Jump to content
This Site Uses Cookies. If You Want to Disable Cookies, Please See Your Browser Documentation. ×

Leonid Sarafanov - Swan Lake in Vancouver


Zachary

Recommended Posts

I have recently purchased tickets to the Mikhailovsky Ballet's 'Swan Lake' in Vancouver on June 13th - starring Leonid Sarafanov and I'm not sure who as Odette/Odile. I'm hoping Borchenko or maybe Novikova but I'm sure Novikova will be busy at Mariinsky during that time. I keep dreaming and hoping it's Novikova though - recent(ish) videos of her Swan Lake on YouTube from balletarchiv show a very promising Odette/Odile and a promising actress in Novikova as well. Is anyone else attending this performance/any date in this run of shows?

Link to comment
Guest vansnow11

Mikhailovsky Theatre website has announced the leading roles of Canada tour. O/O: Oksana Bondareva and Irina Kosheleva; Siegfried: Leonid Sarafanov and Victor Lebedev. (Russian page)

Link to comment

I'm sorry to get back to you so late Helene! I didn't see any casting online but now that I have the program I can tell you (sorry again for not seeing this earlier, I was away from a computer etc for a few days.) :

June 13th:

Prince Siegfried: Leonid Sarafanov ; Odette/Odile: Oksana Bondareva; Pas de trois: Ekaterina Krasyuk, Viktor Lebedev and Valeria Zapasnikova; Jester: Denis Tolmachov; Big swans: Valeria Zapasnikova, Irina Kosheleva, Astkhik Ogannesian. Cygnets: Ekaterina Khomenko, Anna Kuligina, Veronika Ignatyeva and Marina Nikolayeva.

That was the performance I saw and it was really really wonderful, and after getting to meet Leonid Sarafanov backstage afterwards I can say he is a very kind person... really good English as well. It was a truly heavenly experience for me as he is my favourite dancer! Oksana Bondareva will dance Odette/Odile for every evening performance (13th, 14th, 15th and 16th) and Irina Kosheleva will dance O/O for the June 16th matinee. Viktor Lebedev also performed Prince Siegfried on June 14th, June 15th and June 16th matinee with Sarafanov only dancing again on June 16th evening.

Link to comment

Thank you so much, Zachary! I'm glad you had a wonderful time -- it's always serendipity when schedule and casting = favorite dancers. I had classes Wednesday night and last night, and will try to see it this weekend.

That's a lot of dancing for Bondareva in this run!

Link to comment

How was Viktor Lebedev (in any role)? He was the 'top guy' at the Vaganova Academy 2010 graduation performances who surprised everyone by going to the MIk instead of the Mariinsky. (While at the Vaganova, Lebedev was often paired with Olga Smirnova, who graduated one year later...and went straight to a Bolshoi soloist position.)

Link to comment

Yes I know all about Lebedev and Smirnova as I have been watching them for a couple years now. Viktor was great, I saw him in the pas de trois from act 1. His tours were gorgeous, soft plie, etc... really a joy to watch. Also performing the pas de trois was recent Vaganova graduate Valeria Zapasnikova (I also believe Ekaterina Krasyuk graduated in 2009 or something, from Vaganova, she was the other pas de trois girl). Zapasnikova stood out from the other big swans and princesses with her beautiful port de bras, footwork and musicality. Sarafanov and Bondareva were excellent! Olga Smirnova is one of my favourite dancers right now, I love all the roles she is getting and I'm dying to see her live, maybe one day...

Link to comment
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...