Birdsall

He is dressed like Ali to me, so you could be right, but it looks like he is dancing Lankedem (Lankedem dances a pdd with Gulnare when he shows her off to the Pasha). Of course, I haven't seen this production, so things could be different from the Mariinsky version, although the Mikhailovsky's is supposedly based on the Sergeyev version. Maybe the Mik has melded both Lankedem and Ali into one character (traits of both)? Has anyone on BA actually seen this version to let us know?

I have to say that many opera productions are hard to take today, although occasionally I actually like a wacky production. I loved the Copenhagen Ring (on dvd). It is crazy, but the Ring Cycle lends itself to crazy productions, because it is basically a fantasy world. I attended the L.A. Ring Cycle and loved that too even though most people hated it (the singers had these big masks most of the time that probably made it hard on them). The finale had the sets and everything flooded away leaving the backstage scaffolding and lights shining out onto the audience as if to say, "Okay, you got the message about greed and power......now it is up to YOU to renew the world....." and I think that was actually a spectacular ending. But some postmodern or crazy productions are just plain ugly or ridiculous. At this point they are here to stay. As for the singing I used to go to a lot of regional opera and the voices were decent and occasionally amazingly wonderful and I would say, "Why is this singer stuck here?" But often today the singer opens his/her mouth and you know they will never sing at the Met. ALTHOUGH......the emphasis on Hollywood star looks and buffed bodies has even brought quality down at the Met!!! I miss the fat ladies who could actually sing and blow you away!!!!! LOL

Yes, when we become far too acquainted with a certain art form we start to pick it all apart and become clinical and I think we stop enjoying it to some extent. That has happened with me with opera. There are few singers I care to listen to nowadays. My jaw drops at the raves Radvanovsky gets in Bellini's Norma. In my mind, poor Bellini is rolling in his grave! But many enjoy her Norma. I think this might be because I have loved the opera for over 20 years and collected over 100 bootlegs and still mainly return to Callas. An opera becomes memorized in our minds and we have tiny 1 minute moments that put us in ecstasy when we hear them sung the way we want to hear it. I look for the tapering off of lines in Casta Diva and long phrases without breaths (many take obvious breaths in the long lines of Casta Diva where the greats did not). I am disappointed if the trills are not managed in "Adalgisa fia punita nelle fiamme perira!" (the soprano must sing the trills very fast and with fury in her voice which is very difficult)......Can a singer do a "decent" or "good" job without the trills in that line? Yes. It is only seconds in the entire opera. Am I disappointed when she fails to sing them? BIG TIME!!!! That is what artists contend with.....people who know the repetoire and know it WELL and we judge them in impossible ways. A soprano DARING to take on Norma must have the ferocity of Maria Callas, the technique of Joan Sutherland, the pianissimi and breath control of Montserrat Caballe, etc. We are unreasonable in our demands once we know the opera backwards and forwards. But it is the way of the world, I believe. When I am in my grumpy mood I actually feel like technique is what has suffered in opera, not the big picture......too much big picture with skinny singers who look like actresses or models and lousy technique and no projection. But then I will hear Kaufmann or Stemme (whose Brunnhilde in SF will be a treasure of my opera-going experience) or Beczala, and I realize there are greats out there still....... So, yes, I think we become picky and we have our expectations sky high many times and stop seeing the overall picture and stop enjoying the experience. But how do we go back to the days when it is new and everything seems lovely????

I think there was a documentary about Nureyev's Bayadere and he mistakenly photocopied the score wrong or something in a rush and so he thought he had found the final act and copied it but hadn't. He got back to Paris and realized he did not actually copy the last act. Maybe I am wrong about this, but I remember seeing something that said that. As for Tereshkina, I hear she is a very nice ballerina to partner because she is not diva-like at all. I do agree that her looks are great for Gamzatti, but I saw her as Nikiya and she was very decent. Not earth-shattering, but no slouch either. In my opinion, she is not always spot on in her acting, but she is always very committed and trying very hard to create drama. She doesn't always achieve the best results but you admire that she is committed and working as hard as she can, and when she hits the nail on the head it is very good. I never feel like she is ever phoning a performance in. Her hard work makes me root for her.

Do you know how old he was?

Yes, Mussel, Uber is supposedly good. I have never used it, but I know it is all the rage and cheaper than a taxi, and a friend does some driving for Uber and says he makes a lot of money in one night on a Friday or Saturday or during game days here in Gainesville (The Gators football team). I actually like to walk in St. Petersburg if possible b/c it is nice to walk along the streets with canals normally. But I think I will not stay out as late ever again if I go back. Fraildove, it is always better to be on the safe side, I have learned. I think I was comfortable and I have always been under the mistaken belief that a thief would more likely choose a smaller target, but I was wrong about that. I think late at night I will either not go out in SP, or I will have the restaurant or bar call a taxi for me or maybe, as mussel suggests, I will set up an Uber app on my phone. I hope nobody will avoid SP due to my situation. It is a beautiful city and full of great things. It actually has a quiet beauty to it compared to other European cities. It grows on you slowly. It is not flashy like Florence or Rome or Paris or even Prague. But it gets under your skin and reveals its beauty little by little.

By the way, the two Nutcrackers I saw fulfilled my Mariinsky Ballet bucket list. I have now seen all the "classical" repetoire that the Mariinsky does at the historic theatre (I wanted to do that in case the historic theatre....now scheduled for renovation in 2018, I believe.....burned down or some other misfortune happened to the theatre). And I wanted to say that the Vainonen Nutcracker is a lot more charming in person than on video. The pink color scheme that I have heard complaints about seems less pink in person at least to me. There is a lot of pink, but it is not annoying in person. And it has a grandness and beauty to it in person, in my opinion. Very exciting to see, especially the snowflake scene. You look around at the theatre and turn back to the stage and you can not believe you are in this beautiful theatre seeing the Nutcracker. And Nutcracker is probably my least favorite ballet......both Osmolkina and Martynyuk were delightful as Masha. Even in pain I enjoyed Martynyuk on the last night......I almost didn't go to the final show b/c of the mugging but I decided it might take my mind off my pain and sadness and it did.

Yes, having the hotel or restaurant call the taxi and getting a set price beforehand is usually a good way to do it, and you will get a decent price. It is when you are desperate and in a very touristy area or the airport they will hike up the prices. But you are right about the ways you did it. It is the smart way to do it. I have traveled throughout my life throughout Europe and only had two problems (muggings in Amsterdam and St. Petersburg). The mugging in Amsterdam was not violent, however. I really hate to dissaude anyone from traveling to St. Petersburg, because it is a beautiful city and wonderful place for a ballet lover. You (speaking to everyone reading this) will never regret going to St. Petersburg. I would just maybe take precautions not to be out late at night alone or if you are, take a taxi as you (ssark) mention by asking the restaurant to call one and setting a price beforehand. I think during the daytime and early evening it is fairly safe to walk around, and I was unsure whether to document my mugging on this thread b/c I do not want people to think St. Petersburg is more dangerous than it is. I still love the city, and I will return one day, but I do have a partner who wants me to start going other places so that he can travel too (he won't go to Russia with me). So no White Nights 2016 report from me. Hope someone else will go next summer and post reports!!!! LOL

I have not had any other problem in St. Petersburg. I think the food and water are safe nowadays. At least I have not had trouble. But I buy bottled water to drink. However, I used the hotel's water from the faucet for brushing my teeth. As for the night trains, I spent extra to have the more expensive night trains to and from Moscow so that I was alone and could lock the compartment door on the inside and keep safe from intruders and did not have to sleep with strangers. There was also a key card that was the only way to open the compartment. When I was in my 20s and more adventurous I did the "couchettes" where you might be with up to 5 other strangers in a sleeping compartment, but I am too old for that type of thing. I like my privacy. So I think the night sleeping trains are safe if you do the first class one. I am in my late 40s and not willing to sleep in a compartment with 5 other strangers. Luckily, the rouble was weak and a Russian friend helped me book my sleeping car to and from Moscow. Way back in the 1980s when my parents and I were in Paris the gypsies would converge on you in front of the Louvre, so that is nothing new, but you just keep money and valuables in purse if you are a woman and keep tight hold of the part that can open on the purse and scream loudly if necessary, and as a male I put hands into pockets covering valuables. In Rome, Italy once I made nonsense signals with my hands as if I am putting a curse on the gypsies, and you should have seen how fast the "mother" gypsy screamed and got her children away from me. I just made up the curse signals, but it scared them enough to leave me alone. I didn't know this would be so effective, but it was, so steal that idea!!!!! LOL

Thanks! Yes, in the end, no one should really attack someone physically and steal the person's stuff, so I agree. But I guess it is also human nature to wonder, "What could I have done to avoid this, so it doesn't happen again?"

By the way, I think right after ballets it is still light during the summer, so walking back to your hotel after a ballet should be no problem. What happened is I had a hotel right near the Mariinsky and did not go home. I met a friend for dinner closer to the touristy hub and then went with him to a bar for a drink, but he had an Italian friend visiting from Moscow and I told them to catch up with each other and chat, and I was tired and wanted to walk home alone to my hotel. But this was 2am in the morning and by then it was dark and so that is another part of the puzzle. I don't think you have to worry about a 20 minute walk right after a ballet performance usually. I mean, anything can happen. I just don't want to make anyone on BA scared to walk back to their hotel. It should be fine if it is light, you stay out of walkways, and you take precautions. I think I became too confident feeling like I knew St. Petersburg, and I should have hailed a taxi or walked further up to the Moika. Basically, I probably shouldn't have been walking around at 2am by myself.

Thank you, Everyone!, for your concern and kind words!! One thing I hope is that you guys will avoid the covered walkways at night no matter how short they are (in any city) and no matter if it is raining. I think that was my big mistake. The other thing is that I may have used my iphone to look at the time on the street and so someone may have been tracking me and when I went into the covered walkway it gave him the hidden area to beat me and take what he wanted with less chance of being seen. I think now that the iphone was the thing he wanted and my iphone was in a wallet style case that held money and credit cards. I had little cash and the credit cards were not used (although I cancelled them anyway and will get new ones). The good news is that I have replaced everything stolen material-wise, and most of my injuries will heal by themselves. I just need root canals on the teeth, I believe. Many people think that it is great that the attacker did not have a knife because his method of attack was not to ask for anything but to beat you and take what he wanted. I, too, was shocked by the level of violence. I am 6 feet tall and not scrawny so I was also under the believe most robbers would choose an easier target, but this guy (if it was just one) was very strong. I blocked as many punches as I could after being thrown to the ground but I was immediately in a defensive (down on the ground) position and unable to fight. The punches kept coming and I blocked them like I said. It was over within seconds, so I think he knew exactly how to stun someone and get what he wanted as quickly as possible. I was mugged once years ago when I was in my 20s before by 3 men in Amsterdam who pushed me against a wall and surrounded me but they simply raided my pockets without hurting me and let me go. Not this time. I think the other thing is that walking back along the Moika Canal is probably safer. Moika has nicer shops and buildings, although that doesn't mean anything. I just think that there is always a shadier element late at night along the Griboedova Canal. It is where the nightlife people seem to hang out more, and therefore I thought I was safe and I had walked it many nights on previous trips and this one. But as Yudi says I think the Moika is actually safer, but you never know. As Mashinka said this could happen anywhere. But my advice: do not show your iphone on the street at night and do not go into the covered walkways set up on buildings with construction even if it is raining.

Thank you!!!

Thank you so much for your kind words! I am okay. On pain meds and spent yesterday seeing doctors. I see another doctor tomorrow. Today I am going to get a new ATM bank card and then I will have everything replaced that was taken from me (once the new credit cards arrive as well). So the possessions taken are almost all replaced or will be shortly. Now I just have to hope my front teeth will survive. They are wired to other stable teeth and the oral surgeon says I have to keep the wires that the Russian ER doctor put in for 4-6 weeks!!!! These are like makeshift braces (like homemade braces), so very big and I am putting lots of wax on top of the areas that poke my upper lip. The oral surgeon said he was amazed the Russian ER doctor knew and even wanted to wire my teeth. He said that most ER docs in the States would just put the teeth back into place and tell you to go see your dentist asap. And the dentist would probably tell you to go to an oral surgeon who would then wire your teeth (losing valuable time in stabilizing), so he said the Russian ER doctor did a great thing. That was really good to know, because I was unsure whether what he did was right. It was a relief to know that what he did was right. I wish I could somehow thank him, but I don't know the name of the hospital or his name, etc. Basically, my health is the only thing I have to worry about now. My possessions will all be replaced. I wish the criminal or criminals (still unclear if it was one or two) would have simply demanded my stuff. I probably would have handed it over without all the violence. The strange thing is that he didn't say one word. As you say, the one good thing is that I am able to warn everyone reading this NOT to go into those covered walkways at night!!!! I mean, it is actually common sense, and I think I would have avoided it if it had not been raining. But with hindsight I would rather have gotten wet and walked along the street. All my other trips I felt totally safe in St. Petersburg, so I don't want anyone to get the wrong impression, but it is a big city, and it is important to take precautions and not go into things like a walkway late at night. Also, even though the "real" taxis are expensive in St. Petersburg (as opposed to the regular hitch-a-ride with someone you flag down) and liable to rip you off as a tourist, it is still cheaper than all the hospital bills I will now pay. So if stuck somewhere very late at night and it is dark go ahead and splurge for an overpriced taxi. I wish I had. I just became over confident because I knew my path and I had walked it many times.

Drew, I have done the hitch a ride thing in SP when left with no other option and never had a problem, but I don't blame a woman not wanting to do it, and I have to honestly say now that I was mugged I will probably take extra pre-cautions and not do that either. The problem is that the SP "real" taxis are very expensive and are likely to really overcharge you big time whereas the common practice of hitching a ride they agree upon a price beforehand and normally it seems to work, but, like I said, I think I will walk or take a regular taxi simply due to having experienced what I did. I sort of had the belief that most people are less likely to attack a 6 feet, 200 lb. male.......boy, was I wrong! Using buses, subway, and walking is actually pretty easy, so that is what I normally do there and will do if I return ever. The one thing is that my partner has been aggravated that I keep going to St. Petersburg (and he refuses to go with me), so I had already agreed that next summer he can choose a place and I will space out my trips a bit more. Well, after this, I am okay with spacing them out more and maybe just seeing them on tours even though I think this same thing could have happened in DC or NY or anywhere. But your mind still blames the place where it happened. With that said, St. Petersburg is so beautiful. I don't regret all my trips there at all. I hope I am not dissauding anyone. Just don't walk alone at night (take a taxi or walk on the Moika which I think has less seedy people). THANKS TO EVERYONE (abatt, Helene, BalletPerfection, Buddy, and Drew for the well wishes)!!!! Good news: driver's license replaced today, both credit cards cancelled with new cards in the mail....tomorrow I will go to my bank and replace my ATM card (the doctor appointments, calling credit cardcompanies to make sure the cards were cancelled, and getting my driver's license took all day). The oral surgeon I saw today said the Russian ER doctor did the right thing and actually went above and beyond what the ER in America would have done by wiring my front teeth so that they are wired to stable teeth. They said most American ERs would just move the teeth back in place and tell me to get to the dentist asap. I was relieved to hear that not only did he do a good job but he went above and beyond. Stitches in lower lip were removed last night. Apparently your mouth heals pretty fast. I go to the ENT doctor for the nose fracture on Thursday. I finally cried about it all today while telling a friend what happened. I had not cried. It took 48 hours to finally release an emotion about it, I guess. I guess I was in shock. A friend once told me that crying is necessary just like smiling is necessary. If we hold it back we are actually keeping ourselves from healing. But people avoid crying and try not to and people even tell people not to cry, but this friend told me that is wrong. Just as you never tell someone not to smile, you should never tell someone not to cry. And just the attack and the long hospital and police report procedures and not being able to contact my loved ones.....it was really, really upsetting. While I was stuck at the police station for hours I would go by the criminals' cells and envy them b/c they were lying down sleeping in their cells. I had had no sleep, was covered in dried blood all over my shirt and pants with various citizens coming in to file reports, and they were looking at me like I was a derelict (covered in blood), and I have to say that the red tape at the police station was the absolute worst part of it all......I would tell the story to one officer, he would get called away to an emergency so another would take over and I had to answer all the same questions and then he was called away. Then, the translator had to leave and then I had to wait for a new translator. It was so crazy.

Yes, Buddy, my experience too on my other trips. I walked often at night along the canals. I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Thank you so much!

I stopped posting due to getting mugged and beaten up along the Griboedova Canal on Saturday night (actually it was really early Sunday morning). It was raining and I foolishly walked through a covered walkway that had been erected so that pedestrians can continue along the sidewalk despite construction. That was a big mistake. I was attacked from behind and thrown to the ground and punched repeatedly. I was so busy fending off the attack I don't know how he fished through my pockets at the same time so maybe there was a second person. Total silence from the attacker or attackers and a barrage of punches. My iphone and credit cards and money were all taken. I think it was a professional thief due to the speed of the attack and how fast it was over and how the attacker knew exactly how to get it done quickly. I now think he had been tracking me. Some wonderful young 20something Russians saw me emerge from the walkway covered in blood and were so helpful (called the police, gave me tissues to wipe the blood off my face, showed lots of sympathy and stayed with me until the police and ambulence came). They felt so ashamed of their country and apologized to me, but frankly this could have happened in any big city. Anyway, so that kept me from posting a review of the Osmolkina/Segeyev Nutcracker that I saw earlier that night which was fabulous. And I spent all morning Sunday at the Russian hospital and Russian police station after that and was finally taken to my hotel around 11am after no sleep all night. Luckily, a Russian friend was scheduled to visit me at 12pm at my hotel (pre-arranged) and was able to go get some soft food and drinks for me and medication. He felt terrible also. Later his mother came with him and gave me some herbal things for my gums and health. It was a sweet gesture. My front teeth were knocked inward and the Russian doctor pushed them back into place and wired them to the stable teeth. After sleeping for many hours on Sunday I woke up and my choices were to either lie in the hotel bed and miss the second Nutcracker (final show of my vacation) or go ahead and go and watch it (flight home was Monday morning). So I walked over to the Mariinsky (my hotel was literally a block away) and watch Valeria Martynyuk and David Zalyeyev in Nutcracker. It was just as fabulous as the Osmolkina/Sergeyev Nutcracker the night before!!!! I can't decide who I liked better as Masha. Both Osmolkina and Martynyuk had the beautiful Vaganova style that I love. That's all for now. Overall, a fabulous trip except for the beating I took the night before the final night. The translator at the police station told me that even though it may not help at least I am alive and everything will eventually heal. She said that often in these cases when violence is part of the plan (not just robbery) if the attacker has a knife you can be killed. So, I guess, I must count myself lucky. I have a fracture in my nose and my teeth need fixing, but I am alive. And it makes for a very dramatic end to a ballet trip. I can sort of joke about it now, but the few minutes it happened and you realize the person cares nothing about you as a human being and is pummeling you with fists for no apparent real reason (I would have handed over my money probably without the violence), it is truly frightening. It gives you a dim view of humanity, but immediately after the group of 20something Russian "kids" were super sweet and seemed so sad and comforting. My Russian friend and his mother were mortified. The hotel paid for my taxi ride to the airport, etc. The taxi driver apologized profusely for what happened in his country (the hotel told him). So please don't let this make you think Russians are bad. Everyone was so nice and helpful. It was just one jerk, and my advice is to never go into one of those covered walkways at night even if it is raining. With hindsight I should have stayed in the road b/c the covered walkway gave a dark area for this to happen. Go ahead and get wet!!!!! Don't go into those covered walkways at night!!!

Bambi and In the Jungle with their theme of animals liking and being fair to humans while humans are cruel to them is very timely considering the barrage of social media attention on the dentist who killed a lion!!! Alexei Popov was Bambi last night and I believe he originated the role back in the spring, if I'm not mistaken. Great dancer with such smooth and clean lines. Valeria Martynyuk was Falina, his love interest. She has the beautiful Vaganova arms I love. Originally the newly graduated Lukina was supposed to dance Falina. Hope she's not injured! Alexander Sergeyev is a riveting, evil hunter. He is so talented and I wish he could be promoted. This short little ballet has many small roles with brief solo moments so it is a perfect vehicle to showcase new talent and also draw young audiences. I never saw so many children at the Mariinsky before! The second part is called In the Jungle and has a different composer. Otherwise, it would have simply been Act 2. Andrei Golovin composed Bambi while Alexander Lokshin composed In the Jungle. The orchestra for Bambi is very small and the orchestra doubles in number (to my eyes) for In the Jungle. And you find out just why at the climactic hunt: the music is intensely loud!!! Very exciting to hear the Mariinsky Orchestra's percussion and horns go full throttle!!! Popov was Bambi in In the Jungle. Originally Zaleyev was scheduled. Not sure what happened. The main role in this second ballet is actually Gurri, Bambi's daughter. Sofia Ivanova-Skoblikova is a sweet, darling young doe with lots of nice choreography. Once again, the second ballet has a lot of small roles (various animals) that can give young dancers some stage experience. The audience including the kids loved the show! I think Anton Pimonov (choreographer as well as Mariinsky dancer) has a hit on his hands. If this cute ballet stands the test of time he might help open up a world to young people watching...and he could be creating more ballet lovers.

Tonight I saw *Bambi* and *In the Jungle* two 30 minute ballets by Anton Pimonov, a dancer and choreographer at the Mariinsky. It was surprising to see children in every row of every section. This is a good sign that these two ballets connected in theme and some characters will survive. Pimonov bases his choreography on ballet's foundations but makes it fun and modern at the same time.... More later....at a restaurant near Kazan Cathedral called Terrassa overlooking the Kazan cathedral and Church on Spilled Blood. Drunk on wine and supposed to meet a Russian friend at a bar soon. More later...

Tonight's Romeo and Juliet was decent. Last night Shapran was a committed and dramatic Juliet to Askerov's sort of shallow Romeo. Tonight I felt was the opposite problem. Filipp Stepin was fully committed and Maria Shirinkina took a long time to get into the role. However, she had some great moments especially when she discovers Romeo is dead. I think it is her return after maternity leave, and so during the first act she seemed to register very little or very superficial emotions. She improved as the night went on, and her dancing was very nice. I have to say that out of the non-Vaganova Academy dancers at Mariinsky Shirinkina fits in with the style of the company better than most. She is from Perm. I like her flowing arms. The only thing is that she doesn't seem to have the gravitas for these really dramatic roles. She does everything nicely and it is hard to complain but I think she would fit the light soubrette roles the best. Stepin handled the exciting final lifts with aplomb. Romeo is a role with what seems like a hundred lifts and then at the end he has to lift Juliet's body above his head and then transfer it to a draping pose over one arm. I am not sure audience members know how much strength this entails. He also died falling backwards down the tomb's steps. This is always a scary thing to see. You think the dancer might break his neck. In contrast, Askerov rolled down the steps on his side...not near as exciting... Dmitry Pykhachov was a wilder, crazier Tybalt than last night closer to Kuznetsov's masterful portrayal but not quite on Kuznetsov's level. Timofeyev was a decent Mercutio but I think Zaleyev had more "ha ha ha" to both his dancing and acting. Sofia Ivanova-Skoblikova was Juliet's friend and very good. The troubadour was Alexei Popov again, and each time I see him the better he seems. Beautiful lines. Overall, it was a nice night at the ballet.

Romeo and Juliet with Shapran and Askerov: Until tonight I wasn't very impressed with Kristina Shapran because she simplified steps like Giselle's hops on pointe. So I was unprepared for her Juliet. She was totally committed on a dramatic level and had some beautiful arm movements. In my opinion, she danced very impressively for her debut. She was girlish in the early scenes and became a woman in love. I actually thought I would dislike her Juliet, but she completely won me over. Timur Askerov was also better than I have seen him in the past, but his acting was more pasted on with some melodramatic expressions, although Shapran and he had decent chemistry together. I was surprised that he managed the lifts since he looks short and tiny/skinny. In the final act Romeo has to lift Juliet above his head as she is in a plank position and then bring her down and take her up the steps with one arm holding her back as she is draped in front of him. This takes amazing strength, and Askerov managed it. Better dancers have faltered in this move. Alexei Kuzmin danced Tybalt, and I have noticed him in small parts. He has a very rugged masculine look (almost Spanish looking to me), and his depiction of Tybalt was manly and subtle but I missed the outright villainous portrayals that Kuznetsov and Igor Kolb created in this same role. David Zaleyev was a spitfire zippy Mercurio. I didn't think he could erase my memory of Sergeyev in this role, but he came close. His death scene was terrific. Anastasia Nikitina and Alexei Popov were Juliet's friend and troubadour respectively. Popov is a joy to watch with his jumps and nice lines. Nikitina was lovely with gorgeous arms. She slipped and fell early on but danced beautifully before and after the incident. I am always shocked to read that people dislike Lavrovsky's Romeo and Juliet. The sets are stunning. Costumes are great (although Tybalt's is over the top). The choreography is gorgeous. What is there not to like? I have seen Cranko's version live and MacMillan's on DVD, and I like Lavrovsky's version the best. A young man with his girlfriend sat next to me, and after the first 10 minutes he was sighing and seemed bored to tears UNTIL the sword fighting. He sat up and after that he got into the whole ballet. Tomorrow I see Stepin and Shirinkina in Romeo and Juliet....will be interesting to compare with tonight's performance!

Never thought about it, but Game of Thrones probably would make a good ballet! LOL Maybe Lopatkina will do Raymonda on the DC tour.

Oxana Bondareva, not Obama! LOL

Oxana Bondareva, not Obama! LOL