119 replies to this topic

[Natalia]

The big tour opened last night in Costa Mesa, CA, with Skorik and Shklyarov in Swan Lake! How did it go?

[Natalia]

As we await reports, the Segerstrom web has uploaded last night's preview chat by Yuri Fateev, interviewed by Elizabeth Kaye:

http://www.scfta.org...D=1307&NavID=82  (link to stream on this page)

Enjoy!

[ksk04]

I don't have much time to write right now, but since I'm sure you are all wondering: no she didn't make it through the fouettes.

Not even thinking about that though, she is not the dancer for me. I don't think I saw her facial expression change once throughout the evening, and there was zero chemistry between her and Shklyarov. The audience ate her up though....

[art076]

I was there last night!

The production and the company as a whole looked good - in the two lakeside scenes the female corps was fantastic.  I really feel that no other company in the world is dancing Swan Lake with the same purity and care that the Mariinsky does - it's a clean and simple Swan Lake, quibble as you like about the happy ending or the jester (easily ignorable in exchange for such sublime lakeside acts in my view).  Seeing all those white swans moving together with unity that comes from solid uniform training rather than boot-camp drilling is a joy.

Oksana Skorik was just fine in my opinion: she has the long legs and hyper flexibility that seem to be favored by current management, and she's lovely overall.  Strong supported pirouettes that go on forever and very beautiful lines.  The technical problems referenced on YouTube and discussed here seemed not to be noticeably present - she must have cleaned up a lot in the last few years (frankly Somova was much more concerning several years on in her career than where Skorik is now).  She did just seem a bit green in stage presence: she could be more dramatically engaged and present, but these qualities could come with time and experience.  The audience around me enjoyed her quite a bit, and truthfully she was beautiful, particularly in the lakeside scenes.  Only major technical flub was the fouettes, where she seemed to over turn halfway through and fell out.  However, she quickly restarted and finished fine.  A big flub yes, but she soldiered on and fixed it, and overall the rest of her performance was fine (in fact her Black Swan adage was strong as well).  So even if she wasn't an all-out superstar tonight, she was absolutely not the disaster discussed and predicted here.

Schkylarov was a good prince: his virtuoso tricks didn't flash but were impressive.  He was a strong partner for Skorik.  He does look very young, and it took a moment to adjust to not seeing a typical danseur noble here, but he was great anyway.

Maria Shirinkina, Alexey Popov, and Nadezhda Batoeva danced the pas de trois - liked Shirinkina a lot, she was bright and bubbly (she also danced one of the two swans in Act 4 again very brightly).  Popov and Batoeva were fine though perhaps a bit sluggish.  Alexsey Nedviga was an audience favorite as the jester.

Catching the Kondaurova/Korsuntsev cast tonight.  Seems like this will be the biggest-name pair for the SoCal run, looking forward.

[Helene]

**A gentle reminder that Links is where newspaper reviews and profession blogs live, and the company forums are for Ballet Alertniks' reviews.  (Critics' reviews can be discussed in the "Writings on Ballet" forum.)

Many thanks, art076, for your in-person impressions of the performance.  I'd love to hear about Kondaurova/Korsuntsev tonight.

[Tiara]

Helene, on 03 October 2012 - 11:22 AM, said:

**A gentle reminder that Links is where newspaper reviews and profession blogs live, and the company forums are for Ballet Alertniks' reviews.  (Critics' reviews can be discussed in the "Writings on Ballet" forum.)

Many thanks, art076, for your in-person impressions of the performance.  I'd love to hear about Kondaurova/Korsuntsev tonight.

I don't quite understand why we may not post links to reviews here?  Surely if people are discussing Mariinsky tours they will expect to see reviews of the tours here and may not find them if they are posted elsewhere?  It is a shame because there are a number of reviews already online, and it would be much easier imo if we could post links to them and discuss them here.  Anyway, although I did not myself go to this performance, a friend of mine did and told me that Oksana Skorik did indeed fail on the 32 fouettes, which are probably the iconic part of Odile, and also that her expressive qualities were very lacking and that there seemed to be no rapport between her and Shklyarov.  Since Odette/Odile is such a taxing role I really do not see how she is going to be able to improve over the run of performances.  If she had to be cast at all ahead of the many other more deserving ballerinas, then she should have been hidden away in a mid-week matinee performance, and not thrust into the limelight of opening night as a trail-blazer and star turn, which obviously she has failed to be.  How many chances does she have to get and fail on before Yuri Fateyev will realize that she is not deserving?  It just beggars belief...

[kbarber]

I think you've made your point re Oksana Skorik, Tiara.

[amiaow]

Conversely, all conversation regarding the performance that I have read today suggests that the audience loved it. Ultimately, that is what counts on the night. This hate campaign against Skorik is getting old very quickly.

[Helene]

[Admin beanie on]

How a board is organized is the prerogative of that board.  Refraining from discussing professional reviews in the company forums is clearly stated in our Rules & Policies, which every member agreed to when signing up, regardless of whether one actually read them before agreeing.

We are a discussion board.  In the company forums want to hear what our members think of performances they have seen.

The Links threads, which dirac puts a great deal of time and effort into six days a week, and Mme. Hermine does on Sundays, serves our purpose for news.

[Admin beanie off]

[Birdsall]

I am glad to hear all comments both pro and con......everyone should say what they want to say as long as it doesn't break one of the rules.

[Helene]

For anyone who is unclear about our policies, please go read them.

Discussing the discussion is off-limits, except by moderators, when we have to intervene.

[Tiara]

Helene, on 03 October 2012 - 03:37 PM, said:

[Admin beanie on]

How a board is organized is the prerogative of that board.  Refraining from discussing professional reviews in the company forums is clearly stated in our Rules & Policies, which every member agreed to when signing up, regardless of whether one actually read them before agreeing.

We are a discussion board.  In the company forums want to hear what our members think of performances they have seen.

The Links threads, which dirac puts a great deal of time and effort into six days a week, and Mme. Hermine does on Sundays, serves our purpose for news.

[Admin beanie off]

Thank you for explaining the policy on the placing and discussing of reviews, which I was not sure of.   Fortunately I have many performances that I have seen myself that I can discuss, and I do hold very strong views!    Despite being English, the  Mariinsky is my favourite company, and imo, the best company in the world, and I love to see it whenever I can, but ... some dancers more than others.

[Natalia]

amiaow, on 03 October 2012 - 02:07 PM, said:

Conversely, all conversation regarding the performance that I have read today suggests that the audience loved it. Ultimately, that is what counts on the night. This hate campaign against Skorik is getting old very quickly.

Not exactly, if you are a balletomane and very knowledgeable viewer, as are most who post here. Skorik seems to have failed in many respects on opening night -- that a 'soft reviewer' (not a Macaulay or Crisp) in a non-ballet city even points out the errors says something. Oksana got better as the Kennedy Center Chopiananas were presented last January so I suspect that she might improve with each of her three Swan Lakes. She tends to settle into a role. However, if I were Mariinsky Central Casting, I'd try to ensure that an opening night Odette-Odile would be someone beyond reproach...someone tried and true, as this will be the one reviewed. Just my 5-cents worth.

What surprises me is that most of the folks who saw the opening night were not 100% wowed by Schklyarov, as most used to be early-on in his career. I wonder if he has been slacking a bit? He is usually a spot-on type of performer.

I find it interesting that the Mariinsky's long-time 'jester of choice,' Grigory Popov, did not come on the tour but Alexei Nedviga seems to be a hit.

[kbarber]

Natalia, on 04 October 2012 - 05:29 AM, said:

I find it interesting that the Mariinsky's long-time 'jester of choice,' Grigory Popov, did not come on the tour but Alexei Nedviga seems to be a hit.

Grigory Popov is currently guesting with Ballet Jorgen in Canada (a small touring company), where he gets to dance Siegfried in their new Swan Lake.

[Natalia]

Unusual casting for Grigory Popov. Thanks for this info, Kbarber.