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Summer 2009 at the Mariinsky Theater


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What's the reason of her not dancing "Swan Lake"? Her height?

Yes. The Mariinsky is very picky about 'emploi' -- who has the physical characteristics to do certain roles. What's more, 'emploi' can change from generation to generation, e.g., the short-but-slender-long-lined Natalia Makarova was considered good enough for Odette/Odille in the 1960s. By the early 1980s -- especially with the Sylvie Guillem craze but also Galina Mezentseva at the Kirov -- Leningrad-St.P coaches stopped considering shorter dancers for the roles of Odette-Odile and Nikiya.

Especially nowadays, when she is longer-lined and more willowy than ever before, Obraztsova should be given a chance at Odette and Nikiya. Certainly Odette; she has already performed Black Swan pdd on tour, to great success.

In a recent interview with Dance Europe Magazine, Obraztsova stated that she believes that she may not be able to become a Principal without Odette in her repertoire. Sad...so a long and ultra-bony flexnatic can be thrust to attempt Odette and Nikiya, thus making her more worthy of "Principal" status? Ridiculous.

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Yes, bingham, she is not considered Swan Lake material by Russian standards - you have to be tall to dance the role in Saint-Petersburg these days (cf Lopatkina, Kondaurova, Tereshkina, etc).

So how tall is Terioshkina? Not so tall...but taller than Obraztsova. However, I believe that Obraztsova has so slenderized herself in the past few months -- even more so than normally by the looks of her Simbiuke You Tube bits -- that she is very capable of achieving an acceptable "Odette Look" now. They should at least give her one or two performances "for the road...for her future" a-la Ayupova, who only danced Odette a couple of times, just to complete the Principal Resume. Once she became Principal, she never really danced Odette, did she? But it stayed on her resume and that's all that matters for The Powers That Be. [Not that we want Obraztsova to suffer the same fate of Ayupova -- hardly ever used once she achieved Principal status.]

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Again - many, many thanks for your on-the-ground insights, Windflyer. :)

...I'd LOVE to see a clip of Alexander Sergeev in the title role of the slimy monster...I heard that he came close to stealing the show last night.

You're welcome. I may get around to posting a more comprehensive review sometime...

Meanwhile, yes, Sergeyev was magnificent. He practically owned Act I. He slithered about with androgynous grace and exploded in frenetic dance and jumps—and everything in between. I kept thinking that Sarafanov is perhaps not physical enough for the role?

Oh, and by my watch, the net of the performance was just under two hours, so yes, a ninety-minute video (which i have not seen) would have about thirty minutes cut.

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...I believe that Obraztsova has so slenderized herself in the past few months -- even more so than normally by the looks of her Simbiuke You Tube bits...
um, I wouldn't use those you tube bits to make any pronouncements: the aspect ratio of the clips is messed up, giving her a willowier appearance than she has in real life—not just in Shurale, but also in In The Night last week.

Having said that, yes, she has slenderized herself some.

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I seem to recall that D Vishneva did not dance SL at the Kirov until she danced it in the west(ABT?). Maybe,Evgenia can do the same. We sure would be happy to see her dance it here.

Right...Obraztsova has practically built her career in the 19th-C Petipa classics on having first danced the big leading roles in the West, e.g., Raymonda in Thailand, Aurora in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, etc. If it weren't for this, she'd be dancing only Juliet, soubrettes and knee-length Romantic tutu ballets at home...not that those roles are anything to sneeze at! :)

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Here's the problem with Obraztsova--she's just a tad too short to be matched with most of male dancers with Principal status at the Mariinsky (Obraztsova with Danila Korsuntsev in Swan Lake? I don't think so!).

Now, if Obraztsova can do Swan Lake she needs to be matched with a shorter male ballet dancer like her husband, Vladimir Skylyarov. Now THAT would work quite well indeed. :wink:

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Here's the problem with Obraztsova--she's just a tad too short to be matched with most of male dancers with Principal status at the Mariinsky (Obraztsova with Danila Korsuntsev in Swan Lake? I don't think so!).

Now, if Obraztsova can do Swan Lake she needs to be matched with a shorter male ballet dancer like her husband, Vladimir Skylyarov. Now THAT would work quite well indeed. :wink:

Many of the shorter Mariinsky male Principals would do perfectly: Sarafanov, Kolb or (when back to good health) Fadeev. Obraztsova also dances very well with the 'middle height' men like Matvienko (the recent Shurale) and, as you pointed out, Schklyarov. [schklyarov is not Obraztsova's husband, by the way, but definitely a friend and professional partner. I learned this during my recent visit to St. Petersburg. Some of the early publicity from St. Petersburg Times newspaper and Kultura TV 2-3 years ago reported this erroneously.]

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Here's the problem with Obraztsova--she's just a tad too short to be matched with most of male dancers with Principal status at the Mariinsky (Obraztsova with Danila Korsuntsev in Swan Lake? I don't think so!).

Now, if Obraztsova can do Swan Lake she needs to be matched with a shorter male ballet dancer like her husband, Vladimir Skylyarov. Now THAT would work quite well indeed. :wink:

Many of the shorter Mariinsky male Principals would do perfectly: Sarafanov, Kolb or (when back to good health) Fadeev. Obraztsova also dances very well with the 'middle height' men like Matvienko (the recent Shurale) and, as you pointed out, Schklyarov. [schklyarov is not Obraztsova's husband, by the way, but definitely a friend and professional partner. I learned this during my recent visit to St. Petersburg. Some of the early publicity from St. Petersburg Times newspaper and Kultura TV 2-3 years ago reported this erroneously.]

Genichka would be an excellent O/O. If she has to outsource this role the way Diana Vishneva has, then she should definitely look into it. To date Genichka has had to outsource her debuts as Aurora (Kazan), Raymonda (Bangkok), and Kitri (Tokyo). The only full length Aurora she has danced at home this season, was at her mother's alma mater the Mikhailovsky Ballet, not the Maryinsky. Ruzimatov is the Mikhailovksy's Artistic Director.

Vishneva wasn't granted O/O at the Maryinsky for a number of years because in the beginning the management's verdict was that she was a soubrette, and that her legs and feet were deemed unsightly. To her credit, Diana didn't let this deter her from essaying the role elsewhere. I hope that Genichka's success in "Shurale" will prompt the authorities to grant her the opportunity to dance "Swan Lake" on her home stage. Natalia, I agree that the gentlemen you named would all be the perfect foils for her. I would also like to add to your list Sasha Sergeev, (Pavlenko's husband), who made his magnificent debut as Albrecht opposite Genichka's sublime Giselle. I hope that Genichka doesn't have to wait a decade to essay the role on her home stage like Katya Osmolkina. Consider this: Alina Somova was thrust into O/O, making her debut within six months of her graduation from the Academy. That fact puts this issue of "emploi" and Maryinsky casting policy in the proper perspective, doesn't it?

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