Helene Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 I would just add that it is a long time since I last saw any younger female or male dancers of the Maryinsky Ballet that I would describe as "fabulous" which in any case with respect, is a term more suitable to a teen fanzine than in an arena where serious discussion takes place. I think that "fabulous" has changed its usage from its teen fanzine days and has been co-opted by adults. I'm afraid that today's teen-speak is text-speak, and no word has a more than the maximum of four letters, u c. I had an easier time understanding the French surtitles to "Lady Macbeth in Msensk" at Paris Opera Ballet than a text message I received from a 15-year-old friend of the family. (And I still don't know how the "Kos" in "Daily Kos" is supposed to be pronounced.) Link to comment
leonid17 Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 I would just add that it is a long time since I last saw any younger female or male dancers of the Maryinsky Ballet that I would describe as "fabulous" which in any case with respect, is a term more suitable to a teen fanzine than in an arena where serious discussion takes place. I think that "fabulous" has changed its usage from its teen fanzine days and has been co-opted by adults. I'm afraid that today's teen-speak is text-speak, and no word has a more than the maximum of four letters, u c. I had an easier time reading the French surtitles to "Lady Macbeth in Msensk" at Paris Opera Ballet. than a text message I received from a 15-year-old friend of the family. (And I still don't know how the "Kos" in "Daily Kos" is supposed to be pronounced.) Thank you Helene you have just made me feeeel my age. However I would say in England only people on television use the word extravagantly or those of course who think themselves as being 'fabulous'. It is a word I learnt at school when discussions on the Ottoman Empire took place. Does that sound snobbish enough? Link to comment
Helene Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Thak you Helene you have just made me feeel my age. However I would say in England only people on television use the word extravagently or those of course who think themselves as being 'fabulous'. It is a word I learnt at school when discussions on the Ottoman Empire took place. Does that sound snobbish enough? I think that on TV that is pronounced, "Faaaaaaaaaaa bulous". Link to comment
Natalia Posted March 2, 2009 Author Share Posted March 2, 2009 .... legendary dancer without a peer in his own time(and even until today in his best roles) in highly technical demi-character roles to be described as " a diminutive pale-blonde lad a-la Vladimir Vasiliev" indicates I do not know what, as it appears you have quite clearly dismissed him as inferior type to Schklyarov..... Dear Leonid, please do not infer anything. I have met and indeed know Mr. Vasiliev personally. He IS surprisingly short - and handsome/elegant -- and has often mentioned that he was initially surprised to have been cast in leading princely roles. Needless to say, one does not have to be of minimum height to be a prince; just as Baryshnikov and another FABULOUS Vasiliev, Ivan! What a day to travel, my friends - the first substantial snowfall in Washington, DC, in the past four years or so. Maybe the fates are preparing me for a snowy, icy sojourn in my favorite Ballet Capital? Well, I am off to Mother Russia today for a mixture of business and ballet-viewing pleasure. Thanks to the press office at the Mariinsky, I should be reporting exclusively on the 9th Mariinsky Festival for Ballet Talk. A performances thread will be opened shortly. In the meantime, folks can continue to report updates to the ever-changing schedule/castings sheet. I am sure that by the time the Festival begins on the 14th, lots of elements shall have changed. Link to comment
carbro Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 I wish you an easy trip, Natalia (or as easy as possible, given the numerous inconveniences of modern air travel) and await your reports. Link to comment
Rosa Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Second cast of The Little Humpbacked Horse: Ivanushka – Leonid Sarafanov Tsar-Maiden – Alina Somova Little Humpbacked Horse – Alexander Kulikov Tsar – Roman Skripkin http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbi...09/3/15/1_1900/ Link to comment
Rosa Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Oh! Just saw Don Quixote now has (for the moment) a Kitri: Viengsay Valdes (Ballet Nacional de Cuba)! http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbi...09/3/17/1_1900/ And Mikhail Kaniskin (Berliner Staatsoper) will dance Siegfried with Tereshkina in Swan Lake. http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbi...09/3/18/1_1900/ Link to comment
bart Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Well, I am off to Mother Russia today for a mixture of business and ballet-viewing pleasure. Thanks to the press office at the Mariinsky, I should be reporting exclusively on the 9th Mariinsky Festival for Ballet Talk. A performances thread will be opened shortly. Great news, Natalia. I'm looking forward to the reports -- and reports from others as well, I hope -- and to the discussion they spark. Link to comment
Rosa Posted March 4, 2009 Share Posted March 4, 2009 Mikhail Lobukhin replaces Vladimir Shklyarov in the first cast of The Little Humpbacked Horse. http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbi...009/3/14/1_1800 Link to comment
Rosa Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 The Ulyana Lopatkina gala now lists the ballets and casting. http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbi...09/3/19/1_1900/ Link to comment
cubanmiamiboy Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 Oh! Just saw Don Quixote now has (for the moment) a Kitri: Viengsay Valdes (Ballet Nacional de Cuba)!http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbi...09/3/17/1_1900/ Link to comment
chiapuris Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 Oh! Just saw Don Quixote now has (for the moment) a Kitri: Viengsay Valdes (Ballet Nacional de Cuba)!http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbi...09/3/17/1_1900/ I am really excited about seeing her at the festival. Have been watching YouTube clips of her in various ballets and she seems to have it all. I certainly look forward to her Kitri, and to anything else she may dance at the Gala. John Link to comment
cubanmiamiboy Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 If anything, expect anti-gravity balances. She stays, and stays...and then stays some more...and THEN she may do developpe to go in attitude devant, or from attitude derriere to something else, or standing in arabesque on pointe, and then starting doing a deep penchee...all while in balance...or something else . Oh, I've seen all kinds of crazy stuff from Vi. Link to comment
Marc Haegeman Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 Mikhail Lobukhin replaces Vladimir Shklyarov in the first cast of The Little Humpbacked Horse.http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbi...009/3/14/1_1800 Tough. There goes the fairytale book... Link to comment
leonid17 Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 Mikhail Lobukhin replaces Vladimir Shklyarov in the first cast of The Little Humpbacked Horse.http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbi...009/3/14/1_1800 Tough. There goes the fairytale book... And a return to serious discussion I hope. Link to comment
Natalia Posted March 7, 2009 Author Share Posted March 7, 2009 ......Tough. There goes the fairytale book... The fairy tale "went away"earlier, when the 2nd Tsar Maiden was announced. So this was the choreographer's choice, was it? Working 'from a remote locale' until just before the Fest begins, so cannot post too much 'til the reviews start to come. Sorry for my seeming-absence. Link to comment
cubanmiamiboy Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 ......Tough. There goes the fairytale book... The fairy tale "went away"earlier, when the 2nd Tsar Maiden was announced. Oh, Somova, right...? Link to comment
richard53dog Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 If anything, expect anti-gravity balances. She stays, and stays...and then stays some more...and THEN she may do developpe to go in attitude devant, or from attitude derriere to something else, or standing in arabesque on pointe, and then starting doing a deep penchee...all while in balance...or something else . Oh, I've seen all kinds of crazy stuff from Vi. Judging from youtube clips (so take it for what it's worth) , she seems like a very flashy dancer. She inserts balances seemingly anywhere she can get one anchored, even in something like Odette's Act 2 variation. This is too , too much for me. She seems willing to break the musical line anywhere to get a roar from the audience. Sorry, it seems pretty tasteless to me. Link to comment
cubanmiamiboy Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 I've been watching her ever since she came out of ballet school, and you just voiced what the general consensus was in Havana back then. I was telling another poster recently that even if she was all about pyrotechnics-(which she's at absolutely easy at)-she could never master the romantic ballets the way her rival and truly Prima back then, Lorna Feijoo, did. But, on the other side...her Kitri is just a real pleasure to watch, and I haven't seen that many ballerinas approaching the role, technically and dramatically, a good as she does. Link to comment
Jane Simpson Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 she could never master the romantic ballets She danced Giselle in London 3 or 4 years ago and though I got very tired of her long, and inappropriate, balances in Act 1, there was absolutely no sign of them in Act 2 and she was really lovely! Link to comment
cubanmiamiboy Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 ...her Rose Adagio is surreal. I remember from one time when she danced it, when she lowered her arm from the couronne position to her second suitor during the first set of balances, she suddenly declined and decided not to get his support , rasing it back up, just to calmly offered it back to the next suitor, so imagine...THAT unsupported balance lasted...well, WAY more than what Petipa intended I guess... Link to comment
Rosa Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 International Stars Gala: I. WHO CARES? Igor Zelensky, Elena Lytkina, Natalia Yershova, Anna Zharova and artists of the Novosibirsk State Opera and Ballet Theatre II. DIVERTISSEMENT Ulyana Lopatkina, Diana Vishneva, Viktoria Tereshkina, Yevgenia Obraztsova, Angel Corella, Marcelo Gomes, Vladimir Malakhov, Leonid Sarafanov, Ivan Kozlov, Mikhail Lobukhin III. THEME AND VARIATIONS Alina Somova, Vladimir Shklyarov and artists of the Mariinsky Ballet http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbi...09/3/22/1_1900/ Link to comment
cubanmiamiboy Posted March 8, 2009 Share Posted March 8, 2009 III. THEME AND VARIATIONSAlina Somova...(..) Link to comment
Cygnet Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 III. THEME AND VARIATIONSAlina Somova...(..) Cubanmiamiboy, I see your "Theme & Variations" and raise you a "Giselle:" Date: Saturday, March 28, 2009. Time: 7:00 p.m., Location: The Maryinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg. The debutante: A. Somova . Link to comment
cubanmiamiboy Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 III. THEME AND VARIATIONSAlina Somova...(..) The debutante: A. Somova . Link to comment
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