Born To Be Wild The Leading Men Of American Ballet Theatre Deals on Ethan Stiefel

Born to Be Wild - The Leading Men of American Ballet Theatre

Category: (DVD)

21 new, starting at $10.84

3 used, starting at $10.00

Editorial Reviews

This DANCE IN AMERICA performance/documentary explores the lives of the ABT's four lead male dancers: Cuba's Jose Manual Carreno, Spain's Angel Corella, Ukraine's Vladimir Malakhov, and the U.S.'s Ethan Stiefel. Concludes with the four dancers performing.

Customer Reviews

Terrific new dancers

Reviewed by Gloria Hutson, 2009-11-07

This DVD has definitely exceeded my expectations. I have been so disappointed that there are few ballets on DVD that have been produced within the last 5 years. I bought this DVD because I wanted to see what the ABT has produced since the year 2000 in the form of dancers.

These 4 men are fantastic. I know for sure one of them was trained by Mikhail Baryshnikov...I think Ethan Steifel. All 4 men are absolutely terrific dancers not to mention heart throbs with Jose actually taking your breath away with his dancing and masculinity.

This DVD is a documentary NOT a ballet although it has a short dance routine at the end of the DVD showing the 4 men together.
I"m sure it was made to introduce to us the 4 new male dancers
with ABT It helped me to determine if they are dancers I really want to spend my money on and the short clips showing their dancing ability in the ballets they were in proved to me that it definitely wouldn't be wasted money. I've already bought "Le Corsaire" with 3 of them performing (just arrived in the mail yesterday) and Center Stage with Ethan Steifel which is a movie about ballet dancers not a ballet. Very great performance by Ethan.

I know I would not have bought Center Stage before I saw what Ethan could do. I doubt very much if I could go wrong with buying anything that these 4 men are in as "Born to be Wild" shows us how incredibly talented they are.

The documentary is acutally out of date already as it was made in 2002 ...7 years ago. I think one of them has left ABT. However, unlike the lady that said she won't watch it again, I know I will watch it many times just so I can see these amazing dancers both off stage and on stage. There really does need to be more current ballets available for purchase.

Gloria Hutson

Inspiring!!!

Reviewed by P. Livingston, 2009-03-23

I have loaned this DVD to friends to share this powerful film and it has touched everyone. One friend was so excited she will be purchasing a copy for herself. If you have any interest in dance, in whatever style, this is a 'must see'.

Lock up your dancing daughters

Reviewed by TheBanshee, 2009-01-06

These men are just splendid, and what dancers! The physical training has come so far. I know Corella is the current hearthrob of ABT, and though he's a great dancer, and very handsome in a young-man, open-faced way, the standout for me by far was Carreno, who is a very strong and masculine Cuban-born dancer with a stage presence that can't be denied, even though he never resorts to be mugging to the audience for approval. He's an incredibly powerful dancer, and my oh my, he's built like a god. He reminds me in his bearing of the great, if underappreciated, Fernando Bujones.

The last time I saw a live performance by this company, Kevin McKenzie was still dancing (he was good, too! Don't listen to what he says!). So I have been out of it. ABT has definitely BROUGHT it in the last few years.
I'm really happy to see anything that is good for ballet. And this is definitely more than good.

Valodia, the catlike dancer from the Ukraine, tells the sad story of his lonely childhood at ballet school alone in Russia, and of his mother, who did without to pay for his room and board (as a dancer from the Ukraine, he was apparently considered a second-class citizen by the Bolshoi School administration, and he didn't get the same perks Russian dancers got for free).

After being denied a place in the Bolshoi Ballet upon graduation, he went out on his own and won two big competitions. At that point the Bolshoi vouchsafed to make him an offer, whereupon Valodia told them that it was too late (which must have been sweet). The Bolshoi's loss is our gain. I've never seen any male dancer with the flexibility and a three-dimensional way of moving that this dancer has.

There are a lot of non-dance moments, but there is enough dance to make this definitely worth seeing.

IF YOU'VE GOT A SON WHO DANCES - OR WOULD LIKE TO...

Reviewed by ArtsFan, 2008-08-10

My son was a dance student who ultimately gave it up, largely I think because of the constant ragging he got from his peers in middle school. It's difficult for a young guy to stand up to that kind of pressure; having to change in the men's room at the studio because he's the only boy and there's no men's dressing room, etc - so ANYTHING we can give our dancing guys to help them feel good about themselves is a plus. This video provides really tremendous moral support for young men interested in the arts. Several reviews mentioned the "normalcy" that the video seems aimed at portraying. I think honestly that that is its best feature; to normalize the idea of men dancing, to remove the stigma, and to make the idea accessible. It's certainly not a dance video in the strictest sense, but rather an educational tool. If I ran a dance studio and was trying to recruit young men, this would be something I'd show at elementary and middle schools, to prospective students. It's a friendly inside view of a world that most young men have no contact with, that makes it case for dancing as a "manly" art on the astonishing athleticism of the dancers. Very educational, in many senses. I recommend it highly.

Pleasing overview of four great male performers

Reviewed by James M. Shertzer, 2007-11-14

Originally made in 2004 for PBS' "Dance In America" series, this 58-minute documentary intertwines the personal stories of American Ballet Theater's reigning danseurs with the creation of a Mark Morris ballet showcasing their abundant talents. Although they come from very different backgrounds (from the Ukraine, Cuba, Spain and the US) and training, their stories are a testament to their passion for dance and debt to Baryshinov. The personal stories go to lengths to establish them as "regular" guys (Ethan Stiefel seems 'married' to his Harley Davidson) but the film include great footage of these dancers early years and triumphs and interesting comments from the teachers and parents whose sacrifices paved their way for their sons' successes. The brief Morris ballet (to Schumann) is an apt and joyful conclusion.