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Laurencia


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Yesterday, I was re-watching a video about Nureyev's life in which there was an interview with Natalia Dudinskaya. She mentioned Chaboukiani's ballet "Laurencia", in which she danced for the first time with the young Nureyev. I was curious about this ballet, is it still in some company's repertory? antoP.

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I don't know if it's still in repertory in Russia, but there is a movie of Dudinskaya and Chabukiani in Laurencia. I saw it years ago at a ballet film festival in D.C. Nureyev staged the pas de six from Laurencia for the Royal in the 1960s. I don't know anything else about its performance history in the West.

I'm afraid I don't remember much about the film; it was my first year in ballet. A story about a peasant uprising? Cruel landlords? Anyway, lots and lots of castanets and polka dot dresses and technical FIREWORKS!!!!! Chabukiani is one of the dancers I am very sorry I missed.

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There's a entry about it in Koegler's dictionary.

It says it is based on Lope de Vega's "The sheep well", and tells of the rising of the peasants of a village in Castille, "lead by Laurencia and her fiance Frondoso, they storm the palace of the Commander who tried to seduce Laurencia and kill him".

It also says that it was "frequently revived through the Eastern Bloc", and it mentions Nureyev's staging.

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I saw Laurencia in Perm, in 1995. A recent (within last couple of years) issue of BALET magazine mentioned a full-length production in Tblisi, Georgia. None of the St Petersburg troupes perform the ballet. Several excerpts from Laurencia Pas de Six are in the rep of Washington's Kirov Academy....saw some of them last month.

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A complete LAURENCIA was staged by Nina Ananiashvili's Georgian National Ballet in 2005. It remains in the rep, though I'm not sure when it was last performed. The production was restaged by Magalashvili, based on the Chaboukiani original, which had last been staged by the choreographer himself in 1979. More than 50% of the current production retains Chaboukiani's steps, and the rest is in his style. Wouldn't it be fantastic if the Georgian Ballet would someday tour with this treasure?

From the Georgian Ballet's own website:

http://www.opera.ge/eng/viewrepertoire.php...tion=singleview

The Mariinsky recently danced the famous Laurencia Pas de Six for its tour of Baden-Baden, this past December. I wonder why they do not dance this gem at home or tour it more often?

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My goodness! Although I've heard of Laurentia, I had no idea it was based on the Lope de Vega play, Fuente Ovejuna. Reading the synopsis that you've linked, Natalia, I am also astonished at how closely the story sticks to what I remember of the play, which is performed in Spain even today. I can certainly understand how this story, as Estelle says, was popular in the Eastern Bloc in the old days. It has an evil criminal from the ruling class, with a happy ending supplied by the People. Is this a theme that would resonate today in Putin's Russia?

Some of the early posts ont his thread refer to segments on video, and Natalia mentions having seen the ballet in 1995. Has anyone else seen it, either in the full version or the Pas de Six? What do you think?

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Yesterday, I was re-watching a video about Nureyev's life in which there was an interview with Natalia Dudinskaya. She mentioned Chaboukiani's ballet "Laurencia", in which she danced for the first time with the young Nureyev. I was curious about this ballet, is it still in some company's repertory? antoP.

Mr Nureyev is on film with Ninel Kurgapkina in Laurencia pas de six made in 1959 a year after he had made his debut inthe ballet with Dudinskaya. I believe there is also a later film also. He staged the pas de six from this ballet for the Royal Ballet in 1965 and performed in this with both Nadia Nerina and Scetlana Beriiosova. As an exhibition piece, created a minor sensation as it virtuosity was still quite knew to the Royal. Darcey Bussel perfomed in this in 1990.

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Leonid, does the Nureyev/Kurgapkina/Legat/Soloviov/Selyutsky et al film of the Laurencia Pas de Six include ALL of the variations? I've seen what exists on several compilations (not just the Glory of the Kirov version most familiar to Americans & Western Europeans). In none have I seen the variations for Pascualia, Jacinta and the two male friends of Frondoso. It would have been silly to have filmed only parts of the Pas de Six, though. I'd love to know if a complete version of that brilliant Pas de Six exists on film. If not, hey, here is another great opportunity for ABT to stage a showy classic for its gold-medalist corps and soloists! (hint hint)

A recent Georgian-TV documentary on Chaboukiani has perhaps the most footage of the group portions of the Pas de Six that I've ever seen, but minus the music. It is the longest bit of the famous silent movie of Dudinskaya & Chaboukiani on the stage of the Kirov Theater.

re. Perm - I am not sure if the full ballet remains in their rep. since 95. The most recent 'sighting' of the complete version is the one in Georgia.

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I performed the full grand pas de deux during my final year at KAB. Vladimir Djouloukhadze was my teacher who was Chaboukiani's student. So it was pretty cool being only one generation away from the source.

I have a "bootleg" one would say, of Zaklinsky performing the grand pas, but as far as a full version, I have yet to find one.

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Slightly off subject but I think that the photograph taken of Nureyev and Dudinskaya in Laurencia 1960 is the earliest taken of Nureyev 'in character'.

There are photographs of Rudolf Nureyev in full costume in "Le Corsaire" with Alla Sizova taken at their graduation performance in 1958.

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The State Ballet of Georgia recently uploaded a clip of its full production of Laurencia onto YouTube: Lali Kandelaki in the famous solo from A2. Lali is picture-perfect in this role, with her amazing technique and spitfire personna. Notice the very beautiful, realistic set and costumes. Now this is one full-length ballet rarity that must make it onto DVD. It would be a huge hit for the Georgian troupe.

Search: Laurencia Lali Kandelaki

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some time in the 1970s (?) anna-marie and david holmes staged at least the pas de six for dance theater of harlem.

Nice. Well, as Anna-Marie will be staging DON Q for the Wasington Ballet this fall (a great coup, IMO), perhaps the troupe could also retain her expertise for LAURENCIA PAS DE SIX? No harm in wishing.

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Ms. Holmes set some parts of Laurencia for my daughter's ballet school this year. :D

The students enjoyed working with her a great deal, and the performances I saw were lovely!

I hadn't ever heard of this ballet before; when I looked it up I saw that it was based on the play Fuente Ovejuna? Is this correct? I remember having to read this play many years ago when I was in University and studying in Spain.........

m2

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... I saw that it was based on the play Fuente Ovejuna? Is this correct? I remember having to read this play many years ago when I was in University and studying in Spain.........

I had to studied it too when I was in High school.

"Quien mato al Comendador...?! FuenteOvejuna, Senor!" :)

(Who killed the Comendador?! Fuenteovejuna Lord !)

Lope De Vega.

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This youtube posted by ditogam has English subtitles.

Chabukiani's Laurencia returned to stage ... rare shots from the premiere 1939

"Vakhtang Chabukiani's name may not be on everyone's lips in the west but, as a dancer of great power and virtuosity and the choreographer of Laurencia in 1939, he played a vital role in the development of ballet in the Soviet Union.

The Mikhailovsky Theatre presents the revival of Vakhtang Chabukiani's masterpiece Laurencia, based on the play Fuente Ovejuna by Lope de Vega. Chabukiani was one of the first to create a new choreographic language by means of his own particular blend of folk dance and classical ballet. Laurencia was premiered of 1939 at the Kirov Theatre.

Following the St Petersburg premiere of Laurencia in June 2010, London will be the first city to witness the historical revival of this famous ballet, after a forty year absence from the Russian stage, in a new full-length production created for the Mikhailovsky Ballet by Mikhail Messerer."

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