10 replies to this topic

[Alexandra]

Please continue the discussion of Who Are the Great Ballerinas of Our Day here.  (The last thread was so long it took forever to load.)

Thanks.

alexandra

[Alexandra]

Sean and Barb, what full-length ballets does Pittsburgh perform, and what have you especially liked the Twins in?  Pittsburgh Ballet doesn't get much coverage (as you've probably noticed) and so there may be people who don't know much about the company.

Alexandra

[Manhattnik]

Great Ballerinas? Right now, all I can think about is Uliana Lopatkina and her sensational performance as Zarema in The Fountain of Bakhchisaray.

I think I can say that I've now seen the ultimate harem-pant, bare-torso, bikini-topped dance, and dancer, I should ever wish to see. I'll never be able to enjoy ABT's Le Corsaire in quite the same way again.

At the intermission after the second act, my favorite ballet teacher commented to me about Lopatkina's beautiful feet. I resisted the urge to reply with, "She had feet?" My friend also observed the man next to her appeared to be breathing thorugh his binoculars for all of Lopatkina's solos.

Now, if only the Kirov would sell a big poster of Lopatkina as Zarema.

Seriously, she's not only stunningly beautiful, but a powerful and dramatic dancer and actress. I'm glad I'll be seeing her again.

[Natalia]

FINALLY Lopatkina has arrived! I'm looking forward to my overdose of this fine dancer in the two Balanchine programs, as well as her Zarema at the Saturday matinee. Where will you be sitting, Manhattnik?

Re. Lopatkina:  Am I the only Kirovian-Balletomane who finds it interesting that the best of the current Lilac Fairies in the 1952 Soviet production of BEAUTY does not dance the role in the 1890 revival...allegiance to her mentor, Dudinskaya, perhaps??? Mark, do you know?

[Manhattnik]

Jeannie, I sit wherever there's an empty seat and I can hide from the ushers. I will, however, be standing up in the Dress Circle.

I'm a little surprised they're giving Visneva the third movement of Symphony in C (unless I've read the casting wrong) on the same night she's also doing Tchaikovsky. I think she'd be a killer in the second movement (if she gets it, that is). Of course, I'm clearly often bemused by Kirov casting.

[Natalia]

Manhattnik - C/3rd mvmt. is Vishneva's tour-de-force...'ya ain't seen nothin' yet! She won the Benois de la Danse prize a couple of years ago for precisely this role. Until recently, DV specialized in sunny, allegro roles & C-3 was typical of what she was being given to perform at the Kirov. It's only very recently that she has come into her own in the more lyrical rep.  When I saw C in Russia, the first-cast consisted basically of what we will see Thursday night - Nioradze 1st, Lopatkina  2nd mvmt (fantastic!) and DV in 3rd.

Juliet - re. Lopatkina's body-type...if what you mean is that we refrain from the typical American "Yuk...oooh...another anorexic Russian dancer.." then I agree wholeheartedly with you. Nothing wrong with Lopatkina's lines!

[colwill]

Thank you Marc for your Dancer of the Week. I only saw Elizabeth Platel dance once at the POB when she danced Nikiya in Bayadere. I was totally enchanted with her performance and would include her in my list of Great ballerinas.