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Ballerinas to cast in a new Pas de Quatre? Today's Four Greatest Dancers?


Natalia

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Inspired by Buddy and Mme P's discussions about "Smirnova - Skorik" in the Olga Smirnova thread, I'm asking today's balletomanes:

 

"Who would YOU cast as the four ballerinas if one of today's top choreographers would create a modern equivalent of Perrot/Pugni's 1845 Grand Pas de Quatre that starred Taglioni, Elssler, Cerrito and Grahan?" In other words, who would you consider to be today's four great ballerinas, worthy of casting in a 21st-c Pas de Quatre?

 

Since this is 2017 and not 1845, we can assume that transportation and ability to quickly converge at Her Majesty's Theatre in London for rehearsals and Gala Performance in front of Queen Elizabeth II  would not be a problem; our four ballerinas will be readily available from around the world!

 

Here is a reminder of the original Grand Pas de Quatre, in Anton Dolin's staging/rethinking:

 

 

This is a toughie for me. Still thinking...I have a couple of certainties but not all four yet.

Edited by Natalia
Corrected "Smirnova vs Skorik" to "Smirnova - Skorik"
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I like that, Helene. We coincide with one.

 

Ok, I'll go with my four classical greats of today...I'm sure that Ratmansky will use them well:

 

Olga Smirnova of Bolshoi - Taglioniesque ethereal elegance

Victoria Tereshkina of MT - Grisi's tech fire & versatility (as in Giselle's 2 acts)

Tiler Peck of NYCB - Cerrito sass and tech sparkle

Ida Pretorius of RDB - Grahn lightness & fairy-like purity...this was toughest...I waffled twix Pretorius and Leonor Baulac of POB

 

 

Edited by Natalia
waffling...Pretorius or Baulac? Corrected Grisi
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 Natalia, I can't help you much for the moment but I have to say, "Thank you a million!" for bringing Eva Evdokimova into this. What an amazing * Artist! * she was !  If I knew/had known more about her it might possible realign my ballet universe.

 

I think I know who she is here, but could you confirm this with a time location on the video. In fact if you could possibly do this for all of them along with who's performing who that would be great. The descriptions are  a little confusing to me.

 

By the way, I wouldn't say "Smirnova vs Skorik." I think that they're both wonderful. 

 

If I had to pick an "ethereal" for a Marie Taglioni for the moment I'd probably have to combine Ulyana Lopatkina with Olga Smirnova or Alina Cojocaru or Alina Somova or Diana Vishneva or....:)

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Buddy, I'm with you on Eva. To think that, when that was filmed (about 1979?), she was the "young gun" among the four ballerinas...and she was the first to pass away. Alonso, Fracci & Thesmar live on, thankfully. What a shame that that Romantic Era concert in Mexico, from which this Pas comes,  has never made it onto commercial DVD.

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5 hours ago, Helene said:

Since it's Ratmansky and a modern-day version:

 

Tereshkina

P. Delgado

Imler

Mearns

 

Yes, but which one in which part?

 

This is a very fun "what if" challenge -- I'll have to think about it!

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11 minutes ago, Natalia said:

I meant Ratmansky in his neo-classical mode....ballerinas playing Taglioni, Grisi, Grahan & Cerrito. Sorry, not Elssler (I corrected above).

 

I vote for all versions!

 

Casting just from my local company

 

Taglioni - Carrie Imler

Grisi - Noelani Pantastico

Grahn - Leslie Rausch

Cerrito - Angelica Generosa

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If it's from scratch, 

 

Cerrito:  Imler

Grahn:  Mearns

Grisi:  Tereshkina

Taglioni:  Delgado

 

But if it's Dolin, I want to see Imler do the Grisi (2nd) variation.

 

And I still think Ratmansky should either base it on 20th century ballerinas or, preferably, on the four dancers I've chosen.  Then in 2115, someone else can come along and dancers can portray Imler, Mearns, Tereshkina, and Delgado :)

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On 9 May 2017 at 2:40 PM, Helene said:

If it's from scratch, 

 

Cerrito:  Imler

Grahn:  Mearns

Grisi:  Tereshkina

Taglioni:  Delgado

 

But if it's Dolin, I want to see Imler do the Grisi (2nd) variation.

 

And I still think Ratmansky should either base it on 20th century ballerinas or, preferably, on the four dancers I've chosen.  Then in 2115, someone else can come along and dancers can portray Imler, Mearns, Tereshkina, and Delgado :)

 

Thus to play....

 

Mearns:  Diana Vishneva

Tereshkina:  Alina Somova

Delgado:  Ulyana Lopatkina

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Oh...how fun!! One of my dearest, favorite ballets EVER! (And one that I have not seen live since I left Cuba in 2001...sadly?) Alonso has kept this ballet pretty much alive at her company. She made Taglioni's one of her personal favorite roles. Let's note she was already blind in the above video, and only relied in the trust she had of those dancing around her. Here is the one clip I always refer to when talking about the piece. Of course...it is an all stars cast.

I have also thought of a modern cast for GPDQ. I might include a dancer that has just retired for which I am sure that she would be very capable to show up and dance it if that was the case.

 

Mme. Taglioni- Aurelie Dupont.-(Elegance...Class..Pose)

Mlle Cerrito- Jeanette Delgado-( Freshness...Charm..Flirt...Smiles)

Mme Grahn- Natalia Osipova (We need a footwork super power for all those entrechats)

Mlle Grissi- Tiler Peck- (Coquette...Airborne)

???

Edited by cubanmiamiboy
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Back in the 1950's it was the first ballet I ever saw with Markova as Taglioni.  It's a rare treat in Britain  and I can't remember when I last saw it danced  other than by Russians.  As it was Choreographed by Dolin it really should be in the rep of one of the British companies, but as with the relative neglect of Frederick Ashton, heritage counts for little here now.

 

 

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Cubamiamiboy, that sounds like a winning international cast! Yup, I first saw GPDQ live by the Cubans in that very famous 1978 concert in PR but with Josefina Mendez as Taglioni. 

Lucky you, Mashinka. The Anton Dolin version still occasionally appears  in concert programs of the Mariinsky, usually at the Hermitage...Lopatkina was Taglioni, I remember.

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