Birdsall

I've seen wobbles and falling off pointe but never as if the ballerina would fall backwards. Seo had to grab hands fast!!! But she can have some good lyrical moments but the evening was a disappointment after Trenary's matinee.

I want to add that the orchestra sounded better with Ormsby Wilkins conducting. All around everything about today's matinee had more excitement than last night.

Today was night and day compared to last night. Trenary came out bounding with energy, loveliness, etc. A sweet, sweet Aurora! I was very happily surprised! I basically agree with everything Fondoffouettes said above about everyone on stage. This made Ratmansky's Sleeping Beauty come alive whereas last night I felt "meh" about it.

What was the alternate to fish dives? The Russians tend to fall backward with Prince Desire catching them as they fall backwards. I was wondering if that's what Lane and Cornejo did.

After two delayed flights I was able to make it to the Met by 7pm in plenty of time for Tuesday's performance with Gillian Murphy and Cory Stearns. I didn't think I would. It is really hard to know what I think on this very first experience with Ratmansky's Sleeping Beauty. I will probably figure out how I feel as I see more performances. I know the steps are not easier but to someone used to more "traditional" (the norm) choreography it looks easier. I know it is not from reading what dancers have said. It is just different. For the most part I feel the story and much of the choreography is similar to what we all know and love, but there are a lot of differences too. I was ready to have the scales lifted from my eyes and feel like it was a revelation to see what is closer to the 19th century, but I was actually surprised how much was very similar to today's more traditional performances. Yes, more fancy footwork for Desire, changements in Aurora's first variation, low arabesques, etc. Many differences but a shocking amount of similarities, in my personal opinion. There is a sweetness and more "loving" poses between Aurora and Desire but there is also a little bit of imperial grandeur that is lost also as a result, so for me it is give and take, pros and cons concerning Ratmansky's SB. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed it, and I will probably like it more as I view it more. Murphy was nice but a few things looked somewhat simplified and/or omitted compared to the short clips online of Vishneva. I especially missed the boureeing up to the prince into arabesque to kiss him. She didn't do it to the music at least. My favorite was Abrera as Lilac Fairy. Can't wait to see her Aurora! But I see why historical accounts conflict about whether the Lilac Fairy was a dancing role or not. She doesn't dance as much as traditional productions, and I expected that, but now I understand why some accounts claim she didn't while others say she did. I know opinions are sharply divided about Misty Copeland. I have to say this was not the Florine of one's dreams. I feel her arms are much too stiff and her smile is too much like mugging. But she does cause quite a stir in the audience, and I love when audiences get excited. I had seen Cirio many times in Florida at galas when he was with Boston Ballet and always been impressed but I have to say I was disappointed in his Bluebird. I was expecting more elevation and excitement. More flowing arms at the beginning of the coda would have been nice (to imitate flying). Overall, a nice night but I was extremely tired from traveling/waiting all day (delays). So not an earth shattering night at the ballet. Just pleasant.

I am excited about her Diamonds debut since I feel she would excel in that ballet showing off her lyrical arms. She only danced Rubies at the Mariinsky due to Fateyev's bizarre casting. I would put her in the following order if trying to cast her in Jewels. This is my choices from first choice to last: Diamonds, 2nd girl in Emeralds, 1st girl in Emeralds, tall girl in Rubies, and short girl in Rubies.

I forgot to reply to this... In my opinion, those reviews were all by British critics and audiences who had been brainwashed by Fateyev's press conference before opening night where he called Yulia a relative inexperienced beginner, implying she is very unsure of herself with no confidence. I saw her 2nd Swan Lake in person at the Mariinsky and she did not dance like a beginner. I thought she was very moving and even made the final act dramatic which few ballerinas seem to do. Like you, I like how the Bolshoi is encouraging her and not tearing her down. It will bring a great ballerina to everyone's attention!

She was cast as the 3rd shade as Natalia said, but I believe that Mariinsky performance was piped into some European movie theaters and has yet to be released on DVD at least in the U.S. Who knows if it ever will be. Maybe it is available in Europe. I was at the performance in summer 2014 so Yulia Stepanova was definitely cast. Huge cameras were stationed throughout the Mariinsky Theatre, and one was in my box. They apparently knew ahead of time and sold less seats and removed many of the seats normally in the box. But she is dancing better than ever at the Bolshoi. Her recent Lilac Fairy was a thing of great beauty!

I viewed two performances of The Bronze Horseman. One with Vladimir Shklyarov and Viktoria Tereshkina and another with Konstantin Zverev and Elena Yevseyeva. For me it seems like a paean to the city of St. Petersburg. The story seems to say that despite some tragedies or angst in people's lives, the great city of St. Petersburg, the idea of Peter the Great, carries on and lovers fall in love ad infinitum. It is a very nice and lovely ballet based completely on the classical ballet idiom. I don't believe there was one modern step in the entire ballet, although I could be wrong. However, despite the lovely dancing and the pretty music there is really no scene in it that moves me the way Swan Lake Act 1 Scene 2 does. But it is charming and entertaining. In Act 1 character and folk dancing dominates. I do enjoy character and folk dancing, so it did not bother me, but someone who does not like that type of dancing would have been bored. There is a show called "Feel Yourself Russian" available when you go to St. Petersburg. It is a night of Russian folk dancing. I have actually never attended one of those events, but I imagine it to be somewhat like what I saw in Act 1 of Bronze Horseman. Act 2 has a lovely pas de deux for Eugene and Parasha. Act 3 has a great flood scene (I agree with Dorkon above) which demonstrates how good old fashioned stagecraft can be just as exciting and spectacular as today's movies with their reliance on computer graphics. It also has a great mad scene for Eugene. To me this ballet is a great one for the male dancers who take it on......this mad scene requires acrobatics and acting. I thought Zverev was fabulous as Eugene. He was very elegant in his mannerisms and how he holds himself. His dancing was no less elegant which made his descent into madness all the more poignant. I notice that Diana Vishneva uses him a lot in St. Petersburg whenever she can. She seems to want to help his career. I hope he gets the recognition he deserves b/c usually he is stuck as Rothbart or Abderakhman, neither of which show off his strengths (elegance). Anyway, a very nice ballet. Not one of the best, but anyone who loves St. Petersburg would enjoy seeing this. It is like an ode to the city.

Yes, I think Vaziev likes her and is grooming her to be one of the Bolshoi's stars. I don't know whether Diamonds holds way more weight among NYCB conoisseurs, but in Russia Diamonds is considered much more important than Rubies. I think it it is that way all over, but I could be wrong.

I think what is going on is that people worry about Stepanova that's all. She has been diplomatic on that program and probably has to be....like one poster mentioned, and it is probably her nature to not badmouth a previous employer and not wise for anyone to really do that. I am glad everyone seems to care about her here on this forum and I think the people who were worried were just showing caring. I think everything has been misconstrued, but the important thing is that Stepanova is back on track.

Yes, casting makes no sense many times at the Mariinsky today, in my opinion. Currently, the Bolshoi seems to be rewarding talent, whereas the Mariinsky seems to ignore it or punish it!

Yes, I totally agree that she kept getting partnered by someone learning the ropes, so to speak. I prefer the Mariinsky, but Fateyev has publicly stated that he feels Vaganova grads are good for the corps and not for soloists.....he keeps hiring outside dancers who he promotes while amazing Vaganova grads are being ignored, in my opinion. In stark contrast, the Bolshoi is snapping up some choice Vaganova grads and promoting them, so my allegiance is starting to shift toward the Bolshoi as well. Vaganova Academy, that used to feed into the Mariinsky, is supplying some great soloists to Bolshoi now. Crazy! I mean, there has always been some St. Petersburg ballerinas who moved over to the Bolshoi but for Mariinsky to ignore the choice picks or leave them stuck in the corps while the Bolshoi takes some top picks and grooms them......that to me seems crazy.......

I think people are misunderstanding what I wrote. Maybe not. I think she was specifically asked about leaving the Mariinsky. That is why she brought it up (she didn't; she was asked). The people in question that I mentioned above are just worried she will be put in awkward situations pressed to speak about the past when she agrees to interviews, but many others are happy she is being recognized as a new star and being interviewed. Rodkin meant that Hero of our Time starred Stepanova when she was available (joined). Smirnova did have the world premiere, but once Stepanova came on the scene Posokhov wanted her. I am not sure if I misunderstand, Euphra, what you are saying about her not having starring roles. Do you mean no upcoming "new" roles or no big roles at the Bolshoi? I am a bit confused. If you are saying she has had no starring roles, I don't agree. At the Mariinsky she danced Odette/Odile, Myrtha, Lilac Fairy, Gamzatti, Mercedes, Street Dancer, Queen of the Dryads, Sylvia, and some other smaller roles (some of the ones I named are small roles but important ones). There are probably other things I am forgetting at the moment. At the Bolshoi she has danced Lilac Fairy, Florine, Nikiya, Hero of our Time, Frank Bridge Variation, Myrthe and soon to add Odette/Odile and Medora on the Bolshoi London tour. She is being groomed for stardom, in my personal opinion.

Drew, A Russian friend says Stepanova says, “В этом театре в меня верят, у меня прямо крылья выросли как мне кажется, и как будто я заново полюбила балет и заново у меня появились мечты.” Translation (not very easy to translate it very faithfully, preserving every nuance of her thought): “In this theater (i.e., at Bolshoi) they have trust in me, and I really feel I have grown wings, I think, as if I fell in love with ballet again and my dreams reappeared again.” Also, Rodkin is saying that Posokhov himself chose Yulia Stepanova for the first cast in his ballet for which he was awarded the Benois de la danse prize a month later. Some of my Russian friend's friends say that Stepanova should not have done the interview because she is not able to speak about the real reasons of why she left the Mariinsky, while others think she had to be interviewed since this program introduces "new stars" to the general public.

I am planning to fly up for 3 days to see 4 performances (Murphy, Trenary, Seo, and Abrera) as consolation for skipping a trip to Russia this year. I was going to just see Trenary and Abrera but decided to add the other two performances since I will be there anyway. Maybe I will run into some people.

I notice that Stepanova is getting both Odette/Odile and Medora as well as two Queen of the Dryads and two Mireille de Poitiers.....Vaziev is recognizing her talent.....

By the way, here are pics of Stepanova and Rodkin in Macbeth...... http://www.jackdevant.com/yulia-stepanova-denis-rodkin-macbeth/

Yulia Stepanova and Denis Rodkin will appear in the "Malakhov and Friends" gala in Berlin on September 2nd and 3rd.

For food do not miss Palkin where you can have sturgeon served to you by a waiter who cuts it up after it is cooked, so you know it is the real deal. You are presented with the head and the spine of the fish. The Grand Hotel Europe has the Caviar Bar where you can order caviar and vodka pairings (no saltiness in their caviar just wonderful popping bubbles in your mouth) and the hotel also has L'Europe with an amazing art nouveau interior and a Beef Stroganoff recipe that comes directly from the Stroganoff family. However, one night I had one of the multi-course "tourist" dinnners that had one amazing Russian plate after another each one looking like a gourmet creation delivered to me along with some Russian wine. Absolutely amazing restaurant! These restaurants are truly unforgettable. Till the day I die I will remember my experiences at these places. Slightly more normally priced places that are outstanding are Terrassa (incredible high view near the Kazan Catherdral and a very fashionable crowd) and down on the street level near that is Mamaliga (Georgian cuisine). I have to honestly say I was not all that impressed with the "cheap" Russian restaurants. But Russia's expensive restaurants top most restaurants I have been to in the States.

Drew, you don't remember the sets in LHBH because they are barely there!!!! LOL

I enjoy LHBH for its choreography and cute story. Although I love the novel Anna Karenina I find Ratmansky's choreography and Schedrin's music for AK unbelievably boring!!!!

I would like to see all those even though I'm not a fan of Les Noces. However, I would prefer to learn more of her works rather than see a Dracula or Peter Pan, so I agree!

Yes, Drew is right....they will put the link to buy tickets soon. Just check back constantly. It could be at any moment once the playbill is posted. They actually posted the playbill for June and July earlier than the last couple of years!

Although in her private life she probably goes by Yangurazova, she has dropped that from her public name. She is now just Yulia Stepanova once again. She has worked hard to get that name back and I think personally we should use that for her public name.