29 replies to this topic

[Natalia]

Related to the above notice, here is today's press release with details about the Festival:

http://www.mariinsky...liz_2011_04_09/

It notes the dancers who are being rehearsed for Millepied's  ballet, which, according to the release, was created for NYCB in 2008*:

The Russian premiere is being rehearsed by Maria Shirinkina and Vladimir Shklyarov, Denis and Anastasia Matvienko, Anastasia Nikitina and Anton Korsakov, Yana Selina and Igor Kolb, Olesya Novikova and Maxim Zyuzin and Daria Pavlenko and Andrei Yermakov.

* not in the NYCB repertoire, as per NYCB web; most likely created for Millepied's 'pick-up' company at the time

[Natalia]

Cygnet & Catherine, I now see that the Romeo & Juliet that had been sold out earlier when Lopatkina was scheduled to star, now has tickets available: http://www.mariinsky...ybill/playbill/

I'm not quite sure how that happens...if the Mariinsky accepts returns after purchases. Odd.

[Catherine]

Indeed, hard to tell from the press release, but I am guessing it will occur at some point as part of the press conference.

[abatt]

Millepied's "Without" was created for performance by his pick-up group in 2008.  It played at the Joyce Theater in Manhattan.  Here is a link to the review of the 2008 performance:

http://www.nytimes.c...nce/11mill.html

[Natalia]

abatt, on 11 April 2011 - 12:52 PM, said:

Millepied's "Without" was created for performance by his pick-up group in 2008.  It played at the Joyce Theater in Manhattan.  Here is a link to the review of the 2008 performance:

http://www.nytimes.c...nce/11mill.html

Thanks, abatt. The Mariinsky press office needs to correct this, don't they?

Another thing in the announcement about the webcast/press conference piqued my interest: Millepied will be participating in Wednesday's conference via SKYPE. I trust that he's been in St. Petersburg teaching the dancers in person and not via Skype, do you reckon? I am guessing that, like Preljocaj, Millepied probably sent a deputy to work with the dancers (in addition to seeing DVDs of past performances).

[Catherine]

I think (not sure but i believe) he may have been there in person at some point but may not currently be there for the "premiere" (since its not, for him, a premiere) or at least, he isn't there for the opening of the festival. Best guess.

[Natalia]

Thanks, Catherine. Your guess is as good as mine.

[Natalia]

Hoping that this link works...

Bouder/Matvienko DON Q photos here (as well as pics of some other perfs):
http://www.kommersan...84&l=1&stpid=21

[nysusan]

Natalia, on 21 April 2011 - 08:19 AM, said:

Hoping that this link works...

Bouder/Matvienko DON Q photos here (as well as pics of some other perfs):
http://www.kommersan...84&l=1&stpid=21

Fabulous photos, thanks Natalia!

BTW, Bouder posted on Twitter what a blast she had & that she'd love to dance Kitri again

And there are bonus photos of Hallberg & Kondaurova's Swan Lake! Those 2 look gorgeous together - double thanks Natalia!

[Catherine]

Bouder's performance, technically speaking, was faultless. I haven't seen an American dancer with technique this strong since the 80s. A colleague (RUssian critic) said she thought she danced Kitri too much like Swanilda. Perhaps, but again, I've never seen anyone attack a role and succeed on this stage, first time in, like Bouder did.

BTW Millipied only flew in on Wed or Thursday. He was here to rehearse before the premiere (readjusting for the bigger stage space here), but his assistants did the setting/rehearsal work until then. It was a full house (every night is now) and VERY well received.

Hallberg had all the regal bearing of a prince. Fateyev said that after his guest performance with the company set for London this July, he may be made Guest Artist. That would be a first for this company...as there are NEVER guest artists here, at least not permanently on roster.

[little-junkie]

Mariinsky Theatre Fackbook page posted this blog review today of Millipied's "Without" dress rehearsal:
http://drugoi.livejo...om/3539505.html

Great pictures!!

[Angelique]

little-junkie, on 21 April 2011 - 09:10 AM, said:

Mariinsky Theatre Fackbook page posted this blog review today of Millipied's "Without" dress rehearsal:
http://drugoi.livejo...om/3539505.html

These are most beautiful,  but more importantly quite insightful photos  which give us a glimpse into behind the scene world of Mariinsky.  Thank you, little-junkie, for finding this treasure.

[Buddy]

I was able to see almost all of the Mariinsky Festival.

(I arrived too late to see Diana Vishneva, but I would imagine that she was excellent.)

I do have a few summary thoughts.

Ekaterina Kondaurova in "Swan Lake" and "Le Parc" and Alina Somova in "Diamonds" still linger in my mind like a Wonderful Vision. They are both such statuesque beauties who take to the stage like breathes of life giving essence.

In the same manner some of the younger dancers, Daria Vasnetsova, Oksana Skorik and Maria Shirinkina were just lovely and brilliant. Among the young men I would also mention Alexei Timofeyev.

Alina Cojocaru may have been the hit of the Festival. No surprise. She has performed four different full length Mariinsky classics at the Festival before. This year for her second Festival appearance as Giselle she was just mind boggling !  Her theatrical and dancing prowess merged magnificently. Do not miss her in NYC this year. Johan Kobborg was excellent as her constantly supportive and highly reliable partner, who has plenty of ability and character of his own.

Ulyana Lopatkina did not do a full length lead, but she was her usual state of the art self in "In The Night" and in a very interesting and beautiful Spanish theme work, "The Fragments From One Biography" by the legendary Vladimir Vasiliev. (I believe  that this is the same Vasiliev, but there is at least one other that I've heard of.)  

Viktoria Tereshkina was exceptional, as usual in "Sleeping Beauty," Tchaikovsky Pas De Deux" and "Le Parc."

"Le Parc" by Agelin Preljocaj I thought was a Masterpiece of dance juxtapositioning, changing of realities and dream state transcendence in response to the magnificent music of Mozart, as interpreted with wonderful sophistication by the Mariinsky dancers.

Yana Selina was everywhere, doing everything, almost every (maybe every) evening. She has to be one of the gems of the Mariinsky.

Anastasia Kolegova, who I have never seen before, was a beautiful surprise as the Lilac Fairy in "Sleeping Beauty."

Ashley Bouder (NYCB) has to be highly commended for what she was able to do in her debut of "Don Quixote," coming from the quite different dance world of George Balanchine. In Balanchine's "Tarantella" at the Gala, she showed exactly why New York so loves her.

David Hallberg (ABT) was charisma personified and he sailed through the air like a welcome springtime breeze.

Vladimir Ponomarev was his theatrically astounding self as Don Quixote and Capulet.

Anastasia Petushkova, who Natalia loves so much, was more animated and Wow inspiring than I've ever seen her as the Indian dancer in "La Bayadere." An amazing ball of high art  fireworks !

The Corps de Ballet dancers were as good as I've ever seen them. They were like an omnipresent 'guardian angel' that kept the entire Festival afloat at all times.

And there was so much more.

All in all this was one of the best Mariinsky Festival that I've attended.

A Festival of Heart Liftingly Beautiful Dreams Brought to Life.

[ksk04]

I saw this program pop up today--it gives a nice showing of the majority of the programs at the Festival. I think Hallberg's performance and Bouder's debut in Don Quixote especially probably interest a lot of people on here.



This video has clips from Le Parc (Vishneva, Kondaurova), Swan Lake (Kondaurova/Hallberg), Carmen (Valdes), Les Sylphide (Osmolkina, back from maternity leave!)



Bayadere (Marquez), Sleeping Beauty (Tereshkina), more Le Parc (Tereshkina), Don Quixote (Bouder, the facials really kill the entire thing)



Giselle (Cojocaru [looking real stiff unfortunately]/Kobborg), In the Night (Lopatkina, Somova), Millepied's thing, and other ballets I will not mention but are danced by Tereshkina, Bouder and Somova

[YID]

KSK, thank you so much, I enjoyed it SOOOOO much.