Remembering John Curry.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 10:24am

It is a rare person that can transcend the barriers of their chosen field, and take things to a completely new level. John was a wonderful skater, who brought the soul of an artist to his sport - even reaching Broadway! He was taken from us too soon, as many were during the darker period of the Eighties, but his influence and his legacy of beauty live on in our hearts and memories.

Happy Birthday to you, Sir, on what should have been yet another milestone in your incredible life.

[Garland Grrrl]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 10:25am

he was sublime!

[Glebb]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 10:27am

What a beautiful picture! Thanks DG.
I've been working with Sir Anthony Dowell all week and will ask him about John Curry today.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 10:29am

Isn't that picture gorgeous?!?!? It truly took my breath away! I'm going to really try and find a copy of it somewhere - I could have that around to look at a LOT

[lildogs]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 2:35pm

Hmm..not familiar with him...gorgeous...any websites devoted to him?

[Unknown User]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 2:45pm

No dedicated sites that I know of, but here's a nice overall biographical sketch - and another pic

And yes, he was beautiful - inside and out.
Short bio.

[mominator]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 3:00pm

Thanks D! He was always a favorite here.

[Auggie27]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 3:01pm

Did I see him in the revival of BRIGADOON, or has my memory failed me? He was excellent.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 3:12pm

Auggie - you may very well have - he did that role with the sabre dance, I believe (that is SEARED in my memory from when Edward Vilella did it - OY!)

[Jon]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 4:22pm

I saw him in Roundabout's PRIVATES ON PARADE - and they certainly were - full frontal! For that matter, so was Donna Murphy, along with the ever popular bare butt of Greg Jbara.

[Glebb]

Posted: 9/9/05 at 9:27pm

And?????


I got Sir Anthony to talk about John Curry today.
He loved the man and even designed costumes for him.
Sir Anthony said that John really wanted to bring skating and ballet together on a higher level then had been done to date. One can see that his line was totally balletic.
Sir Anthony said that JC asked Sir Fred (Ashton) to choreograph for the ice but Sir Fred "could not get past those boots at the end of the leg", so John Curry worked on trying to make a boot strong enough to support but flexible enough to point the foot as a dancer does.

[cturtle]

Posted: 9/10/05 at 12:40am

what a wonderful thread, DG! it makes me so sad to think of JOHN, because he was the very best.



i've been a skating fan since '72. when i saw JOHN skate at the innsbruck olympics in '76 on tv, it was the most amazing skating i'd ever seen (or have ever seen since). truly dance on ice ... those edges, those steps, those arm movements ... my god, he could (and did) spin in BOTH directions. flawless ... perfection.

alas, i never got to see him in person in his passion, his THEATRE OF SKATING. thankfully some of his works were featured on PBS. my favorite of his dances was AFTERNOON OF A FAUN. and when he and JANET LYNN skated together with that ribbon in THE SNOW QUEEN ... pure joy and beauty.

yes, JOHN admitted that a figure skater could not completely flex the foot because of the boot. but, on the other hand, he pointed out that a skater could SPIN practically a limitless number of times.

i miss him every day.

in SCENES FROM CHILDHOOD ...


in AFTERNOON OF A FAUN ...



on the stage with SIR ANTHONY ...


in THE SNOW QUEEN with JANET LYNN ...

[Glebb]

Posted: 9/10/05 at 8:10am

Thank you cturtle.