17 replies to this topic

[Natalia]

Alina, on Mar 27 2008, 09:48 PM, said:

.... that the current AD's correct name is Natalia Akhmarova. .....

Thanks, Alina. I've corrected this in my post. Also, Akhmarova served as emcee on a backstage mike, announcing eavery number and the name of each soloist...which is how I got the correct names, as the printed programme differed a bit.

[Paul Parish]

Semyonova brought down the house tonight --

Makarova seems to have changed the production quite a lot -- perhaps to accommodate the guest artists. Much different all over. Wonder what it will be like with the Perm dancers.

Only a couple of years ago, they did the mime scene. Also (I THINK) Ashton's Pas de Quatre (gone now -- it's the Pd3). Act 4 seemed different too.
Semyonova was overwhelming -- she's very modern in her lines and temperament, but she's also a star.

Sklyaurov danced with her -- seemed like a hot guy and a virtuoso, but not much of a character. Beautiful legs, high, easy arabesque, not much soul.

Perm's group were very nice Benno -- who'll be Siegfried tomorrow afternoon -- was fantastic.

Good as much of it is, it seems to require the music to be played at "wrong" tempos -- usually draggy. So though the orchestra played well, the music sounded unidiomatic.

The czardas and Mazurka were very fine. And Spanish. Tarantella was weird, almost no actual Tarantella to it, no heel-toe, no nothing -- but the other character dances were great.

[Brioche]

I agree with Paul on all counts.

Also the company looked quite cramped on the Zellerbach stage. Too bad, it really hampered them.

I felt Makarova told the story badly.

I don't care for "choreographers" who drag out the Princess' of Brides waltz. The knights who escorted them were a bit odd as well. Rothbart wears his wings to the  Ball in Act 3. Very odd.

The Benno was wonderful as were the dancers he partnered in the first act pas de trois.