Daron

I've never complained! Let them all dance well Petipa and Balanchine alike. What a pleasure to see those great dancers cross the borders of their training! But, please, let us not distort the choreography and the aesthetics.

Could not agree with you more, Leigh.

It was just incredible! Happy are those, who saw yesterdays' performance of Ms. Ananiashvili and Mr. Carreno. I must say, that the ABT is a having a glorious season.

I must say that Nina in Mozartiana and Ballet Imperial was a sensation. She is absolutely peerless, and her ability to master different styles, different choreographic idioms, and look differently in the works of different choreographers is utterly stunning. A lot of dedicated ballet fans (included myself) complain, that today the companies can't develop dancers any more. Here is Marcelo Gomes, who was carefully developed by the ABT into the rarest of the species - real ballet prince.

Roma, I also found SZ’s performance a very dull affair indeed. Ballerina shall be made of a great intellect and great body, which is not the case with her.

Akimov(-a), I must say, is a quite appropriate nickname.

The whole thing is so pathetic! People in the West might think that something really serious is going on at the Bolshoi. She needs just a good psychiatrist.

Marc, Mr. Eifman with his glories was brought to the Bolshoi by Mr. A. Vassiliev. A. Fadeyechev had nothing to do with it. S. Welch and A. Ratmansky are young and quite promising choreographers, and, as we all know, there are not that much of them. We all give him a chance, sure. Who will give three and half years back to the dancers, if/when Mr. Ratmansky fails as an artistic director?

Alexandra, it is a perfect world, isn't it?

The Russian Ministry of Culture officials will die, but not let A. Fadeyechev back. Person, who is ready to stand for his believes, and more than that - act, is definitely not winning any popularity contests here in Russia.

Couldn't agree with Roma more.

I certainly can't be responsible for statistics, because, as we all know, there is a lie, then - science of statistics and then - Russian statistics. As for your last notion, I'm with you for 100%.

From Ms. Ananiashvili's interviews to the Russian newspapers and ballet magazines. The information is one hundred percent correct, trust me. A lot of people (including myself) thought that she is much taller than she is actually. Hey, the way she dances, who cares?

Nina is 1 meter 65 centimeters. Sorry, I don't know, what is that in feet and inches. Her proportions and incredible amplitude of her dancing are what creates the illusion of being tall.

Kevin, neither Nina, nor Gracheva will appear in Beijing. Volochkova and Antonicheva will perform. Jeannie, Gala is still there – December 7. We cannot wait. They main reason of Nina’s conflict with the administration is that Akimov and Co. are quite effectively taking the Bolshoi back to 60s. Frankly, I hardly imagine how you – balletomanes of D. C. – will sit through idiotic and ugly production of Grigorovich’s Swan Lake.