Natalia

Coach? I just wanna know who's her orthodontist.

Thanks so much, Tatsu. Wow - China is raking in medals, left & right, in competitions! Meng is from Beijing but, my goodness, what an honor for the NEWEST ballet school in China -- Liaoning -- to produce the men's gold medalist, Jiao Yang. Those of you who read my Shanghai IBC reports will recall how I was floored by the depth of talent from Liaoning province...especially the men. CONGRATULATIONS to all medalists. Budapest has been cancelled so, I suppose, the next big IBC-style championship will be in Jackson, this June...then Varna in July. Hopefully we will see some Chinese dancers at Jackson this year, unlike 1998. The Chinese seem to flock to Varna but, for some odd reason, haven't competed much in the USA...except for the fellow in 1982 who defected to Houston Ballet.

I just returned from the 5th & final performance of the Kirov's 'Beauty' in DC. Did anyone else see this? It was Irma Nioradze/Danila Korsuntsev in the leads this time, with Part as Lilac Fairy....and a delightful surprise as Diamond Fairy. Well, let's wait for other comments...but I'll jump the gun by writing that - at long last! - the Kirov presented a Prince Desire of truly princely demeanor in Korsuntsev. Vive la difference!!!!!! Here's a TALL & ELEGANT guy who can wear that red coat with panache. No trouble spotting him at his entrance. Yeah, he dances, too. [ February 17, 2002: Message edited by: Jeannie ]

It was Zhanna Ayupova/Andrian Fadeev last night. Did anyone go? I'll reserve comments 'til later.

Korsakov was certainly more princely than Kolb...then, again, he did not really command the stage. His ActIII solo was beautifully danced, though & he has a very handsome face. Now, as for Sologub...well, the least said the better. I sometimes wonder what possesses Kirov casting directors to go a certain route. On a VERY positive note, we had a wonderful new Bluebirdpdd pair in the form of Irina Zhelonkina -- the most purely classical & gentle of the Florines thus far -- and tall & lanky Denis Firsov. Another delightfully 'pure'dancer, Elvira Tarassova, was Fairy Diamond. [Not ONE Fairy Diamond on this tour was the dancer on the programme! Is the Kirov purposely playing tricks on the critics???? Is this a game of some sort?]

I really cannot get into Svetlana Zakharova's Aurora. Zero warmth & radiance. Opposite of the cuddly-adorable Vishneva or Fonteyn. We were treated once again, on Friday, to Groucho...er....Kolb as Prince Desire. Washington is luckier than London, where the Red Riding Hood & Tom Thumb-and-Friends were routinely omitted. I was *sure* they'd do the same here due to unions, etc., but, no, we were pleasantly surprised with as complete a Beauty as is possible on a tour. Only the Panorama was omitted. Folks - the mine passage with the Princes before the Rose Adagio has been excised in St Petes, too. Vikharev has stated that this is a 'work in progress' with constant 'peeling away' of layers...going further back in time, with the aim of arriving at 1890 one day. The 1999 production seen at the Met was approximately 1909/10. Notes discovered since have caused certain passages of mime to be further revised'back in time." I guess that Vikharev discovered that the little mime with the princes before the Rose Adagio did not exist in 1890. Quite a bit was added in 1914 &, later, in 1920s revisions by Lopukhov in Russia & N. Sergeyev/Diaghilev troupe.

I vote for that maverick, Fairy Violente, who has the audacity to be more 'Canari-ish' than Fairy Canari. Violente wears a canary-yellow tutu with black polka dots & a black appliqued salamander-lizard above her left breast. Dancer Irina Zhelonkina wears it quite well. With this tutu, I would get the added bonus of two male attendants wearing canary-yellow unitards with black fringe around their hips.

Way past midnight & my carriage just turned into a pumpkin. No - just a bit tired to write impressions but wish to point out the following *unannounced* cast changes in tonight's performance, of which I was certain from my vantage point: Bluebird - Vasily Scherbakov (replacing announced Andrian Fadeev)...dancing opposite the scheduled Florine, Sofia Gumerova Diamond Fairy - Natalia Sologub (replacing announced Elvira Tarassova...who replaced Irina Golub on opening night) Cinderella - NOT the announced Polina Rassadina, whose face is quite distinctive; does anyone know who replaced Rassadina tonight? Prince Desire - Igor Kolb, who was indeed in the printed programme; however, preliminary cast lists from a month ago cited Danila Korsuntsev in the role & a lot of folks were expecting Korsuntev; it was Kolb (just as in opening night) More later - three more 'Beauties' to go this weekend. I'll post my impressions of Zakharova et. al. later. Gotta watch my Olympics cassette now...see how the ice dancing is going. Crazy week!

Juliet - I remember the handsome Zelensky as Desire. He was something else, wasn't he?! Wasn't his wig a big shorter & straighter than the one worn by the other Desires, though? Zelensky did not wear the extra-long/super-curly "Cowardly Lion" type of wig that is worn by Andrian Fadeev, Igor Kolb, et al. Kirov principals tend to play around with & alter their costume accessories. They even tweak the actual costumes at times, e.g., Zhanna Ayupova's Rose Adagio tutu, in London 2000, sported a corsage of plastic-looking rosebuds pinned to one shoulder strap. Lordie, I felt like running on stage with a pair of scissors to clip them off!

Maybe it's time to revive that old professional competition "SKATE WARS - North America vs The World"! I can see a nice lucrative meet for the autumn's TV sweeps week - Berezhnaia/Sikharulidze vs Sale/Pelletier as The Main Event. NBC can charge $1,000,000 per 30-second advertisement spot. "War & Peace on Ice: The Docudrama" will also be produced, undoubtedly.

And this from CNN: CNN) -- The International Olympic Committee reversed a judges' panel decision Friday afternoon and awarded a gold medal to the Canadian figure-skating pair who initially won the silver in a hotly contested performance ruling Monday night. The Russian skaters who had won the gold in that free-style pairs competition will still keep their gold medal. The International Skating Union suspended French f igure skating judge, Marie-Reine Le Gougne, saying the body had evidence of misconduct, said Ottavio Cinquanta, president of the ISU, at a news conference Friday. The decision comes less than 24 hours after Canadian Olympic officials asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport to award the gold medal to Canada's team.

If it's Vilar, it is the Kirov. Although, I suppose, that by funding improvements to the Royal Opera House & Kennedy Center buildings, Vilar is indirectly benifitting all troupes that play those houses, too. Who are the 'company angels' of NYCB & POB, at present? Do those two companies have their own Vilars...or just large groups of 'Baby Vilars'?

I'm happy that you managed to get a ticket for last night, Ari! But - boy - did we see Pavlenko's performance differently. LOL! What I saw as too warm/not cool enough (Alexandra's feeling, too, I think), you saw as too cold. I just find it fascinating how different dancers affect people differently. This is fun, don't you agree?

My oh my, Alexandra -- first Condi Rice, now Bo Derek! Quick notes on the 2nd & final 'Jewels': OVERALL - A far better evening in the first two ballets; less so in 'Diamonds' because of Pavlenko's Latin-Spitfire style compared to the usual Ice-Princess rendering of the role. EMERALDS - Surprise! Korsakov got to reprise his role in the Pas de Trois, dancing for the originally-scheduled Vasily Scherbakov. No printed or voice announcement of the change, as usual. Korsakov was even more impressive last night. [Thanks for the info on his injury, Kevin. I did not know this.] Ayupova was softer & more natural - less of a 'plastered smile' compared to Wednesday. Even her partner, Baranov, was more expressive. RUBIES - 1,000-times better, due to the sassy spirit & fantabulous (!!!) technique of the new leads, Diana Vishneva & Vyacheslav Samodurov. Look, ma - no plastic smiles! What's more, Samodurov did not wear the clownlike make-up that marred Fadeev's performance the night before. As the new 'tall girl' soloist, Sofia Gumerova was less effective than Dumchenko was the night before; Gumerova was less sexy-mysterious, more the smiley hoofer with energy to spare. Gumerova's technique is admirable, though. I agree with Alexandra - there was Testosterone-Plus up on that stage, among the soloist guys! Special for Valentine's Day, perhaps???? DIAMONDS - Daria Pavlenko is a beautiful dancer, in a sultry Stephanie Saland manner...but that's not what is called for in this role of the ultimate Ice Princess. Daria was so hot, in fact, that she managed to light a fuse in her cavalier, Korsuntsev, who seemed to come to life & be more-at-ease last night, compared to Wednesday.

THANKS for posting this, Tatsu! Priscilla Yokoi of Brazil has been on the competition scene, winning medals, for 3-4 years now. I am sure that she will do well in the end. The Bolshoi girl, Semionova, is also familiar to me as a very promising dancer. AND I see several familiar names from the Shanghai competition among the Chinese, especially the two 'Liaoning couples'! Also, the Varna 2000 medalist, Colau of POB/France, is here. Just like family! I can't wait to read the final results on the 16th. If you get a chance to do so, could you please post the prizewinners, Tatsu?

Thanks for beginning this topic, Colleen, as I was very tired to post after last night's Kirov performance at kennCen + watching my videotape of Olympics men's finals until 1 am in the morn. I agree - what a splendid finale to the men's competition. Yagudin was the undisputed winner; yes, all 9 judges agreed as to who won the long program (and the overall gold medal)! ha-ha! TV commentator Scott Hamilton ate crow when Yagudin's marks flashed as unanimously in 1st place for the LP. Remember, Scott was relegating Yagudin to 2nd place in the LP about one minute into the program. Goes to show us that we don't have to take TV commentators' predictions as absolute-truth, eh? There was more cheering in 'Russia House' last night! Love it!!!

When in Russia, I hear my Russian friends talk about the 'Kirovskyi Balyet'. I suppose that it takes a while for the new names to stick, especially with the older folk. At least they no longer call the city 'Leningrad'!

I see, Alexandra. it certainly was worded (reworded by editor?) to imply that AA was "it"...the one-and-only, etc. The sad part -- and this is a more important fact than pointing out errors -- is that AA was given only 3rd cast...and a freakin' matinee, at that! Zakharova & Vishneva were given the first two evenings; Nioradze was given the final night. And here was the 'prima' ballerina (AA) relegated to the one matinee. Go figure...

Small but, I think, important correction to Sarah Kaufman's review in today's Washington Post: Altynai Assylmoratova did not dance Aurora in the US premiere of this production (during the 1999 Met season). That honor went to Svetlana Zakharova. Assylmuratova danced the 3rd cast - a Wednesday matinee. [Yes - bizarre but true.]

Jeannie's note to writer of this post, Catlady: Thanks for your impressions/opinion! I'm moving your post to this thread, as it is the more appropriate subject (Winter Olympics vs Nagoya competition). I bet that you intended it to be here! ************** Just wanted to add my two cents to the whole "controversy" surrounding the pairs. I watched the entire competition and was absolutely floored by the Canadians. I thought the program was splendid, very well crafted, had theme and content that carried through and developed and was performed both technically and artistically in a magnificent fashion. I was left unmoved by the russians. I have never been a big fan of the "If I look pained I am really being artistic" style of performing and I thought their program was lacking completely in any sort of theme or content. Swirling around the ice and looking longingly at each other to swelling over-orchestrated music in a program filled with not much more than arm waving and some lifts does not constitute a fulfilling artistic acheievement to me. I thought their short program was better but it too left me cold. I stood up and cheered after the Canadians because they involved me and I had never seen such an inspired, flawless program in competition before. The russians were nowhere near as clean or passionate and there is no doubt in my mind who really won. I personally felt the the Canadian couple were quite diplomatic in the aftermath and it appeared to me that they were both aware that any criticism on their part against the judges would be held against them in future. It isn't their fault the media has jumped on this and made them out to be the wronged ones. How would anyone else resond asked the same question over and over again? Do you feel you won? Of course they do! The whole competition is a joke, the judging of Ina and Zimmerman is a bigger scandal then the Canadians. They were fabulous and they still got placed far below the other russian pair who were dreadful. Time to find a new way to judge this sport.

After the magnificence of Tuesday's 'Sleeping Beauty'...AND after the phenomenal 'Jewels' that I recall seeing in London two years ago...Wednesday night's Jewels was a bit of a letdown, although the 2nd-tier audience seemed to really be into it...going particularly gah-gah for Svetlana Zakharova. Heck, they even broke into applause during her first develope, at the start of the pas de deux adagio. [LOTS of folks speaking Russian around me, by the way. I thought for a moment that I was at City Center, NY, for an Eifman tour!] EMERALDS - Just as she did in London, Zhanna Ayupova was charming in the lead ballerina role, capturing the Franco-Romantic spirit of the work perfectly, although the smile on her face looked a bit strained...not soft, as in the past. Viktor Baranov was her partner. I'm sorry to say that Veronika Part has lost all of her magic in her solo, as well as in a very flat 'Walking pas de deux' with a bland Denis Firsov. Part was merely going through the motions in what used to be a delectable waltz solo...how very sad. The true highlight of Emeralds, and the freshest-purest dancing, came in the brilliant pas de trois by three young soloists: cute Yana Selina, glamour-blonde Xenia Ostreikovskaya and, especially, the bouyant Anton Korsakov. This lad -- winner of last year's Helsinki IBC gold medal -- has really come into his own since his wet-behind-the-ears appearances at the Met three years ago. Bravo, Anton! I am now SOOOO looking forward to his Prince Desire, later in the run. RUBIES - Tsars & Tsarinas play-acting as Radio City Rockettes? That's the impression left by the ensemble in this ballet and, alas, the lead two soloists did not help matters at all!! At least in London, it was Vishneva & Samodurov in the leads (and who will dance it tonight). Instead, I had to close my eyes a few times last night to counter the blinding of the plastered grins on the faces of Irina Golub and Andrian Fadeev. I've admired Golub -- one of the very young 'rising stars' of the Kirov -- in the past. With her sultry dark looks (a suntan at the ballet!), pretty facial features, etc., I call her 'the Little Vishneva.' But, good Lord, that plastic smile doesn't do her one bit of good; it takes away from her dancing. But nothing was as ridiculous-looking as Fadeev going through the paces of trying to 'be cool' - a prince lost in the Bronx. And what about the make-up, my friends? We're talking jet-black eyebrows & racoon-eyeliner on a lily-white Viking!!!! I was way up in 2nd Tier & could see the lines of his make-up without the aid of binoculars. Sorry to be so harsh on a dancer who I admire in Petipa roles but it upset me this much! The saving grace to this grining-gallery was Maya Dumchenko as the 'tall girl' who not only danced like a gazelle but had the appropriate style of aloofness &, I think, never cracked a grin until her bows. Ironic, how Dumchenko was my 'weakest link' in London, yet she is now the ONLY strong link in this ballet! DIAMONDS - This is their ballet...and Svetlana Zakharova came very close to finally winning me over. The ear-high hyperextensions work OK here & her 'cold style' (direct opposite of Vishneva's natural warmth, IMO) works quite well. Musical. Every inch an Ice Queen. Zakharova came quite close to emulating my ideal in this role - Uliana Lopatkina who, alas, is not on this tour. Her cavalier, Danila Korsuntsev, served as a solid partner. Among the demi-solo women, Ostreikovskaya was once again a stand-out. [ February 14, 2002: Message edited by: Jeannie ]

Ari - You have me crying my mascara off with your 'Groucho Marx' comment! Good luck with a Jewels ticket tonight. Call the box office throughout the day, too, as folks turn-in an odd ticket here & there if friends cancel....subscribers can return tickets for tax deduction (if done before the show, of course). Call (202) 467-4600 for KennCen InstaCharge office. No waiting list - it's a 'luck-of-the-phone-call' thing. Alexandra et. al. - Regarding the conductor - it's Boris Gruzdin, one of the Mariinsky Theater's regular conductors since 1992/93. Yes, it's the Kennedy Center Opera House orchestra...and they had quite a few snafoos on Tuesday night but the various soloists just kept dancing & the orchestra caught up. I saw Valery Gergiev with Makhar Vasiyev & Olga Chenchikova, in the opening night. I could see when they left the backstage area & came out into the audience. Gergiev won't be conducting any of the ballet performances. He's conducting the gala on the 19th + all of the operas, save the 'Khovantschina' on the 21st. This guy is the Eveready Energizer Bunny of opera conducting. The thought of conducting a gala + 5 operas on consecutive nights in the same week, is incredible. And not just any little operas. 'Khovantschina' runs for 4.5 hours, employs massive chorus, includes the 'Persian Ballet'. This is Russian opera on a Wagnerian scale. [ February 14, 2002: Message edited by: Jeannie ]

Hi, Tatsu - Thanks for posting this but the link doesn't work for me. Could you please summarize a bit for us - who are the favorites in the classical division (even if just 3-5 names, in your opinion)? Also, are there any Americans in the next round? Thanks for any information that you may be able to provide!!

Just to point-out the absurd scale to which the Sale/Pelletier Silver Medal story has been taken...now there is speculation as to whether or not the Prime Minister of Canada will lodge a formal complain to President Vladimir Putin, during an upcoming State Visit to Russia. Give me a break! What would Putin do - yank the medals off B/S's necks & hand them to Canada? As if heads-of-state don't have more important things to discuss. source - The Moscow Times, Feb. 13, 2002 Canada's PM unlikely to bring up Olympics scandal - source Interfax . Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2002, 10:28 PM Moscow Time MOSCOW. Feb 13 (Interfax) - Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien is unlikely to raise, during a planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, a recent scandal involving Russian and Canadian figure skaters, a Canadian government source said on Wednesday. The source was speaking at a briefing in Moscow. The scandal broke out during a competition that was part of the current Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, when one vote on the jury tipped the balance of favor of a Russian figure skating couple, leaving the silver medal to a Canadian pair

Lilian et. al. - Oh, Canada! It is unfortunate that the examples that I and others cited as 'whiners' & 'whiner-interviewers' are Canadians. Just a coincidence & not meant to be a slap against a great nation. I'm rooting big-time for Elvis Stojko to continue his brilliant performance tomorrow night. I was so excited for him in last night's SP. And what did Elvis do when the ridiculously low marks came up? He shrugged his shoulders, smiled & looked at the audience of admirers as if to say, 'Folks, this doesn't matter. In the end, I'm a champion & it's YOUR marks that truly count!' Three cheers for a true non-whining champion, Elvis Stojko.