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Shakirova "Shurale" debut Sunday 28 January mat.


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Casting and production info : https://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbill/2018/1/28/1_1300

Thanks to Mariinsky posting ballet scheduling in hotchpotch fashion and single daily flight by TK out of Istanbul I ended up with tickets for both the mat and eve performances on this date. Matinee was Shakirova's Shurale debut as Syuimbike so rather unmissable - excellent Tatar dancer in a Tatar fairy tale. After seeing the original version of Spartak at Mariinsky a couple of years ago I wanted to learn a bit more about Yakabson (continued below>)

Edited by mnacenani
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I LOVE Shurale - Shurale and Bayadere are my favourite ballets.  Shirinkina was a gorgeous Syuimbike last time she danced it so I hope today was just as good.  Syuimbike should also be a fab role for Shakirova.  Beautiful music, joyful, uplifting ballet with Russian folkloric elements, poignant pd2 and scenes for the female corps  - everything is right with the world when I see SHurale!  I hope you enjoyed both performances! 

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(continued>)  The synopsis and detailed production history can be found under the link on the opening post above. Shurale looks like nothing I have seen before - I have neither seen the Firebird nor do I know its plot well so up to our seasoned members to input any effect it may have had on Shurale. I found the choreo of the bird-maidens in first act delicate and evocative, possibly drawing inspiration from Swan Lake from time to time. Has Shurale the character been modelled after Rothbart or Kashchei - again for others to say. The second act opens in somewhat surprising fashion with maybe well over 100 dancers and extras on stage - the junior classes of Vaganova were out in force. The dances enacting local customs were nice to watch. Shakirova and Timofeyev fitted their respective bills very well - am told they are offstage "partnyors" as well. I have a soft spot for Renata ever since seeing her as Kitri shortly after her debut in role in 2015 - such a radiant and warm artist who becomes the character rather than impersonating it.

The rather short third act is eventful from almost the start, with the hero setting fire to Shurale's lair and the forest going up in flames with such realistic effects that one would not be surprised if the fire crew suddenly rushed the stage and started dousing the scenery. The "fire" dies down when our bird-maiden refuses to abandon her beloved and they live happily ever after. Imho a one-of-a-kind creation which should be taken at least once and then as required. The music is "film music" - not memorable but does the job. If you read the production history you'll be surprised that under those conditions putting it all together was some achievement.

Feeling rather unwell and afraid of going down with flu I did not go to the evening performance and gave away my ticket to a friend. Cast was Shirinkina-Yermakov-Sergeyev.

Have a small surprise up my sleeve - if I can manage to "manage" Flickr !

Edited by mnacenani
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2 hours ago, mnacenani said:

Just in case anyone is not familiar with "Shurale" I have found a 32 minute run-through in reasonably good quality. To make sense of it one has to read the synopsis under the link at my opening post above. The spectacular (imho) 3rd act starts at 20:02.

I would probably start at 23:20. There are some sections of beautiful dance in this work. Maria Shirinkina was lovely and Igor Kolb did more of his fine partnering. Although not very big, he managed to keep his partners afloat in many physically ‘adventuresome’  moments.

It’s nice to see that she and her husband, Vladimir Shklyarov, are back. She gets Giselle this month and he gets three performances.

I like to put her in the same group with Yekaterina Osmolkina. Both are so airy and graceful. Neither is tall, but I notice in this video how Maria Shirinkina projects. I also notice for the first time how beautiful her hands are.

I wish Renata Shakirova much success in everything that she does and I hope that they give her the best material possible. She's highly talented, versatile and, if I could, I’d like to add one of the loveliest individuals that I’ve had the pleasure of saying hi to (which shows in her performances, allowing me, maybe, to say so here.) 


 

Edited by Buddy
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Maria Shirinkina has some of the most beautiful arms and hands in the company.  If you can ever see her Sylphide, you should do so - her arms are beautiful in this also.  She's a lovely Syuimbike, Giselle and many other roles that show of her lyrical and expressive talents without asking for virtuoso technique: that's not her forte.   I love watching her, and especially in Shurale.  She is an excellent Giselle also, and I remember her very touching mad scene which was never over the top, as some ballerinas act it.  But anyway ... Shurale ... I love it.  It makes me feel happy every time I see it.  The scene where Syuimbike greets her fellow bird maiden friends is just SO touching and also the scene where Ali Batyr is looking for her in the second act and she is eventually revealed - actually brings tears.  Such a beautiful ballet!  It gives me SO much pleasure to see it!  

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9 hours ago, MadameP said:

Shurale ... I love it.  It makes me feel happy every time I see it.

I always try to see two different casts of a ballet if I can, on same day if possible, and was set up for it for Shurale. Feeling rather unwell after the matinee decided to play safe and gave away my ticket for the evening, sad eventuality. Can't afford to take too many risks - at my age they don't even give one travel insurance cover !  :crying::D:D

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An entire Shurale w. Obraztsova is fairly easy to track down on youtube. I found her performance beyond enchanting. Very sorry to say I have never seen the ballet live and am not terribly optimistic I will ever have the chance.

I did enjoy the fragments posted of Shirinkina in the role and would be happy to see her dance it...and Shakirova too for sure!  This bit of Shakirova's performance turned up on instagram:

 

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I saw this performance :) Initially thought that I had  booked the evening performance for I wished to see Maria Shirinkina perform. As it turned out I didn't but nevertheless I was still happy with Shakirova

Edited by Lam
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2 minutes ago, Lam said:

Initially thought that I had  booked the evening performance for I wished to see Maria Shirinkina perform. As it turned out I didn't but nevertheless I was still happy with Shakirova

I will tell you why you were led astray, as I was to some extent :  Mariinka posted only the matinee for Sunday 28th Jan with no evening performance, and I got tix for the matinee thinking there would be no evening performance. They posted the evening performance 3-4 days later  :wacko:  . This is the state of affairs at M currently - with just three weeks to go there is no program posted for the gala on 11th March !

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