44 replies to this topic

[ksk04]

Disappointing, but understandable. I will miss seeing her quite a bit.

[ksk04]

Well the crowd clearly loved Osipova and Vasiliev last night, I have never seen so much clapping and bravo'ing.  Of course, they are technical whiz kids - they have power to burn and have great chemistry together, but after watching a full ballet with them (I've only seen them live in gala setting) I find myself liking Osipova a lot less.  She is engaging and quite exciting on stage and a lot of what she does is truly a marvel but I find some of her characterization too broad and her feet and legs are often quite ugly, left as an afterthought to whatever trick she is trying to pull off.  While this is all fine in Don Quixote (let's be honest not the most serious of ballets), I don't think I would want to see her Aurora or Odette, for example. So though the show was a fun ride, truly worth seeing (I dropped my mouth in awe more than a few times as Vasiliev's huge jumps), I am not sure I am fond of so much spectacle in my classical ballet.


Hats off to Kristina Karaseva as Mercedes who did some of the most beautiful, melting back bends in her tavern scene dance. And I hope Anna Nikulina warms up a bit as the Queen of the Dryads, since she is scheduled to perform in this role at every show during the run (a feat in itself I'm sure). She was most definitely upstaged in the Dream Scene by Nina Kaptsova as Cupid, who was infinitely more relaxed and exuded warmth.

[GianninaM]

Oh, I'm so glad someone finally wrote a review of last night's DQ, and even happier than s/he echoed my feelings.  With that ditzy crowd going bananas every time someone did something other than walk I thought I was the only one there who did not like it.  I agree about Osipova.  I saw her in Moscow a few years ago and thought she was wonderful.  Couldn't wait to see her again.  And though she jumps like nobody's business there's something about her feet and legs. The term "sickle" comes to mind but I've never heard of a sickled leg.  Like ksk04 I like classical ballet and this was more of a circus act.  Too bad since there was tons of talent there.

Giannina

[California]

The OC Register review of opening night has been posted:

http://www.ocregiste...a-vasiliev.html

[annamicro]

Osipova was great in La Scala earlier this month, with a great success. I've already seen her dancing Don Quixote a few times and I thought she was even better than in the past, especially as Dulcinea (very delicate), and her tricks never appeared as forced or pointless, but really connected to an exuberant Kitri.
She was dancing in a very spontaneous way and that was really appreciated by the audience (without going bananas   ). I'm sorry it was not the same in your show, but maybe she is a little tired now: here in Milan she danced Don Quixote (Nuereyev version: Osipova was quite precise with the choreography, not the same for her partner, who danced a personal version mixing up stuff) on the 13th, 16th, 18th and 19th and maybe she is a little bit tired now.

I thought she was badly paired with a very bland Sarafanov (depending on the day more or less excellent as usual in his solos, not that much as a partner and quite invisible, as usual I'm afraid, as a character: he has some absolutely amazing qualities, but they are definitely not enough to make him interesting  for me in a full length ballet). Maybe sometimes Osipova can be badly paired with Vasiliev too, because they often tend to exaggerate a little bit too much and transform it in a circus show... but they are amazing and very exciting and communicative, so usually their exaggerations work in Don Quixote, at least for me.

Here is a comment (in Italian) about Osipova's Don Quixote in La Scala:

http://delteatro.it/...-chisciotte.php

[ksk04]

Just back from tonight's show. I give complete credit to both Ryzkhina and Lobukhin for putting on a great show despite the last minute casting changes, and in the middle of it I remembered how nervous Lobukhin must be as this has to be his first show with the Bolshoi since the switch! They each had a falter or two in the first act and we lost Marianna for a bit in a duel with the scrim in the second, but they definitely pulled through and gave a great show. Ryzhkina is a very, very different ballerina than Osipova - for one she is probably at least 15 yrs her senior - much more lyrical with one of the most beautiful arabesques I've seen, she shined in the Dream Scene. She is also the queen of the props, deploying more throughout the ballet than I thought were possible (castanets galore, a tambourine, fans in both her third act variation and for her fouettes). I hate to use it as a qualifier, but for her age she is in fine form - nice high light jumps and beautiful balances - she really went for the fouettes too, which I wasn't expecting, throwing in doubles with fan action.

Lobukhin was not at the level of dancing that I saw him at last year when he partnered Vishneva in DQ, though I will chalk that up to nerves and I would expect them both to get more comfortable over the next two shows this week. He still gives one of the best faux suicide scenes around. Aside from a weird lift in the first act, he seemed to partner her quite well - she really threw herself at him and they did some interesting variations on the overhead lifts that I know are trickier to pull off, especially with someone you just started dancing with.

If the casting held as in the program, Anna Leonova was a superb street dancer, I would love to see her Kitri.


And now I can hopefully retire Don Quixote for a season, though with how well the run sold I wouldn't be surprised if we get stuck with it for a third year in the row.

[California]

The LA Times review, posted on-line Thursday, made it into the home print edition Friday. Small color photo on the front page of the Calendar [entertainment] section, with prominent placement of the review and three B&W photos on p. 3.

http://latimesblogs....rts-center.html

[kitcat]

My daughter and I attended last night's show and thought it was quite good.  The audience loved it.  I loved the costumes with subdued oranges, yellows and reds...sunset colors.  Really beautiful.  The backbends were astounding and Ryzkhina's fouettes while opening and closing the fan during the doubles thrilled my daughter.  One of the first lifts ended in a missed leg in "the fish" and a scenery drop ended up hitting Lobukhin (I believe that's who got hit) on the back with a loud crack as he tried to run underneath it while it was coming down and the dancers were still dancing .  I was glad to see him appear him again later on with no apparent injuries.

"If the casting held as in the program, Anna Leonova was a superb street dancer, I would love to see her Kitri."  If this was the dancer wearing black, she was outstanding.  I really enjoyed her performance.

[GianninaM]

The LATimes mentioned a flubbed catch and an ensuing snit in the 3rd act.  I saw a flub, not in a lift but in a move in which Vasliev balances Osipova on his hip using no hands (don't know the balletic name); he tottered a couple of steps before gaining control.  I missed the snit altogether but then I was in the 3rd Tier with opera glasses.  Dang; nothing like a snit!

I'm going again Saturday night; 1st Tier this time.  Casting is posted on the handout but it's iffy at best.  

Giannina

[pj]

I saw the show Thursday night as well.  I totally, 100% agree about Anna Leonova!!!  She had a very arresting stage presence. (and for the record, it WAS her; I was sitting near her dad in the audience and met her after the performance)  I really liked Lobukhin's expressiveness and energy, but did not care for the chemistry between him (mostly non-existent, IMO) and Ryzkhina.  She was her best in her wedding variation, but for the most part, she didn't do it for me as Kitri.  Ksenia Kern was a very light and airy cupid and I really liked the queen of the dryads in the dream scene, better than Kitri.  The queen of the dryads had especially expressive arms,   The character dancing was simply amazing throughout -- the Bolshoi is so good at this.

[ksk04]

GianninaM, on Feb 26 2010, 10:33 AM, said:

The LATimes mentioned a flubbed catch and an ensuing snit in the 3rd act.  I saw a flub, not in a lift but in a move in which Vasliev balances Osipova on his hip using no hands (don't know the balletic name); he tottered a couple of steps before gaining control.  I missed the snit altogether but then I was in the 3rd Tier with opera glasses.  Dang; nothing like a snit!

Yes I saw that too, I think the writer got confused because it was coming down from the press lift into the fish. I didn't see the snit either or whatever snarling was supposed to be happening and I was in the front of Tier 2. I even thought Vasiliev kissed her cheek after her put her down as an apology and they went on their way.

pj, on Feb 26 2010, 10:59 AM, said:

I really liked Lobukhin's expressiveness and energy, but did not care for the chemistry between him (mostly non-existent, IMO) and Ryzkhina.

I agree, they seemed to be concentrating on getting through the partnering rather than emoting together. However they probably had a max of a two days or so rehearse together and it's not like they've had an opportunity to dance together before to know each other styles as Lobukhin just switched to the Bolshoi.

[GianninaM]

What a difference 3 days make.  Wed. it was Osipova and Vasiliev and I came home unhappy.  Tonight it was Ryzkhina and Lobukhin; they were less frenzied and thus so was I.  I realized that on Wed. I never did relax, probably because of the pyrotechnics on stage.  Yes, it was spectacular but exhausting, as was all the whooping and clapping.  Both Ryzkhina and Lobukhin almost "fall down go boom" at the end of their 3rd Act fouettes/pirouettes but after such an enjoyable evening I'll forgive them.

Giannina

[wanderer1]

Just came back from the Sun Martinee.  Wow, the kids did not show any sign of exhaustion after 3 shows.  They really brought down the house and audience returned back with stand ovations.  Some moments I was thinking sitting in a Cirque du Soleil performance.  

This is my 1st time at OCPAC.  The stage might be the same size as Berkeley stage, however the stage is quiet!  To me the technique of osipova and vasiliev are brilliant except lacking the arm expression of Osipova.  I preferred the character of Don Quixote by Kirov dancer which to me had a dreamy nature, out of the world feeling.   The costumes of some dancers were quite bland.  These two kids possess charisma and a vibe that Kirov and other dancers do not have, and they like to have fun on the stage.  Wish them have a good vocation and come back with more!

[Andre Yew]

I saw the Sunday show too, and it was phenomenal --- it's what a classical company and ballet should look like.  Osipova and Vasiliev are fantastic, especially the way Osipova can light up the stage.  Never mind their ridiculous technique:  the way they take the stage is pretty rare.  There were lots of cool tricks too: triple tour, triple saut de basque, and the act 1 one-armed lift had Vasiliev go up in arabesque demi-pointe once he had Osipova up there.

They could be more refined (I agree about the arms, and a few other quibbles), but they are so young, and have so much talent, I can't even imagine what they could look like in a few years.

The various soloists (sorry, I don't have their names) were all very good, and one or two were exceptional (the street dancer and Mercedes), but sometimes I felt sorry for them as they seemed almost a letdown after O/V left the stage.

--Andre

[kitcat]

Here's a clip from the opening night performance with Osipova/Vasiliev on the site www.dancechanneltv.com if anyone is interested in seeing some of the clips of an apparently phenomenal performance.

http://www.dancechan...v=ag4l2DQgslFkU