35 replies to this topic

[Natalia]

bingham, on Jun 29 2009, 11:12 AM, said:

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!

[Sacto1654]

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.

[Natalia]

Sacto1654, on Jun 29 2009, 07:13 PM, said:

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.

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.]

[Cygnet]

Natalia, on Jun 30 2009, 11:41 AM, said:

Sacto1654, on Jun 29 2009, 07:13 PM, said:

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.

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?

[Natalia]

Vids of the 2nd Shurale performance (Golub & Lobukhin) are now up, too:



Interesting to compare this same adagio with the first cast one.

[sealings]

http://www.russiatod...te_Nights_.html

this page has some beautiful footage of vishneva's performance on saturday