Yulia Stepanova

[Peruanka]

Quote

 

 

[Birdsall]

For Yulia Stepanova fans I just posted a snippet of an interview that Kultura magazine had with Vaziev and he mentions her. I posted it in "Writings on Ballet" because I think that is where we are supposed to, but I think all her fans would like to know about it.

[Helene]

"Writings on Ballet" is the forum in which to discuss books, magazine articles, etc. and critics writings.  Interviews have always been posted in the Dancers and Company forums.

[Birdsall]

Okay, just being careful not to get moderated. 

[Helene]

You already know that if you have a question, you can PM me or one of the other Moderators to ask.

[Peruanka]

 

Just in case you missed these =)

[Peruanka]

Russians seasons. Debut in the leading role.

 

 

 

[Birdsall]

For Stepanova fans great news...the Bolshoi website lists her as Raymonda on Dec. 18! 

[Peruanka]

After her Swan Lake debut at the Bolshoi Theater =)

 

[Peruanka]

Interview from Ballet Insider

http://www.balletinsider.com/archive/solo/5575

 

 

Edited December 10, 2016 by Peruanka

[Drew]

On 11/21/2016 at 11:30 PM, Birdsall said:

For Stepanova fans great news...the Bolshoi website lists her as Raymonda on Dec. 18! 

 

Here she is w. Rodkin (who, I gather, was unable to finish performance due to injury):

 

 

Edited December 21, 2016 by Drew

[Peruanka]

 

[Birdsall]

In a recent interview with the Interfax news agency, Vaziev named Yulia Stepanova among the very best of Bolshoi “forces." She has been cast very prominently during the Japan tour that starts in less than 2 weeks (On Saturday Stepanova also debuts in the «Legend of Love» at the Bolshoi).

The original quote:
 

- "Наша задача заключается в том, чтобы показать свои лучшие силы, чтобы гастроли шли по нарастающей. Поэтому привлекаем лучших артистов – это Светлана Захарова, Евгения Образцова, и, конечно, Ольга Смирнова, Юля Степанова, Артем Овчаренко, Денис Родькин. Мы сами заинтересованы в этом, ведь это наша репутация - репутация нашей страны"

...

http://www.interfax.ru/interview/562844

 

A translation:

“Our task is to showcase the very best of our forces so that the (Japan) tour has the ascending quality. Thus, we employ our very best artists — these are: Svetlana Zakharova, Evgenia Obraztsova and, of course, Olga Smirnova, Yulia Stepanova, Artiom Ovcharenko, Denis Rodkin. This is in our own interest, our reputation, the reputation of our country are at stake.”

[MadameP]

Yulia Stepanova had a great success today in her debut as Mekhmene Banu in A Legend of Love at the historic Bolshoi Theatre.  Her Queen was elegant, showing beautiful lines in the many sculptural poses and lifts, but also strong and regal.  Her hands and arms in all the oriental gestures were expressive, and accenting the music with dynamism where needed.  This was a STRONG performance indeed, but also a Queen of subtle emotion, giving a real sense of tragedy at the loss of her beauty in exchange for her sister's life.  Her monologue especially was SO moving - full of turmoil - and her expressions throughout were wonderful.   I don't know how she managed to portray such emotion even while wearing a veil - but she did!   Technically she was flawless, with fast turns, and she was especially strong  in the sequence of  swift fouettes, ending with a triple.  Great performance, and the audience called  her back for numerous curtain calls.  Her Ferkhad was Alexander Volchkov, who managed the difficult candle lift and the other acrobatic lifts that the choreography contains and acted well also.  Anastasia Stashkevich was charming as Shyrin with her fluttering hands, and especially thrilling grands jetes in the sequences of jetes synchronised with Ferkhad.  She was graceful, light, gentle and I thought she was a perfect foil for Yulia Stepanova.  This ballet is so striking and effective in the simplicity of its designs on the huge Bolshoi stage.  There are four braziers on stage and a number of chandeliers hanging down that change colour and also a series of small raised backdrops that come down onto the back centre of the stage like a triptych style book that opens (difficult to describe) - but that is all.  All the effects are in the emotions of the dancers, the power of the choreography, the lighting and in the ranks of dancers who pour onto the stage, often in stylised formulation.  I was absolutely spellbound by it.  What a great ballet.  It has the real feeling of a strange oriental fairytale, but a tragic one.  A great success for Yulia Stepanova and for the whole company.

 

 

Edited May 24, 2017 by MadameP

[Drew]

Thank you BIrdsall and MadameP for these reports. I was mildly surprised not to see Stepanova down for a Diamonds performance during the NY tour.

Edited May 20, 2017 by Drew

[Birdsall]

Yes, Madame P., thank you for the review of Legend of Love! I can imagine it from your description. I think this role is probably great for Stepanova, since she can be quite commanding on stage but also vulnerable and is a great actress!

[Birdsall]

 

 

Yulia Stepanova’s June 11 «Swan Lake» with a young up-and-coming dancer Mikhail Kryuchkov as The Evil Genius. Pay attention to 7:51—-7:58 . An ideal arabesque, pure textbook Vaganova Method, both legs ideally aligned in the same plane with her body. This is very rare.

[MadameP]

Thank you for posting!

Edited June 25, 2017 by MadameP

[Olga]

Yes, thank you Birdsall for posting. Also thanks to Peruanka for the Russian Seasons video.

[Drew]

Thanks from me too. .

[Birdsall]

Yulia Stepanova and Vyacheslav Lopatin are the two soloists who won the internal Bolshoi award for “outstanding artistic achievements” in the last season. The award is given annually at the beginning of each season to the “best artists” in the previous season.

“http://www.bolshoi.ru/about/press/articles/none/242-beginning/

[Drew]

3 hours ago, Birdsall said:

Yulia Stepanova and Vyacheslav Lopatin are the two soloists who won the internal Bolshoi award for “outstanding artistic achievements” in the last season. The award is given annually at the beginning of each season to the “best artists” in the previous season.

“http://www.bolshoi.ru/about/press/articles/none/242-beginning/

 

I didn't have much luck on the website. Do you know how the prize is determined? Is there a jury or is it just a director's or the 'board's' decision etc.?

[Birdsall]

Google Translate says "Board of Trustees" which is probably a mixture of people interested in the arts I am guessing. It is apparently given out every year.

[volcanohunter]

The Bolshoi's Board of Trustees are rich people, i.e., oligarchs, bankers, industrialists. The theater's site says so:

 

"Among its members are leading representatives of Russian business circles...The Board’s priority tasks are to attract sources of finance from the private sector, assist the Bolshoi Theatre in the presentation of new productions, the organization of tours, the recruitment of stars and talented young soloists, and likewise to provide assistance in improving the Theatre's systems of management, finance and the day-to-day running of the Theatre."

 

As in the case of the boards of large arts organizations in the North America, its members pay to be on it. You can find its membership on the Russian side of the site:
http://www.bolshoi.ru/partners/sovet/

 

When it comes to deciding who gets a special stipend for the year, I would bet that they rubber-stamp any names submitted to them by the theater.

[Birdsall]

The prize winners are nominated by the ballet and opera artistic directors and the company pedagogues. The award for Stepanova is a visible proof that Vaziev and some top ballet people in Moscow have a VERY HIGH opinion of Stepanova. Vaziev, in particular, was tremendously impressed by Yulia’s debut in the «Legend of Love».