84 replies to this topic

[Tiara]

Catherine, on 22 December 2012 - 06:24 PM, said:

Birdsall, on 22 December 2012 - 09:02 AM, said:

I think also that there will be many growing pains in Russia as it becomes more and more Westernized. This whole ballet issue is part of it, and the administration needs to realize there is a difference between cruel or mean criticism toward administration (which the dancers have not done) and constructive criticism that simply wants the ballet to thrive (as the letter attempted to do). Gergiev AND Putin need to understand that. If the dancers always go along with everything that is happening then artistic standards will fall. Simply the fact that people have reported here that Vaganova graduates are now starting to join other companies instead of wanting to go into the Mariinsky is a real wake up call to everyone (Putin, Gergiev, and Fateyev)!!! I am sure these dancers who signed the letter love the Mariinsky and want it to succeed. They want to be a change within the system, and that is a good thing. I find it incredible that Gergiev views it as a threat.

Totally agree with you Birdsall. I think Gergiev's comments to the press do not reveal his interpretation of this Letter to the Ministry as an act malice from the dancers as much as it reveals his own utter ignorance (pretend? real?) of the actual problem or question on the table. His suggestion that Pavlenko had a personal gripe was incorrect; his suggestion that the dancers' "voted" and solved the issue amongst themselves is also incorrect (First bc it wasnt a majority vote and second bc the vote itself didnt address the issue); and both points missed the facts of the issue.
There's been a greater exodus in the past 3 or so years from the MT and/or with Vaganova graduates choosing other companies: Shapran, Smirnova the biggest examples...and that speaks not only to artistic opportunity but financial compensation. I do not personally believe the Mariinsky lacks the finances but that those funds are appropriated to other people and/or things.

From Tara -

Quote

I wonder if anyone else on this forum who has access to Russian media would be able to give us any further information on this matter?  It would be interesting to hear what the general reaction has been towards Gergiev's refusal to co-operate with Daria Pavlenko.  Hopefully eventually some good must come out of this as the more public knowledge there is of it, the better.

I've posted whatever I see in the Russian news and will continue to do so; apologies only that I do not always have time to translate the entire article as my free time is sorely limited.

If we are to discuss the recent exodus from Mariinsky or the graduates who declined to join entirely because of the initiquitous situation there, then the list becomes a very long one.  Only off the top of my head - Obraztsova, Lobukhin and Smirnova to Bolshoi, Shapran to Stanislavsky, Sarafanov, Lebedev and Strelkov to Mikhailovsky,  Dolmatova also recently left, also Matvienko, and not forgetting lovely Cheprasova.   If Fateyev/Gergiev had managed to retain all these dancers and they were dancing regularly at MT imagine the magnificence of every performance, instead of the dismal ones we see now with all these favoured and sponsored dancers who should never be given these opportunities.

[Tiara]

Catherine, on 22 December 2012 - 06:29 PM, said:

leonid, on 22 December 2012 - 08:37 AM, said:

I have avoided contributing to this thread as the political overtones are far too strong a danger for the Mariinsky dancer(s) concerned.
The results of power without responsibility from support from the West in this matter, should be considered, as it undoubtedly makes the Mariinsky management and ultimately President Putin rather more angry than conciliatory when criticised.
President Putin is generally considered to be taking an increasingly hard-line since his return to office which has been accompanied by a crackdown on dissent with the arrest of opposition activists and introduction of restrictive legislation.
Why do I mention this, firstly because Valery Abisalovich Gergiev was personally appointed by President Putin as General and Artistic Director of the Mariinsky Theatre and secondly, he is a close friend..
There are financial pressures upon the Artistic Director from within and without the Mariinsky and the new Mariinsky II Theatre opening next Spring which cost 700,000,000 US Dollars has no doubt put pressure on the Mariinsky's finances.
The dancers despite being told the reasons for the changes, rightly feel they are unreasonable.
The company has always been ruled from the topdown and unions in general throughout the world have little power to what they had in the past.
Remember what happened to Vaziev when he tried to assert his artistic and managerial status over Gergiev.
If the contents Catherine posted are correct as published in http://www.rosbalt.r...tion_ref_map=[] there are several worry points made by Maestro Gergiev.
In case you know little about Valery Gergiev see:- http://www.nytimes.c...wanted=all&_r=0
It seems for the dancers, that what should be a discussion of art, performance and conditions of employment has now become a trial of strength with probably only one winner.
The company is every year taking steps a way from its glorious past and I yearn for a reprise of the 1961 tour which locked me into my love for academic classical ballet.
PS
I would have thought that Gergiev the musician is not so happy to be involved in this imbroglio, but with power comes responsibility and in this case a very personal responsiblity.

Echoing Tiara's sentiments, would have given anything to see this company live in the 60s. And I support/agree with all of your points here, Leonid. It's with every hesitation that I myself even post this information on the forum. But I am trying to reflect the facts as they develop (in English) for people to draw their own conclusions.

As a side note, the new theatre was opened yesterday for a brief ceremony including Maya Plisetskaya and her husband Rodion Schedrin. Am told the stage is luxuriously large with great wing space on both sides, and the auditorium (at least at that moment) was not very warm or heated. It will be interesting to see how they use this additional venue schedule-wise after its official opening in May 2013. The comments from Gergiev this year have repeatedly alluded to using it as a performance space, in part, for more children's performances, to educate the local children about fine art. There have been rumors of hiring numerous (ie 60+) additional employees to fill the new space, but the question then arises, where does one suddenly obtain those additional --hopefully polished-- performers, since neither the Msk Choreographic nor the Vaganova can provide such numbers...but that is for another thread altogether.

Please post whatever news you can about the open letter, because secrecy is useless to the dancers, and it is only if all of this is brought out into the open that something must eventually be done about it.

[Catherine]

Also on the list: Elena Sheshina who came from the Maly initially but is now sadly at the Hermitage (tourist) Theatre; Vladimir Shishov and his then-girlfriend Elena who went to Vienna Opera Ballet. Ivan Popov (Vienna then San Francisco). The list is very long indeed.

[leonid]

Catherine, on 22 December 2012 - 06:29 PM, said:

leonid, on 22 December 2012 - 08:37 AM, said:

I have avoided contributing to this thread as the political overtones are far too strong a danger for the Mariinsky dancer(s) concerned.
The results of power without responsibility from support from the West in this matter, should be considered, as it undoubtedly makes the Mariinsky management and ultimately President Putin rather more angry than conciliatory when criticised.
President Putin is generally considered to be taking an increasingly hard-line since his return to office which has been accompanied by a crackdown on dissent with the arrest of opposition activists and introduction of restrictive legislation.
Why do I mention this, firstly because Valery Abisalovich Gergiev was personally appointed by President Putin as General and Artistic Director of the Mariinsky Theatre and secondly, he is a close friend..
There are financial pressures upon the Artistic Director from within and without the Mariinsky and the new Mariinsky II Theatre opening next Spring which cost 700,000,000 US Dollars has no doubt put pressure on the Mariinsky's finances.
The dancers despite being told the reasons for the changes, rightly feel they are unreasonable.
The company has always been ruled from the topdown and unions in general throughout the world have little power to what they had in the past.
Remember what happened to Vaziev when he tried to assert his artistic and managerial status over Gergiev.
If the contents Catherine posted are correct as published in http://www.rosbalt.r...tion_ref_map=[] there are several worry points made by Maestro Gergiev.
In case you know little about Valery Gergiev see:- http://www.nytimes.c...wanted=all&_r=0
It seems for the dancers, that what should be a discussion of art, performance and conditions of employment has now become a trial of strength with probably only one winner.
The company is every year taking steps a way from its glorious past and I yearn for a reprise of the 1961 tour which locked me into my love for academic classical ballet.
PS
I would have thought that Gergiev the musician is not so happy to be involved in this imbroglio, but with power comes responsibility and in this case a very personal responsiblity.

Echoing Tiara's sentiments, would have given anything to see this company live in the 60s. And I support/agree with all of your points here, Leonid. It's with every hesitation that I myself even post this information on the forum. But I am trying to reflect the facts as they develop (in English) for people to draw their own conclusions.

As a side note, the new theatre was opened yesterday for a brief ceremony including Maya Plisetskaya and her husband Rodion Schedrin. Am told the stage is luxuriously large with great wing space on both sides, and the auditorium (at least at that moment) was not very warm or heated. It will be interesting to see how they use this additional venue schedule-wise after its official opening in May 2013. The comments from Gergiev this year have repeatedly alluded to using it as a performance space, in part, for more children's performances, to educate the local children about fine art. There have been rumors of hiring numerous (ie 60+) additional employees to fill the new space, but the question then arises, where does one suddenly obtain those additional --hopefully polished-- performers, since neither the Msk Choreographic nor the Vaganova can provide such numbers...but that is for another thread altogether.

I have read, misprint or not, that a 1000 new staff will be employed.

[pherank]

Slightly off-topic, but I happened to be watching the Charlie Rose Show last night and they had a repeat of the interview with Valery Gergiev:

http://www.charliero...interview/12615

There's quite a lot of discussion about current politics in Russia, and it made me wonder if perhaps Gergiev might segue into political life at some point. I'm not sure that would be a good thing, but who knows?

[Tara]

pherank, on 29 December 2012 - 03:44 PM, said:

Slightly off-topic, but I happened to be watching the Charlie Rose Show last night and they had a repeat of the interview with Valery Gergiev:

http://www.charliero...interview/12615

There's quite a lot of discussion about current politics in Russia, and it made me wonder if perhaps Gergiev might segue into political life at some point. I'm not sure that would be a good thing, but who knows?

Not at all off topic for me :-) I am most interested to better understand the current politics and how it affects the arts in general and ofcourse especially the dancers in Russia. I like Charlie's show too actually so I thank you very much for posting.

[Tara]

I think the casting for DonQ on Feb 17th says it all in terms of how Pavlenko is fairing after all these events.

She is slated to dance Street-dancer next to Kampa's 2nd shot at Kitri.




Now that is what I'd call a low blow ( even though I don't think she does Kitri... ??) considering she has been Principal for a decade and Kampa is Corps for less than a full season and had a rather shaky debut this week in the role.

[Natalia]

If this were the Bolshoi, Kampa would not even be in the company...she'd be back in Boston in back row of corps. The Bolshoi has ethics and does not prescribe to the 'Pay for Play' corruption. Sergei Filin refused to accept 'pay for play.' [New American Boslhoi corps member, Joy Womack, danced Spanish Doll solo in Nutcracker...exactly where she should be as a highly-talented 1st-yr corps member. She is achieving her dream the Old Fashioned Way:  EARNING it!]

[puppytreats]

Tara, on 18 January 2013 - 09:21 PM, said:

I think the casting for DonQ on Feb 17th says it all in terms of how Pavlenko is fairing after all these events.

She is slated to dance Street-dancer next to Kampa's 2nd shot at Kitri.




Now that is what I'd call a low blow ( even though I don't think she does Kitri... ??) considering she has been Principal for a decade and Kampa is Corps for less than a full season and had a rather shaky debut this week in the role.

Sounds like standard operating procedure - complain and you are attacked with the "nuts and sluts" defense playbook - here, quite literally.

[Drew]

Natalia, on 20 January 2013 - 06:33 AM, said:

...The Bolshoi has ethics and does not prescribe to the 'Pay for Play' corruption. Sergei Filin refused to accept 'pay for play.'

I have no insider knowledge whatsoever, but from the outside recent events at the Bolshoi rather create the impression that if artistic directors in Russia are giving way to pressures from not so savory characters, well...they may have reason...In which case I think forces outside the theater need to collaborate with those inside to establish an atmosphere of physical as well as financial security. Maybe the Mariinsky just suffers from garden variety corruption of various kinds, but at this point I'm willing to believe just about anything could be happening to explain the situation there.