
HOPING THAT THEY WILL BE THE ONE
THAT THE CHOREOGRAPHER
WILL NOTICE.
BUT THEY ALSO KNOW THAT
THE PERSON NEXT TO THEM
IS ALSO DOING THE SAME THING,
SO YOU KEEP GETTING THESE SORT
OF HIGHER LEVELS OF INTENSITY.
♪ ♪
- I MEAN, I HAD OFTEN
WALKED INTO A REHEARSAL,
AND IMMEDIATELY THE ROOM
OVERPOWERED YOU
WITH REGARD TO
WHAT WAS GOING ON.
AND ALSO WITH
MR. BALANCHINE'S CLASSES,
IT WOULD OVERPOWER YOU
WITH REGARD TO THE AMOUNT OF
PERFUME THAT EVERYBODY HAD ON.
I MEAN, YOU'D WALK IN THE DOOR
AND IT WAS A BLAST
OF MIXED PERFUMES,
BECAUSE HE LOVED PERFUME.
SO ALL THE GIRLS WOULD
DAB SOMETHING ON,
AND, OF COURSE,
THEY WERE ALL DIFFERENT.
BUT THERE'S A REAL TENSION...
YOU FEEL A REAL TENSION.
A NICE TENSION.
- THERE WAS ONE STAR
IN HER SOLAR SYSTEM.
THAT WAS GEORGE BALANCHINE.
EVERYTHING TANNY EVER SAID
ABOUT BALANCHINE
INDICATED HER
TOTAL DEVOTION TO HIM
AS AN ARTIST
AND AS A PERSON.
- THEY MARRIED
ON NEW YEARS EVE 1952.
- ALLEGRA KENT,
WHO HE WAS CRAZY ABOUT,
SAID IT BEAUTIFULLY:
"HE LOVED US ALL
IN VARYING DEGREES."
BALANCHINE HAD TO BE INSPIRED
BY THE UNATTAINABLE.
- OF COURSE, JEROME ROBBINS
WAS EXTREMELY FRIENDLY WITH HER,
AND BALANCHINE
ONCE TOLD ME THAT,
TO LISTEN TO A CONVERSATION
BETWEEN JERRY AND TANNY
WAS LIKE LISTENING
TO BIRDS TALK TO EACH OTHER.
MEANING THAT HE DIDN'T
UNDERSTAND A WORD THEY SAID.
THEY HAD A DIALOGUE.
- "DEAREST TANNY,
I GOT BACK TO ROME YESTERDAY,
"FLEW TO AMERICAN EXPRESS TODAY
"AND FOUND THREE LETTERS
AND ONE POSTCARD FROM YOU.
"I'D KISS YOU ON EACH CHEEK.
"I'D LOVE TO SEE YOU, TEASE YOU,
"HAVE YOU MAKE FUN OF ME
OR IGNORE ME, LIKE YOU DO.
"I THINK OF YOU.
YOURS, J."
- "I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY.
"I'M GLAD YOU EXIST.
"I WISH THAT...
LOVE, TANNY."
- I THINK THAT LIFE
WAS MOVING IN ON HER
A LITTLE BIT TOO CLOSELY.
SHE WAS DEALING
WITH MR. BALANCHINE.
SHE WAS DEALING WITH
HER MOTHER.
AND THEN SHE HAD TO DEAL
WITH HER ART.
LONG HOURS, LATE NIGHTS.
THAT'S JUST YOUR
PROFESSIONAL LIFE.
SO THROW IN YOUR HUSBAND,
WHO YOU KNOW IS LOOKING
AT OTHER PEOPLE,
OTHER SITUATIONS,
GOING FORWARD,
AND YOUR MOTHER,
WHO IS HOVERING OVER YOU
IN A WAY THAT PERHAPS
TANNY WASN'T TOO KEEN ON.
IN FACT, WE USED TO CALL THEM
"THE ROYAL FAMILY."
- THAT WAS GOOD.
- WASN'T THAT WONDERFUL?
- WONDERFUL.
- NOW, IN A WAY, YOU KNOW,
AFTER SEEING A THING LIKE THAT,
YOU REALIZE THAT
ALL THE EFFORT
THAT GOES INTO MAKING
A BALLET DANCE AND BALLET
IS REALLY WORTH IT, WHEN YOU SEE
SOMETHING LIKE THAT, ISN'T IT?
- WELL, HERE THEY ARE...
- AND WHEN YOU GET SOMEBODY
AS FINE AS THESE PEOPLE.
- YES, THIS IS TANAQUIL LECLERCQ
AS OUR BALLERINA,
AND MR. JACQUES D'AMBOISE
AS OUR DANCER.
- THESE ARE TWO OF THE MOST
FAMOUS AND MOST WONDERFUL
BALLET DANCERS
IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY.
WE CERTAINLY DID ENJOY
YOUR PERFORMANCE, AND I KNOW...
I'VE ALWAYS WANTED...
- PANTING AWAY.
- WANTED TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS
TO A BALLET DANCER
WHEN THEY'RE FINISHED AND COME
OFF STAGE, AND NOW I SEE.
- THEY JUST HUFF AND PUFF.
- WE CERTAINLY DID ENJOY
YOUR PERFORMANCE,
AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE OPENING
HERE IN NEW YORK VERY SHORTLY
WITH YOUR SPRING SEASON.
- YES, WE OPEN TUESDAY,
THIS COMING TUESDAY,
AT THE CITY CENTER
ON 55TH STREET.
- OH, GREAT.
- HELP IF EVERYBODY COMES.
- ARE ANY OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS
AROUND THE COUNTRY
GOING TO BE ABLE TO SEE
THE BALLET COMPANY?
- YES, WE OPEN IN CHICAGO
APRIL 3RD.
- YEAH.
- MM-HMM.
- CHICAGO CIVIC OPERA HOUSE.
- WHAT ARE YOU GOING
TO BE DOING?
- FULL-LENGTH NUTCRACKER.
- OH, THIS BALLET, REALLY?
- WITH TWO HOURS OF IT.
- AND LOTS OF CHILDREN.
- OH, LOTS OF CHILDREN, TREES,
SNOW, EVERYTHING FOR CHRISTMAS.
- SO THE BOYS AND GIRLS
OUT IN CHICAGO
WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO DO THAT.
INCIDENTALLY, YOU'RE GOING ON A
TOUR OF EUROPE TOO, AREN'T YOU?
- YES, WE'RE GOING IN AUGUST.
- YEAH, WE GO TO VIENNA.
- VIENNA...
- SALZBURG.
- SALZBURG, OH, EVERY PLACE.
- OH, WONDERFUL.
- FINLAND, WE'RE GOING TO.
- WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR DANCING FOR US,
AND ALSO FOR COMING HERE
TO MEET US.
- I WANT TO TALK ABOUT
THIS TOUR.
THE SCHEDULE WAS TOUGH.
A LOT OF THE STUDIOS
WERE FREEZING COLD,
AND YOU'D COUGH ON EACH OTHER
AND DANCE WITH EACH OTHER,
HANDS TOUCHING.
I'VE REALLY HAD BRONCHITIS.
SO DID TANNY.
THE COMPANY IS DOING ITS LAST
PERFORMANCE IN COLOGNE,
AND THE NEXT MORNING
THEY'RE FLYING TO COPENHAGEN.
TANNY AND I DID
AFTERNOON OF A FAUN
AND WESTERN SYMPHONY.
THEN THE CURTAIN COMES DOWN,
AND I HUG HER.
I WAS GOING TO BED,
BECAUSE IN THE MORNING
I HAD TO FLY TO NEW YORK
TO BE THERE FOR THE BIRTH
OF MY SON.
SO I SAID GOOD-BYE TO HER.
- SHE WAS NOT LOOKING WELL.
SHE WAS VERY TIRED.
VERY, VERY THIN.
ONE OF THE THINGS
SHE HAD TOLD ME
DURING THE TOUR WAS THAT SHE
DIDN'T WANT TO GO ON THIS TOUR.
SHE AND MR. BALANCHINE HAD A
HOME IN WESTON, CONNECTICUT,
AND SHE HAD SAID, YOU KNOW,
"I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO DO THIS.
I WANTED TO SPEND MORE TIME
IN WESTON."
AND SHE FELT TIRED.
THERE WAS JUST NO QUESTION
SHE FELT TIRED,
AND THERE WAS SOME TALK THAT
THERE WAS PERHAPS SOME TROUBLE
IN HER RELATIONSHIP
WITH REGARD TO HER RELATIONSHIP
WITH BALANCHINE.
WELL, THE FIRST TIME I HEARD HER
COMPLAIN ABOUT FEELING ILL
WAS ACTUALLY THE NIGHT
OF HER LAST PERFORMANCE.
I STOPPED BY HER DRESSING ROOM
BECAUSE I WAS PASSING
SOMETHING OUT.
I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT.
AND SHE WAS GETTING READY
FOR SWAN LAKE.
AND I SAID, "HOW ARE YOU?"
SHE SAID, "I JUST FEEL AWFUL."
SHE SAID,
"I ACHE FROM HEAD TO TOE."
THEN I SAID, "WELL, YOU KNOW,
I'VE GOT THIS MILTOWN
THAT'S VERY GOOD FOR
MUSCLE RELAXING."
SHE SAID, "OH, GIVE IT TO ME."
- AND I REMEMBER THAT NIGHT
WE WERE IN DENMARK,
AND WE WERE GOING TO DO
THE LAST MOVEMENT
OF WESTERN SYMPHONY,
AND I CAN'T REMEMBER
WHAT OTHER BALLET
SHE HAD DANCED THAT NIGHT,
BUT SHE SAID, "I DON'T KNOW,
ALL THIS IS...
I JUST FEEL SO STIFF."
AND I SAID,
"OH, WELL, JUST STRETCH UP."
I SAID, "IT'S COLD,"
AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND SHE WAS... SO...
AND WE WENT OUT AND WE DANCED.
WELL, THE NEXT MORNING WHEN THEY
PULLED THE COMPANY TOGETHER
TO GET ON THE TRAIN
TO GO TO THE NEXT STOP,
TANNY WASN'T THERE.
- THE MORNING THAT WE WERE
TO LEAVE FOR STOCKHOLM,
I HAD A CALL BACK AROUND
6:00 IN THE MORNING, 6:30,
TELLING ME THAT TANNY
WAS IN AN IRON LUNG,
THAT SHE HAD POLIO,
AND THAT SHE WAS DYING.
WE DECIDED THAT
WE WOULD NOT TELL ANYBODY
UNTIL WE WERE ON THE TRAIN
TO STOCKHOLM.
BETTY CAGE, OUR GENERAL MANAGER,
WOULD ADDRESS THE PRINCIPALS
AND TELL THEM.
WE FELT THAT SHE WOULD HAVE
THE LEAST PROBLEM
WITH PEOPLE WHO WERE OLDER,
AND SHE WAS EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL
AND VERY UPSET.
IT WAS GOING TO BE
MY RESPONSIBILITY
TO DEAL WITH THE YOUNG
COURT OF BALLET.
AND THEN IT TURNED OUT,
ONCE WE GOT ON THE TRAIN,
THAT...
MY JOB WAS THE EASIEST,
BECAUSE ALL OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE
HAD HAD THE SALK VACCINE.
THEY HAD BEEN INOCULATED.
YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, THERE'S
A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PANIC NOW.
AND BETTY'S JOB WAS THE WORST,
BECAUSE FIRST OF ALL, THEY WERE
ALL FRIENDS OF TANNY'S,
AND NONE OF THEM HAD
HAD ANY VACCINE,
SO THEY ALL WENT TO PIECES.
- THE TRAGEDY OF TANNY
IS EPIC.
EPIC.
SHE WAS DESTROYED
AS A DANCER.
AND HORRENDOUSLY
WITH POLIO.
- MY NAME IS VIRUS
POLIOMYELITIS.
I CAUSE A DISEASE WHICH YOU CALL
INFANTILE PARALYSIS.
- FEW DISEASES
DREW AS MUCH ATTENTION
OR STRUCK THE SAME TERROR,
BECAUSE IT STRUCK
WITHOUT WARNING.
THERE'S NO WAY OF TELLING
WHO WOULD GET IT,
WHO WOULD BE SPARED.
IT KILLED SOME OF ITS VICTIMS,
AND IT MOCKED OTHERS FOR LIFE.
BY THE TIME WE LEFT
FOR OUR TOUR OF EUROPE,
THE VACCINE HAD COME OUT.
THE VACCINE HAD COME OUT,
AND WE WERE ALL TAKING IT.
WE'RE ALL LINED UP A DAY OR TWO
BEFORE WE TOOK FLIGHT.
THE BALLERINAS,
THEY'RE ALL STANDING,
READY TO GET THEIR SHOT.
AND THERE'S MELISSA
AND PAT WILDE
AND ALL THESE BALLERINAS.
I HAD JUST GOT MINE.
AND STANDING IN LINE
IS TANNY TO GET HER SHOT.
SHE GOT OUT OF LINE,
CAME OVER TO ME,
AND SAID, "I'M GONNA WAIT.
"I'M GONNA BE MISERABLE
ON A PLANE.
"I'LL BE EVEN MORE MISERABLE
IF I HAVE A SHOT.
I'LL WAIT UNTIL I COME BACK!"
- THE AUTHORITIES IN SWEDEN
HAD BEEN NOTIFIED
THAT THERE WAS A POLIO CASE
IN THE COMPANY,
AND THEY STOPPED THE TRAIN.
THEY CAME WITH A MEDICAL TEAM
AND INSISTED THAT EVERYBODY
GET INOCULATED.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE
GOT INOCULATED TWICE.
YOU HAVE TO GO ABOUT
YOUR BUSINESS
WITH, GOD HELP ME,
THE SHOW MUST GO ON,
AND YOU ALSO HAVE
TO TRY TO KEEP PEOPLE CALM.
OUR DANCERS WERE WAITING,
OUR CREW WAS WAITING, TO HEAR.
TO HEAR HOW SHE WAS.
- I, UH...
I WAS DEVASTATED.
AND I THINK EVERY DANCER
THAT EVER DANCED...
THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING
SHE'S MYTHIC.
TANNY IS MYTHIC.
SHE GOT STRICKEN DOWN.
KNOCKED DEAD.
LEGS...
UNABLE TO MOVE.
♪ ♪
- POLIO, 1956.
THIS IS THE WAY IT LOOKED.
THIS IS THE WAY IT SOUNDED.
YOU ARE LISTENING
TO THE BREATH OF LIFE,
AS IT IS PUMPED BY THESE TANK
RESPIRATORS CALLED IRON LUNGS.
- TANNY WAS IN AN IRON LUNG.
MR. BALANCHINE STAYED
AT THE HOSPITAL WITH HER.
EVEN BY THE TIME WE FINISHED
THE TOUR IN STOCKHOLM
AND WENT BACK TO
NEW YORK CITY,
HE'S STILL IN COPENHAGEN
WITH TANNY.
- "WHY CAN'T I BE BRAVE
AND STRONG?"
"I'M SO SCARED."
"I CRIED.
"I CRY ALL THE TIME.
"I CAN'T STOP FEELING
SORRY FOR MYSELF.
"I KEEP ASKING, WHY?
WHY ME?
WHY POLIO?"
"I'M OUT OF MY RESPIRATOR
FOREVER.
THEY TOOK THE BODY
AND MOTOR AWAY TODAY."
"DEAR JERRY, THIS IS
A RIGHT-HANDED LETTER.
"I HOLD MY HAND UP AND WRITE,
"AND EDIE MOVES THE PAPER ALONG,
LIKE A TYPEWRITER.
"I STARTED TO WRITE A LETTER
WITH MY LEFT HAND,
AS THAT'S THE ONE THAT WORKS,
BUT IT PROVED QUITE IMPOSSIBLE."
"THE DAYS CRAWL BY.
"THEY'RE BETTER NOW,
"BUT IN THE BEGINNING,
I THOUGHT I WAS GOING CRAZY.
"COME BACK TO NEW YORK,
CURED, BUT NUTS.
"NOW THEY HAVE TAKEN ON
SOME SORT OF ROUTINE.
"BREAKFAST AT 8:00,
"ROLL OVER ON MY SIDE
AND BED MADE AROUND 9:00,
"10:00, HOT PACKS,
"THEN MANIPULATION,
I GUESS YOU'D CALL IT.
"THEN GEORGE AND EDITH VISIT,
AND I READ,
"AND I LOOK AT ANY MAIL,
IF I HAVE ANY.
"PLEASE WRITE.
"WELL, I AM BETTER MENTALLY.
"IT'S SLOW.
MY GOD, HOW SLOW.
I THINK GEORGE LOOKS
VERY BADLY."
"DEAR JERRY,
MY BED IS UP ONE NOTCH,
"SO I THOUGHT
I WOULD WRITE TO YOU,
"THE WAY YOU HAVEN'T
TO ME.
"IN SITTING UP TODAY,
THE NURSES LET GO.
"I TRIED TO SIT ALONE.
"WHAT AN ODD FEELING.
"YOU CAN'T IMAGINE
WHAT IT'S LIKE.
"IT'S VERY HARD.
"I FEEL LIKE A FILLET OF SOUL
TRYING TO BALANCE ON ITS TAIL.
"I AM VERY FAMOUS HERE.
"MY PICTURE WAS IN THE NEWSPAPER
WITH GRACE KELLY.
"ALSO G. JENSEN MAY NAME THEIR
NEW PATTERN 'TANAQUIL.'
"MY LEGS ARE STILL DEAD.
"THEY ARE TRYING ELECTRICITY
THREE TIMES A WEEK
"ON THE MUSCLES.
"IF I COULD JUST FEEL
SOMETHING DOWN THERE,
"SOME MUSCLE I COULD CONTRACT.
"THE PAST MAKES ME CRY,
IT SEEMS SO WONDERFUL.
"THE FUTURE SO FAR AWAY
AND BLURRED,
AND ONLY THE PRESENT LEFT."
"THE NURSES ARE WASHING
MY HAIR AT 3:00.
"IT'S VERY LONG NOW.
"I WISH THEY WOULD
LEAVE IT ALONE.
"IT DOESN'T SMELL.
ALL MY LOVE, TAN."
"DO YOU KNOW THEY HAVE ROOMS,
"AND THE WINDOWS ARE ON THE
OUTSIDE IF YOU ARE CONTAGIOUS?
YOUR FRIENDS STEP UP
AND LOOK IN."
"WHY DO ALL DANISH NURSES
HAVE B.O.?
"I USE A DEODORANT STICK,
WHY CAN'T THEY?
"IT'S BEEN A HALF-HOUR
OF FRONT CLEANLINESS,
"AND SHE JUST FLIPPED ME
ON MY SIDE TO ATTACK THE BACK.
"NOW THE LADY WITH BUCKET
AND MOP HAS JUST CRASHED IN.
SHE ALSO HAS B.O.
IT'S ALL TOO MUCH."
"TALKED TO A VERY NICE WOMAN.
"SHE GOT POLIO LAST SUMMER
IN GERMANY.
"SHE CAN NOW GO UP STAIRS
ONE AT A TIME
"AND WALK WITH CRUTCHES.
"WE WERE TALKING ABOUT
THE HIDEOUS TIME ENDURED
"IN RECOVERING.
"FOR COMPLETE RECOVERY, IF IT'S
A BAD CASE, WHICH MINE WAS,
"IT'S ABOUT THREE YEARS
OR MORE.
"I'M NOT EVEN THINKING ANYMORE
OF COMPLETE RECOVERY;
"JUST SOMETHING.
"DO YOU REALIZE THAT
IN THREE YEARS,
"I WILL BE 30?
"OH, I ALWAYS KNEW I HAD BEEN
SO LUCKY SO FAR,
"AND THAT SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN
TO MOTHER, GEORGE, OR ME.
"IT JUST COULDN'T
KEEP GOING ON,
"ALL TAKING, AND NO PAYING.
TAN."
"SOMEONE ARRIVED YESTERDAY.
"THEY PUT HER NEXT DOOR TO ME.
"VERY SICK.
LEFT TODAY FOR AN IRON LUNG."
"SCARES ME STILL.
I LIVED AGES
IN ONLY THREE DAYS."
"GEORGE CARRIED ME
TO THE CHAIR.
"I WOULD ALMOST SAY
HE ENJOYS ME THIS WAY.
"TO HAVE SOMEONE TOTALLY
DEPENDENT ON ONE
"SEEMS TO AGREE
WITH SOME PEOPLE.
"POURING RAIN,
JUST LIKE SUMMER RAIN.
IT HAS GOTTEN DARK
AND YELLOWISH INSIDE."
"I'LL GET INTO BED
AND SLEEP,
"SLEEP AND DAYDREAM.
"THE SKY THAT I CAN SEE
IS THE NICE KIND,
"WITH SMALL, PINK CLOUDS.
"I WANT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING.
"I FEEL I WANT TO TELL YOU
SOMETHING,
"BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT.
"HOW VERY ODD.
LOVE, T."
- WHEN SHE CAME BACK
TO NEW YORK,
I WENT TO SEE HER
IN THE HOSPITAL.
THAT WAS A VERY EMOTIONAL
MOMENT,
BECAUSE AT THAT POINT, I THINK
SHE HAD MOVEMENT IN HER ARMS,
BUT SHE WAS REALLY JUST IN BED,
AND SHE BURST INTO TEARS
WHEN SHE SAW ME,
AND I BURST INTO TEARS,
AND, OH, GOD.
- EVERY DOCTOR AT LENOX HILL
TOLD BALANCHINE THAT
SHE WILL GET BETTER,
BUT NOT HOW MUCH
SHE WOULD GET BETTER.
"SHE'LL HAVE A WINDOW
OF ABOUT TWO YEARS,
"TWO AND A HALF YEARS,
"WHERE, LITTLE BY LITTLE
SHE'LL GET BETTER,
BUT AFTER THAT SHE'S
NOT GONNA GET BETTER."
WELL, BALANCHINE WOULDN'T
BELIEVE THAT.
HE WOULDN'T BELIEVE IT.
AND HE GOT ANGRY AT...
"I WILL MAKE HER BETTER.
SHE WILL DANCE AGAIN."
HE WENT DOWN TO WARM SPRINGS,
HE DID EVERYTHING HE COULD.
HE DID EXERCISES,
BEND HER LEGS STRAIGHT,
LIKE A THERAPIST.
HE WOULD GET HER UP
AND HE WOULD WRAP HER
FROM BEHIND...
HE WOULD STAND...
AND HE WAS SHORTER THAN HER...
AND HE WOULD LIFT HER,
AND THEN HE WOULD PUT ONE
OF HER FEET THAT WERE FLOPPING,
ON THIS FOOT,
AND THE OTHER ONE
ON THE OTHER FOOT,
AND THEN HE WOULD PRACTICE,
SO THAT HE THOUGHT THAT
THAT COULD MAYBE SPARK
SOMETHING TO GET THE MUSCLES
TO REMEMBER HOW IT WAS TO WALK.
- "IT IS JUST WONDERFUL HERE.
"SO BEAUTIFUL.
"THE BUILDINGS ARE RED BRICK
WITH WHITE COLUMNS.
"GEORGIAN ARCHITECTURE.
"IT IS MOSTLY POLIO CASES
AND PARAPLEGICS.
"APPARENTLY IF YOU BREAK
YOUR BACK,
"VERY OFTEN IT PARALYZES YOU.
"MOST PEOPLE LAYING FACE-DOWN
ON THEIR STRETCHERS
"ARE BROKEN BACKS.
"THE OTHER WAY IS POLIO.
"WENT TO THE MOVIES TONIGHT.
"THEY HAVE A LOVELY THEATER.
"FIRST TWO ROWS ARE STRETCHERS.
"NEXT ROW, WHEELCHAIRS.
"THEN SEATS, WHERE GEORGE
AND EDITH SAT.
"SAW 12 ANGRY MEN.
"JUST WONDERFUL.
"I HAVE A PRIVATE ROOM.
"GOT A WINDOW
RIGHT NEXT TO THE BED.
"JUST DIVINE.
"THE ONLY DRAWBACK
IS IT'S A BIT NOISY,
"AS IT'S NEXT TO
THE BEDPAN EMPTYING ROOM.
PEOPLE GOT TO GO,
MORNING, NOON, AND NIGHT."
"I GO INTO THE POOL NOW
IN THE AFTERNOONS.
"WONDERFUL.
"THEY HAVE CHAIRS
UNDER THE WATER.
"YOU CAN SIT IN THEM
AND DO ARM EXERCISES.
"I ALSO HAVE MY BRACES,
CRUTCHES, AND CORSET.
"VERY FAST WORK.
"I REALLY THINK MY MOTHER HAS
BEHAVED REMARKABLY WELL.
"HER ONLY DANCING DAUGHTER,
AND, VOOM.
"I'M SURE I WOULD HAVE GONE
ALL TO PIECES.
OH, WELL, ENOUGH OF THIS."
"I AM A SUCCESS.
"I HAVE A GROUPIE.
"I AM CONSIDERED POPULAR,
SO THE BATH LADIES TELL ME.
"WHEN WE GET TOGETHER
WITH OUR VARIOUS DISABILITIES,
"IT IS FUNNY, IN A GRIM WAY,
BUT THAT SEEMS TO BE
MY TYPE OF HUMOR."
"DEAREST JERRY,
I AM SHATTERED.
"YOU DON'T WRITE TO ME,
AND DON'T CALL.
"I COME EXPECTANTLY INTO MY ROOM
AFTER 10:00 TREATMENT.
MAKES ME HATE
THE LETTERS I GET."
"DEAREST JERRY, YOU SEE
WHAT A PHONE CALL WILL DO?"
"I FEEL ABSOLUTELY CHANGED.
SUDDENLY, I JUST LOVE YOU."
- "BE OF GOOD CHEER, TANNY.
"SO MUCH THAT HAPPENS
DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
"BUT YOU MUST KNOW
MY LOVE FOR YOU
AND MY DEEP CONCERN
OF ALL THAT HAPPENS TO YOU."
- "DEAREST JERRY,
THE MINUTE YOU LEFT,
"I DID LOTS OF LAUNDRY
AND CLEANING OF DRAWERS.
"PUFFING MY CIGARETTE MADLY.
"YOU KNOW, KEEP OCCUPIED,
SO YOU WON'T THINK.
"I WILL THINK ABOUT
THE TWO DAYS IN THE SUN
"WHEN I GO TO SLEEP,
SO I CAN DREAM THEM.
"WHEN I THINK OF THE DAYS
AND EVENINGS BEFORE ME,
"THEY SEEM UNBEARABLE,
UNLIVABLE THROUGH,
"BUT THEN ONE ALWAYS DOES,
"IS THE ONE SURE THING,
ISN'T IT?
"UNTIL YOU DIE.
"I PUT MY SUNGLASSES AWAY.
MISS YOU. LOVE, T."
"GEORGE WORRIES ME A LITTLE.
"HE CALLED ME UP MENTIONING
A FRIEND WHO KNEW A FRIEND,
"AND SHE HAD A PIECE OF
ST. PETER OR ST. PAUL'S CAPE,
AND IF YOU PRAY AND WEAR THIS
NEXT TO YOU, YOU ARE OKAY."
"THIS IS NOT AT ALL
LIKE GEORGE.
I AM AFRAID HE IS BEING
UNREALISTIC ABOUT THIS."
"I TOLD HIM OVER THE PHONE THAT
I DIDN'T LIKE THE SOUND OF IT,
"AND HE SOUNDED
SO DISAPPOINTED.
"IT'S ALMOST BETTER
TO HAVE POLIO
THAN TO BE NEAR
SOMEONE WHO HAS IT."
- BALANCHINE WAS SO MUCH
RIGHT THERE WITH HER.
HE BELIEVED THAT
IF HE PRAYED TO HIS ICON
THAT SHE WOULD GET BETTER.
HE WAS CONVINCED THAT
SHE WOULD GET BETTER,
AND HE WAS GOING TO INSIST
THAT SHE GET BETTER.
SHE WAS DEPRESSED, BUT SHE
HAD HIM, AT THAT POINT.
YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD RUMORS
THAT THEY WERE NOT IN GREAT
SHAPE AS A COUPLE
WHEN SHE GOT ILL,
BUT CERTAINLY HER ILLNESS
BROUGHT HIM RIGHT BACK.
- "SAW ON YOUR TOES ON TV.
VERY NICE.
"ALSO RITA HAYWORTH AND ESTAIRE
IN YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER.
"IT SNOWED ALL DAY YESTERDAY.
"LOOKS BEAUTIFUL TODAY.
"BEING HOME IS HARD.
"PERHAPS I SHOULD SAY IT IS ME.
"I FEEL I AM DIFFICULT
TO LIVE WITH.
"WAITING FOR THE MAID
TO COME FEED ME.
"I FEEL LIKE A DOG.
"DO YOU THINK IN THE OTHER LIFE,
I MIGHT BE A PERSON,
WHILE YOU WILL ALL BE ANIMALS?"
- SO WHEN TANNY CAME BACK,
THERE WAS THIS PROBLEM OF,
"HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THIS?"
AND HOW DO YOU
EQUIP THE APARTMENT
TO MAKE IT AS EASY FOR HER
AS POSSIBLE
TO MOVE AROUND
IN THE WHEELCHAIR?
AND HE WOULD MAKE HER DO THINGS
LIKE REACH FOR CUPBOARDS
THAT WERE TOO HIGH FOR HER.
I MEAN, HE FORCED HER TO MOVE.
I MEAN, I WAS THERE SOMETIMES
AND SHE WOULD BURST INTO TEARS,
AND SHE'D SAY, "YOU KNOW
I CAN'T GET THAT CUP!"
- "BEEN LOOKING AT MORE TV.
"SON OF FRANKENSTEIN.
"TODAY IT'S RAINING.
"VERY DREARY WEATHER.
"I REALLY HAVE NOTHING TO SAY,
SO I'LL TERMINATE.
TAN."
- WHEN THERE WAS OPPORTUNITY
FOR MR. BALANCHINE
TO WORK WITH HER,
HE STRUCTURED
PILATE-TYPE EXERCISES
THAT HE FORCED HER TO DO.
NOW, DON'T FORGET,
HE WOULD HAVE TO MOVE HER LEGS.
AND THEY WERE MOVEABLE.
I MEAN, SHE WASN'T STIFF.
SHE JUST HAD NO MUSCLE...
MUSCLE MEMORY...
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT SHE LOST.
- BALANCHINE WAS VERY INTERESTED
IN THE PILATES MOVEMENT,
AND KNEW MR. PILATES.
SO HE CREATED DIFFERENT
EXERCISES
THAT HE WOULD MAKE HER DO,
THAT HE DID WITH HER.
- AGON WAS THE THIRD PART
OF A TRILOGY
THAT HE STARTED IN 1928
WITH APOLLO
THEN ORPHEUS,
AND THEN THEY FINISHED
THE TRILOGY WITH AGON IN 1957.
IN THE PAS DE DEUX,
I WAS USED TO PLACE
THE BALLERINA
INTO DIFFERENT POSITIONS,
AND THAT WAS PART
OF THE EXCITEMENT OF IT,
BECAUSE I WOULD BE
MANIPULATING HER BODY
AND HER FEET AND HER LEGS.
IT WAS HOW YOU TAKE IT
AND YOU PLACE IT,
AND I'M SURE THAT CAME ABOUT
FROM HIS WORKING
AND TRYING TO DEVELOP
TANNY'S MUSCLES AGAIN.
- I THINK SHE PROBABLY RESISTED,
KNOWING TANNY AS I DO,
THE EXERCISES AND BEING PUSHED,
BUT... BUT ALSO BEING
OF STRONG MIND.
SHE ACCEPTED IT.
WELL, SHE HAD NO CHOICE.
HE WAS GONNA MAKE HER DO IT.
YOU DIDN'T HAVE MUCH OF A CHOICE
WITH MR. BALANCHINE.
- "IT IS IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE BALLET SEASON.
"GUESS I'LL GET EXCITED
ABOUT IT.
RIGHT NOW I'M NOT."
"FEEL RATHER NOT WITH IT
WHEN GEORGE CALLS.
C'EST LA VIE."
- YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW HARD
IT WAS FOR HER
TO ACCEPT THE FACT THAT WHEN
SHE GOT POLIO,
HER BODY CHANGED.
SHE PUT ON A BIT OF WEIGHT
IN THE BEGINNING.
ALL THE MUSCLE WENT OUT
OF HER LEGS.
FOR ANYBODY, THAT'S HARD,
BUT FOR A DANCER,
WHO'S BODY IS EVERYTHING,
IT WAS REALLY, REALLY,
UNBELIEVABLY DIFFICULT.
- SHE HAD NO VISIBLE INTEREST
IN GOING TO THE BALLET.
AND THEN SHE DECIDED SHE WANTED
TO GO TO THE BALLET.
AND SO I HAD THE CAR.
I GOT HER IN THE CAR,
AND WE WENT OFF TO THE BALLET,
AND SHE DID SEE LA VALSE.
AND SHE SAW IT WITH
A WONDERFUL DANCER
BY THE NAME OF SARA LELAND.
AND AFTERWARDS,
SHE CRITIQUED HER.
THEY ASKED HER TO COACH
SOME OF THE ROLES SHE HAD DONE,
AND SHE LOVED DOING THAT.
SHE LOVED BEING INVOLVED
WITH THE BALLET.
- LIKE, WHEN I GO AND SEE
SYMPHONY IN C,
THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS
THAT HAVE BEEN CHANGED.
IT'S HARD TO SAY THEY
SHOULDN'T BE CHANGED,
BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW
IF BALANCHINE
HAS ESPECIALLY CHANGED THEM.
HOW DO YOU KNOW
HE HASN'T THOUGHT,
"OH, I HATED THE WAY TANNY,
YOU KNOW, THAT STEP...
"I ALWAYS HATED HER
ALL THOSE YEARS,
"NOW I'VE GOTTEN RID OF HER.
"I'VE GOT SOMEBODY ELSE
WHO WOULD CHANGE THE STEP
THE WAY I ALWAYS WANTED IT."
YOU DON'T KNOW.
SO IT'S HARD TO COME IN AND SAY,
"BUT IT WASN'T LIKE THAT,"
WHEN MAYBE IT'S BEEN IMPROVED.
- SHE SAID,
"IT'S NOT SO BAD.
IT'S A...
IT'S A GIFT, IN A WAY."
I... "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"
SHE SAID, "WELL, I'D BE HAVING
A SATURDAY MATINEE FREE,
"AND GEORGE AND I WOULD
BE EATING CROISSANT
"WITH, YOU KNOW, BUTTER,
AND MY CAFE AU LAIT,
"AND THE PHONE WOULD RING.
"BALANCHINE WOULD COME BACK
FROM THE PHONE AND SAY,
"'YOU KNOW, PATTY WILDE IS HURT,
CANNOT DO SWAN LAKE.
YOU THINK YOU COULD DO?'"
"AND IT WAS MY FREE DAY,"
AND SHE SAID,
"I WOULD GET UP AND GO IN
THE BATHROOM AND THROW UP."
AND THEN SHE SAID, "THAT'S
NEVER GONNA HAPPEN AGAIN."
- YOU USE A PUSSYCAT,
YOU CANNOT TEACH PUSSYCAT
WHAT YOU WANT,
BUT YOU WILL MAKE HER DO
WHAT SHE WANTS.
BUT REALLY, SHE GIVES ME
THE IDEA LIKE MOURKA.
I JUST START TO PLAY,
AND SHE START TO JUMP.
AND I DEVELOP THAT JUMP.
THEN SHE STARTED TO REALLY
GO BACKWARDS...
AND SHE LOVED IT.
SAY, "HOW DID YOU TRAIN HER?"
I DIDN'T TRAIN HER.
SHE TRAINED ME.
- WHAT MADE HER SPECIAL
WAS THIS MIND AT WORK,
AND IF YOU READ LITTLE EXCERPTS
OF THE WAY SHE WROTE
IN MOURKA,
ABOUT THE CAT,
AND ALSO WHAT SHE WROTE ABOUT
IN BALLET COOK BOOK,
WHERE SHE TOOK A LITTLE
BIOGRAPHY OF EACH PERSON
AND SHE'D FIND SOMETHING TO SAY
THAT BOTH PRESENTED THEM
IN THEIR BEST DESCRIPTION
OF HOW THEY WERE AS A PERSON
AND A DANCER,
AND SHE WOULD CAPTURE 'EM,
AND THERE'S ALWAYS
A LITTLE WIT.
- KNOWING THE AGE
THAT MR. BALANCHINE WAS...
UM...
YOU DO BEGIN TO SEE YOUR
YOUTHFULNESS LEAVE,
AND YOU DO BEGIN TO,
NOT KNOWINGLY,
FIND A WAY TO COMPENSATE.
SOME PEOPLE COMPENSATE BY
EMBARKING INTO A RELATIONSHIP
WHICH IS NOT NECESSARILY
A HEALTHY ONE
OR A RIGHT ONE.
- HE HAD REACHED A POINT
WHERE HE KNEW
THAT HE HAD TO BE
FREE OF HER.
HE BEGAN TO FEEL THAT
TANNY IN A WHEELCHAIR
WAS A WEIGHT,
AND HE HAD DONE EVERYTHING
HE COULD.
SHE RECOGNIZED THAT,
AND SHE TOOK THE MOVE.
I THINK IT WAS HEROIC.
IT WAS THE RINGER PREMIER
OF MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM,
AND THERE WAS A PARTY,
AND TANNY WAS THERE,
AND BALANCHINE
WAS NOT AT HER TABLE.
AND THAT WAS THE FINAL STRAW
TO TANNY.
AND SHE JUST SAID,
"HE'S GOT TO BE FREE.
HE HAS GOT TO BE FREE."
- THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
MR. BALANCHINE AND TANNY
HAD DETERIORATED
QUITE THOROUGHLY.
AND I WAS IN THE APARTMENT
ONE MORNING
GETTING READY TO GO TO WORK,
AND THE PHONE RANG,
AND IT WAS BETTY CAGE,
OUR GENERAL MANAGER,
AND SHE SAID,
"I THINK YOU SHOULD KNOW
THAT TANNY HAS MOVED OUT
OF THE APARTMENT AND MOVED
TO THE MAYFLOWER HOTEL."
I SAID, "THANK YOU FOR TELLING
ME," YOU KNOW, "GOOD-BYE."
AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW,
THE PHONE RINGS,
AND IT'S BALANCHINE.
HE SAID,
"I'M AT THE EMPIRE HOTEL."
AND BOTH OF THEM HAD MOVED OUT
NOT KNOWING THAT
THE OTHER HAD MOVED OUT.
- I'M SURE SHE FOUND IT
INCREDIBLY PAINFUL
WHEN HE LEFT
AND FELL IN LOVE WITH SUZANNE.
AND EVEN THOUGH SUZANNE
REJECTED BALANCHINE,
HIS LIFE WAS AWAY
FROM TANNY'S.
IT MUST'VE BEEN VERY HARD.
PEOPLE WERE SHOCKED
WHEN BALANCHINE LEFT HER,
AND IN FACT,
IT WAS REALLY INCREDIBLE
THAT HE STAYED WHEN HE DID,
AND WHAT HE DID FOR HER.
THAT I DO FEEL VERY STRONGLY.
BUT HE TOTALLY BROUGHT
HER BACK TO LIFE
AND MADE HER REALIZE
THAT SHE HAD A LIFE.
AND THEN IT WAS FINE
THAT HE MOVED ON,
BECAUSE SHE WAS OKAY BY THEN.
SHE WAS QUITE STRONG.
- ONCE SHE WAS
INDEPENDENT ENOUGH
TO FEEL SHE COULD ENTERTAIN
AND DO THINGS WITH PEOPLE,
SHE WAS VERY GREGARIOUS
WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS
OF HER ILLNESS.
- "THANK YOU, THANK YOU,
THANK YOU,
"FOR TWO LETTERS IN TWO DAYS.
"YOU'RE RIGHT,
SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED,
"BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL
IT IS OR WHERE IT BEGAN
"OR QUITE HOW TO GET OUT
OF IT ALL.
"IT'S A LITTLE LIKE OUR
RELATIONSHIP, GENERALLY.
"ALL OF A SUDDEN IN SOME AREA
AN IRRITATION BEGINS,
"NEVER SPOKEN ABOUT BUT ONLY
FELT BY BOTH OF US,
"AND THEN WE GET A LITTLE MEAN
AND TEASE EACH OTHER.
"DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
WELL, ANYWAY, I DO LOVE YOU."
- OBVIOUSLY THEY SEEMED TO HAVE
A LOT OF FUN WITH EACH OTHER,
AND OF COURSE HE WAS A
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSONALITY
THAN THAT OF MR. BALANCHINE.
JERRY INTRODUCED HER
TO MANY FRIENDS,
WHO REMAINED FRIENDS
FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE,
AND THEY TOOK HER TO EUROPE.
- IN THE SUMMER OF 1972,
JEROME ROBBINS HAD AGREED TO
WORK THE FESTIVAL IN SPOLETO.
I'M SURE THIS WAS JERRY'S IDEA:
LET'S INVITE TANNY TO COME.
ITALY IS STAIRS.
IT HAS THE ONLY OPERA HOUSE
IN THE WORLD
WHICH IS SIMPLY CALLED
"THE STAIRS," LA SCALA.
THE STAIRS IN THE CAIO MELISSO
WERE WORN VERY, VERY SMOOTH
BY THREE OR FOUR CENTURIES
OF USE.
THE LITTLE THEATER WAS PACKED,
WE WERE AT THE BACK,
WHICH WAS THE ONLY CONCEIVABLE
PLACE FOR A WHEELCHAIR TO BE,
WHICH MEANT THAT WE WERE
BLOCKING THE EGRESS
FOR PRACTICALLY EVERYONE
IN THE THEATER.
AND I THOUGHT, WELL,
I CAN'T HOLD THESE PEOPLE UP,
AND I DON'T WANT TANNY
SITTING THERE IN HER CHAIR
WHILE PEOPLE ARE KIND OF
CLIMBING OVER HER.
AND IT IS, AFTER ALL,
ONLY TWO STEPS.
WITH THE VERY FIRST STEP,
TANNY WASN'T VERY HEAVY,
BUT STILL,
I HAD NO TRACTION,
AND THE CHAIR STARTED
MOVING FORWARD,
MY FEET STARTED MOVING FORWARD.
THE CHAIR TIPPED,
AND TANNY FELL
ON THE MARBLE LOBBY FLOOR.
AND I STOOD THERE AGHAST.
AND THERE WAS TANNY
CRUMPLED ON THE FLOOR
LOOKING UP AT ME,
AND SHE SAID,
"GET ME THE FUCK OFF THE FLOOR,"
WHICH GOT ME INTO ACTION.
SO I SCOOPED HER UP,
PUT HER IN THE CHAIR,
AND WE GOT THE HELL OUT.
WE ENDED UP GOING TO LUNCH,
AND SHE VERY
UNCHARACTERISTICALLY
ORDERED A WHISKEY,
AND SHE SAID,
"YOU KNOW,
THIS HURTS LIKE HELL."
AND SEEING THE LOOK ON MY FACE,
SHE SAID,
"I STILL HAVE THE NERVES."
SO THE PAIN WAS THERE.
THE BONES HAD BECOME MORE
FRAGILE BECAUSE OF LACK OF USE,
SO ALTHOUGH IT WAS JUST
A LITTLE FALL,
IT WAS ENOUGH TO BREAK
SOME BONE AROUND HER KNEE.
- I DROPPED HER TOO ONCE
AFTER TOO MUCH CHAMPAGNE,
AND SHE GIGGLED, AND WE...
YOU KNOW, SHE WAS EASY TO LIFT.
BALANCHINE TAUGHT ME HOW TO
LIFT HER AND HOW TO, YOU KNOW...
ONCE YOU KNOW HOW TO LIFT,
THEN YOU'RE... YOU'RE HOME FREE.
- SHE WAS ALONE.
GOT INTO AND OUT OF BED ALONE,
WASHED, DID EVERYTHING ALONE.
SHE WAS STRONG.
HER UPPER BODY WAS VERY STRONG.
TO THE END OF HER LIFE,
THAT, AND HER INDOMITABLE WILL,
ARE, NO DOUBT, REASONS THAT
SHE COULD LIVE ALONE.
BECAUSE SHE DID LIVE ALONE,
THE LAST QUARTER OF A CENTURY.
- EDITH'S APARTMENT
WAS NOT FAR FROM TANNY'S.
TANNY WOULD GO AND VISIT HER,
EVEN THOUGH SHE HAD A DIFFICULT
RELATIONSHIP WITH HER MOTHER,
PARTICULARLY WHEN
SHE BECAME ILL,
EDITH THEN THOUGHT, "WOW,
NOW I CAN HAVE MY DAUGHTER BACK.
"I CAN LOOK AFTER HER.
I CAN COME IN EVERY DAY
AND BRING HER HER FOOD,"
AND TANNY SIMPLY
DIDN'T WANT THAT.
SHE WAS ROUGH WITH HER,
BUT I COULD SEE SHE HAD TO BE,
BECAUSE OTHERWISE,
EDITH WOULD HAVE MOVED IN.
AND TANNY WANTED
HER INDEPENDENCE.
- MR. BALANCHINE
HAD ENCOURAGED ARTHUR
TO START A COMPANY...
A BLACK COMPANY.
AND ARTHUR FOUND SPACE
IN HARLEM.
- NOW, ROMAN, WHEN YOU DO
DO THAT ONCE AGAIN,
WHEN YOU DO IT, DON'T LET YOUR
ARMS STRETCH AND FALL AWAY.
REMEMBER IT'S... YOU WANT TO
AND YOU DON'T WANT TO.
WE WERE IN A RESTAURANT.
I WAS AT ONE TABLE,
AND SHE CAME IN
AND SHE WAS SITTING AT
ANOTHER TABLE.
I WENT UP TO HER, I SAID,
"TANNY, WHY DON'T YOU TEACH?"
I SAID, "YOU'VE GOT
ALL THAT INFORMATION
AND ALL THAT KNOWLEDGE."
SHE SAID, "OH, NO, NO, NO."
AND I SAID, "NO," I SAID, "YOU
KNOW, REALLY USE THAT BRAIN."
AND SHE SAID, "NO,"
SHE SAYS, "WELL, I TELL YOU
WHAT, LET ME THINK ABOUT IT."
SO I THINK SHE THEN WENT
AND SPOKE TO MR. BALANCHINE
AND TO JERRY,
AND SO I SAID,
"WELL, WHY DON'T YOU TRY IT?"
AND SHE CAME UP,
AND SHE CAME ON A REGULAR BASIS,
AND SHE WAS... SHE WOULD
BE IN THE WHEELCHAIR,
SHE'D ZOOM AROUND
THE STUDIO.
MR. BALANCHINE THEN GAVE HER
ALL KINDS OF EXERCISES
AND STEPS.
MY TWO LEADING DANCERS ARE
REALLY PRODUCTS OF TANNY'S:
LYDIA ABARCA
AND VIRGINIA JOHNSON.
- FRANKLY, THE PERSON WHO SAVED
HER WAS ARTHUR MITCHELL.
BALANCHINE NEVER
WANTED HER TO TEACH
AT THE SCHOOL
OF AMERICAN BALLET.
SHE WOULD'VE LOVED TO HAVE
TAUGHT AT THE SCHOOL.
SHE WOULD'VE BEEN WONDERFUL,
COULD'VE DONE VARIATION CLASS.
HE DIDN'T WANT HER NEAR
THE SCHOOL.
IT WOULD'VE BEEN
AN EMBARRASSMENT FOR HIM.
HE DIDN'T WANT THE WHEELCHAIR
IN THE SCHOOL,
AND ALSO I SUPPOSE
THEIR RELATIONSHIP
WOULD'VE BROUGHT IT ALL BACK.
ARTHUR MITCHELL WAS
THE ONE WHO SAID,
"COME ON.
COME AND TEACH FOR US.
"WE'LL GET SOMEBODY
TO PICK YOU UP.
DON'T WORRY.
WE'LL LOOK AFTER IT."
- WELL, YOU KNOW, MANY TIMES,
A TEACHER CAN'T DO ALL THE
STEPS, SO THEY USE THE HANDS.
SO IT'LL BE LIKE, AND ONE,
AND TWO, AND THREE, AND FOUR.
SO YOU'RE DEMONSTRATING
WITH YOUR HANDS
WHAT THE STEP WOULD BE,
AND TANNY HAD A WONDERFUL
FACILITY
WHERE SHE COULD TAKE SOMETHING,
PUT IT IN THE HAND,
BRING IT UP, AND YOU'D THINK
SHE WAS USING BOTH HANDS.
IT WAS SO FAST AND SO QUICK,
YOU DIDN'T REALIZE THAT ONE HAND
WAS REALLY NOT WORKING.
SHE WAS TOUGH.
SHE WOULD SAY,
"NO, THIS IS WHAT I WANT,
AND DA-DA-DA-DA, DA-DA-DA-DA,
DA-DA-DA-DA."
- SHE WAS ALOOF BY NATURE.
AND IN FACT, PERHAPS SPOILED
IN THE SENSE OF HER ABILITIES,
HER BEAUTY, HER INTELLECT.
SO THAT DIDN'T DISAPPEAR.
THE VERY FACT THAT SHE HAD BEEN
SPOILED WAS HER SALVATION.
YOU BECOME SELFISH.
YOU KNOW,
"I'M GONNA STAY ALIVE."
IT'S SELF-PRESERVATION.
AND SHE WAS TOUGH.
IF YOU LOVE THE PERSON,
YOU ADAPT TO THAT.
- A COOLING OFF
MORE THAN A FALLING OUT,
NO QUESTION ABOUT IT,
AND NO CAUSE.
UM...
AS FAR AS I KNOW,
THERE WAS NEVER AN EVENT,
AN OCCURRENCE.
SHE NEVER SAID,
"JERRY DID OR SAID THIS,
AND I'M VERY HURT OR ANGRY."
THERE WAS NOTHING LIKE THAT
THAT I RECALL.
UM...
TO BE HONEST,
I NEVER QUITE UNDERSTOOD WHY
SHE... IT PLEASED HER LESS
TO SPEND TIME WITH HIM.
- TANNY'S RELATIONSHIP
WITH JERRY ROBBINS
WAS HOT AND COLD,
AND SHE FOUND HIM MADDENING,
BECAUSE IT WAS ALWAYS
WHAT SUITED HIM.
SOMETIMES HE WAS IN HER LIFE,
AND THEN HE WASN'T IN HER LIFE,
AND SHE GOT VERY FED UP
THAT HE WOULD BE ALL OVER HER
AND SAY HOW WONDERFUL SHE WAS,
AND NEVER REALLY LIKED
HIS BALLETS.
I HOPE SHE DIDN'T TELL HIM
TOO OFTEN.
BUT THE ONLY BALLETS SHE
REALLY ADORED WERE GEORGE'S.
AND I THINK THE ONLY PERSON
SHE TRULY
WAS EVER DEEPLY IN LOVE WITH
WAS GEORGE AS WELL.
- AFTER THE MARRIAGE
OF SUZANNE TO...
FARRELL TO PAUL MEJIA,
I THINK BALANCHINE...
CAME TO HIS SENSES.
I'M NOT SURE IF YOU CAN
PUT THAT IN, BUT AT ANY RATE,
A WHOLE DIFFERENT LIFE
BEGAN FOR HIM.
AND ONCE THAT LIFE BEGAN,
HE WOULD GO AND SEE TANNY, YES.
ESPECIALLY IN WESTON.
I REMEMBER ONCE
HE CAME UP TO WESTON
AND HE PRUNED ALL THE LILACS
DOWN TO, LIKE, A FOOT,
AND SHE WAS LIVID.
- HER ACCEPTANCE
OF HER ILLNESS,
WHICH MAY WELL HAVE TAKEN
A LONG TIME TO ACHIEVE,
WAS CONNECTED WITH
SOME DEEPLY PRIVATE FEELING
ABOUT THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL
IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE,
AND I THINK THERE WAS
A SPIRITUAL DIMENSION
TO THE WAY SHE
THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.
BALANCHINE TALKED ABOUT IT
ALL THE TIME,
AND HE SPOKE OF HIMSELF
AS A SERVANT OF GOD,
AS IF HE WERE A PRIEST,
AND IN A SENSE, HE WAS.
AND I THINK ON SOME LEVEL
THAT ALSO INFORMED TANNY'S
FEELING AND THINKING.
- SO THE LAST LETTER I HAVE
FROM TANNY
WAS WHEN GEORGE
WAS IN THE HOSPITAL.
"THE NURSE SAYS HE'S AWARE
OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
"HE DOES SPEAK,
HEAR, FEEL.
"SHE SAID, 'I'LL GIVE
THE PHONE TO HIM.'
"I HEARD HER SAY 'IT'S TANNY.'
"I SAID, 'HELLO.'
HE SAID, 'HELLO.'
"I SAID, 'I'M COMING TO SEE
YOU, ' AND HE SAID, 'GOOD.'
"THEN I SAID, 'BYE, I LOVE YOU"
AND HE SAID BACK, 'I LOVE YOU.'
"LAST TIME I WAS THERE
I TALKED A BIT,
"AND HE FELL ASLEEP
HOLDING MY HAND.
LOVE, TANNY."
- ALTHOUGH THEIR
MARRIAGE ENDED,
THIS ENORMOUS RESPECT
GILDED WITH LOVE
THAT SHE HAD FOR
GEORGE BALANCHINE
WAS NEVER DIMINISHED.
BEYOND HUSBAND, BALLET MASTER,
CHOREOGRAPHER,
HE WAS THE KIND OF LEADER
OF HER THINKING
AND OF HER HEART
AND HER WHOLE LIFE.
- FOR YEARS,
ME ALONG WITH MANY PEOPLE
WOULD DREAM ABOUT HER,
AND SHE WAS ALWAYS WALKING.
ALWAYS.
- THE DOCTORS TOLD
MR. BALANCHINE
THAT TANNY PROBABLY WOULD NOT
LIVE TO 40, OR BEYOND 40,
AND OF COURSE, SHE LIVED
TO BE ALMOST 80.
THAT IS THE ATHLETIC
TRAINING OF A DANCER,
THIS PHENOMENAL WILL
AND A LITTLE BIT OF ORNERINESS.
THE SAME THING THAT
HAD HER STANDING
WITH HER ARMS CROSSED AT 14
TELLING BALANCHINE THAT
SHE'D BEEN KICKED OUT OF CLASS.
SHE HAD A GIFT
FOR LIVING IN THE MOMENT.
WHERE THAT GIFT CAME FROM...
HER PARENTS,
GEORGE BALANCHINE, GOD,
THE LIFE IN THE DRESSING ROOM,
THE LIFE IN A BALLET SCHOOL.
THEY LIVE IN THE MOMENT.
THEY KNOW FROM THE BEGINNING
IT'S NOT GONNA LAST FOREVER,
NOT GONNA LAST VERY LONG.
- IT'S A VERY FUNNY THING
BECAUSE YOU START OUT YOUNG,
AND BY THE TIME YOU'VE GOTTEN
YOUR TECHNIQUE,
YOU'RE GOING DOWNHILL ALREADY.
ARABESQUE ISN'T AS HIGH,
KNEES ARE BENDING.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
30-SOMETHING.
YOU DON'T LOOK THE WAY YOU DID
WHEN YOU WERE 24, 25.
YOU REALLY DON'T.
SOME PEOPLE LAST LONGER.
SOME LAST LESS, NATURALLY.
BUT IT'S ONE
OF THOSE AWFUL THINGS
THAT BY THE TIME YOU CAN SAY,
"OH, OH, I'VE ARRIVED,"
YOU'RE STARTING TO DIMINISH.
- I THINK SHE...
SHE CAME TO TERMS WITH IT.
LIKE, AS ALL DANCERS DO.
"I'M NOT A DANCER ANYMORE.
WHO AM I?
"I'M NOT A DANCER.
WHO AM I?"
- WHEN SHE BEGAN
TO GET SICK AGAIN
TOWARDS THE END OF HER LIFE,
JERRY ROBBINS MADE AN ATTEMPT
TO EXPRESS HIS FRIENDSHIP
AND LOVE FOR HER,
AND SHE WAS GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
- "I HAD A DREAM ABOUT TANNY.
"I LOOKED AT HER.
"HER REGARD WAS ALL ACCEPTANCE,
FORGIVENESS.
"I SAID, 'TANNY, '
"WALKED OVER TO HER,
PUT MY ARM AROUND HER,
"AND KISSED HER ON THE LIPS.
"SHE WAS YOUNG AND OLD,
SLIM, SAD,
"CLEAR-EYED,
AND, OH, SO TOUCHING.
"I LOOKED AT HER AGAIN,
"BECAME CONSCIOUS OF OTHER
FIGURES STANDING AROUND.
"I KISSED HER FERVENTLY AGAIN.
IT WAS HOME."
- TANNY IS MYTHIC.
SHE WAS WITH THE GREATEST
CHOREOGRAPHER EVER.
SHE WAS AT THE HEIGHT.
SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL.
SHE WAS A MUSE.
AND AT THE VERY HEIGHT,
SHE GETS STRICKEN DOWN.
- TANNY HAD A VERY UNIQUE
SENSE OF MUSIC,
WHICH MADE HER MOVEMENT
INTERESTING.
I THINK SHE WAS BORN WITH IT.
BECAUSE OF HER HEIGHT,
AND BECAUSE OF THE FACT
THAT SHE WAS ANGULAR,
SHE HAD A DIFFERENT KIND
OF MOVEMENT.
- SHE REALLY COVERED SPACE.
SHE WASN'T ASHAMED
TO USE THOSE LONG LEGS
AND MAKE THEM LONGER
IN HER DANCE.
DANCES WERE USUALLY
SHORT AND QUICK,
STOCKY AND FAST.
ALONG COMES THIS ELONGATED,
STRETCHED OUT
PATH TO HEAVEN
THAT SHE WAS.
- TANNY'S BODY CREATED
INSPIRATION FOR CHOREOGRAPHERS.
THEY COULD DO THINGS
THAT THEY HADN'T SEEN BEFORE.
- WELL, THERE IS
THE FAMOUS STORY;
SHE WAS A TEENAGER AT
THE SCHOOL OF AMERICAN BALLET.
BALANCHINE WAS THE HEAD
OF THE SCHOOL,
BUT CERTAINLY DIDN'T TEACH
ALL OF THE CLASSES.
HE WALKED DOWN THE HALLWAY
WHILE ALL THE CLASSES
WERE IN SESSION.
AND STANDING OUTSIDE
THIS CLASSROOM
WAS A PRETTY, LONG-LEGGED
LITTLE GIRL
WITH HER ARMS FIRMLY CROSSED.
AND HE STOPPED AND SAID,
"WHY ARE YOU NOT IN CLASS?"
AND SHE SAID, "KICKED OUT."
AND HE SAID, "WHAT'S YOUR NAME?"
"TANNY."
- I MET HER WHEN I WAS A STUDENT
AT THE SCHOOL
OF AMERICAN BALLET.
SHE WAS A STAR
WHEN I WAS A BEGINNER,
AND ABSOLUTELY DESTINED
FOR GREAT THINGS.
- I LIKE TO DANCE, YOU KNOW.
I HAD BEEN TO THE BALLET.
I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY NICE.
I LIKED IT.
I WAS ALSO TAKING PIANO LESSONS,
WHICH I WAS A DUD AT.
I MEAN, YOU COULD
TELL RIGHT AWAY,
THE KID CAN'T PLAY,
SO I BETTER DO DANCING.
- WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 14,
WE BECAME VERY,
VERY CLOSE FRIENDS.
SHE HAD HAD SUCH
A SHELTERED LIFE.
SHE LIKED THE NORMALITY
OF OUR FRIENDSHIP.
SHE WAS TUTORED A BIT,
AND ALSO GOT A SCHOLARSHIP TO
THE SCHOOL OF AMERICAN BALLET.
TANNY HAD NEVER HAD
ANY NORMAL GIRLFRIENDS
OR A SOCIAL LIFE
WITH CHILDREN HER OWN AGE,
AND SHE YEARNED FOR IT.
SHE YEARNED TO GET AWAY
FROM THE HOTHOUSE LIFE
HER MOTHER PROVIDED FOR HER.
EDITH WAS VERY MUCH
THE BALLET MOTHER.
DARNED HER TOE SHOES,
KNITTED HER TIGHTS.
THEY LIVED IN PARIS
WHERE TANNY WAS BORN,
SPENT A FEW YEARS THERE, AND
THEN THEY CAME BACK TO AMERICA,
AND I THINK THE MARRIAGE
TO JACQUES MUST'VE ENDED
WHEN TANNY WAS QUITE YOUNG.
I DON'T KNOW THAT
THEY ACTUALLY DIVORCED,
BECAUSE OCCASIONALLY
HE WOULD APPEAR,
BUT EDITH PRETTY MUCH WAS ALONE,
AND A BALLET MOTHER.
RATHER SUPERIOR BALLET MOTHER.
- WHEN I WAS 15,
I CERTAINLY KNEW A HELL
OF A LOT MORE THAN...
OR EXPOSED...
THAN ANOTHER 15 YEAR OLD
WHO WAS GOING TO SCHOOL,
AND THE PROM.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
- YES.
- SO I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT
THE LATEST RECORDS,
OR FRANK SINATRA.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE I COULDN'T
DANCE THE LATEST DANCE.
BUT YOU DO KNOW A LOT.
IT'S A VERY GOOD EDUCATION.
FIRST THING YOU KNOW,
YOU GO TO EUROPE.
EVERYBODY ELSE
IS SITTING AT HOME,
AND YOU'RE GETTING...
PLUS YOU'RE GOING TO ITALY AND
FRANCE, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
AND MEETING FAMOUS PEOPLE
AND BEING IN FAMOUS THEATERS,
EATING DIFFERENT FOOD,
AND EVERYBODY ELSE IS STILL
AT HOME GOING TO HIGH SCHOOL
YOU KNOW?
- I LIVED, AT THAT POINT,
IN BRONXVILLE,
AND TANNY LOVED COMING BACK
ON WEEKENDS WITH ME,
BECAUSE IT WAS JUST A KIND OF...
THE WHOLE LIFE WAS SO DIFFERENT
FROM ANYTHING SHE EXPERIENCED.
MY PARENTS WERE MUCH SIMPLER.
THEY WOULD COOK
LOVELY MEALS FOR US,
AND WE WOULD GO TO THE MOVIES
IN BRONXVILLE IN THE EVENING.
I CAN REMEMBER ABSOLUTELY
THAT WE WENT TO A MOVIE...
I CAN'T REMEMBER
WHAT THE MOVIE WAS...
BUT I REMEMBER THAT
THEY SHOWED THE NEWSREELS
OF THE CONCENTRATION CAMPS,
OF THE AMERICANS
WHEN THEY HIT UPON AUSCHWITZ,
AND PHOTOGRAPHING THE PEOPLE
BEHIND THE BARS.
I MEAN, WE BOTH WERE TOTALLY
UNDONE BY IT.
I REMEMBER TANNY GETTING OUT
OF THE CINEMA AND RUSHING OUT.
I RAN AFTER HER,
AND I FOUND HER
IN THE LADIES ROOM SOBBING.
I WAS SORT OF AMAZED
AT HER REACTION.
NOT... I MEAN, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY
MORE THAN YOU COULD TAKE ON.
IT WAS ALMOST UNBELIEVABLE
SEEING THAT.
I DO REMEMBER HER REACTION
VERY STRONGLY.
WE LED A VERY TEENAGE
KIND OF LIFE IN NEW YORK,
AND WENT TO LOTS
OF MOVIES TOGETHER
AND GOSSIPED ABOUT EVERYBODY
AND BEGAN TO BE INTERESTED
IN BOYFRIENDS.
TANNY WAS A VERY CHARISMATIC
CHARACTER,
AND I KNOW QUITE A FEW MEN
WHO WERE VERY INTERESTED
IN HER.
WE WERE JUST INSEPARABLE,
FROM ABOUT, OH, 14 TILL,
YOU KNOW, ABOUT 17 OR 18.
AND THEN I WENT
TO LIVE IN PARIS,
SO I WASN'T AROUND
BEFORE SHE GOT ILL.
- ONCE IN A WHILE, YES,
I WOULD THINK THERE'S ANOTHER
LIFE, WOULDN'T IT BE NICE,
LIKE, I'D BE ON A TRAIN
GOING SOMEPLACE,
AND I'D THINK, "WHAT WOULD
HAPPEN IF I GOT OFF HERE?"
AND I'D GET A JOB
AT THE FIVE-AND-TEN,
AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS...
THIS WAS BEFORE I WAS MARRIED,
YOU KNOW...
I'D MEET SOME MAN.
BUT I DIDN'T.
THAT KIND OF THING, I THOUGHT,
I'M DEFINITELY MISSING
ANOTHER LIFE.
BUT YOU GO TO A FEW PARTIES
WITH BOYFRIENDS,
AND YOU SEE THE OTHER LIFE,
AND YOU THINK,
"I DON'T THINK I'M MISSING
SO MUCH ANYMORE."
- NOW THIS NEW YORK CITY
BALLET IS TEN YEARS OLD.
THERE'S SOMETHING INCREDIBLE
ABOUT THE SUCCESS
BALLET HAS BEEN HAVING
THESE LAST FEW YEARS.
I MEAN, TO AN OUTSIDER,
IT LOOKS SO COMPLICATED
AS AN ARTISTIC FORM OF
EXPRESSION,
AND YET IT'S BECOMING
A POPULAR ART.
IS IT A MIRACLE,
OR DO YOU EXPLAIN IT?
- WELL, I THINK THAT...
I MUST SAY THAT DANCERS
ARE VERY NICE,
AND PEOPLE LIKE TO SEE
BEAUTIFUL DANCERS ON THE STAGE
AND TO HEAR LOVELY MUSIC.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE IT IS.
I WOULD SAY EVEN IN RUSSIA,
THEY LIKE, YOU KNOW, GOOD MUSIC,
IN SPITE OF EVERYTHING.
- IN FACT, IT WAS THE HOME
OF THE BALLET.
- YEAH.
- AND GREAT DANCERS LIKE YOU.
- YES, I WAS BORN THERE,
BUT WE TRY TO PERFECT
THE GESTURE
AND DANCE A LITTLE MORE,
AND SORT OF LONGER,
AND JUMP A LITTLE HIGHER
THAN ORDINARY PEOPLE WOULD DO
IN A, YOU KNOW, BALLROOM,
WHATEVER THE...
- THAT BRINGS US
TO SOMETHING I WAS TOLD
ABOUT THE CITY OF BALLET...
IT'S ALSO A SCHOOL OF THE DANCE.
YOU TEACH ALSO.
- OH, YES, WE STARTED
SCHOOL IN 1934,
AND WE BROUGHT UP THE DANCERS.
THIS YEAR, WE...
MAJORITY OF THESE DANCERS ARE...
- OH, SO IT STARTED AS A SCHOOL?
- THEY WERE LITTLE GIRLS, YEAH.
SCHOOL, YEAH.
- BALANCHINE ALWAYS WAS LOOKING
FOR THE NEXT ONE.
THERE WAS A CUTE LITTLE GIRL
IN THE CORNER BALLET
THAT HE LIKED.
MAYBE SOMEDAY SHE WOULD BE,
SO I'LL GIVE HER A LITTLE ROLE
AND SEE.
THERE WAS THIS BALLERINA,
AND THIS BALLERINA.
HE LIKED...
THIS ONE I'M MARRIED TO.
THIS ONE I'D LIKE TO DO
MORE TO.
I'D LIKE TO CHOREOGRAPH
FOR THIS, AND NOT MY WIFE.
AND... RIGHT, THAT WAS GOING ON
ALL THE TIME.
- YOU WANT TO DO THE WIVES?
BALANCHINE OFTEN COMPLAINED THAT
TAMARA GEVA,
HIS FIRST WIFE,
WAS NOT A VERY GOOD DANCER,
BUT HE WAS YOUNG,
THEY WERE IN LOVE,
AND, VOILA, IT WAS A MARRIAGE.
HE LEFT RUSSIA
MARRIED TO GEVA,
AND, OF COURSE,
ON THE TRIP
WAS ALEXANDRA DANILOVA.
DANILOVA WAS,
WITH REGARD TO HIS EMOTION
AND HER ABILITY AS A DANCER,
IT BECAME A COLLABORATION
OF CHOREOGRAPHER AND ARTIST.
SO HE MET THEN, VERA ZORINA.
SHE WAS SIGHTED FOR BROADWAY.
THEY WERE A TEAM, AND THEN THEY
WENT TO HOLLYWOOD TOGETHER.
AND THEN I OFTEN FELT THAT
HE REALLY LOVED ZORINA.
BUT THEN SHE MOVED ON
IN HER CAREER,
AND HE WAS SINGLE AGAIN,
AND THEN WORKING
FOR BALLETS RUSSES,
HE MET MARIA TALLCHIEF.
AND, YOU SEE, MARIA WAS
A DIFFERENT KIND OF DANCER.
SHE WAS FAST.
SHE WAS TECHNICALLY GOOD.
SHE WAS VERY EXOTIC.
YOU KNOW, SHE WAS HALF INDIAN,
OSAGE INDIAN.
AND HE COULD SEE THE DIFFERENT
KIND OF MOVEMENT,
AND THEN THAN CREATES THE NEXT
STYLE OF BALANCHINE.
AND THEN SHE MOVED ON
TO SOMEBODY ELSE
AND HE MOVED ON TO TANNY,
AND THAT CREATED ANOTHER KIND
OF CHOREOGRAPHY.
ALL HIS WIVES LEFT HIM.
THEY ALL MOVED ON
TO EITHER OTHER CAREERS,
OTHER MEN.
I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHY.
I SUPPOSE GENIUS
IS HARD TO LIVE WITH.
- BALANCHINE NEEDED
THE UNATTAINABLE.
HAD TO BE INSPIRED
BY THE UNATTAINABLE.
AND WAS CONSTANTLY LOOKING
FOR THAT YOUNG DANCER
THAT WOULD SPARK HIM
TO WANT TO DO WORKS FOR HER,
TO ATTAIN HER,
BUT IF HE EVER ATTAINED HER,
IT WOULDN'T WORK.
RIGHT?
HE SUDDENLY WOULD BE LIVING
WITH A REAL WOMAN, NOT AN IDEAL,
WHO GETS PNEUMONIA
AND HAS HER PERIOD, AND... RIGHT?
SO MANY OF THOSE PAS DE DEUX,
THE MAN AND THE WOMAN
ARE SEEKING EACH OTHER.
YOU CAN SEE A THREAD.
THE MAN SEARCHING
FOR THIS IDEAL, THE WOMAN,
FINDING HER,
DANCING TOGETHER GLORIOUSLY,
AND LOSING HER.
IT'S IN LA VALSE,
WHICH IS ONE OF THE GREAT
IMPORTANT WORKS,
DONE AT AN IMPORTANT TIME.
AND EVOCATIVE OF WHAT RAVEL
HAD WRITTEN IN MUSIC
BETWEEN THE TWO WARS,
THE WORLD WAR I AND WAR II,
AND HOW BALANCHINE CAUGHT THAT,
THE LAST OF THE WALTZ,
THE EMPIRE,
THE AUSTRIA-HUNGARIAN EMPIRE,
THE LAST OF THIS WONDERFUL
THING,
DEATH COMES.
SEDUCES HER WITH BLACK STONES.
SHE WEARS IT, PUTS THE GLOVES,
AND DEATH TAKES HER
AND STARTS DANCING WITH HER.
DANCING WITH HER,
AND THE DANCE GETS FRENETIC,
LIKE THE WILDNESS
OF THE '20s AND THE '30s
THAT'S IN THE MUSIC,
AND THEN TANNY GETS EMBRACED
BY THIS WILD,
SWIRLING FIGURE OF DEATH,
AND DROPS DEAD.
AND DEATH FLEES,
AND HER LOVER IS LEFT
WITH HER BODY.
AND THEY PICK IT UP,
AND THE WHOLE STAGE STARTS
TO SWIRL CLOCKWISE IN MADNESS.
IN MADNESS OF,
WHERE ARE WE GOING?
I DON'T... I THINK I CAN'T
TALK ANYMORE ABOUT IT.
- YOU KNOW, PEOPLE OFTEN TALKED
ABOUT HIS WHITE BALLETS,
BUT THERE WERE HIS
BLACK BALLETS AS WELL.
UM...
I DON'T THINK HIS PREMONITION
WITH REGARD TO TANNY
HAD MUCH TO DO WITH LA VALSE.
I DO THINK HE FELT GUILTY
ABOUT...
IF YOU CAN...
ABOUT THE MARCH OF DIMES.
- SHOW BUSINESS GETS TOGETHER
TO GIVE THE MARCH OF DIMES
A BIG BOOST.
POSTER BOY LARRY MCKENZIE
AND POSTER GIRL JOYA MOORE
ARE FEATURED,
AS A FASHION SHOW SPARKS
THE POLIO DRIVE AT THE WALDORF.
- BALANCHINE WAS ASKED
TO CHOREOGRAPH
FOR A BENEFIT LUNCH
AT THE WALDORF IN 1946
FOR THE MARCH OF DIMES
TO RAISE MONEY FOR POLIO
RESEARCH AND TREATMENT,
AND HE DID A BALLET ON...
IT WAS VERY MUCH LIKE LA VALSE,
IN WHICH THE BALLERINA
IS HAPPILY DANCING,
AND THE MUSIC AND MOOD CHANGE
AND THE FIGURE OF POLIO EMERGES,
DANCES A GRIM PAS DE DEUX
WITH HER,
AND LEAVES HER COLLAPSED
ON THE FLOOR.
IN THAT VERSION,
IT HAD A HAPPY ENDING,
BUT SHE WAS THE GIRL
BALANCHINE SELECTED FROM
THE SCHOOL OF AMERICAN BALLET
TO DANCE THE ROLE
OF THE VICTIM,
AND, MOST INCREDIBLY,
HE DANCED THE ROLE OF POLIO.
- I THINK BALANCHINE'S
INTEREST IN TANNY STARTED
THE DAY SHE ENTERED
THE SCHOOL OF AMERICAN BALLET.
HOW IT DEVELOPED...
IT DEVELOPED ALONG WITH HER
DEVELOPING AS A DANCER.
BECAUSE OF HER UNIQUENESS,
TANNY HAD ONLY DONE
SOLO ROLES.
SHE WAS MORE LIKE WATCHING
A MODEL ON A STAGE MOVING.
NOW WE TAKE IT FOR GRANTED,
BECAUSE WE'RE SO USED
TO SEEING THAT.
DANCERS BECAME TALLER.
THEY BECAME SKINNIER.
THEY BECAME WHAT PEOPLE CALL
"THE IDEAL BALANCHINE DANCER."
- IT WASN'T AN ABSOLUTELY
PERFECT CLASSICAL BODY.
SHE HAD A VERY STYLISH
WITTY WAY OF DANCING.
IT WAS VERY INDIVIDUAL.
WHAT'S INTERESTING
IS THAT BALANCHINE,
ALTHOUGH HE LOOKED FOR
WONDERFUL CLASSICISM,
AND HE LIKED DANCERS
WHO WERE ABLE TO DO THE STEPS
WONDERFULLY,
HE ALSO WENT FOR PEOPLE THAT HAD
A STRONG PERSONALITY ON STAGE.
THOSE WERE THE ONES
THAT BECAME HIS MUSES.
- ARE THERE PARTICULAR DANCERS
THAT YOU FOUND
REALLY FED YOU SOMETHING
THAT REALLY INSPIRED YOU AND...
- WELL, TANAQUIL LECLERCQ.
I SAW A PERFORMANCE OF...
SYMPHONY IN C.
AND IT WAS AT THE TIME WHEN
EVERYONE WAS DANCING AT A...
SO RAPTUROUSLY
THAT I ABSOLUTELY
FELL IN LOVE WITH IT.
TANNY LECLERCQ MADE ME CRY
WHEN SHE FELL BACKWARD.
AND I THOUGHT, WELL, BOY, I WANT
TO WORK WITH THAT COMPANY.
HER TALENT COULD TAKE IN
ALMOST ANYTHING.
WHEN YOU THINK OF THE PARTS
THAT I CREATED FOR HER,
THEY'RE ALL DANCED BY
FIVE OR SIX DIFFERENT WOMEN.
NO ONE CAN DO THEM ALL.
- MM-HMM.
- SHE COULD DO THE CONCERT.
SHE COULD DO...
YOU KNOW, SHE COULD DO
THAT CRAZY THING,
OR SHE COULD BE VERY ELEGANT,
OR SHE COULD BE VERY CLASSICAL,
OR SHE COULD BE A WILD...
THE LAST OF THE FOUR
TEMPERAMENTS.
- MM-HMM, MM-HMM.
- SHE... SHE WAS REALLY
A PHENOMENAL DANCER.
- YEAH.
- "DEAREST TANNY,
"TODAY I REALIZED HOW MUCH
YOU ARE IN MY THOUGHTS,
"BECAUSE I BOUGHT SOMETHING
HERE IN FLORENCE.
"SOMETHING PERFECTLY USELESS,
BUT WHILE I WAS LOOKING AT IT,
"I THOUGHT OF WHAT FUN
IT WOULD BE TO SHOW YOU.
"HOW MUCH YOU WOULD ENJOY IT,
"GET THE SAME KICK OUT OF IT
AS I WOULD.
"AS A MATTER OF FACT,
SO MANY OF THE THINGS I SEE
"I PICTURE YOU IN THEM OR ON
THEM OR LOOKING AT THEM TOO.
"AND NOT TOO CONSCIOUSLY,
JUST,
"AS I CAN IMAGINE
YOU SEEING THEM
"AND ALMOST HEARING
WHAT YOU'D SAY.
SO, YOU SEE, I MISS YOU."
- THAT WAS ALSO A VERY,
VERY CLOSE FRIENDSHIP...
JERRY ROBBINS
WITH TANNY LECLERCQ.
THEY WERE IN THE NEW YORK CITY
BALLET TOGETHER
IN ITS VERY EARLY DAYS,
BEGINNING IN 1948.
THEY KNEW EACH OTHER FROM
THE SCHOOL OF AMERICAN BALLET
EVEN BEFORE THAT.
HE WAS A LITTLE BIT OLDER
THAN TANNY,
BUT JERRY WAS ALREADY FAMOUS,
BECAUSE HE HAD
HAD SENSATIONAL HITS
AT AMERICAN BALLET THEATER,
WHERE HE HAD GONE TO WORK,
AND WAS BEGINNING TO HAVE
SUCCESS ON BROADWAY.
SO ALTHOUGH THEY WERE COMPANIONS
IN ONE SENSE,
AND NOT TOO FAR APART
IN AGE,
JERRY WAS MUCH FARTHER ALONG
IN HIS CAREER.
IN THOSE EARLY DAYS,
SHE WAS THE...
I WON'T SAY SHY,
BECAUSE I DON'T THINK TANNY
WAS EVER EXACTLY SHY...
BUT SHE WAS THE EARNEST,
EAGER TO PLEASE,
EAGER TO ACHIEVE, YOUNG DANCER.
AND IN HER EYES,
JERRY WAS ALREADY MADE,
ALREADY SUCCESSFUL.
- TANNY HAD A QUALITY
ABOUT HER
THAT MADE ME THINK OF A YOUNG
ANIMAL COMING INTO ITS OWN.
LIKE A GAUCHE YOUNG COLT
SOON TO BECOME A GRACEFUL
THOROUGHBRED,
THERE WAS A KIND OF AURA
ABOUT HER.
ALL THE BALLETS I EVER DID
FOR THE COMPANY,
IT WAS ALWAYS FOR TANNY.
- HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE
THE BALLERINA YOU DANCE WITH?
I MEAN, THERE YOU ARE,
FEELING THE HEFT OF HER
AND THE SWEAT OF HER
AND THE TASTE OF HER
AND THE DANCE WITH HER,
IN LOVE PAS DE DEUX.
- AFTERNOON OF A FAUN
WAS CHOREOGRAPHED ON TANNY.
SHE HAD A TERRIFIC SEXUALITY
UNDERNEATH.
WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF THAT
WHICH WAS MUCH MORE INTERESTING
THAN THE OBVIOUSNESS OF IT.
- JERRY ROBBINS HAD THIS IDEA
TO TRANSFORM THIS WONDERFUL WORK
IN HISTORY,
AFTERNOON OF A FAUN,
TO A COUPLE OF INNOCENT DANCES
IN A STUDIO,
AND THE BRILLIANCE OF MAKING
THE MIRROR
THAT THE DANCERS ARE LOOKING IN
AS THEY DANCE
TO BE THE AUDIENCE.
AND YOU SEE HOW BEAUTIFUL
TANNY IS IN IT.
- HE USED HER ALLURE, REALLY.
SHE HAD A MAGNETIC QUALITY.
SHE JUST HAD IT,
AND MEN RESPONDED TO IT.
SHE JUST KNEW HOW
TO SEDUCE PEOPLE,
HOW TO ENCHANT THEM.
SHE WAS FASCINATING.
SHE REALLY COULD FASCINATE
ANYBODY THAT SHE WANTED TO.
- "TANNY, I LOVE YOU SO,
FOR JUST THAT QUALITY,
"WHICH REALLY IS VERY HONEST
"AND ALWAYS MAKES ME BLINK
AT ITS DIRECTNESS AND ACUTENESS.
"WAS IT BECAUSE OF GEORGE THAT
YOU WERE SO ANGRY WITH ME,
"OR WAS IT YOU...
BECAUSE OF YOU?
AND WHERE DO I STAND,
ANYWAY, WITH YOU?"
- "I KNEW WE WOULD GET AROUND
TO WHO STANDS WHERE,
"AND WITH WHO.
"I JUST DON'T KNOW.
"ANYWAY, I'M STAYING WITH
GEORGE.
"I JUST LOVE YOU,
TO TALK TO,
"PLAY GAMES,
LAUGH LIKE HELL,
"HOWEVER, I'M IN LOVE
WITH GEORGE.
MAYBE IT'S A CASE OF
HE GOT HERE FIRST."
- "GEORGE IS YOUR IDEAL,
GOOD,
"BUT DON'T BE A LITTLE GIRL
ABOUT IT
"AND EXPECT EVERYONE ELSE
TO BE LIKE HIM.
"HE'S MY IDEAL TOO.
"I ADORE HIM AS A PERSON,
"AND HE IS MY GOD AS AN ARTIST,
BUT YOUR FEELINGS AROUND HIM
MUST AFFECT
YOUR FEELINGS TO ME."
- CERTAINLY, SHE WAS
FLATTERED BY JERRY.
JERRY, I'M SURE,
WAS IN LOVE WITH HER IN A WAY.
BUT I THINK EVERYONE HAD A SENSE
THAT BALANCHINE WAS
VERY INTERESTED IN HER.
I THINK NO ONE WAS
TOO SURPRISED,
BUT I REMEMBER THAT HE BOUGHT
HER SOME JEWELRY,
AND SHE MADE ME GO WITH HER
BECAUSE SHE WAS
SORT OF EMBARRASSED TO GO
INTO THIS FANCY JEWELER'S.
I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME.
IT WAS THE JEWELER THAT GEORGE
USED FOR OTHER LADIES.
IT SEEMED, UH,
ALMOST INEVITABLE THAT SHE WOULD
BE THE ONE THAT HE WOULD GO FOR,
BECAUSE THAT WAS THE PATTERN
OF HIS LIFE.
WELL, IT SEEMED TO ME
THAT HE WAS...
YOU KNOW, I WASN'T OVERWHELMED
WITH THE FACT
THAT HE WAS PAYING AN ENORMOUS
AMOUNT OF TENSION...
ATTENTION ONLY TO TANNY.
EVERYONE IS DOING THEIR BEST,
AND EVERYONE IS DOING THEIR BEST
HOPING THAT THEY WILL BE THE ONE
THAT THE CHOREOGRAPHER
WILL NOTICE.
BUT THEY ALSO KNOW THAT
THE PERSON NEXT TO THEM
IS ALSO DOING THE SAME THING,
SO YOU KEEP GETTING THESE SORT
OF HIGHER LEVELS OF INTENSITY.
♪ ♪
- I MEAN, I HAD OFTEN
WALKED INTO A REHEARSAL,
AND IMMEDIATELY THE ROOM
OVERPOWERED YOU
WITH REGARD TO
WHAT WAS GOING ON.
AND ALSO WITH
MR. BALANCHINE'S CLASSES,
IT WOULD OVERPOWER YOU
WITH REGARD TO THE AMOUNT OF
PERFUME THAT EVERYBODY HAD ON.
I MEAN, YOU'D WALK IN THE DOOR
AND IT WAS A BLAST
OF MIXED PERFUMES,
BECAUSE HE LOVED PERFUME.
SO ALL THE GIRLS WOULD
DAB SOMETHING ON,
AND, OF COURSE,
THEY WERE ALL DIFFERENT.
BUT THERE'S A REAL TENSION...
YOU FEEL A REAL TENSION.
A NICE TENSION.
- THERE WAS ONE STAR
IN HER SOLAR SYSTEM.
THAT WAS GEORGE BALANCHINE.
EVERYTHING TANNY EVER SAID
ABOUT BALANCHINE
INDICATED HER
TOTAL DEVOTION TO HIM
AS AN ARTIST
AND AS A PERSON.
- THEY MARRIED
ON NEW YEARS EVE 1952.
- ALLEGRA KENT,
WHO HE WAS CRAZY ABOUT,
SAID IT BEAUTIFULLY:
"HE LOVED US ALL
IN VARYING DEGREES."
BALANCHINE HAD TO BE INSPIRED
BY THE UNATTAINABLE.
- OF COURSE, JEROME ROBBINS
WAS EXTREMELY FRIENDLY WITH HER,
AND BALANCHINE
ONCE TOLD ME THAT,
TO LISTEN TO A CONVERSATION
BETWEEN JERRY AND TANNY
WAS LIKE LISTENING
TO BIRDS TALK TO EACH OTHER.
MEANING THAT HE DIDN'T
UNDERSTAND A WORD THEY SAID.
THEY HAD A DIALOGUE.
- "DEAREST TANNY,
I GOT BACK TO ROME YESTERDAY,
"FLEW TO AMERICAN EXPRESS TODAY
"AND FOUND THREE LETTERS
AND ONE POSTCARD FROM YOU.
"I'D KISS YOU ON EACH CHEEK.
"I'D LOVE TO SEE YOU, TEASE YOU,
"HAVE YOU MAKE FUN OF ME
OR IGNORE ME, LIKE YOU DO.
"I THINK OF YOU.
YOURS, J."
- "I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY.
"I'M GLAD YOU EXIST.
"I WISH THAT...
LOVE, TANNY."
- I THINK THAT LIFE
WAS MOVING IN ON HER
A LITTLE BIT TOO CLOSELY.
SHE WAS DEALING
WITH MR. BALANCHINE.
SHE WAS DEALING WITH
HER MOTHER.
AND THEN SHE HAD TO DEAL
WITH HER ART.
LONG HOURS, LATE NIGHTS.
THAT'S JUST YOUR
PROFESSIONAL LIFE.
SO THROW IN YOUR HUSBAND,
WHO YOU KNOW IS LOOKING
AT OTHER PEOPLE,
OTHER SITUATIONS,
GOING FORWARD,
AND YOUR MOTHER,
WHO IS HOVERING OVER YOU
IN A WAY THAT PERHAPS
TANNY WASN'T TOO KEEN ON.
IN FACT, WE USED TO CALL THEM
"THE ROYAL FAMILY."
- THAT WAS GOOD.
- WASN'T THAT WONDERFUL?
- WONDERFUL.
- NOW, IN A WAY, YOU KNOW,
AFTER SEEING A THING LIKE THAT,
YOU REALIZE THAT
ALL THE EFFORT
THAT GOES INTO MAKING
A BALLET DANCE AND BALLET
IS REALLY WORTH IT, WHEN YOU SEE
SOMETHING LIKE THAT, ISN'T IT?
- WELL, HERE THEY ARE...
- AND WHEN YOU GET SOMEBODY
AS FINE AS THESE PEOPLE.
- YES, THIS IS TANAQUIL LECLERCQ
AS OUR BALLERINA,
AND MR. JACQUES D'AMBOISE
AS OUR DANCER.
- THESE ARE TWO OF THE MOST
FAMOUS AND MOST WONDERFUL
BALLET DANCERS
IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY.
WE CERTAINLY DID ENJOY
YOUR PERFORMANCE, AND I KNOW...
I'VE ALWAYS WANTED...
- PANTING AWAY.
- WANTED TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS
TO A BALLET DANCER
WHEN THEY'RE FINISHED AND COME
OFF STAGE, AND NOW I SEE.
- THEY JUST HUFF AND PUFF.
- WE CERTAINLY DID ENJOY
YOUR PERFORMANCE,
AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE OPENING
HERE IN NEW YORK VERY SHORTLY
WITH YOUR SPRING SEASON.
- YES, WE OPEN TUESDAY,
THIS COMING TUESDAY,
AT THE CITY CENTER
ON 55TH STREET.
- OH, GREAT.
- HELP IF EVERYBODY COMES.
- ARE ANY OF THE BOYS AND GIRLS
AROUND THE COUNTRY
GOING TO BE ABLE TO SEE
THE BALLET COMPANY?
- YES, WE OPEN IN CHICAGO
APRIL 3RD.
- YEAH.
- MM-HMM.
- CHICAGO CIVIC OPERA HOUSE.
- WHAT ARE YOU GOING
TO BE DOING?
- FULL-LENGTH NUTCRACKER.
- OH, THIS BALLET, REALLY?
- WITH TWO HOURS OF IT.
- AND LOTS OF CHILDREN.
- OH, LOTS OF CHILDREN, TREES,
SNOW, EVERYTHING FOR CHRISTMAS.
- SO THE BOYS AND GIRLS
OUT IN CHICAGO
WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO DO THAT.
INCIDENTALLY, YOU'RE GOING ON A
TOUR OF EUROPE TOO, AREN'T YOU?
- YES, WE'RE GOING IN AUGUST.
- YEAH, WE GO TO VIENNA.
- VIENNA...
- SALZBURG.
- SALZBURG, OH, EVERY PLACE.
- OH, WONDERFUL.
- FINLAND, WE'RE GOING TO.
- WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR DANCING FOR US,
AND ALSO FOR COMING HERE
TO MEET US.
- I WANT TO TALK ABOUT
THIS TOUR.
THE SCHEDULE WAS TOUGH.
A LOT OF THE STUDIOS
WERE FREEZING COLD,
AND YOU'D COUGH ON EACH OTHER
AND DANCE WITH EACH OTHER,
HANDS TOUCHING.
I'VE REALLY HAD BRONCHITIS.
SO DID TANNY.
THE COMPANY IS DOING ITS LAST
PERFORMANCE IN COLOGNE,
AND THE NEXT MORNING
THEY'RE FLYING TO COPENHAGEN.
TANNY AND I DID
AFTERNOON OF A FAUN
AND WESTERN SYMPHONY.
THEN THE CURTAIN COMES DOWN,
AND I HUG HER.
I WAS GOING TO BED,
BECAUSE IN THE MORNING
I HAD TO FLY TO NEW YORK
TO BE THERE FOR THE BIRTH
OF MY SON.
SO I SAID GOOD-BYE TO HER.
- SHE WAS NOT LOOKING WELL.
SHE WAS VERY TIRED.
VERY, VERY THIN.
ONE OF THE THINGS
SHE HAD TOLD ME
DURING THE TOUR WAS THAT SHE
DIDN'T WANT TO GO ON THIS TOUR.
SHE AND MR. BALANCHINE HAD A
HOME IN WESTON, CONNECTICUT,
AND SHE HAD SAID, YOU KNOW,
"I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO DO THIS.
I WANTED TO SPEND MORE TIME
IN WESTON."
AND SHE FELT TIRED.
THERE WAS JUST NO QUESTION
SHE FELT TIRED,
AND THERE WAS SOME TALK THAT
THERE WAS PERHAPS SOME TROUBLE
IN HER RELATIONSHIP
WITH REGARD TO HER RELATIONSHIP
WITH BALANCHINE.
WELL, THE FIRST TIME I HEARD HER
COMPLAIN ABOUT FEELING ILL
WAS ACTUALLY THE NIGHT
OF HER LAST PERFORMANCE.
I STOPPED BY HER DRESSING ROOM
BECAUSE I WAS PASSING
SOMETHING OUT.
I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT.
AND SHE WAS GETTING READY
FOR SWAN LAKE.
AND I SAID, "HOW ARE YOU?"
SHE SAID, "I JUST FEEL AWFUL."
SHE SAID,
"I ACHE FROM HEAD TO TOE."
THEN I SAID, "WELL, YOU KNOW,
I'VE GOT THIS MILTOWN
THAT'S VERY GOOD FOR
MUSCLE RELAXING."
SHE SAID, "OH, GIVE IT TO ME."
- AND I REMEMBER THAT NIGHT
WE WERE IN DENMARK,
AND WE WERE GOING TO DO
THE LAST MOVEMENT
OF WESTERN SYMPHONY,
AND I CAN'T REMEMBER
WHAT OTHER BALLET
SHE HAD DANCED THAT NIGHT,
BUT SHE SAID, "I DON'T KNOW,
ALL THIS IS...
I JUST FEEL SO STIFF."
AND I SAID,
"OH, WELL, JUST STRETCH UP."
I SAID, "IT'S COLD,"
AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND SHE WAS... SO...
AND WE WENT OUT AND WE DANCED.
WELL, THE NEXT MORNING WHEN THEY
PULLED THE COMPANY TOGETHER
TO GET ON THE TRAIN
TO GO TO THE NEXT STOP,
TANNY WASN'T THERE.
- THE MORNING THAT WE WERE
TO LEAVE FOR STOCKHOLM,
I HAD A CALL BACK AROUND
6:00 IN THE MORNING, 6:30,
TELLING ME THAT TANNY
WAS IN AN IRON LUNG,
THAT SHE HAD POLIO,
AND THAT SHE WAS DYING.
WE DECIDED THAT
WE WOULD NOT TELL ANYBODY
UNTIL WE WERE ON THE TRAIN
TO STOCKHOLM.
BETTY CAGE, OUR GENERAL MANAGER,
WOULD ADDRESS THE PRINCIPALS
AND TELL THEM.
WE FELT THAT SHE WOULD HAVE
THE LEAST PROBLEM
WITH PEOPLE WHO WERE OLDER,
AND SHE WAS EXTREMELY EMOTIONAL
AND VERY UPSET.
IT WAS GOING TO BE
MY RESPONSIBILITY
TO DEAL WITH THE YOUNG
COURT OF BALLET.
AND THEN IT TURNED OUT,
ONCE WE GOT ON THE TRAIN,
THAT...
MY JOB WAS THE EASIEST,
BECAUSE ALL OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE
HAD HAD THE SALK VACCINE.
THEY HAD BEEN INOCULATED.
YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, THERE'S
A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PANIC NOW.
AND BETTY'S JOB WAS THE WORST,
BECAUSE FIRST OF ALL, THEY WERE
ALL FRIENDS OF TANNY'S,
AND NONE OF THEM HAD
HAD ANY VACCINE,
SO THEY ALL WENT TO PIECES.
- THE TRAGEDY OF TANNY
IS EPIC.
EPIC.
SHE WAS DESTROYED
AS A DANCER.
AND HORRENDOUSLY
WITH POLIO.
- MY NAME IS VIRUS
POLIOMYELITIS.
I CAUSE A DISEASE WHICH YOU CALL
INFANTILE PARALYSIS.
- FEW DISEASES
DREW AS MUCH ATTENTION
OR STRUCK THE SAME TERROR,
BECAUSE IT STRUCK
WITHOUT WARNING.
THERE'S NO WAY OF TELLING
WHO WOULD GET IT,
WHO WOULD BE SPARED.
IT KILLED SOME OF ITS VICTIMS,
AND IT MOCKED OTHERS FOR LIFE.
BY THE TIME WE LEFT
FOR OUR TOUR OF EUROPE,
THE VACCINE HAD COME OUT.
THE VACCINE HAD COME OUT,
AND WE WERE ALL TAKING IT.
WE'RE ALL LINED UP A DAY OR TWO
BEFORE WE TOOK FLIGHT.
THE BALLERINAS,
THEY'RE ALL STANDING,
READY TO GET THEIR SHOT.
AND THERE'S MELISSA
AND PAT WILDE
AND ALL THESE BALLERINAS.
I HAD JUST GOT MINE.
AND STANDING IN LINE
IS TANNY TO GET HER SHOT.
SHE GOT OUT OF LINE,
CAME OVER TO ME,
AND SAID, "I'M GONNA WAIT.
"I'M GONNA BE MISERABLE
ON A PLANE.
"I'LL BE EVEN MORE MISERABLE
IF I HAVE A SHOT.
I'LL WAIT UNTIL I COME BACK!"
- THE AUTHORITIES IN SWEDEN
HAD BEEN NOTIFIED
THAT THERE WAS A POLIO CASE
IN THE COMPANY,
AND THEY STOPPED THE TRAIN.
THEY CAME WITH A MEDICAL TEAM
AND INSISTED THAT EVERYBODY
GET INOCULATED.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE
GOT INOCULATED TWICE.
YOU HAVE TO GO ABOUT
YOUR BUSINESS
WITH, GOD HELP ME,
THE SHOW MUST GO ON,
AND YOU ALSO HAVE
TO TRY TO KEEP PEOPLE CALM.
OUR DANCERS WERE WAITING,
OUR CREW WAS WAITING, TO HEAR.
TO HEAR HOW SHE WAS.
- I, UH...
I WAS DEVASTATED.
AND I THINK EVERY DANCER
THAT EVER DANCED...
THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING
SHE'S MYTHIC.
TANNY IS MYTHIC.
SHE GOT STRICKEN DOWN.
KNOCKED DEAD.
LEGS...
UNABLE TO MOVE.
♪ ♪
- POLIO, 1956.
THIS IS THE WAY IT LOOKED.
THIS IS THE WAY IT SOUNDED.
YOU ARE LISTENING
TO THE BREATH OF LIFE,
AS IT IS PUMPED BY THESE TANK
RESPIRATORS CALLED IRON LUNGS.
- TANNY WAS IN AN IRON LUNG.
MR. BALANCHINE STAYED
AT THE HOSPITAL WITH HER.
EVEN BY THE TIME WE FINISHED
THE TOUR IN STOCKHOLM
AND WENT BACK TO
NEW YORK CITY,
HE'S STILL IN COPENHAGEN
WITH TANNY.
- "WHY CAN'T I BE BRAVE
AND STRONG?"
"I'M SO SCARED."
"I CRIED.
"I CRY ALL THE TIME.
"I CAN'T STOP FEELING
SORRY FOR MYSELF.
"I KEEP ASKING, WHY?
WHY ME?
WHY POLIO?"
"I'M OUT OF MY RESPIRATOR
FOREVER.
THEY TOOK THE BODY
AND MOTOR AWAY TODAY."
"DEAR JERRY, THIS IS
A RIGHT-HANDED LETTER.
"I HOLD MY HAND UP AND WRITE,
"AND EDIE MOVES THE PAPER ALONG,
LIKE A TYPEWRITER.
"I STARTED TO WRITE A LETTER
WITH MY LEFT HAND,
AS THAT'S THE ONE THAT WORKS,
BUT IT PROVED QUITE IMPOSSIBLE."
"THE DAYS CRAWL BY.
"THEY'RE BETTER NOW,
"BUT IN THE BEGINNING,
I THOUGHT I WAS GOING CRAZY.
"COME BACK TO NEW YORK,
CURED, BUT NUTS.
"NOW THEY HAVE TAKEN ON
SOME SORT OF ROUTINE.
"BREAKFAST AT 8:00,
"ROLL OVER ON MY SIDE
AND BED MADE AROUND 9:00,
"10:00, HOT PACKS,
"THEN MANIPULATION,
I GUESS YOU'D CALL IT.
"THEN GEORGE AND EDITH VISIT,
AND I READ,
"AND I LOOK AT ANY MAIL,
IF I HAVE ANY.
"PLEASE WRITE.
"WELL, I AM BETTER MENTALLY.
"IT'S SLOW.
MY GOD, HOW SLOW.
I THINK GEORGE LOOKS
VERY BADLY."
"DEAR JERRY,
MY BED IS UP ONE NOTCH,
"SO I THOUGHT
I WOULD WRITE TO YOU,
"THE WAY YOU HAVEN'T
TO ME.
"IN SITTING UP TODAY,
THE NURSES LET GO.
"I TRIED TO SIT ALONE.
"WHAT AN ODD FEELING.
"YOU CAN'T IMAGINE
WHAT IT'S LIKE.
"IT'S VERY HARD.
"I FEEL LIKE A FILLET OF SOUL
TRYING TO BALANCE ON ITS TAIL.
"I AM VERY FAMOUS HERE.
"MY PICTURE WAS IN THE NEWSPAPER
WITH GRACE KELLY.
"ALSO G. JENSEN MAY NAME THEIR
NEW PATTERN 'TANAQUIL.'
"MY LEGS ARE STILL DEAD.
"THEY ARE TRYING ELECTRICITY
THREE TIMES A WEEK
"ON THE MUSCLES.
"IF I COULD JUST FEEL
SOMETHING DOWN THERE,
"SOME MUSCLE I COULD CONTRACT.
"THE PAST MAKES ME CRY,
IT SEEMS SO WONDERFUL.
"THE FUTURE SO FAR AWAY
AND BLURRED,
AND ONLY THE PRESENT LEFT."
"THE NURSES ARE WASHING
MY HAIR AT 3:00.
"IT'S VERY LONG NOW.
"I WISH THEY WOULD
LEAVE IT ALONE.
"IT DOESN'T SMELL.
ALL MY LOVE, TAN."
"DO YOU KNOW THEY HAVE ROOMS,
"AND THE WINDOWS ARE ON THE
OUTSIDE IF YOU ARE CONTAGIOUS?
YOUR FRIENDS STEP UP
AND LOOK IN."
"WHY DO ALL DANISH NURSES
HAVE B.O.?
"I USE A DEODORANT STICK,
WHY CAN'T THEY?
"IT'S BEEN A HALF-HOUR
OF FRONT CLEANLINESS,
"AND SHE JUST FLIPPED ME
ON MY SIDE TO ATTACK THE BACK.
"NOW THE LADY WITH BUCKET
AND MOP HAS JUST CRASHED IN.
SHE ALSO HAS B.O.
IT'S ALL TOO MUCH."
"TALKED TO A VERY NICE WOMAN.
"SHE GOT POLIO LAST SUMMER
IN GERMANY.
"SHE CAN NOW GO UP STAIRS
ONE AT A TIME
"AND WALK WITH CRUTCHES.
"WE WERE TALKING ABOUT
THE HIDEOUS TIME ENDURED
"IN RECOVERING.
"FOR COMPLETE RECOVERY, IF IT'S
A BAD CASE, WHICH MINE WAS,
"IT'S ABOUT THREE YEARS
OR MORE.
"I'M NOT EVEN THINKING ANYMORE
OF COMPLETE RECOVERY;
"JUST SOMETHING.
"DO YOU REALIZE THAT
IN THREE YEARS,
"I WILL BE 30?
"OH, I ALWAYS KNEW I HAD BEEN
SO LUCKY SO FAR,
"AND THAT SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN
TO MOTHER, GEORGE, OR ME.
"IT JUST COULDN'T
KEEP GOING ON,
"ALL TAKING, AND NO PAYING.
TAN."
"SOMEONE ARRIVED YESTERDAY.
"THEY PUT HER NEXT DOOR TO ME.
"VERY SICK.
LEFT TODAY FOR AN IRON LUNG."
"SCARES ME STILL.
I LIVED AGES
IN ONLY THREE DAYS."
"GEORGE CARRIED ME
TO THE CHAIR.
"I WOULD ALMOST SAY
HE ENJOYS ME THIS WAY.
"TO HAVE SOMEONE TOTALLY
DEPENDENT ON ONE
"SEEMS TO AGREE
WITH SOME PEOPLE.
"POURING RAIN,
JUST LIKE SUMMER RAIN.
IT HAS GOTTEN DARK
AND YELLOWISH INSIDE."
"I'LL GET INTO BED
AND SLEEP,
"SLEEP AND DAYDREAM.
"THE SKY THAT I CAN SEE
IS THE NICE KIND,
"WITH SMALL, PINK CLOUDS.
"I WANT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING.
"I FEEL I WANT TO TELL YOU
SOMETHING,
"BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT.
"HOW VERY ODD.
LOVE, T."
- WHEN SHE CAME BACK
TO NEW YORK,
I WENT TO SEE HER
IN THE HOSPITAL.
THAT WAS A VERY EMOTIONAL
MOMENT,
BECAUSE AT THAT POINT, I THINK
SHE HAD MOVEMENT IN HER ARMS,
BUT SHE WAS REALLY JUST IN BED,
AND SHE BURST INTO TEARS
WHEN SHE SAW ME,
AND I BURST INTO TEARS,
AND, OH, GOD.
- EVERY DOCTOR AT LENOX HILL
TOLD BALANCHINE THAT
SHE WILL GET BETTER,
BUT NOT HOW MUCH
SHE WOULD GET BETTER.
"SHE'LL HAVE A WINDOW
OF ABOUT TWO YEARS,
"TWO AND A HALF YEARS,
"WHERE, LITTLE BY LITTLE
SHE'LL GET BETTER,
BUT AFTER THAT SHE'S
NOT GONNA GET BETTER."
WELL, BALANCHINE WOULDN'T
BELIEVE THAT.
HE WOULDN'T BELIEVE IT.
AND HE GOT ANGRY AT...
"I WILL MAKE HER BETTER.
SHE WILL DANCE AGAIN."
HE WENT DOWN TO WARM SPRINGS,
HE DID EVERYTHING HE COULD.
HE DID EXERCISES,
BEND HER LEGS STRAIGHT,
LIKE A THERAPIST.
HE WOULD GET HER UP
AND HE WOULD WRAP HER
FROM BEHIND...
HE WOULD STAND...
AND HE WAS SHORTER THAN HER...
AND HE WOULD LIFT HER,
AND THEN HE WOULD PUT ONE
OF HER FEET THAT WERE FLOPPING,
ON THIS FOOT,
AND THE OTHER ONE
ON THE OTHER FOOT,
AND THEN HE WOULD PRACTICE,
SO THAT HE THOUGHT THAT
THAT COULD MAYBE SPARK
SOMETHING TO GET THE MUSCLES
TO REMEMBER HOW IT WAS TO WALK.
- "IT IS JUST WONDERFUL HERE.
"SO BEAUTIFUL.
"THE BUILDINGS ARE RED BRICK
WITH WHITE COLUMNS.
"GEORGIAN ARCHITECTURE.
"IT IS MOSTLY POLIO CASES
AND PARAPLEGICS.
"APPARENTLY IF YOU BREAK
YOUR BACK,
"VERY OFTEN IT PARALYZES YOU.
"MOST PEOPLE LAYING FACE-DOWN
ON THEIR STRETCHERS
"ARE BROKEN BACKS.
"THE OTHER WAY IS POLIO.
"WENT TO THE MOVIES TONIGHT.
"THEY HAVE A LOVELY THEATER.
"FIRST TWO ROWS ARE STRETCHERS.
"NEXT ROW, WHEELCHAIRS.
"THEN SEATS, WHERE GEORGE
AND EDITH SAT.
"SAW 12 ANGRY MEN.
"JUST WONDERFUL.
"I HAVE A PRIVATE ROOM.
"GOT A WINDOW
RIGHT NEXT TO THE BED.
"JUST DIVINE.
"THE ONLY DRAWBACK
IS IT'S A BIT NOISY,
"AS IT'S NEXT TO
THE BEDPAN EMPTYING ROOM.
PEOPLE GOT TO GO,
MORNING, NOON, AND NIGHT."
"I GO INTO THE POOL NOW
IN THE AFTERNOONS.
"WONDERFUL.
"THEY HAVE CHAIRS
UNDER THE WATER.
"YOU CAN SIT IN THEM
AND DO ARM EXERCISES.
"I ALSO HAVE MY BRACES,
CRUTCHES, AND CORSET.
"VERY FAST WORK.
"I REALLY THINK MY MOTHER HAS
BEHAVED REMARKABLY WELL.
"HER ONLY DANCING DAUGHTER,
AND, VOOM.
"I'M SURE I WOULD HAVE GONE
ALL TO PIECES.
OH, WELL, ENOUGH OF THIS."
"I AM A SUCCESS.
"I HAVE A GROUPIE.
"I AM CONSIDERED POPULAR,
SO THE BATH LADIES TELL ME.
"WHEN WE GET TOGETHER
WITH OUR VARIOUS DISABILITIES,
"IT IS FUNNY, IN A GRIM WAY,
BUT THAT SEEMS TO BE
MY TYPE OF HUMOR."
"DEAREST JERRY,
I AM SHATTERED.
"YOU DON'T WRITE TO ME,
AND DON'T CALL.
"I COME EXPECTANTLY INTO MY ROOM
AFTER 10:00 TREATMENT.
MAKES ME HATE
THE LETTERS I GET."
"DEAREST JERRY, YOU SEE
WHAT A PHONE CALL WILL DO?"
"I FEEL ABSOLUTELY CHANGED.
SUDDENLY, I JUST LOVE YOU."
- "BE OF GOOD CHEER, TANNY.
"SO MUCH THAT HAPPENS
DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
"BUT YOU MUST KNOW
MY LOVE FOR YOU
AND MY DEEP CONCERN
OF ALL THAT HAPPENS TO YOU."
- "DEAREST JERRY,
THE MINUTE YOU LEFT,
"I DID LOTS OF LAUNDRY
AND CLEANING OF DRAWERS.
"PUFFING MY CIGARETTE MADLY.
"YOU KNOW, KEEP OCCUPIED,
SO YOU WON'T THINK.
"I WILL THINK ABOUT
THE TWO DAYS IN THE SUN
"WHEN I GO TO SLEEP,
SO I CAN DREAM THEM.
"WHEN I THINK OF THE DAYS
AND EVENINGS BEFORE ME,
"THEY SEEM UNBEARABLE,
UNLIVABLE THROUGH,
"BUT THEN ONE ALWAYS DOES,
"IS THE ONE SURE THING,
ISN'T IT?
"UNTIL YOU DIE.
"I PUT MY SUNGLASSES AWAY.
MISS YOU. LOVE, T."
"GEORGE WORRIES ME A LITTLE.
"HE CALLED ME UP MENTIONING
A FRIEND WHO KNEW A FRIEND,
"AND SHE HAD A PIECE OF
ST. PETER OR ST. PAUL'S CAPE,
AND IF YOU PRAY AND WEAR THIS
NEXT TO YOU, YOU ARE OKAY."
"THIS IS NOT AT ALL
LIKE GEORGE.
I AM AFRAID HE IS BEING
UNREALISTIC ABOUT THIS."
"I TOLD HIM OVER THE PHONE THAT
I DIDN'T LIKE THE SOUND OF IT,
"AND HE SOUNDED
SO DISAPPOINTED.
"IT'S ALMOST BETTER
TO HAVE POLIO
THAN TO BE NEAR
SOMEONE WHO HAS IT."
- BALANCHINE WAS SO MUCH
RIGHT THERE WITH HER.
HE BELIEVED THAT
IF HE PRAYED TO HIS ICON
THAT SHE WOULD GET BETTER.
HE WAS CONVINCED THAT
SHE WOULD GET BETTER,
AND HE WAS GOING TO INSIST
THAT SHE GET BETTER.
SHE WAS DEPRESSED, BUT SHE
HAD HIM, AT THAT POINT.
YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD RUMORS
THAT THEY WERE NOT IN GREAT
SHAPE AS A COUPLE
WHEN SHE GOT ILL,
BUT CERTAINLY HER ILLNESS
BROUGHT HIM RIGHT BACK.
- "SAW ON YOUR TOES ON TV.
VERY NICE.
"ALSO RITA HAYWORTH AND ESTAIRE
IN YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER.
"IT SNOWED ALL DAY YESTERDAY.
"LOOKS BEAUTIFUL TODAY.
"BEING HOME IS HARD.
"PERHAPS I SHOULD SAY IT IS ME.
"I FEEL I AM DIFFICULT
TO LIVE WITH.
"WAITING FOR THE MAID
TO COME FEED ME.
"I FEEL LIKE A DOG.
"DO YOU THINK IN THE OTHER LIFE,
I MIGHT BE A PERSON,
WHILE YOU WILL ALL BE ANIMALS?"
- SO WHEN TANNY CAME BACK,
THERE WAS THIS PROBLEM OF,
"HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THIS?"
AND HOW DO YOU
EQUIP THE APARTMENT
TO MAKE IT AS EASY FOR HER
AS POSSIBLE
TO MOVE AROUND
IN THE WHEELCHAIR?
AND HE WOULD MAKE HER DO THINGS
LIKE REACH FOR CUPBOARDS
THAT WERE TOO HIGH FOR HER.
I MEAN, HE FORCED HER TO MOVE.
I MEAN, I WAS THERE SOMETIMES
AND SHE WOULD BURST INTO TEARS,
AND SHE'D SAY, "YOU KNOW
I CAN'T GET THAT CUP!"
- "BEEN LOOKING AT MORE TV.
"SON OF FRANKENSTEIN.
"TODAY IT'S RAINING.
"VERY DREARY WEATHER.
"I REALLY HAVE NOTHING TO SAY,
SO I'LL TERMINATE.
TAN."
- WHEN THERE WAS OPPORTUNITY
FOR MR. BALANCHINE
TO WORK WITH HER,
HE STRUCTURED
PILATE-TYPE EXERCISES
THAT HE FORCED HER TO DO.
NOW, DON'T FORGET,
HE WOULD HAVE TO MOVE HER LEGS.
AND THEY WERE MOVEABLE.
I MEAN, SHE WASN'T STIFF.
SHE JUST HAD NO MUSCLE...
MUSCLE MEMORY...
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT SHE LOST.
- BALANCHINE WAS VERY INTERESTED
IN THE PILATES MOVEMENT,
AND KNEW MR. PILATES.
SO HE CREATED DIFFERENT
EXERCISES
THAT HE WOULD MAKE HER DO,
THAT HE DID WITH HER.
- AGON WAS THE THIRD PART
OF A TRILOGY
THAT HE STARTED IN 1928
WITH APOLLO
THEN ORPHEUS,
AND THEN THEY FINISHED
THE TRILOGY WITH AGON IN 1957.
IN THE PAS DE DEUX,
I WAS USED TO PLACE
THE BALLERINA
INTO DIFFERENT POSITIONS,
AND THAT WAS PART
OF THE EXCITEMENT OF IT,
BECAUSE I WOULD BE
MANIPULATING HER BODY
AND HER FEET AND HER LEGS.
IT WAS HOW YOU TAKE IT
AND YOU PLACE IT,
AND I'M SURE THAT CAME ABOUT
FROM HIS WORKING
AND TRYING TO DEVELOP
TANNY'S MUSCLES AGAIN.
- I THINK SHE PROBABLY RESISTED,
KNOWING TANNY AS I DO,
THE EXERCISES AND BEING PUSHED,
BUT... BUT ALSO BEING
OF STRONG MIND.
SHE ACCEPTED IT.
WELL, SHE HAD NO CHOICE.
HE WAS GONNA MAKE HER DO IT.
YOU DIDN'T HAVE MUCH OF A CHOICE
WITH MR. BALANCHINE.
- "IT IS IN THE MIDDLE
OF THE BALLET SEASON.
"GUESS I'LL GET EXCITED
ABOUT IT.
RIGHT NOW I'M NOT."
"FEEL RATHER NOT WITH IT
WHEN GEORGE CALLS.
C'EST LA VIE."
- YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW HARD
IT WAS FOR HER
TO ACCEPT THE FACT THAT WHEN
SHE GOT POLIO,
HER BODY CHANGED.
SHE PUT ON A BIT OF WEIGHT
IN THE BEGINNING.
ALL THE MUSCLE WENT OUT
OF HER LEGS.
FOR ANYBODY, THAT'S HARD,
BUT FOR A DANCER,
WHO'S BODY IS EVERYTHING,
IT WAS REALLY, REALLY,
UNBELIEVABLY DIFFICULT.
- SHE HAD NO VISIBLE INTEREST
IN GOING TO THE BALLET.
AND THEN SHE DECIDED SHE WANTED
TO GO TO THE BALLET.
AND SO I HAD THE CAR.
I GOT HER IN THE CAR,
AND WE WENT OFF TO THE BALLET,
AND SHE DID SEE LA VALSE.
AND SHE SAW IT WITH
A WONDERFUL DANCER
BY THE NAME OF SARA LELAND.
AND AFTERWARDS,
SHE CRITIQUED HER.
THEY ASKED HER TO COACH
SOME OF THE ROLES SHE HAD DONE,
AND SHE LOVED DOING THAT.
SHE LOVED BEING INVOLVED
WITH THE BALLET.
- LIKE, WHEN I GO AND SEE
SYMPHONY IN C,
THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS
THAT HAVE BEEN CHANGED.
IT'S HARD TO SAY THEY
SHOULDN'T BE CHANGED,
BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW
IF BALANCHINE
HAS ESPECIALLY CHANGED THEM.
HOW DO YOU KNOW
HE HASN'T THOUGHT,
"OH, I HATED THE WAY TANNY,
YOU KNOW, THAT STEP...
"I ALWAYS HATED HER
ALL THOSE YEARS,
"NOW I'VE GOTTEN RID OF HER.
"I'VE GOT SOMEBODY ELSE
WHO WOULD CHANGE THE STEP
THE WAY I ALWAYS WANTED IT."
YOU DON'T KNOW.
SO IT'S HARD TO COME IN AND SAY,
"BUT IT WASN'T LIKE THAT,"
WHEN MAYBE IT'S BEEN IMPROVED.
- SHE SAID,
"IT'S NOT SO BAD.
IT'S A...
IT'S A GIFT, IN A WAY."
I... "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"
SHE SAID, "WELL, I'D BE HAVING
A SATURDAY MATINEE FREE,
"AND GEORGE AND I WOULD
BE EATING CROISSANT
"WITH, YOU KNOW, BUTTER,
AND MY CAFE AU LAIT,
"AND THE PHONE WOULD RING.
"BALANCHINE WOULD COME BACK
FROM THE PHONE AND SAY,
"'YOU KNOW, PATTY WILDE IS HURT,
CANNOT DO SWAN LAKE.
YOU THINK YOU COULD DO?'"
"AND IT WAS MY FREE DAY,"
AND SHE SAID,
"I WOULD GET UP AND GO IN
THE BATHROOM AND THROW UP."
AND THEN SHE SAID, "THAT'S
NEVER GONNA HAPPEN AGAIN."
- YOU USE A PUSSYCAT,
YOU CANNOT TEACH PUSSYCAT
WHAT YOU WANT,
BUT YOU WILL MAKE HER DO
WHAT SHE WANTS.
BUT REALLY, SHE GIVES ME
THE IDEA LIKE MOURKA.
I JUST START TO PLAY,
AND SHE START TO JUMP.
AND I DEVELOP THAT JUMP.
THEN SHE STARTED TO REALLY
GO BACKWARDS...
AND SHE LOVED IT.
SAY, "HOW DID YOU TRAIN HER?"
I DIDN'T TRAIN HER.
SHE TRAINED ME.
- WHAT MADE HER SPECIAL
WAS THIS MIND AT WORK,
AND IF YOU READ LITTLE EXCERPTS
OF THE WAY SHE WROTE
IN MOURKA,
ABOUT THE CAT,
AND ALSO WHAT SHE WROTE ABOUT
IN BALLET COOK BOOK,
WHERE SHE TOOK A LITTLE
BIOGRAPHY OF EACH PERSON
AND SHE'D FIND SOMETHING TO SAY
THAT BOTH PRESENTED THEM
IN THEIR BEST DESCRIPTION
OF HOW THEY WERE AS A PERSON
AND A DANCER,
AND SHE WOULD CAPTURE 'EM,
AND THERE'S ALWAYS
A LITTLE WIT.
- KNOWING THE AGE
THAT MR. BALANCHINE WAS...
UM...
YOU DO BEGIN TO SEE YOUR
YOUTHFULNESS LEAVE,
AND YOU DO BEGIN TO,
NOT KNOWINGLY,
FIND A WAY TO COMPENSATE.
SOME PEOPLE COMPENSATE BY
EMBARKING INTO A RELATIONSHIP
WHICH IS NOT NECESSARILY
A HEALTHY ONE
OR A RIGHT ONE.
- HE HAD REACHED A POINT
WHERE HE KNEW
THAT HE HAD TO BE
FREE OF HER.
HE BEGAN TO FEEL THAT
TANNY IN A WHEELCHAIR
WAS A WEIGHT,
AND HE HAD DONE EVERYTHING
HE COULD.
SHE RECOGNIZED THAT,
AND SHE TOOK THE MOVE.
I THINK IT WAS HEROIC.
IT WAS THE RINGER PREMIER
OF MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM,
AND THERE WAS A PARTY,
AND TANNY WAS THERE,
AND BALANCHINE
WAS NOT AT HER TABLE.
AND THAT WAS THE FINAL STRAW
TO TANNY.
AND SHE JUST SAID,
"HE'S GOT TO BE FREE.
HE HAS GOT TO BE FREE."
- THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
MR. BALANCHINE AND TANNY
HAD DETERIORATED
QUITE THOROUGHLY.
AND I WAS IN THE APARTMENT
ONE MORNING
GETTING READY TO GO TO WORK,
AND THE PHONE RANG,
AND IT WAS BETTY CAGE,
OUR GENERAL MANAGER,
AND SHE SAID,
"I THINK YOU SHOULD KNOW
THAT TANNY HAS MOVED OUT
OF THE APARTMENT AND MOVED
TO THE MAYFLOWER HOTEL."
I SAID, "THANK YOU FOR TELLING
ME," YOU KNOW, "GOOD-BYE."
AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW,
THE PHONE RINGS,
AND IT'S BALANCHINE.
HE SAID,
"I'M AT THE EMPIRE HOTEL."
AND BOTH OF THEM HAD MOVED OUT
NOT KNOWING THAT
THE OTHER HAD MOVED OUT.
- I'M SURE SHE FOUND IT
INCREDIBLY PAINFUL
WHEN HE LEFT
AND FELL IN LOVE WITH SUZANNE.
AND EVEN THOUGH SUZANNE
REJECTED BALANCHINE,
HIS LIFE WAS AWAY
FROM TANNY'S.
IT MUST'VE BEEN VERY HARD.
PEOPLE WERE SHOCKED
WHEN BALANCHINE LEFT HER,
AND IN FACT,
IT WAS REALLY INCREDIBLE
THAT HE STAYED WHEN HE DID,
AND WHAT HE DID FOR HER.
THAT I DO FEEL VERY STRONGLY.
BUT HE TOTALLY BROUGHT
HER BACK TO LIFE
AND MADE HER REALIZE
THAT SHE HAD A LIFE.
AND THEN IT WAS FINE
THAT HE MOVED ON,
BECAUSE SHE WAS OKAY BY THEN.
SHE WAS QUITE STRONG.
- ONCE SHE WAS
INDEPENDENT ENOUGH
TO FEEL SHE COULD ENTERTAIN
AND DO THINGS WITH PEOPLE,
SHE WAS VERY GREGARIOUS
WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS
OF HER ILLNESS.
- "THANK YOU, THANK YOU,
THANK YOU,
"FOR TWO LETTERS IN TWO DAYS.
"YOU'RE RIGHT,
SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED,
"BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL
IT IS OR WHERE IT BEGAN
"OR QUITE HOW TO GET OUT
OF IT ALL.
"IT'S A LITTLE LIKE OUR
RELATIONSHIP, GENERALLY.
"ALL OF A SUDDEN IN SOME AREA
AN IRRITATION BEGINS,
"NEVER SPOKEN ABOUT BUT ONLY
FELT BY BOTH OF US,
"AND THEN WE GET A LITTLE MEAN
AND TEASE EACH OTHER.
"DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
WELL, ANYWAY, I DO LOVE YOU."
- OBVIOUSLY THEY SEEMED TO HAVE
A LOT OF FUN WITH EACH OTHER,
AND OF COURSE HE WAS A
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSONALITY
THAN THAT OF MR. BALANCHINE.
JERRY INTRODUCED HER
TO MANY FRIENDS,
WHO REMAINED FRIENDS
FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE,
AND THEY TOOK HER TO EUROPE.
- IN THE SUMMER OF 1972,
JEROME ROBBINS HAD AGREED TO
WORK THE FESTIVAL IN SPOLETO.
I'M SURE THIS WAS JERRY'S IDEA:
LET'S INVITE TANNY TO COME.
ITALY IS STAIRS.
IT HAS THE ONLY OPERA HOUSE
IN THE WORLD
WHICH IS SIMPLY CALLED
"THE STAIRS," LA SCALA.
THE STAIRS IN THE CAIO MELISSO
WERE WORN VERY, VERY SMOOTH
BY THREE OR FOUR CENTURIES
OF USE.
THE LITTLE THEATER WAS PACKED,
WE WERE AT THE BACK,
WHICH WAS THE ONLY CONCEIVABLE
PLACE FOR A WHEELCHAIR TO BE,
WHICH MEANT THAT WE WERE
BLOCKING THE EGRESS
FOR PRACTICALLY EVERYONE
IN THE THEATER.
AND I THOUGHT, WELL,
I CAN'T HOLD THESE PEOPLE UP,
AND I DON'T WANT TANNY
SITTING THERE IN HER CHAIR
WHILE PEOPLE ARE KIND OF
CLIMBING OVER HER.
AND IT IS, AFTER ALL,
ONLY TWO STEPS.
WITH THE VERY FIRST STEP,
TANNY WASN'T VERY HEAVY,
BUT STILL,
I HAD NO TRACTION,
AND THE CHAIR STARTED
MOVING FORWARD,
MY FEET STARTED MOVING FORWARD.
THE CHAIR TIPPED,
AND TANNY FELL
ON THE MARBLE LOBBY FLOOR.
AND I STOOD THERE AGHAST.
AND THERE WAS TANNY
CRUMPLED ON THE FLOOR
LOOKING UP AT ME,
AND SHE SAID,
"GET ME THE FUCK OFF THE FLOOR,"
WHICH GOT ME INTO ACTION.
SO I SCOOPED HER UP,
PUT HER IN THE CHAIR,
AND WE GOT THE HELL OUT.
WE ENDED UP GOING TO LUNCH,
AND SHE VERY
UNCHARACTERISTICALLY
ORDERED A WHISKEY,
AND SHE SAID,
"YOU KNOW,
THIS HURTS LIKE HELL."
AND SEEING THE LOOK ON MY FACE,
SHE SAID,
"I STILL HAVE THE NERVES."
SO THE PAIN WAS THERE.
THE BONES HAD BECOME MORE
FRAGILE BECAUSE OF LACK OF USE,
SO ALTHOUGH IT WAS JUST
A LITTLE FALL,
IT WAS ENOUGH TO BREAK
SOME BONE AROUND HER KNEE.
- I DROPPED HER TOO ONCE
AFTER TOO MUCH CHAMPAGNE,
AND SHE GIGGLED, AND WE...
YOU KNOW, SHE WAS EASY TO LIFT.
BALANCHINE TAUGHT ME HOW TO
LIFT HER AND HOW TO, YOU KNOW...
ONCE YOU KNOW HOW TO LIFT,
THEN YOU'RE... YOU'RE HOME FREE.
- SHE WAS ALONE.
GOT INTO AND OUT OF BED ALONE,
WASHED, DID EVERYTHING ALONE.
SHE WAS STRONG.
HER UPPER BODY WAS VERY STRONG.
TO THE END OF HER LIFE,
THAT, AND HER INDOMITABLE WILL,
ARE, NO DOUBT, REASONS THAT
SHE COULD LIVE ALONE.
BECAUSE SHE DID LIVE ALONE,
THE LAST QUARTER OF A CENTURY.
- EDITH'S APARTMENT
WAS NOT FAR FROM TANNY'S.
TANNY WOULD GO AND VISIT HER,
EVEN THOUGH SHE HAD A DIFFICULT
RELATIONSHIP WITH HER MOTHER,
PARTICULARLY WHEN
SHE BECAME ILL,
EDITH THEN THOUGHT, "WOW,
NOW I CAN HAVE MY DAUGHTER BACK.
"I CAN LOOK AFTER HER.
I CAN COME IN EVERY DAY
AND BRING HER HER FOOD,"
AND TANNY SIMPLY
DIDN'T WANT THAT.
SHE WAS ROUGH WITH HER,
BUT I COULD SEE SHE HAD TO BE,
BECAUSE OTHERWISE,
EDITH WOULD HAVE MOVED IN.
AND TANNY WANTED
HER INDEPENDENCE.
- MR. BALANCHINE
HAD ENCOURAGED ARTHUR
TO START A COMPANY...
A BLACK COMPANY.
AND ARTHUR FOUND SPACE
IN HARLEM.
- NOW, ROMAN, WHEN YOU DO
DO THAT ONCE AGAIN,
WHEN YOU DO IT, DON'T LET YOUR
ARMS STRETCH AND FALL AWAY.
REMEMBER IT'S... YOU WANT TO
AND YOU DON'T WANT TO.
WE WERE IN A RESTAURANT.
I WAS AT ONE TABLE,
AND SHE CAME IN
AND SHE WAS SITTING AT
ANOTHER TABLE.
I WENT UP TO HER, I SAID,
"TANNY, WHY DON'T YOU TEACH?"
I SAID, "YOU'VE GOT
ALL THAT INFORMATION
AND ALL THAT KNOWLEDGE."
SHE SAID, "OH, NO, NO, NO."
AND I SAID, "NO," I SAID, "YOU
KNOW, REALLY USE THAT BRAIN."
AND SHE SAID, "NO,"
SHE SAYS, "WELL, I TELL YOU
WHAT, LET ME THINK ABOUT IT."
SO I THINK SHE THEN WENT
AND SPOKE TO MR. BALANCHINE
AND TO JERRY,
AND SO I SAID,
"WELL, WHY DON'T YOU TRY IT?"
AND SHE CAME UP,
AND SHE CAME ON A REGULAR BASIS,
AND SHE WAS... SHE WOULD
BE IN THE WHEELCHAIR,
SHE'D ZOOM AROUND
THE STUDIO.
MR. BALANCHINE THEN GAVE HER
ALL KINDS OF EXERCISES
AND STEPS.
MY TWO LEADING DANCERS ARE
REALLY PRODUCTS OF TANNY'S:
LYDIA ABARCA
AND VIRGINIA JOHNSON.
- FRANKLY, THE PERSON WHO SAVED
HER WAS ARTHUR MITCHELL.
BALANCHINE NEVER
WANTED HER TO TEACH
AT THE SCHOOL
OF AMERICAN BALLET.
SHE WOULD'VE LOVED TO HAVE
TAUGHT AT THE SCHOOL.
SHE WOULD'VE BEEN WONDERFUL,
COULD'VE DONE VARIATION CLASS.
HE DIDN'T WANT HER NEAR
THE SCHOOL.
IT WOULD'VE BEEN
AN EMBARRASSMENT FOR HIM.
HE DIDN'T WANT THE WHEELCHAIR
IN THE SCHOOL,
AND ALSO I SUPPOSE
THEIR RELATIONSHIP
WOULD'VE BROUGHT IT ALL BACK.
ARTHUR MITCHELL WAS
THE ONE WHO SAID,
"COME ON.
COME AND TEACH FOR US.
"WE'LL GET SOMEBODY
TO PICK YOU UP.
DON'T WORRY.
WE'LL LOOK AFTER IT."
- WELL, YOU KNOW, MANY TIMES,
A TEACHER CAN'T DO ALL THE
STEPS, SO THEY USE THE HANDS.
SO IT'LL BE LIKE, AND ONE,
AND TWO, AND THREE, AND FOUR.
SO YOU'RE DEMONSTRATING
WITH YOUR HANDS
WHAT THE STEP WOULD BE,
AND TANNY HAD A WONDERFUL
FACILITY
WHERE SHE COULD TAKE SOMETHING,
PUT IT IN THE HAND,
BRING IT UP, AND YOU'D THINK
SHE WAS USING BOTH HANDS.
IT WAS SO FAST AND SO QUICK,
YOU DIDN'T REALIZE THAT ONE HAND
WAS REALLY NOT WORKING.
SHE WAS TOUGH.
SHE WOULD SAY,
"NO, THIS IS WHAT I WANT,
AND DA-DA-DA-DA, DA-DA-DA-DA,
DA-DA-DA-DA."
- SHE WAS ALOOF BY NATURE.
AND IN FACT, PERHAPS SPOILED
IN THE SENSE OF HER ABILITIES,
HER BEAUTY, HER INTELLECT.
SO THAT DIDN'T DISAPPEAR.
THE VERY FACT THAT SHE HAD BEEN
SPOILED WAS HER SALVATION.
YOU BECOME SELFISH.
YOU KNOW,
"I'M GONNA STAY ALIVE."
IT'S SELF-PRESERVATION.
AND SHE WAS TOUGH.
IF YOU LOVE THE PERSON,
YOU ADAPT TO THAT.
- A COOLING OFF
MORE THAN A FALLING OUT,
NO QUESTION ABOUT IT,
AND NO CAUSE.
UM...
AS FAR AS I KNOW,
THERE WAS NEVER AN EVENT,
AN OCCURRENCE.
SHE NEVER SAID,
"JERRY DID OR SAID THIS,
AND I'M VERY HURT OR ANGRY."
THERE WAS NOTHING LIKE THAT
THAT I RECALL.
UM...
TO BE HONEST,
I NEVER QUITE UNDERSTOOD WHY
SHE... IT PLEASED HER LESS
TO SPEND TIME WITH HIM.
- TANNY'S RELATIONSHIP
WITH JERRY ROBBINS
WAS HOT AND COLD,
AND SHE FOUND HIM MADDENING,
BECAUSE IT WAS ALWAYS
WHAT SUITED HIM.
SOMETIMES HE WAS IN HER LIFE,
AND THEN HE WASN'T IN HER LIFE,
AND SHE GOT VERY FED UP
THAT HE WOULD BE ALL OVER HER
AND SAY HOW WONDERFUL SHE WAS,
AND NEVER REALLY LIKED
HIS BALLETS.
I HOPE SHE DIDN'T TELL HIM
TOO OFTEN.
BUT THE ONLY BALLETS SHE
REALLY ADORED WERE GEORGE'S.
AND I THINK THE ONLY PERSON
SHE TRULY
WAS EVER DEEPLY IN LOVE WITH
WAS GEORGE AS WELL.
- AFTER THE MARRIAGE
OF SUZANNE TO...
FARRELL TO PAUL MEJIA,
I THINK BALANCHINE...
CAME TO HIS SENSES.
I'M NOT SURE IF YOU CAN
PUT THAT IN, BUT AT ANY RATE,
A WHOLE DIFFERENT LIFE
BEGAN FOR HIM.
AND ONCE THAT LIFE BEGAN,
HE WOULD GO AND SEE TANNY, YES.
ESPECIALLY IN WESTON.
I REMEMBER ONCE
HE CAME UP TO WESTON
AND HE PRUNED ALL THE LILACS
DOWN TO, LIKE, A FOOT,
AND SHE WAS LIVID.
- HER ACCEPTANCE
OF HER ILLNESS,
WHICH MAY WELL HAVE TAKEN
A LONG TIME TO ACHIEVE,
WAS CONNECTED WITH
SOME DEEPLY PRIVATE FEELING
ABOUT THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL
IMPORTANT THINGS IN LIFE,
AND I THINK THERE WAS
A SPIRITUAL DIMENSION
TO THE WAY SHE
THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.
BALANCHINE TALKED ABOUT IT
ALL THE TIME,
AND HE SPOKE OF HIMSELF
AS A SERVANT OF GOD,
AS IF HE WERE A PRIEST,
AND IN A SENSE, HE WAS.
AND I THINK ON SOME LEVEL
THAT ALSO INFORMED TANNY'S
FEELING AND THINKING.
- SO THE LAST LETTER I HAVE
FROM TANNY
WAS WHEN GEORGE
WAS IN THE HOSPITAL.
"THE NURSE SAYS HE'S AWARE
OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
"HE DOES SPEAK,
HEAR, FEEL.
"SHE SAID, 'I'LL GIVE
THE PHONE TO HIM.'
"I HEARD HER SAY 'IT'S TANNY.'
"I SAID, 'HELLO.'
HE SAID, 'HELLO.'
"I SAID, 'I'M COMING TO SEE
YOU, ' AND HE SAID, 'GOOD.'
"THEN I SAID, 'BYE, I LOVE YOU"
AND HE SAID BACK, 'I LOVE YOU.'
"LAST TIME I WAS THERE
I TALKED A BIT,
"AND HE FELL ASLEEP
HOLDING MY HAND.
LOVE, TANNY."
- ALTHOUGH THEIR
MARRIAGE ENDED,
THIS ENORMOUS RESPECT
GILDED WITH LOVE
THAT SHE HAD FOR
GEORGE BALANCHINE
WAS NEVER DIMINISHED.
BEYOND HUSBAND, BALLET MASTER,
CHOREOGRAPHER,
HE WAS THE KIND OF LEADER
OF HER THINKING
AND OF HER HEART
AND HER WHOLE LIFE.
- FOR YEARS,
ME ALONG WITH MANY PEOPLE
WOULD DREAM ABOUT HER,
AND SHE WAS ALWAYS WALKING.
ALWAYS.
- THE DOCTORS TOLD
MR. BALANCHINE
THAT TANNY PROBABLY WOULD NOT
LIVE TO 40, OR BEYOND 40,
AND OF COURSE, SHE LIVED
TO BE ALMOST 80.
THAT IS THE ATHLETIC
TRAINING OF A DANCER,
THIS PHENOMENAL WILL
AND A LITTLE BIT OF ORNERINESS.
THE SAME THING THAT
HAD HER STANDING
WITH HER ARMS CROSSED AT 14
TELLING BALANCHINE THAT
SHE'D BEEN KICKED OUT OF CLASS.
SHE HAD A GIFT
FOR LIVING IN THE MOMENT.
WHERE THAT GIFT CAME FROM...
HER PARENTS,
GEORGE BALANCHINE, GOD,
THE LIFE IN THE DRESSING ROOM,
THE LIFE IN A BALLET SCHOOL.
THEY LIVE IN THE MOMENT.
THEY KNOW FROM THE BEGINNING
IT'S NOT GONNA LAST FOREVER,
NOT GONNA LAST VERY LONG.
- IT'S A VERY FUNNY THING
BECAUSE YOU START OUT YOUNG,
AND BY THE TIME YOU'VE GOTTEN
YOUR TECHNIQUE,
YOU'RE GOING DOWNHILL ALREADY.
ARABESQUE ISN'T AS HIGH,
KNEES ARE BENDING.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
30-SOMETHING.
YOU DON'T LOOK THE WAY YOU DID
WHEN YOU WERE 24, 25.
YOU REALLY DON'T.
SOME PEOPLE LAST LONGER.
SOME LAST LESS, NATURALLY.
BUT IT'S ONE
OF THOSE AWFUL THINGS
THAT BY THE TIME YOU CAN SAY,
"OH, OH, I'VE ARRIVED,"
YOU'RE STARTING TO DIMINISH.
- I THINK SHE...
SHE CAME TO TERMS WITH IT.
LIKE, AS ALL DANCERS DO.
"I'M NOT A DANCER ANYMORE.
WHO AM I?
"I'M NOT A DANCER.
WHO AM I?"
- WHEN SHE BEGAN
TO GET SICK AGAIN
TOWARDS THE END OF HER LIFE,
JERRY ROBBINS MADE AN ATTEMPT
TO EXPRESS HIS FRIENDSHIP
AND LOVE FOR HER,
AND SHE WAS GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
- "I HAD A DREAM ABOUT TANNY.
"I LOOKED AT HER.
"HER REGARD WAS ALL ACCEPTANCE,
FORGIVENESS.
"I SAID, 'TANNY, '
"WALKED OVER TO HER,
PUT MY ARM AROUND HER,
"AND KISSED HER ON THE LIPS.
"SHE WAS YOUNG AND OLD,
SLIM, SAD,
"CLEAR-EYED,
AND, OH, SO TOUCHING.
"I LOOKED AT HER AGAIN,
"BECAME CONSCIOUS OF OTHER
FIGURES STANDING AROUND.
"I KISSED HER FERVENTLY AGAIN.
IT WAS HOME."