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Kennedy Center Jan 2015- Rite of Spring and others


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Here is Androsova: http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/company/ballet_mt_women/androsova1/

She is blonde with a heart-shaped face and strong pointed chin. The picture on the Maryinsky site makes her look uncharacteristically dumpy and mature. She is neither in person - piquant and tiny.

You know how in every company there is one ballerina in the corps who you always notice and look for? For me it is Androsova - she joined the company in 1996 after training in Perm, so she is a veteran.

This is one of the long-time Mariinsky dancers who was sadly demoted by Fateev from Choryphee to Corps a couple of years ago.

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The Mariinsky ushers tend to stay outside in the lobby, so they do not see the phones, and it was a shock the first time I went, b/c people whip out their phones and iPads and snap photos during the performance and even take short videos totally out in the open. I guess the majority are not doing this, but a lot of people do it compared to American audiences, and that is probably because the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg is like the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Russians from all over want to have a memory and also all the foreign tourists. So people are snapping away before the performance, during intermissions and during curtain calls. Almost everyone. And as I said there are a few people doing it during the actual performances as well. It is not uncommon to see someone hold up an iPad and snap a picture during a performance far away from you. I have learned to tune this out for the most part, b/c you can't fight City Hall, and what is going on up on the stage is usually so wonderful that I can tune everything else out. But people here on BA should be aware. Don't expect it to be like the Kennedy Center! You will see cameras before during and after the performances snapping away!

The Bolshoi in Moscow is different. An usher in the stalls (orchestra) growled when I tried to take a post-Perf selfie just standing in the entrance to stalls, with auditorium in background!

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Lopatkina is lovely, but Pavlova tells a story!! Lopatkina is all beautiful arms, legs and torso. A ballerina. Pavlova is the swan, wounded, vulnerable. Lopatkina says, "look at me"! Pavlova is almost painful to watch, as if she desires to die alone, like most creatures of the wild. I would applaud for Lopatkina, because it is a dance. For Pavlova I would be in tears.

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Thank you for showing the Pavolova, Amy, --no-one can doubt it is HER ballet. She is the ur-swan and the greatest.

I'm interested, too, in all of your sources for the backround to the film. When I saw it at a Douglas Fairbanks film festival [sic] many years ago, the audience was told the film-makers simply didn't film the whole thing--hence its shortness. I also was under the impression that Pavolova was not the most turned out dancer under any circumstances. She didn't need to be of course: she was Pavlova.

Far from being bored by Lopatkina I find her one of the most profoundly compelling dancers I have ever seen. Her dying swan, albeit on video, is pretty much the first "modern" (post Pavlova) swan I ever found genuinely watchable as an adult whether live or on video--though as a child I was fond of the liquid, not to say wormy, arms of Lydia Diaz Cruz. Lopatkina taught me to take the whole ballet seriously in a way I never had, and she did so even if the version she is dancing has differences from the original.

(My ballet going dates back to the late 60's and -- to restrict myself to great or admired Russian ballerinas I have seen live -- includes Makarova, Semenyaka, Bessmertnova, N. Pavlova, Stepanenko, Anananiashvili, Mezentzeva, Lezhnina, and even, late in her career, the wonderful Maximova. To say nothing of more recent ballerinas such as Krysanova, Zakharova, Stepanenko, Vishneva, Part, Kretova, Kondaurova, Alexandrova, Smirnova, and Osipova. (Edited to add: I actually forgot a few including one of my faves -- Terekhova -- as well as Assylmuratova and Ayupova; possibly others). I'm not trying to be a jerk and apologize if I sound like one: I'm sure you have an equally long list, and possibly a longer or even much longer one; I just want to make clear that I have points of comparison to a range of great Russian-trained talents.)

Obviously, anyone is welcome to find Lopatkina boring or over-rated or whatever. I have often read criticisms of her on this website and I myself am far from finding her equally good in every role and have expressed some reservations of a performance I saw her give of Symphony in C. We've been warned, too, by the moderators not to try to be the "last word" on any dancer (!)--But I can't help but want to go on record as saying I find her far, far, far from boring or over-rated. And there are, after all, a lot of different ways a dancer can be interesting.

I feel compelled because a Swan Lake I saw her dance in 2013 seemed and seems to me (2 years later) one of the greatest and most memorable performances I have ever seen. (A relatively new-to-ballet sports-fan companion loved her in it too, so her appeal was not without range.) It really restored my faith in the transcendent possibilities of the art in the traditional repertory as little else has in recent years.

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Lopatkina is not a ballerina that says (acts like), "look at me" - it's not her culture nor her.

I have seen her dying swan in 2008 at NYC City Center and now at the Kennedy center, and both times she made me cry. it was a very intimate portrayal of dying swan, and i felt almost as if i am trespassing the privacy of a dying creature. Her swan was not fighting for life with falls or swaps of wings but more with her feet and something inside of her body that was refusing but can't help death.

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Not my intent to disrespect your opinion, Amy. To each his or her own. However, I agree with Drew and YID that Lopatkina is a first rate artist. She may not be perfectly suited for certain roles, but she is sublime in many roles. I saw her do the Swan twice in 2008 when the Kirov came to New York City. I also saw her full Swan Lake about 2 weeks ago in Brooklyn. These were among the most treasured experiences of my approximately 20 years of attending ballet. She is a compelling dancer and artist.

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I'm having trouble with the quote function, but wanted to say, Amy, that an M.A. in Ballet Studies is the sort of thing I sometimes wish I had done! smile.png

(Amy wrote: "I've been a balletomane for 11 years, I'm studying MA Ballet Studies in London and I'm an amateur ballet historian.")


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What i heard from the ballet (professional) fans at BAM was that Lopatkina surprised them with her deeper acting, warmer portrayal & solid technique that they did not expect from her (i.e. not being a technically weak icy queen with gorgeous limbs - the older perception of hers). I was not as educated about ballet 10 years ago, and didn't see a lot of her then, but what i have been witnessing for the last 5 years in her professional development really impresses me. Some ballerinas don't improve with age, some do. Imho, i'd put Lopatkina is the latter (but one needs to see it live, not from the old memory frames). I am not trying to change your mind, i am sharing what has been impressing me about her, her work style, her training, and her performance results.

One example, in the past she was not famous for her turns, but out of ALL casts i saw in Paquita in DC, she executed the best and fastest turns and pirouettes. Topple that with the best spot-on musicality (being on music beats), most powerful stage presence, gorgeous lines and radiating warmth and joy from her dancing. That would be a reason for me to overcome challenges of Juno blizzard and dare coming to DC from NYC. All the best to everyone.

PS: added later after reading earlier posts ;-)) and hoping to make people smile - i've become a ballet fan in 2000, so, now it's 15 years, and watching the same show with various casts since 2005 (primarily Bolshoi and Mariinsky on tours in the US, Canada, and visiting them at their home). Though, i don't have an MA in ballet study or its history (yet)

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Aurora generally isn't a role given to such a tall ballerina as Lopatkina. The tall ballerinas are usually given Lilac Fairy. Given her stature, I don't think the role of Aurora would have necessrily fit with her physique. I don't equate the fact that Lopatkina hasn't done Aurora with a black mark on her career as a prima ballerina.

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Aurora generally isn't a role given to such a tall ballerina as Lopatkina. The tall ballerinas are usually given Lilac Fairy. I don't really equate the fact that Lopatkina hasn't done Aurora with a black mark on her career as a ballerina.

Ditto !!!!

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It was the 84th anniversary of Anna Pavlova's death on the 23rd January and my friend and I visited her resting place, which was amazing! We even brought roses for her.

It's actually her husband's anniversary today - her husband, Victor Dandre died 71 years ago today and his ashes and urn are placed with Anna's.

I'm glad you went -- that's always on my list when I'm in London, but I haven't managed it yet.

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Outward rotation (aka turnout) has been a floating benchmark ever since Louis XIV asked his balletmaster to codify the art form. Most of us have a tendency to judge rotation based on the position of the leg in relationship to the torso when it's extended in second position (the leg, that is!), and from the relationship of the feet on the floor in fifth. It's only recently that dancers have been dressed so that we can really see the hip joint in action. When you look at early dance photos, especially where the Romantic style is still influential, notice the torso tilted forward -- that changes the relationship of the thigh and the pelvis at the hip joint so that the femur rotates differently in the socket. It allows the dancer to extend the leg to the side of the body while the thigh is still not fully turned out "from the hip." Likewise, many dancers, both past and present, take full advantage of the fact that there are three joints between the torso and the floor -- while the majority of turnout comes from the hip, the super-tight fifth positions we see are enhanced by flexibility in the knee and ankle. When you watch someone plie from the side, you see a clean fifth in the feet far more often than you see the knees fully over the feet -- a better gauge of rotation from the hip joint.

There has been a great deal of work done in the last 30 or so years on the anatomy of turnout, and some fundamental changes have happened in the studio as more teachers fully understand the functionality of rotation.

As I understand it, Fokine didn't dislike classical technique per se, so much as he objected to it being the default mode in all choreography. He felt that dancers should be able to work both with and without it, depending on the aesthetic requirements of the individual dance. But yes, much of the repertory he created used a more flexible approach to rotation.

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Far from being bored by Lopatkina I find her one of the most profoundly compelling dancers I have ever seen. Her dying swan, albeit on video, is pretty much the first "modern" (post Pavlova) swan I ever found genuinely watchable as an adult whether live or on video--though as a child I was fond of the liquid, not to say wormy, arms of Lydia Diaz Cruz. Lopatkina taught me to take the whole ballet seriously in a way I never had, and she did so even if the version she is dancing has differences from the original.

...

I feel compelled because a Swan Lake I saw her dance in 2013 seemed and seems to me (2 years later) one of the greatest and most memorable performances I have ever seen. (A relatively new-to-ballet sports-fan companion loved her in it too, so her appeal was not without range.) It really restored my faith in the transcendent possibilities of the art in the traditional repertory as little else has in recent years.

Thank you for saying perfectly the way I also feel about Uliana Lopatkina. I have been fortunate to see her live in a number of performances at Mariinsky Theatre and truly felt I was honoured to see this great artiste at the pinnacle of her interpretative abilities. I doubt I ever again will see a ballerina who has her unique, light, floating graceful quality, with those beautiful lines and arms. She is a VERY great Mariinsky ballerina. Of course she is not perfect in EVERY role - no ballerina is.

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Aurora generally isn't a role given to such a tall ballerina as Lopatkina. The tall ballerinas are usually given Lilac Fairy. Given her stature, I don't think the role of Aurora would have necessrily fit with her physique. I don't equate the fact that Lopatkina hasn't done Aurora with a black mark on her career as a prima ballerina.

Yes! I wish I could find the quote, but now I can't, but Lopatkina herself is on record as saying she would not dance Aurora, because she considered it a role not suitable for her. If I remember correctly, she was referring to her height, as she considered it was a role for shorter dancers than she is, and dancers of a different physical type. I always felt it was a shame, as she has such a pure technique. Anyway, I wish some other dancers would refrain from dancing roles not suitable for them! :-)

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There is a tradition of major dancers performing the Lilac Fairy -- as indeed there should be in my opinion -- including Bergsma and Nunez at the Royal. Though I realize it also gets cast with soloists, albeit often soloists perceived as up-and-coming. The Mariinsky (for better and, sometimes, for worse) respects "emploi;" Obratzsova never got Odette/Odile there, though she has elsewhere. In an earlier era Baryshnikov defected partly because he knew his physique would pose limitations of repertory if he stayed...

No-one has to like any particular ballerina--and no-one will like every ballerina whatever the reputation; sometimes when I am not as enthusiastic about a ballet dancer adored by others--and experienced dance goers to boot (eg to make Amy feel less lonely on this thread, Assylmuratova whom I liked but did not adore as so many others did) I suspect that I may be the one with the limitations! Anyway, I think there is lively discussion here today because, for many of those who DO admire her Lopatkina is not just any "admirable" ballerina, but really on a special and rare plane. For me, a life-changing ballerina. And her qualities (again, speaking for myself) are qualities that define something about ballet, so that our love of her dancing touches on our very love of ballet. In that context, it would never occur to me to think less of her because her career took her to Lilac Fairy not Aurora or because she is more remarkable in some major roles than others.

This doesn't keep me from admiring/liking/loving other, very different ballerinas with other, very different qualities. But Lopatkina I own is in my pantheon of the all time greats that I have been fortunate enough to see. Missing her performances on the Mariinsky's current U.S. tour (to return to the topic of this thread) has been well nigh physically painful for me. But as Amy said -- for all kinds of reasons, sometimes one can't just pick up and see the performances one would hope to see.

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Sorry but I only have a Ph.D. in economics, not Ballet Studies. However, I've been following the Mariinsky live since the 1982 Paris tour. I have to back YID; Uliana Lopatkina is an artist of the highest order, offering much more than solid technique. She is even grander now than she was when I lived in StP and witnessed her first Giselle (Myrtha and G) and Nikiya. Her performances in DC on opening night (Swan and Paquita) were nothing short of divine...ageless! I hope that I don't have to wait another 33 years to see another ideal Kirov-Mariinsky ballerina.

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I'm pretty sure that there's a thread specifically about emploi, but I'm in the middle of a project and don't have time to dig -- my hometown company has a number of tall dancers, and so we often get tall women in traditionally short roles. One of my favorite Auroras (only saw her on video) was Cynthia Gregory -- we've watched her Rose Adagio here on BA a couple of times. A wonderful example of using technical skill to create a character.

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To Amy and mimsyb - when was the last time you saw Lopatkina dance live? from the audience in the theater?

and certainly Lopatkina is not a ballerina that says (acts like), "look at me" - it's not her culture nor her.

I have seen her dying swan in 2008 at NYC City Center and now at the Kennedy center, and both times she made me cry. it was a very intimate portrayal of dying swan, and i felt almost as if i am trespassing the privacy of a dying creature. Her swan was not fighting for life with falls or swaps of wings but more with her feet and something inside of her body that was refusing but can't help death.

I didn't see the Mariinsky this time around at BAM, but did see Lopatkina at the Met (several times) during their previous visit. Don't get me wrong. I am very much a Lopatkina fan; I find her splendid. I was only commenting on what I saw vis a vis the two film clips. Lopatkina seemed to be "outside" the role, while Pavlova seemed to totally embody the swan. MO

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Just for fun, I fished out my DVD "Kirov Classics" to watch Paquita to compare it to what we saw at the Kennedy Center. Filmed around 1990, the Paquita leads are Julia Makhalina and Igor Zelensky. Larissa Lezhnina does the 4th variation and Vinogradov was the AD. Boy, watching this you can see the old Vaganova epaulement has now totally vanished (except maybe in Brileva). Most striking is the use of the head. Back then it was lifted up and back (really pretty far back). Now, seeing that is a rarity. In the PDT, one of the women in the DVD does a series of brise volées. I don't recall seeing that at the Kennedy Center. And Lezhnina is gorgeous in the 4th variation (as always); so much better than Marchuk was at the Kennedy Center. Of course Lezhnina was a principal and Marchuk (who is lovely) is, I believe, a coryphee. Back then, legs are lower, balances a bit less sustained. But seeing this made me feel sad about the current state of the Mariinsky. But of course, NYCB has also changed how it dances radically in 25 years. I guess time moves on, styles change and ballet is a living art. Still, I'm feeling nostalgic.

Amour, Selina *did* perform the brise volees in her variation in the pas de trois.

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Okay, people, I edited out a bunch of shark jumping.

We exist to discuss ballet, not each other, and not the discussion. There is no "years of watching" or academic credentials criterion for stating an opinion about a dancer or ballet, and your opinions of each others' right to comment and how you rank their opinions have no place here. Your opinion of a dancer, ballet, etc. is what matters. If you think a post has violated policy, use the "Report" button, and the Moderators will review it.

There is also no "starting a fuss": everything stated here can be disagreed with, and discussion boards are not places to be if you don't like being disagreed with by one or many. That's what blogs (with comments turned off) are for. The only exception is the rare occasion when disagreement becomes a stalker-like pattern by a poster of swooping in with an agenda and toddler-like behavior that is disruptive, which is not the case here.

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Is Yana Selina one of the dancers in this Paquita pas de Trois?

Ballet alert inspired me to watch some Pavlova clips and noticed her high extension well above 90 at various points in choreography and of the extended leg in tour jete landings.

Are there any Pavlova videos that have been adjusted for frames and speed to remove the jerkiness?

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