New company members 2018-19 season

[Dreamer]

SFB sent out an email announcing company’s roster for 2018-2019 seasons.

The biggest surprise is the recruitment of Vladislav Kozlov, a former corps de ballet dancer with the Bolshoi, who will be joining as a soloist. New corps members are Cavan Conley, Lucas Erni and Nicolai Goridiskii. 

[PeggyTulle]

Nicolai is Ana Sophia Scheller's bf.

[PeggyTulle]

Apprentices are also listed on the website:

Esteban Cuadrado, Max Follmer, Jasmine Jimison, Joshua Price, Leili Rackow, and Jacob Seltzer

[PeggyTulle]

Also, apprentices promoted to corps appear to be:

 Ethan Chudnow, Anatalia Hordov, Carmela Mayo, and Swane Messaoudi (no Benji Pearson or Larisa Nugent listed on the corps page)

[PeggyTulle]

Dancers missing from this year's roster, that I can tell of:

• Maria Kochetkova (freelancing)
• James Sofranko (AD of Grand Rapids)
• Jillian Harvey
• Blake Kessler
• Rebecca Rhodes
• Isabella Walsh
• Benji Pearson
• Larisa Nugent

[volcanohunter]

1 hour ago, Dreamer said:

The biggest surprise is the recruitment of Vladislav Kozlov, a former corps de ballet dancer with the Bolshoi, who will be joining as a soloist.

I had wondered in passing why he was replaced in his performance as Lensky on June 24 given that he danced in Lady of the Camellias yesterday, and so presumably isn't injured. He's still scheduled to dance a performance of Nureyev at the end of the month, but we'll see if that comes to pass. I don't think the Bolshoi saw this coming. He'd made a debut as Pechorin-2 just a month ago. I doubt the company would have bothered if it knew of his imminent departure. If anything, the company's reaction comes across as a little angry: his name has already been struck from the Bolshoi's roster, and his online biography speaks of his Bolshoi employment in the past tense.

He is tall, hyper-extended and hyper-flexible. Not the sort of dancer who appeals to me even remotely, but precisely the sort Makhar Vaziev likes, so his departure is a surprise.

[pherank]

48 minutes ago, volcanohunter said:

I had wondered in passing why he was replaced in his performance as Lensky on June 24 given that he danced in Lady of the Camellias yesterday, and so presumably isn't injured. He's still scheduled to dance a performance of Nureyev at the end of the month, but we'll see if that comes to pass. I don't think the Bolshoi saw this coming. He'd made a debut as Pechorin-2 just a month ago. I doubt the company would have bothered if it knew of his imminent departure. If anything, the company's reaction comes across as a little angry: his name has already been struck from the Bolshoi's roster, and his online biography speaks of his Bolshoi employment in the past tense.

He is tall, hyper-extended and hyper-flexible. Not the sort of dancer who appeals to me even remotely, but precisely the sort Makhar Vaziev likes, so his departure is a surprise.

SFB staff always seems to maintain an interest in getting one or more Bolshoi-trained dancers. The last Bolshoi 'acquisition' didn't work out though - he never arrived in SF. So we shall see. I'm not surprised that Kozlov has been part of the Nureyev project - that's likely how SFB learned of his interest: through Yuri Possokhov.

Personally, I'd like to see a Mariinsky dancer join SFB.

[Dreamer]

14 minutes ago, pherank said:

Personally, I'd like to see a Mariinsky dancer join SFB.

I was hoping for a Cuban. With DQ returning next season, who from the current roaster can be a match to previous Basilios of the likes of Joan Boada, Taras Domitro or Carlos Quenedit.  Having just seen the National Ballet of Cuba in DC, I am still in awe with the young generation of their male dancers—Rafael Quenedit (the younger brother of Carlos), Patricio Revé and Raúl Abreu. 

Edited June 4, 2018 by Dreamer

[volcanohunter]

36 minutes ago, pherank said:

SFB staff always seems to maintain an interest in getting one or more Bolshoi-trained dancers. The last Bolshoi 'acquisition' didn't work out though - he never arrived in SF. So we shall see. I'm not surprised that Kozlov has been part of the Nureyev project - that's likely how SFB learned of his interest: through Yuri Possokhov.

Kozlov does not look or move like a quintessential Bolshoi dancer. He certainly doesn't project a sense of power (unlike Zagrebin, who never arrived), although his jump is, of course, large. I don't think the Bolshoi takes any man without a big jump. I don't think the move to San Francisco is a bad idea for him, since he is probably better suited to a more contemporary style of choreography anyway. I don't find him to be a convincing classicist: his proportions aren't ideally harmonious, his line has nothing like classical purity, and his way of moving is insufficiently centered. Possokhov likes him, so at the very least Kozlov can dance those ballets. I can't speculate about other repertoire. I hated Kozlov in "Emeralds," for example. 

Edited June 4, 2018 by volcanohunter

[pherank]

51 minutes ago, Dreamer said:

I was hoping for a Cuban. With DQ returning next season, who from the current roaster can be a match to previous Basilios of the likes of Joan Boada, Taras Domitro or Carlos Quenedit.  Having just seen the National Ballet of Cuba in DC, I am still in awe with the young generation of their male dancers—Rafael Quenedit (the younger brother of Carlos), Patricio Revé and Raúl Abreu. 

I agree with you that more Cubans would be a plus - but the inflow seems to have quieted down considerably.

35 minutes ago, volcanohunter said:

Kozlov does not look or move like a quintessential Bolshoi dancer. He certainly doesn't project a sense of power (unlike Zagrebin, who never arrived), although his jump is, of course, large. I don't think the Bolshoi takes any man without a big jump. I don't think the move to San Francisco is a bad idea for him, since he is probably better suited to a more contemporary style of choreography anyway. I don't find him to be a convincing classicist: his proportions aren't ideally harmonious, his line has nothing like classical purity, and his way of moving is insufficiently centered. Possokhov likes him, so at the very least Kozlov can dance those ballets. I can't speculate about other repertoire. I hated Kozlov in "Emeralds," for example. 

Yeah, I'm not sure why the Bolshoi would be mad at Kozlov (except out of general demeanor) for leaving to SF - SFB may well be a better fit.
I've got big issues with the Bolshoi's handling of Jewels, period. But that said, anyone can be trained properly to work with particular techniques and styles. They just have to put in the work and not be resistant.

[volcanohunter]

5 minutes ago, pherank said:

I've got big issues with the Bolshoi's handling of Jewels, period.

 Tell me about it. A few weeks ago at the Bolshoi I endured the worst "Diamonds" I've ever seen.

[pherank]

5 minutes ago, volcanohunter said:

 Tell me about it. A few weeks ago at the Bolshoi I endured the worst "Diamonds" I've ever seen.

And Diamonds is supposed to be the ballet that the Russians have a natural affinity for. Well, at least the Mariinsky dancers.
Sometimes I've wondered about the almost ruthless interpretations - I really wonder if someone isn't thinking, "We'll show the world how this ballet should have been choreographed and danced! Bolshoi style!"
Yeah, and Matisse's drawings would look so much better if one could just make them look more like real women with realistic proportions and lots of nice shading to give a more 3-D look. Wouldn't that be great?  😉

 

[Dreamer]

1 hour ago, volcanohunter said:

Kozlov does not look or move like a quintessential Bolshoi dancer. He certainly doesn't project a sense of power (unlike Zagrebin, who never arrived), although his jump is, of course, large. 

Zagrebin did arrive in San Francisco and even performed with the company at the annual Stern Grove festival in July.  He never made it to the repertory season, though.

[volcanohunter]

22 minutes ago, pherank said:

And Diamonds is supposed to be the ballet that the Russians have a natural affinity for. Well, at least the Mariinsky dancers.

Obviously Makhar Vaziev thinks so, too. The offending ballerina was a Vaganova graduate. 

[pherank]

57 minutes ago, Dreamer said:

Zagrebin did arrive in San Francisco and even performed with the company at the annual Stern Grove festival in July.  He never made it to the repertory season, though.

Thanks, Dreamer - I didn't know he actually appeared at Stern Grove. All one has to do is try looking for a place to rent to change one's mind.  ;)

[Dreamer]

I believe Zagrebin and his wife, who is also a dancer, spent the entire summer in SF. I remember seeing instagram photos of them and Gennadi Nedvigin touring wineries. Why he decided to leave after a couple of months remains a mystery. Would he have broken his contract? Or are foreign dancers allowed to sign up on a temporary basis?

[pherank]

1 hour ago, Dreamer said:

I believe Zagrebin and his wife, who is also a dancer, spent the entire summer in SF. I remember seeing instagram photos of them and Gennadi Nedvigin touring wineries. Why he decided to leave after a couple of months remains a mystery. Would he have broken his contract? Or are foreign dancers allowed to sign up on a temporary basis?

He most likely didn't find SFB a good fit for him. It's entirely dependent on the individual company as far as how contracts and leave of absences are handled. Froustey was able to take a sabbatical initially from POB, but most dancers are simply taking a risk on their own to spend time with another company.

From what I can tell, Zagrebin moved about a lot between companies. I think he's with the Royal Swedish Ballet these days.

[its the mom]

Nicolai Goridiskii was hired as soloist at PA Ballet for the 2015-16 season, but then was gone from the roster after a few months.  I am not sure what happened or where he went after that.  

[pherank]

3 hours ago, its the mom said:

Nicolai Goridiskii was hired as soloist at PA Ballet for the 2015-16 season, but then was gone from the roster after a few months.  I am not sure what happened or where he went after that.  

That's not even mentioned on his dancer page (so far). But to show that ballet is a small world - here's a video of Gorodiskii dancing a PDD with Ana Sophia Scheller (in 2015):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-TlhYV6sCs

[PeggyTulle]

36 minutes ago, pherank said:

....But to show that ballet is a small world - here's a video of Gorodiskii dancing a PDD with Ana Sophia Scheller (in 2015):

Yes, it's small. But from IG posts and this past Pointe article, they are dating/significant others.

Youtube videos and IG clips seem to show Gorodiskii at a lot of galas and one-offs. He seems to dance with bravado, but maybe without much care to details like clean 5ths, pointed toes, and timing. Will be curious to see how he gets cast and performs in the corps.

Edited June 5, 2018 by PeggyTulle

[its the mom]

Yes, not a coincidence. He and Ana have dated on and off for several years, as evidenced by social media. Agreed, PeggyTulle. 

[pherank]

37 minutes ago, PeggyTulle said:

Youtube videos and IG clips seem to show Gorodiskii at a lot of galas and one-offs. He seems to dance with bravado, but maybe without much care to details like clean 5ths, pointed toes, and timing.

And that's why it's straight to the Corps for him.  ;)
A diet of gala PDD's doesn't make for a solid, all-round dancer. Would Gorodiskii have been able to handle the Unbound Festival demands? Or did he luck out by missing all of that? We shall see...

[mira]

At PAB he seemed to be only interested in dancing classical work - not interested in the contemporary roles.

[Helene]

RE:  removed post.  For any dancer employment or contract updates, you must refer to an official source.

[pherank]

The SFB website has a new page introducing 4 of the new company dancers:

Welcoming New Dancers
https://www.sfballet.org/explore/articles/Welcoming-New-Dancers