25 replies to this topic

[bart]

On another thread, drb posted a link to Nina Ananiashvili's plans re dancing with ABT this spring.

Further down, you'll find some exciting news about the State Ballet of Georgia's tour plans for the eastern US later in the spring.

Quote

Starting May 30, her Georgian company tours the United States. The Bolshoi’s Sergei Filin partners Nina in three Swan Lake performances at Bard College at Annandale-on-Hudson, NY; four evenings at the Spoleto USA Festival in Charleston, SC; and one performance in Philadelphia, PA. The superstars also highlight SBG’s Giselles in New Haven, CT.

The company makes it final U.S. stop at the Jacob’s Pillow Festival in the Berkshires, where the program will consist of Mozartiana, Second Before the Ground and a Grand Divertissement from Don Quixote.

Tje site says:  "Watch for confirmed dates soon."    There is also a note about a Japan tour including Angel Corella.

Quote

ABT’s Angel Corella and the Bolshoi’s Andrei Uvarov are slated to join SBG’s Japan tour (July 10-August 4), where the company will alternate performances of Swan Lake and Don Quixote.

here's a link to the entire piece, courtesy of drb:
http://www.ananiashv...39;sReturn.html

[drb]

You will also find Nina's company called Georgia State Ballet and Tblisi Opera Ballet on BT.  Putting these links together, you will find it is a substantial company.  There is a more folk-oriented company in Georgia with a name that translates as the first two names, which may be why some Georgia media try to make a distinction by identifying Nina's company in terms of its theater.  The real name will be whichever one they use for the tour, of course.

[drb]

Here is the home website of Nina's company.  The ballet is about the same size as each of the three large American companies.  It is worth clicking on the museum link, and the opera one, in order to hear some interesting singing.  With some patience one may see some panoramic ballet photos, including the local choreographer's Serenade, at the top of the ballet page that suggest their corps is quite impressive.

http://www.opera.ge/...php?page=ballet

[drb]

The company's schedule and Nina's performance dates have been posted on her website:

NINA'S PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE ON TOUR WITH THE STATE BALLET OF GEORGIA FOR THE 2007 SEASON

Cast and schedule subject to change, please double check before purchasing tickets

SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA, CHARLESTON, SO. CAROLINA

Date         Theater/Location               Ballet               Partner/Cast
2007
June 7     Charleston, South Carolina Swan Lake Nina with Sergei Filiin; State Ballet of Georgia
June 8     Charleston, South Carolina Swan Lake The State Ballet of Georgia
June 9, Mat  Charleston, South Carolina Swan Lake The State Ballet of Georgia
June 9, Eve  Charleston, South Carolina Swan Lake Nina with Sergei Filiin; State Ballet of Georgia
June 10     Charleston, South Carolina Swan Lake The State Ballet of Georgia


NEW HAVEN FESTIVAL OF ARTS & IDEAS

Date Theater/Location                                                  Ballet    Partner/Cast
2007  
June 15 New Haven Festival of Arts & Ideas, New Haven Giselle  Nina with Filin; State Ballet of Georgia
June 16 New Haven Festival of Arts & Ideas, New Haven Giselle  Nina with Filin; State Ballet of Georgia


JACOB'S PILLOW, LEE, MASSACHUSETTS

Date Theater/Location                      Ballet                                      Partner/Cast
2007
June 20        Jacob's Pillow, Lee, MA Performance 1 Nina with The State Ballet of Georgia
June 21        Jacob's Pillow, Lee, MA Performance 2 Nina with The State Ballet of Georgia
June 22        Jacob's Pillow, Lee, MA Performance 3 Nina with The State Ballet of Georgia
June 23, Mat Jacob's Pillow, Lee, MA Performance 4 Nina with The State Ballet of Georgia
June 23, Eve Jacob's Pillow, Lee, MA Performance 5 Nina with The State Ballet of Georgia
June 24, Mat Jacob's Pillow, Lee, MA Performance 6 Nina with The State Ballet of Georgia

(An earlier posting on her site stated that the Pillow ballets would be Mozartiana, Second Before the Ground, Grand Divertissement from Don Quixote.)

Some background information.  Swan Lake is a production set on SBG by Alexei Fadeyechev in 2005.
Mozartiana was due to Bart Cook and Maria Calegari, also in 2005.  Prior to this Suzanne Farrell had coached Nina in the lead role.  Second Before the Ground is Trey McIntyre's ballet to African music arranged by the Kronos Quartet.

[drb]

Tickets are now on sale for the five Swan Lakes at Spoleto/Charleston, including the two with Nina Ananiashvili and Sergei Filin:
http://tickets.spole...nces.asp?evt=15

[nysusan]

I think I may have to make a pilgrimage to New Haven to see Nina & Sergei Filin in Giselle. I looked at the site for the New Haven Festival but it didn't have any info up yet for this year's schedule. Anyone know which venue is likely for Nina's company, or have any suggestions for hotels, Metro North vs Amtrak etc?

Susan

[Dale]

Take MetroNorth to New Haven.  It's the "New Haven Line" out of Grand Central Station.

[drb]

I see that The Pillow's site confirms the program listed above.  It also offers some large photos, including in (last photo) the budding Farrell, Nino Gogua, and young male star Lasha Khozashvili:
http://www.jacobspil...ory.asp?catid=2

From the ananiashvili.com 2005 interview with Bart Cook and Maria Calegari, remarks on some dancers they especially liked:

Quote

Maria:  There was a boy [Lasha Khozashvili], a natural for Apollo---beautiful like Michelangelo’s “David” with a nymph-type face. He also had a pretty good technique.  And there was girl---Nino Gogua--- with dark Georgian hair [she] had the body, feet, extension that even Suzanne Farrell would envy. She also had a natural feminine grace. Of course her technique has some ways to go, but she has such great potential.
Bart:  Yes---there was a girl---Nino Gogua, quite green, not much stage experience and she needs to develop strength. But she came through when she had to substitute for injured colleagues. And there were the other ballerinas Tsicia [Cholokashvili], Lali [Kandelaki], Anna.

There are some photos of these and other dancers on Nina's site as well.  Of course there must be others to look forward to as well, in a company of Nina plus 15 soloists and a corps of 67.

[drb]

There is now a huge photo gallery on the company's site.  This large company seems full of very expressive dancers.   While you cannot be sure from still photos, it looks like there are a number of virtuosic power dancers among the men.  There's lots of Balanchine (but then, is it possible that they have the second largest active Balanchine rep?), even a couple of Apollo sets, but also Ashton, Bournonville, the classics, and some unfamiliar works.
http://www.opera.ge/...=administration

[carbro]

drb, on Apr 6 2007, 12:25 AM, said:

[I]t looks like there are a number of virtuosic power dancers among the men.

What a joy to see Igor Zelensky rehearsing Apollo.    And I got such a kick out of the Western Symphony sequence.

Thanks, drb!

[nysusan]

Yes, thanks drb - the photos are great!

I called the New Haven Festival to get some info on the 2 performances of Giselle that are scheduled for 6/15 & 16 and was told that they will be at the Shubert Theater and tickets will go on sale on May 7th. I can't wait, that's such a short trip from NY that I can't resist it!

[drb]

From an article on efforts to promote Georgian culture world-wide in the current Georgian Times, this quote:

Quote

In June, the Paliashvili Opera and Ballet Company will tour to the US to perform Swan Lake and Giselle at the Spoleto, New Heave, and Jacobs Pillow Festivals.

This is the 4th name I've seen for this company!

[drb]

Nina marches on... From the University of Minnesota:

Quote

State Ballet of Georgia
Fri, March 14, 2008 - 8 p.m. - Giselle
Sat, March 15, 2008 - 8 p.m. - Mixed Repertoire
Northrop Auditorium

[drb]

And, the previous month, from Cal Performances in Berkeley:

Quote

For the troupe's West Coast debut at Cal Performances, Ananiashvili (in select performances) and the company will perform the American premieres of a new ballet by Yuri Possokhov, resident choreographer of San Francisco Ballet, set to traditional Georgian music; a new work by the Bolshoi's Aleksei Ratmansky; and an evening-length production of one of the most beloved ballets of all time, Giselle....
Program A (Thu, Feb 14, 2008): Balanchine/Chaconne, set to Gluck, plus new works by Yuri Possokhov and Aleksei Ratmansky (American premieres)
Program B (Fri-Sun, Feb 15-17, 2008): Giselle

[drb]

After her return to Odette/Odile last week, further news on Nina's remarkable return to the big roles at age 44, from her company's website:

Quote

Sunday, 6 May at 15:00
The Tbilisi Z. Paliashvili Opera and Ballet State Theatre with the participation of world ballet stars Nino Ananiashvili and  Andrei Uvarov is pleased to announce one performance of Don Quixote, Ludwig Minkus’s ballet in three acts.