Apologies if this has been posted--I only recently discovered it. The original Agnes DeMille ballet (with original cast members but, sadly, just piano accompaniment) Absolutely amazing.
Wow, what an amazing document! I had no idea the original concept concentrated so much on the Snow children! Sort of a lame ending to the ballet, if this tape is a correct record.
I wonder if David Fincher's team had access to this footage when they were planning their sequence of scenes in BENJAMIN BUTTON that revolve around Cate Blanchett's character dancing the Bambi Linn role. (They do a beautiful job recreating the production, as I recall.)
It is amazing! I will assume that it's not complete--the ending and the extent of the pas de deux don't really jive with the DeMille notes I've read, although all the rest does.
I think your post is the first thing I've read that has made me want to re-watch Benjamin Button!
really great to see this amazing record of DeMille, Eric, thanks...such moving and heartfelt, and ..enthusiastic dancing! I've always thought that Bambi Linn was such a superb dancer, yet outside of ballet circles, kind of overlooked. I'm sure this film is in the "museums". Good job!
To be fair, De Mille did not choreograph the film version. The film's Ballet was derived from her original and credited as such, but is not an exacting recreation by any stretch.