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Legend of Love w/Lopatkina


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I will be travelling to St-Petersbourg to catch this performance (February 26). I believe that she performed in that ballet in the summer last year. Has anyboday seen that performance or read about it?

Mireille, unless I blinked & missed something, the only ballerinas who've recently danced the role of Mekhmene-Banu in this ballet are Daria Pavlenko (once last year, I think), Irma Nioradze and -- the dancer who has been cast most often in the role, in recent memory -- Sofia Gumerova.

I believe that Lopatkina last danced the role in the late 1990s. [Thalictum, Marc, Ballet Lovers - please feel free to chime in here. Has Lopatkina danced the complete role of Mekhmene-Banu since her long maternity-then-injury time off?]

For your sake, I truly hope that Lopatkina shows up. After December's Lilac Fairy 'fiasco' in which Lopatkina's name 'sold' the house, then a recently-graduated/unannounced dancer was substituted, I would not buy a ticket based solely on a dancer listed in the playbill. My sister-in-law was among the 'duped' in that December 2004 Lopatkina no-show... [The word 'duped' was purposely, carefully chosen here, as the cost of a ticket to the Mariinsky is a big, big deal for a Russian citizen on a simple government salary....even the 'cheap' tickets that are set aside for Russian citizens are not truly cheap, when one compares their cost to the cost of rent or food.]

I truly hope that it works out for you, though. Here's to 'good karma' for you! Hopefully, Lopatkina is rehearsing & regaining the technique for that role!

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Mireille, unless I blinked & missed something, the only ballerinas who've recently danced the role of Mekhmene-Banu in this ballet are Daria Pavlenko (once last year, I think), Irma Nioradze and -- the dancer who has been cast most often in the role, in recent memory -- Sofia Gumerova. 

I believe that Lopatkina last danced the role in the late 1990s. [Thalictum, Marc, Ballet Lovers - please feel free to chime in here. Has Lopatkina danced the complete role of Mekhmene-Banu since her long maternity-then-injury time off?]

I would say that's quite correct, Natalia. Lopatkina debuted in the role in 1998, but it doesn't seem she danced it last summer. Those performances were done by Gumerova and Pavlenko. I, too, hope for you she will dance on Febr. 26, Mireille, but if I were you I wouldn't pin my hopes too much on it.

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Yes, indeed, Thalictum, I remember your review of the Sleeping Beauty... How shocking it must have been for the public that evening, and I can only hope it will not happen this time as well. With your review and Legris' last minute replacement on January 31 (Giselle w/Vishneva), another performance I would have travelled to catch, I am already mentally prepared for this eventuality. I will be going mainly to see this beautiful ballet live and performed by the Kirov (they wouldn't cancel the whole ballet?), and if Lopatkina appears on stage, the better it will be!

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The Feb. 13, 2005 edition of the weekly magazine, Time Out - Petersburg, includes a preview-article on Lopatkina's Feb. 26 performance of Mekhmene Banu in Legend of Love. This would be her second performance of the role; the first occured seven years ago, as mentioned above. Interestingly, the article claims that Lopatkina gave as much time & care to learning the role of Mekhmene Banu, as she did to Odette/Odile and Nikiya, yet has not been able to dance it more than once.

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I very much hope that Lopatkina will dance, because I'll be there myself on the 26th!

The end of february in the Mariinsky looks very appealing: on the 27th Ruzimatov should dance Sheherazade! And a few days before that there will be an Eifman ballet

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"Ballet Lovers, I'm afraid that she's not a fiery Kitri type but...who knows? As for 'Beauty,' Lopatkina became the Lilac Fairy par excellence in the K. Sergeyev version before the new-old Vikharev reconstruction took over. I can't imagine a more perfect role for Lopatkina in 'Beauty' than Lilac: majestic, generous, all-knowing... As a naive 16-yr-old dainty Aurora? I don't think so but 'wild pigs can fly' on the Kirov stage, nowadays (alas)!!!

I'd love to see Lopatkina in Neumeier's Kameliandame or its Ashton counterpart, Marguerite & Armand. Or how about Lopatkina returning to dance Raymonda some day? Now THERE's her natural-born role...a 'clapping variation' as I've never seen before or since!"

Natalia

reply to this post:

We were not in time to post our reply on the thread of the "Lopatkina prize".It is closed now. So we post it here and maybe the assistent of this thread will move it there. Sorry.

You are really true Natalia! Lopatkina can't be fiery and temperament woman. We have seen this for exemple in her interpretations of " Paquita", where there is about the same "spanish character" of Kitri. In " Giselle" she was not enough touching and convincing especially on the first act. In "Sheherazade", not enough expressive and sensual like, for exemple, Makhalina, Vishneva or Gronskaia. But...who knows?

We think that sometimes the artists have to "challenge" their nature to prove their real talent.

Zhanna Ayupova for exemple has showed her talent dancing with success almost all the Mariinsky's repertory even if maybe many roles were not so near her character, her personality. The same was for Galina Mesenzeva, Valentina Ganibalova or Gabriella Komleva in the past and now with Svetlana Zakharova ,Diana Vishneva, Nadezhda Graciova etc., just to quote some russian female ballet stars.

Yulia Makhalina, on the contrary, has showed her wonderful qualities like" Odette-Odile", "Nikya" or " Makhmene Banu" but she was absolutly not "in role" in" Nutcracker","Sleeping Beauty" or "Giselle".

Lopatkina is nice, majestic and generous in quite all the roles she dance, the Balanchine's repertory included, but sometimes she seems really cold and quite indifferent to her partner. So is a ballerina can be a " prima assoluta" and a world star if she can't or she refuse to dance capital masterpieces like " Nutcracker","Sleeping Beauty", "Don Quixote" or "La Sylphide" ?

Is it a problem the fact that the today's generation ballerinas are too tall to dance everything and with everybody ?

In any case it could be really very interesting to see Lopatkina in " Kameliendame" or " Marguerite & Armand". But is she really able to be touching and dramatic or " to melt herself into tears" ? We have some doubt.

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Thanks for this, Ballet Lovers. You mention Diana Vishneva. Vishneva's Act II in Giselle is a great example of a true 'prima ballerina' who can succeed in an ethereal role, beyond her Kitri-esque nature.

One of the best current examples of a true ballerina who constantly surprises in different types of roles is the Bolshoi's Maria Alexandrova. I was so bowled over by her comedy in Ratmansky's Bright Stream, especially after seeing her in the classics & in modern sturm und drang like Eifman's Russian Hamlet or the Poklitaru Romeo & Juliet. Alexandrova is a dancer who defies categorization.

Natalia Nabatova

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One of the best current examples of a true ballerina who constantly surprises in different types of roles is the Bolshoi's Maria Alexandrova. I was so bowled over by her comedy in Ratmansky's Bright Stream, especially after seeing her in the classics & in modern sturm und drang like Eifman's Russian Hamlet or the Poklitaru Romeo & Juliet. Alexandrova is a dancer who defies categorization.

We have seen the last time Maria Alexandrova on a very exciting Gala-programme in St.Petersburg we have reported on the "Recent Performances" not long time ago. She danced the " Faraon's daughter" and she was really amazing. You are true ! :)

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Or how about Lopatkina returning to dance Raymonda some day? Now THERE's her natural-born role...a 'clapping variation' as I've never seen before or since!"

Lopatkina will dance the third act of Raymonda on her benefit evening in the Mariinsky Festival...

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Mireille, who originally posted this topic & gambled on seeing Lopatkina in this role, must be elated...Lopatkina actually showed up and danced! I have been reading the Russian boards, full of mostly-glowing reviews of this performance. Cast consisted of:

Ferkhad - Vladimir Shishov

Shirin - Maya Dumchenko

Mekhmene-Banu - Ulyana Lopatkina

Vizir - Ilya Kuznetsov

Stranger - Andrey Yakovlev

Gold - Julia Kasenkova

Jester - Grigori Popov

Friends of Ferkhad - Ivan Popov, Aleksandr Sergey, Vasiliy Shcherbakov, Maxim Zyuzin

Friends of Shirin - Svetlana Ivanov, Jan Selina, Tatiana Nekipelova

Dancing Girls - Jan Serebryakova, Xenia Dubrovina

Mostly-excellent reviews for Lopatkina, Dumchenko & Kuznetsov. Mixed reviews for Shishov but general agreement that he's 'the best that we have' at present for this role.

This was a VIP event, with the Prime Minister of Russia (the #2 under Putin), Fradkov, and the Governor of St Petersburg-Leningrad, Valentina Matvienko, in attendance in the Tsar's Box.

I hope that Mireille, Ballet-Lovers & others can post their impressions. (hint-hint)

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Sorry for not posting before, busy having a magical time in St-Petersburg! A quick post:Everybody wondered whether our dancers would show up this week-end at the Mariinsky: Zelinsky Friday due to his back, Lopatkina Saturday and Ruzimatov Sunday (rumors that he had come back from Japan the previous week injured)... Zelinsky did dance Friday (with the help of Fadeev for lifts above shoulders) in the Corsaire, and indeed, Lopatkina did dance on Saturday, security increased at the theater due to the Prime Minister attending, but what a performance it was. Lopatkina divine. I personally liked Shishov but people that have seen him dance this role 5 times say that he has not improved. This ballet should be presented more often, it is a masterpiece. And Ruzimatov perfomed on Sunday as annouced and again, the public who have seen him perform here for several years see a decline in his capabilites but for me, he was the summum of expressiveness on stage: Sheherazade was pure delight on Sunday. Cast not strong for Chopiniana but still, the most beautiful ballet.

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Lopatkina was indeed perfect as Mekmene Banu, with her majestic expression of sorrow and lucide despair. It seems to be a perfect role for her, it is strange that she hasn't danced it more often. I think she is scheduled to dance it again around the middle of March.

I was also impressed by the Visir of Kusnezov, who had also danced a very brilliant Conrad in the Corsaire the night before.

Ruzimatov had a foot injury in Japan, not last week, but at the end of January, dancing Corsaire. I perfectly agree with you, Mireille, about his expressiveness. I find him absolutely unique!

CHOPINIANA:

NOCTURNE: Daria Sukhorukhova, Olesia Novikova, Ksenia Ostreikovskaja,Evgenij Ivanchenko

21th VALSE: Olesia Novikova.

MAZURQUE: Daria Sukhorukhova, Evgenij Ivanchenko

PRELUDE: Ksenia Ostreikovskaja

7th VALSE: Daria Sukhorukhova, Evgenij Ivanchenko

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