104 replies to this topic

[Natalia]

Hallberg and Osipova are just fine. They danced a wonderful GISELLE last week and many in the audience remarked about the genuine feeling of friendship (palpable charisma) between the two. Perhaps Vasiliev was also hoping for similar opportunities in the danseur-noble rep...and those opportunities are now diminished not only by the hiring of Hallberg but also the tall princely Simon Chudin from the Stanislavsky?

[Natalia]

Right now there seems to be a 'bad feeling' in Moscow for what is perceived to be Tsikaridze's 'stirring of the pot' (such as comments in press about the remodeled Bolshoi looking like a Turkish parlour).

As for O&V - I am guessing that there's more to the present story. Their ultimate goal is probably 'permanent' status somewhere other than the Mik and Nacho Duato.

[ksk04]

WOW.

Osipova has said on her FB it's because of "lack of repertoire." Compared to the Mikhailovsky, the Bolshoi looks like a veritable feast of rep. I guess she means personal repertoire, but the Bolshoi has many ballerinas to take care of.

I too am guessing it has to do with more freedom to guest, but also the fact that they are young and want to dance everything whether it's appropriate or not; the Bolshoi has just started to let Alexandrova do a bigger rep outside of her emploi as she has grown as an artist...I'm guessing Osipova would be allowed to eventually as well (and Vasiliev) once some of their rawness is tamped down.

EDIT:
Here is her FB statement:

Quote

For me, a native Muscovite, the decision to move to The Mikhailovsky - Is a very serious step. The main reason why I'm leaving the Bolshoi Theatre - is the lack of repertoire: everything that you could dance, I danced. We are going for creative freedom. Life has become too comfortable for me, I feel a great need for change and desire for artistic expression. I hope you understand and have a beautiful day!

[abatt]

http://artsbeat.blog... osipova&st=cse

Apparently, Osipova believed that she would be dancing Esmeralda on the HD Broadcast when she gave this interview in March 2011. Of course, the HD went to Alexandrova.

[Natalia]

It's a fair accompli, as per the Mikhahilovsky's home page:

http://www.mikhailovsky.ru/

Their official debut as Prima Ballerina and Premier Danseur of the company will be December 1, 2011, as part of the Mikhailovsky Prix gala (yet another gala....). http://www.mikhailov...ha/?action=next

Related to this, I see that the premiere of Duato's Sleeping Beauty has been moved up to December 16, 2011 (originally announced for February 2012). No castings yet.

[Mme. Hermine]

abatt, on 14 November 2011 - 08:32 AM, said:

Cygnet, on 14 November 2011 - 07:35 AM, said:

In contrast Vasiliev hasn't been given very many opportunities to be the Prince at the Bolshoi.

Vasiliev is dancing his first Solor at ABT this Spring, I believe.

According to this, that happened in 2009:

[abatt]

Oops. Thanks for the correction.  I thought he had only done Golden Idol.

[canbelto]

Wow, things do move quickly. Good luck to Natasha and Ivan, I guess.

[Helene]

According to to today's Link from AFP calling the possibly the Bolshoi's two greatest attractions, I think Maria Alexandrova has something to say about that every time she sets foot on a stage ;)

I hope Osipova and Vasiliev get everything they're looking for from this move. They are great dancers, and they have a great future in front if them.

[Helene]

Natalia, on 14 November 2011 - 09:24 AM, said:

Hallberg and Osipova are just fine. They danced a wonderful GISELLE last week and many in the audience remarked about the genuine feeling of friendship (palpable charisma) between the two.

I wasn't asking personally:  I was asking the question professionally, since the two have a wonderful partnership, and that will be gone from the Bolshoi stage, at least the way it appears now.

[Amy Reusch]

Regarding Petipa and Duato, may I point out that Petipa is dead and not likely to create any new works on either Osipova or Vasiliev?  

Duato has the advantage over Petipa there....


Artistic opportunity was a very real reason for Baryshnikov's defection, and he left almost the same repertoire...

[Helene]

Duato tends to choreography group dances, not showpieces for soloists, regardless of how they might rank the two as choreographers.

[Cordelia]

Good for them, they are already established stars so why not try to do something else that interests them.  Take ballet out of the equation, it's normal for young professionals to attempt new endeavors not just climb career ladders.  Taking risks and having lofty goals are to be expected if you are halfway intelligent or ambitious.  Although, I wonder how much of a couple decision this is, because this may benefit one more than the other.  So maybe one is sacrificing more in the long run career-wise.  Hallberg can still dance with Osipova at ABT.

[Drew]

I am very wary of this move--I've seen the Mikhailovsky, though pre Duato, and . . . seriously??--but of course I hope for the best for these two extraordinary artists.

Personally I enjoy seeing the greatest dancers in the greatest contexts. If the reports on this board are anything to go by, then Osipova's Swanilda, though excellent at ABT, did not have the same kind of impact it had with the Bolshoi, at least as seen in London. I say this not only because of my own enthusiasm for her two London Swanilda performances, but because of the uniform and, in my opinion, justified ecstasy of the London critics. (Though I enjoyed her so much in the role I can't resist noting that Robert Gottlieb described even her ABT Swanilda as being as satisfying as any Swanilda he had seen and he included Mcbride and Makarova.)

I am also disappointed at the thought of how this must impact the development of a Hallberg-Osipova partnership. ABT does not cast Osipova and Hallberg that much together, and I had high hopes for their developing their partnership at the Bolshoi. Their partnership seems to me (based on the two performances I have seen) of major artistic caliber, truly inspiring to both artists, and arguably taking Hallberg to heights as a performer that he had not reached before, certainly that I had not seen in him.

All in all, I'm a little discombobulated by the news...

[canbelto]

Here's an interview, translated from Russian:

http://translate.goo...2011/11/14/149/