5 replies to this topic

[Alexandra]

A friend just sent me a link to this article on the Bolshoi's site.

http://www.bolshoi.o...ssa/massine.htm

It is, well, an attack on Ratmansky -- odd that it should appear there?  Or not.

Quote

For a year and a half of his directorship Ratmansky has been trying to prove his consistency and to account for the repertoire chosen. He even enters into polemics with the leading dancer of the troupe on the pages of the latest premiere booklet, (which is obviously inappropriate for such kind of publication), thus providing a revealing insight into the relations between the artistic director and the troupe and leaving spectators to wonder… But the fact that the ballet troupe made such a poor show of themselves in Massine’s ballets means that the Ballet Chief is far from realising his troupe’s true potential and skills. " By fruits you’ll recognise them " But the trouble is that the "fruits" have been "inedible" so far...

[Dale]

This isn't from the bolshoi's official site, but a fan site.

[drb]

Dale, on Jul 22 2005, 07:30 PM, said:

This isn't from the bolshoi's official site, but a fan site.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A very key point, Dale.  His decision to bring relatively new, young dancers to New York is surely a change from old policies and must lead to some displeasure.  But so did the old ways, and this decision has resulted in the added pleasure of discovery for the audience.  Next week we will get to judge Mr. Ratmansky's artistic merits for ourselves, what with his reconstruction of Bright Spring, and their mega-hit Pharoah's Daughter.  But on the basis of their performance of Spartacus tonight, which has looked awfully lame the past couple of decades, it is hard to believe there is much of a schism between dancers and the Artistic Director.  This isn't the place for a review, but there was a really impressive intensity on the part of all four soloists, and of the corps.  Both a very evident joy in dancing and all-out effort.  So whatever he is or isn't doing, he's got the "Bolshoi" back in The Bolshoi.  
By the way, the site is a great source of photos [for dancers on the site's favored list].

[Alexandra]

Thanks, Dale -- I didn't look at the site, just that one page, saw the "bolshoi.org", and didn't remember the company site's URL.   Then it's not odd at all that such an article would appear there.  Good, bad or indifferent, I'd like to see their "Le Tricorne."

[atm711]

It appears that the author of the piece is taking out his dislike of Ratmansky on Massine.

"Had the Bolshoi found the worthy cast for Massine's plan, his LeTricorne, whose choreography by the way, isn't all that original would have, probably been a better show."

--"isn't all that original".....?  I would hope he is comparing this to pre-1919 works and I'd love to know which ones.  

He seems to think that the Russians do not have the passion for it; but the two Russians I saw (Massine & Toumanova) had no problem with it.

[akimova]

“This isn't from the Bolshoi's official site, but a fan site.”

It would be better to say that it is a (or the) claque’s site. Therefore, nothing should come as a surprise.