15 replies to this topic

[Cygnet]

Kondaurova has won Ballet Magazine's 2011 Spirit of Dance "Star" award.  Congratulations Katya!   
http://www.mariinsky.../12_229october/

[Helene]

Congratulations, Ms. Kondaurova

[Natalia]

Fantastic news, Cygnet. 'BRAVA' to our Big Red Beauty. So when on earth will Kondaurova (and Obraztsova-Bolshoi Guest Principal...and Novikova-La Scala Guest Principal/Raymonda) make Principal? It's now become downright ridiculous for the 'interim' artistic director of the ballet troupe.

[Natalia]

Ladies and Gentlemen, voila Kondaurova's glorious debut as Raymonda, last night (5 December 2012):



This YouTube poster has uploaded several other clips. Just click on the Cyrillic-Russian title of the clip to take you to the poster 'rafzak's' channel and the other clips.

While Kondaurova isn't yet in Novikova's technical league -- notice the simple same-position hops on point instead of entrechats or even changements -- her aristocratic air and large-scaled movements are gorgeous, IMO.

Enjoy!!!

[Helene]

Many thanks for the link, Natalia, and the clues to find more.

Here's the scarf dance:



and

[Cygnet]

Thank you Natalia!  Katya is a heroic Raymonda; and she is absolutely gorgeous!  Brava Katya !

[Drew]

Thank you Natalia and Helene for posting these clips...

[Natalia]

I wonder if Petita & Glazunov created the ballet Raymonda for this very moment, by this very dancer? Behold the Red Tsarina!



To the Manor Born.

[cubanmiamiboy]

Ah...so regal our Big Red...! (This is BALLET for me, people... )

[Birdsall]

She is very regal. I suspected she would be best in the final variation.

[cubanmiamiboy]

Koundarova is indeed beautiful, although I must confess I have a weakness for two interpreters here...the F I E R C E offering of ice princess Pointois and the wonderful, tragic-(and soooo R E G A L too)-abandon of QUEEN Mme. Bessmertnova.  Those are two "clapping variations" for the history.  Eyes, head positions and neck tilts are so different on both, and convey such different aspects of their characterization, which I find really fasinating.

[pherank]

Natalia, on 09 December 2012 - 05:26 AM, said:

I wonder if Petita & Glazunov created the ballet Raymonda for this very moment, by this very dancer? Behold the Red Tsarina!

To the Manor Born.

I rather like Big Red's version - it has a different feel from the usual Raymonda approach, and it's nice to seem something different (especially when it works!).

I think what has impressed me most about Big Red is her versatility - unlike many of her fellow Mariinsky compatriots, she dances neo-classical and modern ballet increasingly well, and BELIEVABLY. And I don't think I'm the only one who feels that way:

"Irina Golub and Vladimir Shklyarov are fine dancers, but their tricky, central pas de deux looked under-rehearsed, and they compensated with a cartoonish excess of sluttiness and bounce. Underlying Rubies' sexy Broadway pizazz is a vein of menace, insinuation and mockery; the only dancer to grasp this was Ekaterina Kondaurova, giving one of the performances of her career as a vamp with a hypnotic edge of hauteur."
The Mariinsky: Homage to Balanchine
-- Judith Mackrell

"But still, what sexy, electrifying dancing from both of them – and, yet more so, from Ekaterina Kondaurova as the lofty ice-maiden who appears to vie for his affection. She repeatedly bent her perfect line (that back! that neck!) into the most fantastically provocative shapes, and moved with the speed of a performer half her height."
The Mariinsky Ballet's Homage to Balanchine at Covent Garden
--Mark Monahan

"Later, in Black Swan, Ekaterina Kondaurova sizzled with dramatic fire and her dancing was on the grandest scale; she and Marcelo Gomes (at his most charismatic) had the chemistry going full-blast."
YAGP Makarova Gala 2012
--Oberon's Grove

"Kondaurova made a wonderful Lilac, benevolent and gracious but also very much in control.  Its hard to describe her dancing, the extensions were all as smooth as they were high and her upper body was luscious, just one stream of continuous flowing motion. She belongs to my own personal trinity of Lilacs – Lopatkina, Kondaurova and Mearns."
Mariinsky SLEEPING BEAUTY at Covent Garden
--Oberon's Grove

"The centerpiece of the performance was Ekaterina Kondaurova in the title role. Dressed in a bright red tutu, she created one fascinating moment after another. With her beguiling and animated stage presence, Kondaurova was her own spectacular show, dancing with a trademark precision, intensity, and ardor. Watching her darting across the stage was a blissful thrill. She captured the essence of her role – a bold and free spirit, inspiring and energizing the entire cast."
Mariinsky Ballet – Chopiniana, The Firebird, Scheherazade – Washington
--Oksana Khadarina


Kondaurova as Myrtha:


Middle Duet:


Carmen:


Nutcracker Arabian Dance:


Very interesting comment from a video poster:

"Coinciding with Ekaterina Kondaurova's debut as Titania in George Balanchine's Midsummer Night's Dream, the Mariinsky Theatre website disclosed that Kondaurova has been promoted to principal ballerina status, several hours before her debut in one of Balanchine's rare full length ballets. Talking about Balanchine ballets, if not for the New York Gestapo, known as the [you can guess], this video would have shown Kondaurova in Rubies from Jewels, the slow second movement from Symphony in C and the lovely leading role in Serenade."

So far, Big Red is the only Mariinsky dancer who strikes me as 'getting' Balanchine - at least to some degree. Too bad she most likely will never be trained specifically in his techniques.

[Tiara]

Kondaurova brought her trademark ice-queen hauteur to her interpretation of Raymonda; I hope that in time she too will pull off the entrechats quatre en pointe sequence.  I love her as a ballerina, and there are some roles in which she is unsurpassed: for me she is the greatest Myrtha today.  I also love her in Rubies, Serenade, Anna Karenina and many other roles.   She has great versatility, as has been mentioned.  I enjoyed and applaud her Raymonda, for me Anastasia Kolegova's was the more outstanding debut, and for my taste both Novikova and Lopatkina are also better Raymondas.  But it was still a great debut!

[Natalia]

The same videographer who did the above Kondaurova clips has now posted Keenan Kampa's debut as Henriette and newcomer Zlata Yalinich's (ex-Eifman soloist) debut as Clemence, both in the Kolegova cast.

[Birdsall]

By the way, Kolegova who danced Raymonda on Dec. 6 after Kondaurova on Dec. 5 did do the entrechats in the diagonal that Natalia and probably everyone loves so much (Natalia pointed out that Novikova did them)! Just wanted to let people know. There is a YouTube video of it. I suspect Kondaurova was a more regal Raymonda, but Kolegova was probably a more girlish and overall more experienced Raymonda. Both are wonderful if you sample the videos!