19 replies to this topic

[Mashinka]

I find it rather alarming that the Bolshoi has to bring in male dancers from outside.   In the past the company was always renowned for its male dancers.  What's happened?

In my opinion neither Merkuriev nor Shpilevsky are outstanding dancers, though Merkuriev is the better of the two.  Obviously the company can produce future female stars - just look at Osipova and Krysanova, so why aren't they producing top male dancers any more?

[Marc Haegeman]

Mashinka, on Sep 1 2006, 09:20 AM, said:

I find it rather alarming that the Bolshoi has to bring in male dancers from outside.   In the past the company was always renowned for its male dancers.  What's happened?

In my opinion neither Merkuriev nor Shpilevsky are outstanding dancers, though Merkuriev is the better of the two.  Obviously the company can produce future female stars - just look at Osipova and Krysanova, so why aren't they producing top male dancers any more?

It's the school which doesn't "produce" them, Mashinka. The company can't groom any top male dancers if the basic potential isn't there. But Ratmansky has high hopes in Ivan Vasiliev. And with that name, he'd better be good  

[Helene]

Marc Haegeman, on Sep 1 2006, 03:30 AM, said:

Mashinka, on Sep 1 2006, 09:20 AM, said:

I find it rather alarming that the Bolshoi has to bring in male dancers from outside.   In the past the company was always renowned for its male dancers.  What's happened?

In my opinion neither Merkuriev nor Shpilevsky are outstanding dancers, though Merkuriev is the better of the two.  Obviously the company can produce future female stars - just look at Osipova and Krysanova, so why aren't they producing top male dancers any more?

It's the school which doesn't "produce" them, Mashinka. The company can't groom any top male dancers if the basic potential isn't there. But Ratmansky has high hopes in Ivan Vasiliev. And with that name, he'd better be good  

That's interesting to me.  I was just re-reading Arlene Croce's last "Dancing" article in The New Yorker archives, and in her scathing criticism of the state of NYCB (1996), she said that the school had been producing talented women who disappeared in the Company a few years later.  But if the school isn't producing the dancers in the first place, there's not much to develop or neglect.

[drb]

It is now official, from The Bolshoi site, on 3 October Ivan Vasiliev dances Basilio opposite the sublime Kitri of Natalia Osipova:

Quote

Debuts:
Ivan Vasiliev makes his Bolshoi Theatre debut in the part of Basil
Anna Nikulina - The Queen of the Dryads

Will this be the ballet event of the year?  
The next night will see Diana Vishneva's first Bolshoi Giselle, with Albrecht not yet announced, but Masha Alexandrova will be her Queen.  That notable balletomane, Mr. Putin, will have to put aside affairs of state for a couple of days!

[nysusan]

Casting is up for the Bolshoi's February visit to Kennedy Center. It looks like we won't get to see Krysanova's Cinderella or I. Vasiliev but at least Osipova is cast in DQ with Matvienko!

Oh, and they're also bringing Zakharova, Alexandrova, Filin et al