Mikhailovsky Ballet in NYC - 2012

[Natalia]

The NYC tour was beginning to be discussed in the 2010 London tour thread:

http://balletalert.i...10/page__st__15

Now that we know that the Ardani-sponsored tour is set to happen in June 2012...and with the news that Osipova & Vasiliev have now joined that troupe, it's time for the NYC tour to have its own thread.

Ardani webpage on the tour: http://www.ardani.com/tours-mikhailovsky.php

To continue the earlier discussion:

The NYC tour will include Duato's new (Dec 2011) version of Sleeping Beauty, a Duato Triple Bill + a traditional Giselle (2007-Dolgushin). We will know more about the Beauty after the Dec 16 premiere in St P but, for now, I am sincerely wondering if anybody is aware of any work by Duato that employs pointe shoes on the ladies?

My own 'live' viewing of several Duato works in NDT, Compania Nacional de la Danza, Washington Ballet and PNB, has yielded no pointe-shoe works or anything remotely classical in style. The production values (costumes and usually-simple 'set,' if any) have been on the economical side. I'd like to know if anybody on this forum has ever seen Duato work that looks remotely classical -- with pointe shoes, if not tutus-tiaras -- with 'deluxe' production values.

Some of the costumes sketches for the new Beauty look somewhat 'deluxe,' and one of the sketches of a female fairy seems to hint at pointe work, so there may be hope:

http://www.mikhailov...11-12-16&sh=923

If, in fact, the Beauty turns out to be typical Duato, totally devoid of the Petipa set-pieces, such as Rose Adagio, and -- heaven forbid! -- danced with soft slippers or bare feet, then it would be rather deceptive of the tour's promoters to charge $100+ bucks a ticket to unsuspecting public that is lured by the promise of a classical show with known classical stars like Osipova. It could be a case of "Buyer Beware," in other words. [it would be similar to somebody paying for a ticket to see Vishneva as we used to know her...and seeing her dancing with bare feet only, with minimal sets. Yet paying the high ticket price that we pay for the sort of spectacle that she used to dance.]

[abatt]

Is the tour going to any other destinations in addition to NYC/Koch Theater? I'm trying to discern to what extent the announced ABT dates for O/V's appearances may now be fiction due to conflicting obligations to the Mikhailovsky. I also think it's crazy for the MIkhailovsky to allow Osipova to perform Giselle in mid May with ABT at the Met, and then have her do the same role with the Mikhailovsky a few weeks later across the plaza. The audience base will be diluted/diminished.

[California]

I'm not finding casting anywhere for that Giselle with Mikhailovky. It's not on the Koch site:

http://www.davidhkoc...moreinfoMB.html

Nor is it on the Mikhailovsky site, at least not that I can find:

http://ardani.com/to...ikhailovsky.php

What am I missing?

[abatt]

I think it's fair to presume that Mikhailovsky's new big star, Ms. Osipova, will be featured in the Giselle that they are bringing to the Koch theater in June. What was the point of hiring such a high profile dancer if not to use her on high profile engagements? YOu are right, however, that no official casting has been announced yet regarding the tour.

[Natalia]

The two GISELLEs presented by this company in London-2010 were both led by Irina Perren. There were two Albrechts: Denis Matvienko (now with Mariinsky, last time I checked) and Artyom Pukhachev. I'm assuming that at least one of the Lincoln Center Giselles will be led by Perren, who remains one of the troupe's principal ballerinas.