Great Ballerinas #3

[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

[Guest Sean]

Barb,

I would have to agree...the Modrono twins are rockin' in Pittsburgh. Although I loved to watch them in Miami, they certainly have exploded in the full length ballets with PBT.

[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?

[Guest Juliet Shore]

I am *so* delighted to hear that she is finally dancing. I have always liked her and am glad to hear that you enjoyed the visuals as well as her dramatic portrayal, Manhattnik! Now if we can avoid all mention of her body type I will be happy. Think she will be especially nice in the Balanchine and I look forward to seeing performances this weekend.

Juliet

[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!

[Guest Barb]

Pittsburgh's full lengths this season were Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Alice in Wonderland (Stevenson), and Nutcracker (Balachine),and other full lengths include Dracula (Stevenson), Don Q, Jewels, etc. I have also seen the Modrono twins here in various shorter Balachine pieces, as well others' work. I would agree, Sean, that in Miami City Ballet they were great, but in my opinion they seem to sparkle here, partly, I think because of the amazing artistic support staff that AD Terry Orr has been pulling around himself. For me personally, it is exciting to watch this company right now (and now being the last two years), because they just seem to get better and better every time I see them.

As to the twins, they are always wonderful to watch, and I have even been able to see them dancing together several times, which is a treat. But there have been very few times that I have been moved enough by the story of a ballet (and one I know well) to get so caught up I forget to look at technique, straight lines, sloppy feet, poorly called cues, friends onstage, etc., and have my heart broken by the tale. That happened for me, this season, when Maribel Modrono took to the stage as Juliet. I would have loved to see what Mabel would do with the role, but frankly, having earlier watched one of the other PBT principals do the role, also beautifully, (I saw it twice) I could not stand the idea of having to sit through the sad story again... I don't care how beautifully danced. I couldn't even applaud at the end. I was too spent.

Now that's a good show.

[This message has been edited by Barb (edited July 07, 1999).]

[This message has been edited by Barb (edited July 07, 1999).]

[Guest Juliet Shore]

And what a great post. Thank you.

Juliet

[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.