FireDancer

There's also this book: https://www.amazon.com/San-Francisco-Ballet-at-Seventy-Five/dp/0811856984

Hi again I would love to know how your teacher taught you to work with your hyperextension as I don't personally have it so have never felt in my own body and can only imagine it... Also, I usually can't watch his videos (and especially can't listen to his sneering voice) and end up skimming to see what new horridness he's put out there so he may have called it second at some point. However, if you watch this video specifically on hyperextension, he talks about how the heels should not be together in first and the legs should be "fully straight" which for him means to their full hyperextension (I completely disagree as already started) so I really think he means that position to be a first 😩 What do you think?

I can give you my opinion about anything specific you may be wondering about 😉

Watching the video linked above, she reminds me so much of Alexandra Koltun. It makes me wonder if they had the same teachers...

What are you confused about? And yes, so. much. ego. And why the constant swearing?

I, too, was trained by teachers from the Kirov and Bolshoi but I disagree with most of what he says. I don't believe in squeezing or gripping anything including the butt. He's all about that which creates so much tension and then none of his students can move! I agree with you that that is a second position (minus the sitting in the hyperextension) but unfortunately he is teaching it as first... To understand how to actually straighten one's legs, the heels must be together. I just don't see how it's possible to do it otherwise. And saying he doesn't care where her weight is at the moment is just ridiculous. I know he graduated from GITIS but he can't possibly have had a class at the Bolshoi Academy. I know he did some choreography there and I don't think he did much more.

It's definitely what he's doing to her, she can't possibly be that weak.

Can you go on Saturday matinee?

Yes, all of the above!

That was my thought (and others I know)... He must be paying her a boatload.

Unfortunately, if it makes one worse, what's the point? One has to be discerning when choosing a teacher.

The thing is it doesn't matter if she can turn out if she can't even stand on one leg or let go of the barre while doing a plié... And it's not that it'll come later, it's that it would have to be retaught... As for the heels, he may very well be making an assumption that since their legs are hyperextended then they should have their heels apart, and/or, sure, it's possible someone in Russia may have told him the heels could be apart. But I can't imagine anyone ever said one could basically be in a (bad) second position.

Well this would be a very long post which I don't currently have time for, but in short: _ His attitude is just awful. He is so condescending and rude, always, and even to Misty, who is a principal dancer. He treats her like she has no idea what she's doing, the way he does everyone. For that alone, I couldn't work with him, even if he knew his stuff. _ On the technical side, he is so wrong about most of the things he says and does. For an easy example, just look at how he has Misty (and his wife and son) do first position. They have their feet so far apart and they are completely sitting in their hyperextension and their heels. Not to mention, there's no way to lift one's leg while between 2 legs, let alone let go of the barre. So his whole "it's all about placement" is true, HOWEVER he has no idea what correct placement is. I can tell you from experience that the teachers at the Bolshoi Academy where he claims to have taught (riiiight) have the students stand with their heels together even if they have crazy hyperextension because that is exactly what teaches one to stack the bones of the standing leg and pull up out of one's hyperextension as is necessary to dance. He never danced: he was in the tech industry until he decided to study dance as an adult. Since he had the means to do it, he studied in Moscow but that doesn't mean he understood it properly. He hasn't felt ballet in his own body and that is necessary to be a teacher and to pass on the art of classical dance, especially its technique. His poor wife could be so much further along than she is if she had a proper teacher. She wouldn't need to cry the tears of frustration featured in a recent video. She can't do it because she's not on her leg!!!

Absolutely horrid. Why would she want to work with him???

Hello! I, too, was in Moscow and I was at the Vasiliev/Sminorva/Vinogradova/Ovcharenko performance. I was so sad when Olga fell and subsequently missed Act II. Did you hear anything about her status? Is she really hurt? She was definitely not herself during Act I... The show as a whole was AMAZING!!! Cheers

My internet connection is messing with me and I can't see the videos yet. However, the photos made me realize she wears fake arches. I don't know if I knew that. Looking forward to seeing the vids!