Little Humpbacked Horse - Underwater Scene.....

[Solor]

I know the Trocks recently restaged the Underwater scene from the ballet "The Little Hump-Backed Horse" via Elena Kunikova.

I have the performance of the ballet as staged by Kurgapkina and Ostaltsov for the Vaganova School/Kirov. I noticed that the Underwater scene is only a few dances.....not a long divertessment in the spirit of "Paquita" or "The Kingdom of the Shades" that one would imagine would warrant a performance as a 'stand alone' excerpt. Is the staging of the Trocks longer? What numbers does it consist of?

In the staging I have on film the scene starts out with the Variation of the "White pearl" (to a Pugni 3/4 variation), then that leads into a 2/4 number for 2 ballerina "red corals", next is a variation for a male called "Ocean" (to someones very 'Selovyev-Sedoy' sounding 3/4 that sure wasnt composed by Pugni), and finally a variation of the 'Blue Sea Flower' to the famous Pugni waltz variation that is in everyone's production of "Paquita" (here its danced by Anna Polikarpova), and thats it.

There is a scene where the Humbacked Horse and Ivan abduct the Czar Maiden - this scene has that 19th century 'ballet-blanc' feel to it - it consists of: Entrance for the Corps, waltz variation for the Czar Maiden, and a Coda that ends in her abduction......perhaps the Trocks' production utilizes this section..........all the music of the dances are tuneful and DANSANTE as all hell - obviously Cesare Pugni to the bone.

I was also wondering if anyone knew any history on the pas de quatre of the frescos. I love this number....its great! Whos choreagraphy? The music is obviously by Pugni (the beginning of this number - when the ballerinas are taking thier places - sounds alot like the scene with the Monkey in "Pharoah's Daughter") Its seems very Petipa............the 4 ballerinas I have dancing in this number are of the finest schooling and make the simplest patterns seem larger than life. Arched backs, opulent port de bras, and beautiful legs and feet. They are Vaganova trained to the MAX.