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Mariinsky possibly brings Sleeping Beauty to DC in 2009


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We had initially seen this in the Kennedy Center 2009/2010 season announcement thread, here:

http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=29070

Indeed, that's what's coming to DC next year. IMO, a let-down, compared to the grand 1890 Beauty that we saw in the first of the current run of annual visits to the Kennedy Center. The big positive: many solo opportunities for the younger dancers and the chance to see Lopatkina once again, as she refuses to dance the 1890 version.

The leading soloists listed for the August 2009 run in London will give us a peek at who will most likely be cast here in DC, although I would guess that a DC favorite, Vishneva, might also appear at the Kennedy Center.

Princess Aurora

Alina Somova

Evgenia Obraztsova

Olesya Novikova

Prince Désiré

Leonid Sarafanov

Vladimir Shklyarov

Igor Kolb

Lilac Fairy

Uliana Lopatkina

Ekaterina Kondaurova

Link to London casting, at the ROH:

http://www.roh.org.uk/whatson/production.aspx?pid=9660

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The big positive: many solo opportunities for the younger dancers and the chance to see Lopatkina once again, as she refuses to dance the 1890 version.

If I remember correctly, the original 1890 version of Spyashchaya Krasavitsa had what became the Lilac Fairy danced not en pointe but as a character dancer. It wasn't until MUCH later that the choreography changed so the Lilac Fairy danced en pointe.

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The big positive: many solo opportunities for the younger dancers and the chance to see Lopatkina once again, as she refuses to dance the 1890 version.

If I remember correctly, the original 1890 version of Spyashchaya Krasavitsa had what became the Lilac Fairy danced not en pointe but as a character dancer. It wasn't until MUCH later that the choreography changed so the Lilac Fairy danced en pointe.

In the 1890 staging as danced by the Mariinsky the Lilac Fairy does dance on pointe in the Prologue. According to Doug Fullington, in his magnificent article on the reconstruction of the 1890 Sleeping Beauty, "The Lilac Fairy variation [in the Prologue] is notated twice and both versions include pointe work." Later in the ballet she appears on heeled shoes. Doug Fullington's article here: The Kirov's reconstructed Sleeping Beauty.

Sacto you really aren't helping anybody with continuously posting inaccurate facts. Please check your sources first.

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The big positive: many solo opportunities for the younger dancers and the chance to see Lopatkina once again, as she refuses to dance the 1890 version.

If I remember correctly, the original 1890 version of Spyashchaya Krasavitsa had what became the Lilac Fairy danced not en pointe but as a character dancer. It wasn't until MUCH later that the choreography changed so the Lilac Fairy danced en pointe.

In the 1890 staging as danced by the Mariinsky the Lilac Fairy does dance on pointe in the Prologue. According to Doug Fullington, in his magnificent article on the reconstruction of the 1890 Sleeping Beauty, "The Lilac Fairy variation [in the Prologue] is notated twice and both versions include pointe work." Later in the ballet she appears on heeled shoes. Doug Fullington's article here: The Kirov's reconstructed Sleeping Beauty.

Sacto you really aren't helping anybody with continuously posting inaccurate facts. Please check your sources first.

Sorry that my reply continues to take this discussion right off post.

This question was aired at some length three years ago on ballettalk and I find myself in the extraordinary position of lending support to Sacto 1654 post although he needed to define what "much later" means by giving a date.

When there was a discussion on “The Sergeyev Collection” I posted the following.

“I cannot at present recall when I first saw a photograph of Marie Petipa in her long dress and heeled shoes, but it was certainly before the popular book " Era of Russian Ballet" by Natalia Roslavleva (see opposite page 92).was published 40 years ago. It was of course widely known before that time that Marie Petipa reputation was that of an outstanding character dancer, demi-caractere dancer and mime, who though danced in soft point (type) shoes in the Prologue of SB, possibly never danced on full point at any time in her long career.” Jan 28 2006, 04:05 PM

There was a reply questioning my statement. I then posted:

“When I wrote that "possibly never danced on point" it was an unanswered question, not an assertion. Marie Petipa was already nearly 33 years of age and was of a full figured stature in 1890, as a photograph of her in the Prologue costume shows (Compare Lubov Egorova photographed in same costume design). There are two extant notated versions of the Lilac Fairy variation the first marked M.Petipa according to Wiley is technically less demanding, "Marie's choreography is based on the plainest of floor plans and requires very little pointe work......" By the time the 'Sergeyev' notation of her (supposed) version was recorded, Marie Petipa was 46 years of age, very plump in the body and had not danced the Lilac Fairy for a good number of years. Is it possible that she collaborated with Sergeyev given her fathers antipathy towards the Stepanov notation? It has been stated that Petipa re-choreographed his own variations for particular dancers, did this happen when other dancers succeeded to the role of the Lilac Fairy? Perhaps Doug Fullington who knows the Sergeyev notation well, could at some time give an indication how clearly demi-pointe work is shown compared to full pointe work? Is the Marie version in Sergeyev's hand, as Mr. Fullington's earlier writing on the Kirov reconstruction talks about a ' scribe ', rather than directly crediting N.Sergeyev notating the Fairy variations? “ Jan 29 2006, 04:24 AM

It was later suggested that there were extant photographs of Marie Petipa in pointe shoes. There are photographs of Marie Petipa in the Lilac Fairy costume without heeled shoes but I defy anyone to prove that her shoes which to my eyes look soft were suitable for dancing en pointe. It was not her forte. Not all secondary roles in ballets by Petipa were set to be danced on full point. Solor in a reply made a point when he posted, “I have seen many photos of Mare Petipa in her Prologue Lilac Fairy costume wearing pointe shoes. Whether she was Marius' daughter or not, I don’t think he would’ve cast her in a role where she would have to dance a formal Pas de Six on half toe.” Feb 12 2006, 03:27 PM

The Lilac Fairy as the deus ex machina of the ballet has to be set apart from all other characterisations on the stage to emphasis her power. What also has to be taken into account was the noted

expressiveness of Marie Petipa’s portrayals, her status with the Imperial audience and of course her status as her father’s daughter.

Doug Fullington wrote, “There are arguments both ways about Marie Petipa. Did she or did she not dance on pointe - in Beauty or ever? We have photos of her in pointe shoes, we have notations (more than one) of dances containing pointe work that have her name on them, we have written history that states she was only a character dancer.” Feb 12 2006, 06:13 PM

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I would be very excited to see Obratzsova as Aurora, although I might have to see Lopatkina if she indeed decides to perform in DC.

I doubt Lopatkina would dance Aurora. Several years ago, she danced Lilac Fairy with Vishneva dancing Aurora.

A wish to come true - Obraztsova as Aurora & Lopatkina as Fairy, and Shklyarov as Prince ;-)) one can wish ;-))

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Lopatkina dances only Lilac Fairy in this production, as indeed she'll do again in London (see my earlier post). Whoever dances Aurora in DC, you can BET that Lopatkina will be the first-night Lilac, absolutely-positively guaranteed, if she is healthy and traveling in January 2010.

On the other hand, Lopatkina *did* dance Aurora in the Act III grand pdd for a recent gala in Moscow & possibly elsewhere. It is up on YouTube, somewhere. So we know that she dances a portion of the Aurora role.

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On the other hand, Lopatkina *did* dance Aurora in the Act III grand pdd for a recent gala in Moscow & possibly elsewhere. It is up on YouTube, somewhere. So we know that she dances a portion of the Aurora role.

She also did the Rose Adagio in a gala last year, which is on youtube as well.

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