217 replies to this topic

[Old Fashioned]

Juliet, on Apr 27 2008, 10:40 AM, said:

This is not classical.  It is not neoclassical.

http://www.geneschia...SC1939.jpg.html

The only thing that comes to mind here is a broken arrow.  Interesting how in achieving such an extension, the line is actually shortened.

[YID]

Old Fashioned, on Apr 28 2008, 03:02 PM, said:

Juliet, on Apr 27 2008, 10:40 AM, said:

This is not classical.  It is not neoclassical.

http://www.geneschia...SC1939.jpg.html

The only thing that comes to mind here is a broken arrow.  Interesting how in achieving such an extension, the line is actually shortened.

sorry this thread is turning to everything but discussion on Mariinsky at NYCC ;-)...

I was holding my comment for 1/2 day. I found the pictures in the two galleries (I checked Somova/Sarafanov in Bayadere, & Tereshkina in Diane &Ahteon) very non-complimentary to the dancers. Their faces look SO WEIRD and almost UGLY (when I saw them in person and saw other artwork of other photographers)....
what was STANDING OUT in Mr. Schiavone's work, is the emphasis on capturing "THE ACROBATICS" and not the beauty of the dancers..... had I seen the galleries and not seen performances, I would start hating my BELOVED Mariinsky.... just my personal opinion of the artwork

[Solnishka79]

YID said:

I was holding my comment for 1/2 day. I found the pictures in the two galleries (I checked Somova/Sarafanov in Bayadere, & Tereshkina in Diane &Ahteon) very non-complimentary to the dancers. Their faces look SO WEIRD and almost UGLY (when I saw them in person and saw other artwork of other photographers)....

I looked at the gallery a few hours ago and am in complete agreement. Their faces look contorted and bizarre-I understand good live action shots are difficult to shoot but come on. Young dancers in their early twenties look retirement age....I don't get it. If I were a dancer captured in these pictures, I would be distraught and upset.

[SanderO]

Some of the make up is weird and not especially attractive on a young woman seen close up.  I don't think you notice it as much when the dancers are in motion and you are sitting back in the theater.  

But many of the photos have coarseness to say the least, and it was not the impression the live performance gave.

[Eliza]

Petite_Arabesque, on Apr 21 2008, 12:29 PM, said:

ami1436, on Apr 21 2008, 03:04 PM, said:

Question: Are Gaynor Mindens taking over the Mariinsky as they are with ABT?  Several of the ladies are 'GM Artists', and as with all shoes, I don't always feel (both from seeing the Mariinsky and seeing pictures), that they are right for everyone.  Somova's are sometimes glaringly apparent in photos.  According to the GM website, those who use them include:
Somova
Big Red
Gonchar
Novikova
Obraztova

I'm curious!  I'm obsessed with dancer's favourite shoes, and am, perhaps naively, surprised to see so many from the Mariinsky wearing shoes 'of the future'!

I noticed this as well!  It seemed to me that more than half of the dancers (corps included) were wearing Gaynors.  Having worn them in the past I can vouch that they are comfortable...but they don't let the dancer have full articulation of their feet.  On Somova, who doesn't have the extreme arch of some of the other dancers, this was glaringly obvious.  While of course dancers have the right to choose their own shoes, I wish more would stay with the traditional Russian shoes. :smilie_mondieu:

Hello Everyone, Eliza Minden here. It’s been such a pleasure to follow this lively and informed discussion of the recent Kirov season. So many glorious dancers and performances to cherish!

I’d like to clarify a few issues that were raised concerning the pointe shoes my company makes.

To the first question: yes, quite a few Kirov dancers wear them. There are many more in St. Petersburg, but among the ones listed on the City Center Playbill these are the Gaynor Minden wearers:


Ekaterina Osmolkina
Tatiana Tkachenko
Ekaterina Kondaurova
Nadezhda Gonchar
Olesia Novikova (some roles)
Alina Somova

Elena Androsova
Ksenia Dubrovina
Evgenia Dolmatova
Svetlana Ivanova (some roles)
Anna Lavrinenko
Maria Lebedeva
Marianna Pavlova
Yana Selina
Diana Smirnova
Ksenia Tagunova
Oksana Skoryk
Maria Shirinkina
Alisa Sokolova
Olga Akmatova
Daria Grigorieva (some roles)
Daria Pavlova
Darina Zarubskaya
Irina Kuznetsova
Valeria Martynyuk
Elena Chmil
Maria Chugai
Elizaveta Cheprasova
Ryu Ji Yoen
Elena Sheshina

Most have been wearing them for a couple of years. And I didn’t even know it because initially they bought them not from us but in shops when touring outside Russia. They spent their own money— a not insignificant expense—because they wanted the quietness, the comfort, and the durability they could not get in the shoes the theater provided.

Like many dancers from countries where it’s hard to get Gaynor Mindens, the Kirov dancers have found ways to make theirs last even longer. This answers the question Mr. Macaulay asked in the Times, “Why are the soles of their shoes so dirty?”  It’s because many of these thrifty dancers have been using the same shoes for weeks, in some cases even months. Our most recent delivery to them was back in January in D.C.

I was sorry to read that some here have found them difficult to work in. When we started we offered only two types of shank: hard and harder. We now make ones that are much more pliable. Interestingly the Russian dancers, including Ms. Somova, insist on the hard ones, but that’s another discussion. Please allow me to point out that many teachers do recommend them for students, including Yuri Fateev.

As for how we work with our GM Artists: if a dancer is a committed wearer of our shoes we may invite her to join our roster. We don’t just hire dancer/models. Obraztsova and Novikova are the only GM Artists who, to my knowledge, do not wear them for every role.
We rarely do photoshoots anymore because we prefer to use real performance shots. We do give compensation for the endorsements, but it’s very modest. And in Alina Cojocaru’s case, she asked that we donate shoes to the National Ballet Company of Romania rather than pay her anything.

I’d be happy to answer any questions, here if appropriate or privately. elizaminden@dancer.com

With all good wishes,
Eliza Minden

[ami1436]

Eliza,

Thank you so much for responding/engaging with this discussion!  Having worn several pointe shoes myself - including GMs when they first came out when... mid 1990s?  (I'm starting to feel old...), I find my self obsessed with the pointe shoes of professionals, and what they do with their shoes, etc.  I appreciate that you've indulged my obsession with the information you've provided!  I noticed the same trend amongst the ABT dancers when they visited London, and it is interesting to see how trends start and spread, and why.  So again, thanks!

[Andre Yew]

Wow, great info straight from the horse's mouth.  Thanks Eliza!

Tangentially, it's interesting what foreign dance troupes buy with their own money when they're on tour in the US.  I guess with the weak US dollar, US shopping is more attractive.  This time around, the Kirov dancers were all looking for iPhones!  Unfortunately, many stores were out of stock as they're clearing their shelves in anticipation of the new version.  Electronic gadgets seem to be a popular thing in general.

--Andre

[Helene]

Eliza, on Apr 30 2008, 03:36 PM, said:

Like many dancers from countries where it’s hard to get Gaynor Mindens, the Kirov dancers have found ways to make theirs last even longer. This answers the question Mr. Macaulay asked in the Times, “Why are the soles of their shoes so dirty?”  It’s because many of these thrifty dancers have been using the same shoes for weeks, in some cases even months. Our most recent delivery to them was back in January in D.C.

It's funny, because my first thought when I read the review was, "Um, they can wear them more than once?"