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Olga Smirnova


Zachary

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Hello everyone!

I didn't really do my research so I'm not 100% sure if this is the first topic completely dedicated to Olga Smirnova, extremely talented 2011 Vaganova grad of Kovaleva's class who is now first soloist at Bolshoi Theatre. Anyways, I was wondering if anyone knows about videos of her debut in 'La Fille du Pharaon', or 'The Pharaoh's Daughter' at Bolshoi Theatre recently; I have found pictures but I'm dying to see a video. I also want to hear other people's opinions on Smirnova and how quickly you all think she will reach principal status. She is personally one of my favourite ballerinas and for me is definitely a rising star of the Russian ballet, alongside fellow classmate Kristina Shapran who dances as a soloist at Stanislavsky Ballet.

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Ah, my bad. The pictures i found were from a rehearsal I think... so maybe she has not debuted yet, maybe that is on the 14th. Anyways, if we could all keep our eyes open maybe we can find the video as soon as it comes out. :) If there is to be one, that is...

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Ah, my bad. The pictures i found were from a rehearsal I think... so maybe she has not debuted yet, maybe that is on the 14th. Anyways, if we could all keep our eyes open maybe we can find the video as soon as it comes out. smile.png If there is to be one, that is...

FROM BOLSHOI THEATRE WEBSITE

Cast for tonight is:- (Plus BIOGRAPHY)

14 july 2012

Aspicia, the Pharaoh's daughter - Olga Smirnova

Lord Wilson, an Englishman, who turns into an Egyptian called Taor - Semyon Chudin

John Bull, his servant, who turns into an Egyptian called Passiphonte - Denis Medvedev

Ramze, Aspicia's Nubian slave = Anna Tikhomirova

A Fisherman = Vladislav Lantratov

The Fisherman's Wife - Anastasia Stashkevich

Pas d'action

Yan Godovsky

Alesya Gradova (Boyko)

Xenia Kern

Svetlana Pavlova

Maria Prorvich

Igor Tsvirko

Two Cavaliers - Karim Abdullin - Igor Khromushin

Rivers

First River – Guadalquivir Daria Khokhlova Second River – Congo Anna Okuneva Third River – Neva Maria Vinogradova

The Pharaoh - Andrei Sitnikov

The King of Nubia - Andrei Melanyin

The God of the River Nile - Georgy Geraskin

River Servants to the God of the River Nile -

Karim Abdullin

Yevgeny Golovin

Yegor Khromushin

Ivan Mikhalyov

Caryatids

Olga Kishnyova

Anastasia Meskova

Anna Rebetskaya

Victoria Yakusheva

The High Priest

Alexei Loparevich

Herald - Denis Savin

A Monkey - Alexander Pshenitsyn

Conductor

Pavel Klinichev

BIOGRAPHY OLGA SMIRNOVA

Born in St. Petersburg. In 2011 she graduated from the Academy of Russian Ballet (ARB) to them. AJ Vaganova (teacher Lyudmila Kovaleva) and was accepted into the Bolshoi Ballet.

teacher-coach was the actress Marina Kondratieff . Its successes were noted throughout the study repeatedly awarded various scholarships. Continuously participated in the tour ARB - performed at the academy in Japan, Britain, Italy, Lithuania, Hungary, Greece and Portugal. In 2004 took part in a joint concert of the ARB and the School of the Royal Ballet of Great Britain, held in London. He has an extensive repertoire. In particular, sang - Masha in the ballet "The Nutcracker" by Tchaikovsky (choreography by V. Vainonen), Queen of the waters in the movie "The bottom of the sea-ocean" (music by C. Puni, R. Drigo, B. Asafiev) from the ballet "The Little Horse -Horse "(choreography by Alexander Gorsky's version of Yu Boatmen) Seventh Waltz from the ballet" Les Sylphides "(choreography by Fokine), great classical music on the pa DF E Aubert (choreography by V. Gzovsky)," Thais " the music of Jules Massenet (choreography by R. Petit), etc. She put the number "Mazurka" to the music of Chopin (choreography by Vladimir Romanovsky).

Repertoire

2011

Prince of peers ("Swan Lake" in the second version by Yuri Grigorovich) the second variation in the Grand Pas ("Don Quixote" by Ludwig Minkus, choreography by Marius Petipa, Alexander Gorsky in Yuri Grigorovich) Myrtha ("Giselle" by A. Adam and choreography by Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa as amended by Yuri Grigorovich) maid of honor, Lilac Fairy ("Sleeping Beauty" by Tchaikovsky, choreography by Marius Petipa, in Yuri Grigorovich) Queen of the Dryads ("Don Quixote ") in 2012 Nikia ("La Bayadere" by Ludwig Minkus, choreography by Marius Petipa in the wording of Yuri Grigorovich production) The third odalis ka ("Corsair" by A. Adam, choreography by Marius Petipa, staging and new choreography by Alexei Ratmansky and Yuri Boatmen) the leading party in the "Diamonds" (participant premiere at the Bolshoi Theatre) with music by Tchaikovsky and "Emeralds" to music by Fauré (III and Part I of the ballet "Jewels") (choreography by George Balanchine), two jeeps ("Giselle" in version by Yuri Grigorovich) Duet («Dream of Dream» to music by Rachmaninov, directed by J. Elo)

Tour

In May 2011 participated in a gala concert of memory of Galina Ulanova of the series "Icons of Russian Ballet", held at London Coliseum Theatre - performed with a classmate S. Strelkov, "Melody" to music by Dvorak (choreography by A. Messerer) . In July 2011 participated in a gala concert of international ballet stars in the I International Competition of ballet and dance, held in Beijing (Great classical music on the pa D.F.E. Auber).

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Zachary,

I completely agree with you. Smirnova is a sublime young talent and strikingly mature for her age (I believe she is 19 or 20). I definitely foresee her becoming a principal within the next few years considering how meteoric her rise has been already. I saw some clips of her in Diamonds and Emeralds when the Bolshoi premiered Jewels, and even in just meager clips I instantly wanted to see more of her. There are also videos of her dancing Lilac Fairy to Evgenia Obraztsova's Aurora, and they are wonderful together. I loved that one of the coaches setting Jewels called Smirnova "a ballerina out of the past."

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At first I was a bit disappointed that she did not go to Mariinsky because I love so many of the dancers there, then I came to and realized that it was a much better decision for her to move to the Bolshoi. She is doing so well and now that Obraztsova is also there, and Kristina Shapran at Stanislavsky, she gives me a reason to make a visit to Moscow... :) I've been searching for videos of her Pharaoh's Daughter debut but no success so far. :(

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I just watched a clip of hers...her debut in the work of a certain choreographer who shall not be named. Her dancing is beautifully transparent -- that is, her technique is without reproach, clearing the view to the choreography and to details. I particularly appreciate her consistent turnout and use of wrists and hands to punctuate those gorgeous Vaganova arms. I'm hard pressed to think of many dancers with such steely technique and the artistry to put it to use. I've heard she's controversial, due to her age and rapid promotion, but mon dieu, what a loss for the Mariinsky.

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I have also heard that she is controversial; someone on YouTube has uploaded the full 'La Fille du Pharaon' with Smirnova as Aspicia and Semyon Chudin, a wonderful dancer, as Taor. I think their partnership is a very good one. I enjoy her Aspicia and I think it was a very strong debut and that she will be principal ballerina material very very soon, if she isn't already.

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..... I've heard she's controversial, due to her age and rapid promotion, but mon dieu, what a loss for the Mariinsky.

Rapid promotion due to age should not be controversial if the skills and beauty are extraordinary, as in the case of Smirnova (or Farrell, in the past, or Vishneva, recent past). Besides...Smirnova was almost 20 when she graduated the Vaganova, she had been held back for so long! She must be 22 by now.

Talent trumps everything and, with the exception of a couple of disgruntled members of the Bolshoi corps, I've hardly detected ANY bad feeling whatsoever about Smirnova's fast promotions. (Very, very different case with the rapid and IMO unjustified ascent of the Somovas and Skoriks at the MT...or the very latest 'project' of Fateev, which we will soon be discussing on separate thread, no doubt.)

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Lucky New Yorkers will be seeing Smirnova's US debut at the Stars of 21st-C gala very soon. Her partner in Diamonds, Chudin, will also be there...so maybe they might dance Diamonds pdd?

Another possibility: Apollo pdd, as Smirnova/Chudin will dance opening night of the ballet's premiere at the Bolshoi in two days' time? See very cool photo of opening cast (incl Smirnova) atop the Bolshoi Theater, next to the famous bronze statue of Apollo's chariot: http://www.bolshoi.r...cles/2012/2299/

(We cross-posted, abatt!)

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The Apollo pdd or the Diamond pdd would seem logical, but getting permission from the Balanchine Police might be problematic. I'm not sure that I've ever seen the main pdd from Apollo performed independently from the ballet in its entirety. For that reason, I suspect we might get something with fewer copyright hurdles. We'll see.

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Olga Smirnova was invited to dance La Bayadere, on Feb. 4, in Mariinsky!!!

Riddle me this: Why would/should Olga bother, given the current conditions in that theatre? Of course, this is another feather in Olga's cap to have the opportunity and privilege to dance on the Mariinsky stage (and HUGE congratulations to her yahoo.gifflowers.gif )!

However, IMO all of the benefits of the doubt have long since been exhausted. Given the current atmosphere in the Mariinsky, it seems to me to be a cynical move on The Management's part. Is it that they now want Smirnova's remarkable success at the Bolshoi to 'splash' on them, and give them CYA padding, when she was one of the two potential prima ballerinas (Kristina Shapran being the other at the Stanislavsky) that "got away?" Draw your own conclusions.

I think that Olga need not look back, only forward at this stage of her young career. She should reach Principal at the Bolshoi then guest at the Mariinsky - and that journey will not take long. Why? Because right now, Olga has travelled light-years ahead of where she could have been, specifically the Mariinsky corps had she joined the company after gradudation from Vaganova Academy. This is not to suggest that she would have stayed in that rank. Who knows what Fateev might have done with her had she opted to join the Mariinsky? And yet, given the substantial evidence of suppression of the gifted and talented, all signs certainly pointed to that scenario for her.

This is yet another regular performance and Fateev asks for Smirnova to come up from Moscow? Can he not develop and showcase his own personnel? Might I suggest the obvious yet again? With great respect to young Smirnova, Fateev didn’t have to dip into Sergei Filin's company to find a Nikiya for a routine performance. He already has plenty of Nikiya's at his disposal – great ones - namely, Katya Konadaurova, Dasha Pavlenko, Uliana Lopatkina, Diana Vishneva, and potentially great ones – like Olesya Novikova and Katya Osmolkina who have yet to make their Mariinsky debuts as Nikiya. There are many ladies who have been waiting and they're all right there in the Mariinsky Theatre. There's no need to outsource leading roles for regular performances at home. After Smirnova's predictably stellar debut, the company will swing again as on a pendulum from feast to famine. Expect Keenan Kampa to grace us very soon as the next Nikiya and O/O debutante.

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