Watching Ted Kivitt

I was visiting my friend James today and he showed me a film clip of Ted Kivitt, reminding me of this dancer who I saw quite frequently when I was first going to the ballet. Kivitt danced the DON QUIXOTE pas de deux with Eleanor D'Antuono at my very first ABT performance and he danced the CORSAIRE pas de deux with Gelsey Kirkland at my second ABT performance. He was Franz to Gelsey's Swanhilda in a memorable COPPELIA, and he and Cynthia Gregory danced a grand GISELLE together.

There's a Black Swan pas de deux with Gregory and Kivitt on YouTube; very murky visually but you'll get the idea.

During those first couple of seasons of my ballet-going when TJ and I shuttled between ABT and NYCB, we thought Ted Kivitt and Peter Martins were just about the most exciting male dancers around.

Comments

[Susan]

I remember him well. He was never my favorite, but I always liked him & I saw him often partnering Cynthia Gregory, who I loved! I think he was her frequent partner early on, before Michel Denard and Fernando Bujones. After they came on the scene I think he was paired with D'Antuono most of the time, which is when I stopped seeing him :)

[Philip]

I didn't dislike D'Antuono though I knew a lot of people who avoided her performances. She came up to Hartford while I lived there and danced a brilliant SWAN LAKE and then soon after I saw her do it again at ABT with John Meehan and she was really 'on'...they got a huge reception.