11 replies to this topic

[dido]

I saw this about ten years ago, a documentary about the Kirov (I think) school, has anybody seen it around lately? My memory is a little fuzzy, in facct the only thing I really firmly remember is when they went on holiday and this little coltish girl doing jetes on the beach.

[rg]

some info. for the film in question follows here:
Children of Theatre Street  / an Earle Mack film ; produced by Earle Mack ; directed by Robert Dornhelm ; associate producer, Jean Dalrymple ; artistic director, Oleg Briansky.
W. Long Branch, N.J. : Kultur, c1977.
(93 min.) : sd., col. Narrated by Princess Grace of Monaco.
Featuring: Angelina Armeiskaya, Alec Timoushin, Lena Voronzova, Michaela Cerna, Galina Mezenzewa, and Konstantin Saklinsky.
Director of photography, Karl Kofler ; editor, Tina Frese ; narration written by Beth Gutcheon.
Ballet performances filmed and recorded live at the Kirov, Bolshoi, and Maly Theatres, U.S.S.R.
Documentary film on the lives of students at the Vaganova Choreographic Institute, Leningrad.
this cassette was on the market not all that long ago but a preliminary search this eve. comes up empty.
it might still be available for rental.
or rental copies might be for sale at video stores or on auction sites.
if memory serves angelina armieskaya (the lithe pupil on the publicity, posters, etc. for the film) showed up w/ some ballet group here or abroad, but just where escapes me at the moment.

[koshka]

If you have a decent public library, check there--my public library (Arlington, VA) has it... There was a book too.

[dido]

Thanks a ton, especially for the library thought. I'm pretty sure that's where the copy I saw came from.

[Funny Face]

My ballet instructor showed it to our class in the last two years -- she got it from our dance department library.  If you come up short at the local library, try a nearby college with a dance department.

[nlkflint]

This video shows up on Ebay frequently.

[vrsfanatic]

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if memory serves angelina armieskaya (the lithe pupil on the publicity, posters, etc. for the film) showed up w/ some ballet group here or abroad, but just where escapes me at the moment.

I am pretty sure she ended up a member of Colorado Ballet. I believe she worked there a few years in the 1990's and is teaching somewhere in the US now. I cannot remember where though.

The video does give students, parents, teachers and balletomanes a bit of what it is like to study and dance in St. Petersburg. A must see on the list for the blossoming student/driver of student and new teacher! I must say it is odd how different ballet looks even from the 1970's to now in Russia, well probably even the world.

[CM]

About 3 months ago I bought this video from CD/Video Universe.  Their website suggests that they still have a couple of copies in stock.

I loved the film and I'd be interested to know about the careers of other dancers in the film, particularly Lena and her friend Michelle?

[Ari]

Elena Voronzhova joined the Kirov (as it says in the film) and was in the corps for a number of years.  I saw her dance in 1989 when the Kirov visited New York;  she was in the Precious Jewels quartet in Sleeping Beauty.  The next time the Kirov came to New York (1991 or 1992), she wasn't listed, but that doesn't necessarily mean she'd left the company -- they never take all their dancers on tour.  I don't know what became of her subsequently.

[nlkflint]

I believe that Elena Vorontsova danced in the corps until at least 1998, and currently teaches at Kirov/Marinsky.

[Joseph]

I just bought this video online about 2 months ago. It was available at
www.kultur.com. It is in VHS format, but after reading all these articles on Kultur transfering everything to DVD, it may be on dvd eventually.

When I was in St. Pete in June 2002, Elena Vorontsova was teaching the third year class at The Vaganova Academy.

[Marga]

Children of Theatre Street is just about always available on ebay and usually at a starting bid of $15.00.

Angelina Armeiskeya, besides having danced for Colorado Ballet, teaches at the Universal (formerly Kirov) Ballet Academy in Washington. She also taught at least one summer at the Bossov school in Maine. Here's a link to her bio and pic:

http://www.kirovacad...stic_index.html

Let me relate an interesting note pertaining to one scene in the film. My daughter's ballet teacher graduated from the Vaganova Institute. She said that boys NEVER went into the girls rooms, so that pillow fight never would have occurred in real life at the school!