Azulmuratova and Ruzimatov

[Pamela Moberg]

At the moment I am going through all my old vidoes and putting them on DVD. I have always been very careful about labeling (or so I thought) but surprises keep turning up.

This afternoon I did a - what I thought - was a pure music program about Russian music. A one hour show hosted by Bamber Gascoigne (what a guy). In the middle of this I found the pdd from Swan Lake with

Altunuy Azulmuratova and Farouhk Ruzimatov. No fireworks, no "telephone" a la secondes, just pure and sheer ballet - it was quite breathtaking in its beauty. What dancers, I am happy I have captured them for ever on my DVD. Azulmuratova was (tape from 1991) so wonderfully beautiful in every way.

Something very well worth keeping.

[artist]

yes, I agree. I don't think I've seen them together, but I have seen them separately. I can only imagine the connection between the two. They are both gems to me.

Asylmuratova in The Leaves Are Fading, absolutely beautiful - her arms, expression, movement. She radiates with joy.

Ruzimatov in a Swan Lake variation, so powerful and strong - his jumps, the way he carries his upper body, and that look on his face! Fiercely attractive!

They would be, perhaps, one of my top favorite dance partners.

I can't find it now, but I think I read an interview with Altynai and how she admits that the Vagonova School has lost certain qualities. She thinks that, like POB, they should put more emphasis on feet but try to keep what they are known for - arms. But also try to develop (like many teachers of today) expression amongst their young dancers as she's aware of that lack.

[Ostrich]

Why oh why oh why is it so hard to find any videos with Ruzimatov and Asylmuratova together? It's robbing posterity!

[rg]

I can't find it now, but I think I read an interview with Altynai and how she admits that the Vagonova School has lost certain qualities. She thinks that, like POB, they should put more emphasis on feet but try to keep what they are known for - arms. But also try to develop (like many teachers of today) expression amongst their young dancers as she's aware of that lack.

perhaps the interview recalled here is one done w/ AA for THE DANCING TIMES. i don't have a copy handy but i recall it was a most thoughtful one. maybe 2 or 3 years ago?

[Marc Haegeman]

Try this Dance International. Scroll down to the second half of the page.

[Hans]

Is there a full-length Swan Lake with Asylmuratova?

[artist]

ah, yes, that's the one. Thank you for that interview Marc.

I remember reading this over and over and writing it down because I couldn't have agreed more:

MH: For example what has been lost?

AA: When you watch a video tape of dancers of the old generations, for instance Galina Ulanova, Marina Semyonova, or a bit later Natalia Dudinskaya, you can see a certain coordination of body and arms, a musicality - you might call it ‘singing with the body’ - and above all an emotional depth to the dancing which no longer seem to exist today. The technique was present alright, but it was never there just for the sake of technique. The accent was first and foremost on emotion. However, now it’s all about high legs. I consider that a serious problem. All we seem to think about today is how high the legs can go, but there is hardly any concern anymore about form, plastique, harmony, and about what’s coming from inside, about soul. That’s something we lost.

and was sort of surprised that she would humbley admit:

We also need to work on our feet. Graduates from the Paris Opera Ballet School are perfect in this respect. Their feet are a true delight. Even though our School has always been famous for arms and upper body, I think it should be possible to enhance our feet. It’s not even a question of changing the methods of teaching, we just need to switch the accents.

I also remember of an interview with Ruzimatov. (it started off saying there was a coldness to him and he sat comfortably with his legs apart, something many dancers do. But then he finally smiled...)

Marc, some help??

[Marc Haegeman]

The wonders of Google: Ruzimatov

[artist]

Thanks again, Marc. That's the one!!

[scherzo]

Is there a full-length Swan Lake with Asylmuratova?

Not that I know of: there's a Sleeping Beauty though, with Zaklinsky. (I remember one time on the Internet I saw the tag: 'Swan Lake', Kirov Ballet, Asylmuratova, but it was the Makhalina one. That's just cruel) And of course Le Corsaire with AA, FR, KZ and the lovely Yelena Pankova.

From the Asylmuratova interview:

This phenomenon of the young stars is also worrying. Dancers of twenty are behaving like big stars, thinking they can do everything already. That’s not the right mentality. Not everybody is able to handle this star status. It’s only the most intelligent ones who can get away with it.

Young stars have been around for years (obvious example: the baby ballerinas, also Fonteyn and Markova): is it that their numbers have now increased, or were there always so many and they mostly burned out and were forgotten over the years?

And I decided to go in a quiet way. No goodbye, no grand gala or anything – I didn’t want that.

What a woman!

[Pamela Moberg]

I knew that I had an extensive ballet video library, but I didnt have a clue that is was so vast, absolutely immense. Well, we bought our first video in February 1981, yes I know for sure because our youngest daughter was born 3 April. So you can imagine that things have been collected along the years.

Now I have found a thing called "Backstage at the Kirov", one hour long and I just wrote the label: Mostly Russian and English spoken - a document of great historical value. Altunai Azulmuratova and Konstantin

Zaklinsky rehearsing and performing act II of Swan Lake. :huepfen024:

Well, that tape is really something and the interviews with AA are to die for - so is her dancing. It just might be commercially available, in that case well worth buying.

[Hans]

Yup, I have Backstage at the Kirov and love it, but I wish I could have seen her do the whole ballet. I also have the Sleeping Beauty and Corsaire tapes with Asylmuratova (she is still the best Medora I've ever seen).

[Nanarina]

:tThere is a Kultur video of Altynai Aslmuratova with Darcey Bussell and I think the Royal Ballet in La Bayadere, it is the full version, when the temple falls into ruin as the last act.

I also loved her, and saw her dance in London with The Kirov in Bayadere and also with English National Ballet as a Guest at the Royal Albert Hall, in a special production of Swan Lake, staged in the Promonarders arena. It was a Gala attended by Princess Diana.and was amazing. There was a huge cast, possibly 50 Swans.

[Rosa]

Is there a full-length Swan Lake with Asylmuratova?

*whispers* A performance of Asylmuratova's full-length Swan Lake has recently been put up on YouTube. She is partnered by her husband Zaklinsky. The lighting quality leaves much to be desired, especially in the lake scenes. But she is lighted fairly well, and her dancing totally makes up for the video quality. You can find the videos by searching the keywords "Asylmuratova Swan Lake."

[Hans]

Rosa, thank you so much!

[Rosa]

You are very welcome, Hans!

[Hans]

Just wanted to add that the Asylmuratova "Swan Lake" on Youtube is well worth watching. Not only is she a beautiful, poetic Odette but also an excellent Odile, both technically strong and with vivid, detailed characterization--perhaps my new favorite O/O, in fact!