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Bolshoi-when did the aesthetics change?


silvy

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I felt prompted to post this after watching many tapes of Bolshoi, in different eras.

In "World's Young Ballet"(1969) the couple that danced the "Diana & Acteon" pdd (Yuri Vladimirof was the boy) is maybe too "showy" to my taste, lacking in refinement. They also do not seem to concentrate too much on the precision, neat preparations and finishes. It is rather too "bolshoi" (meaning "big") to me, and little else.

Both Raymondas on tape (which were shot later) show a little improvement from the above - some women look really streamlined indeed, though not all.

And then, the Bayadere tape (starring Gracheva), is a totally different story: the company looks refined, neat, precise. All the women are beautiful, all have long legs, etc.

I wonder who effected those changes - and by changes I mean:

- the change in physiques (now all seem to be long-legged, tall, very thin)

- the changes in the neatness of the dancing

and another question:

whoever it was that did this, I imagine he/she must have encountered opposition from the artists? If so, is anyone able to extend a little bit over this?

thanks a lot

Silvy

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silvy, I dont think it was a certain person who said "We will fire all the "showy" dancers and will hire new, long-legged and neat". Time goes on, so the change take many years, it goes on by degree. World cannot be always the same, and ballet also cannot be the same. Since 1964 till 1995 Bolshoi Ballet have the same director, Yury Grigorovich, promotions chiefly depended from him. And since later 80ies Bolshoi seems to have problems with dancers of heroic style, leading man was rather a classical princes.

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