Tiara

There are Vaganova children in so many Mariinsky productions so they are exposed to stagecraft from their 1st year in exactly the same way. I think if we are to differentiate between more mime/acting type roles and character dancing type roles, then the greatest ballet actor is Ilya Kuznetsov. I have never seen a ballet actor like him - he is completely magnetic and commanding and becomes every character he portrays with such realism. There are so many roles he is just the best ever in for me, and especially, In the Fountain of Bakhchisarai, his Ghirei is powerful and tragic, and never fails to bring me to tears. The MT principal Igor Kolb also is now taking on more character type roles and is magnificent in them - Carabosse for example. For me, Mariinsky has the best mime/acting/character dancers in the world.

The Mariinsky's character dancers are superb, and the list of Principal Character Artists on the roster is just the tip of the iceberg, the elite of the greatly talented body of character dancers that exists just in the corps alone. Watch Oleg Demchenko's fiery Indian dance, or the exquisite, sinuous arms of Yulia Kobzar as the Egyptian in Spartacus; Boris Zhurilov in the Hungarian in Swan Lake; Anastasia Zaklinskaya as an Odalisque in Sheherazade; all the corps dancers who perform in any of the national dances in Swan Lake, for example, or the crowd scenes in Romeo and Juliet. These are just a few examples from the CORPS, but the company is full of them. And the dancers in the Principal Character Artist category are breathtaking performers, their dancing alight with verve and passion. Mariinsky has the best character dancers in the world.

"Character" is such an interesting category and one in which Mariinsky is quite simply unsurpassed. I have to say that out of the current character artistes, Elena Bazhenova is outstanding. I have seen her many, many times and she is always superb. Think of all the variety of roles she does! Everything from Madge and Carabosse to Queen Mother! And then the dancing roles - Gypsy, Mercedes, Hungarian - you name it and she is wonderful in it, and she is also a beautiful woman. She is a great example to the up and coming character dancers, and she will be an indispensable coach. She is a VERY great Mariinsky "character" artiste and I am full of admiration for her. However, I would also like to mention Yulia Stepanova, some of whose amazing Vaganova character examination classes are shown on YouTube. She is a very great actress and, amongst other character type roles, has danced a magnificent Hungarian and Spanish in Swan Lake, 2nd wife in Fountain at Bakhchisarai, Egyptian woman - many character roles. Her arms and expressive quality alone qualify her for best character dancer ever in my opinion, even though she is not in the character category. She could actually dance any role in the repertoire, but now she is finally getting the classical roles she should have got years ago and I hope this season she will get many more! I will not be happy until she has got them ALL! :-)

Yes - I absolutely agree! Yulia Stepanova as Zarema and Oksana Marchuk as Maria Yulia Stepanova as Mekhmene Banu and Oksana Marchuk as Shyrin Two of my dream castings for Yulia/Oksana!

Yulia's bio page on the Mariinsky website shows two October performances - a debut as the Mare in Little Humped Back Horse on 10th October, and another performance of Sylvia on 25th October. While at least the role of Mare is a debut, it is a shame she could not have had a debut as Zarema in the other ballet heavily featured at the beginning of the month - Fountain of Bakhchisaria. This would be a wonderful role for her dramatic, expressive qualities and also would show off her jumps, back flexibility and those amazing arms. I hope so much this season she can have many more principal role debuts, including her most desired role of Giselle. It seems extraordinary to think that this wonderful dancer has not every classical principal role already in her repertoire, and that this thread only runs to five pages. If Yulia's thread had pages equal to her talent, Ballet Alert might spontaneously combust from overload!

I always thought Polunin would not last long in the ballet profession - he was too restless and too brilliant and was always going to burn out soon. A great shame that he has "retired," but I hope he succeeds in his new chosen profession.

I love this ballet also, and think it has a wonderful, dramatic, score. Some of the instrumentation is just so atmospheric and emotionally appealing. I truly think the great adagio is one of my favourite pieces of music, and when I watch the great Bolshoi dancers in this adagio, I can't help but cry. That very colourful and broadly sweeping music was felt to the depths of his heart by Grigorovich and translated into choreography that fits the heroic style of the Bolshoi dancers. So many great dancers have been proud to dance in this ballet. As you say - Vasiliev and Liepa! How fortunate you were to have seen them! I have seen Lobukhin and Ivan Vasiliev dance it - also both magnetic and transmitting the intention of the choreographer with great emotional intensity and honesty to the audience. I have also seen many others on film. It truly is a GREAT Bolshoi and Russian ballet - and one clearly they take to their international audiences with pride. Spartacus truly is one of a kind. A GREAT ballet.

I do hope Gottlieb never finds himself at the Bolshoi theatre during a performance of Spartacus - he might find himself impaled on some of those Roman spears and brandished aloft himself...

Well, I also have "seen this stuff live" and cannot agree with you at all. I have seen the Grigorovich Bolshoi version in London and the Yacobson Mariinsky version in St Petersburg and numerous videos and filmings of both versions, and all I ever felt was awe at the majestic sweep of the ballet and the emotions it conveys. I think most Russians also would be insulted and incredulous that some people actually considered this great ballet worthy of "giggling". Very many world renowned dancers have performed the roles of Spartacus and Phrygia, and I consider it to be a Great ballet and well served by its beautiful score.

The only time I ever enjoyed the music from Spartacus--and Gayaneh--was when the Coen brothers used it for parody in The Hudsucker Proxy. I remember using a nearly identical phrase to describe Zakharova's Aegina. Nice to have the critical backup. With regard to your comment about the music from Spartacus, I am absolutely astonished to read this. I love the score for Spartacus. How can anyone hear the wonderful, atmospheric swelling up theme of the great adagio and not be moved? It is powerful music as befits the wide canvas of this ballet of huge emotions. I find the music for the massed ranks of soldiers thrilling and blood stirring. I love the spectacular lifts, the whole staging, the sheer theatre of this ballet. It is one of a kind. It is rightly a great treasure of the Bolshoi.

OH - you are right! I completely forgot about Zhiganshina doing Amor and Masha! And also there is Nika Tshvitaria who danced Florine. I suppose what I mean is - she has danced far MORE roles than any other student has done before, because this is a huge amount of roles that she already has - not just one or two - and she also was taken on tour to dance in a solo role, which I think no Vaganova student has done before. She has already got a very impressive resume, as I said, that all corps dancers and many coryphees, must envy.

You're right. The photo in the programme and on the website absolutely does not look like the photo I took. But who am I to argue with the Mariinsky. I also saw DSCH, and also have seen Kamil Yangurazov dancing many times. He is tall, dark haired with distinctive facial features. He was in that performance but it was definitely not him doing those high jumps. From the photograph I would say it is Boris Zhurilov, who is in the corps and more usually seen in character roles. What a shame when he is such a good jumper.

Renata Shakirova has the distinction of being the ONLY Vaganova student not even in her graduate year to be given solo roles with the Mariinsky - amongst her roles are Florine, Little Swan, Juliet's Friend, Amor. lead girl in Rubies, soloist in Concerto DSCH, Terpsichore. She has a resume most corps and coryphee dancers must envy. .

The Russian "side" of the Mariinsky webside has a news item that two of this year's graduates, Vitaly Amelishko and Roman Beishenaliev, are dancing the male soloist parts in act 1 of Fountain of Bakhchisarai on 13th and 14th August, yet the corps de ballet still has not been updated to include their names, or any of the other Vaganova graduates.

Firebird/Marguerite and Armand/Concerto DSCH 12th August ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I also attended this performance. It was an amazing Firebird. Yulia Stepanova has bewitching command of the stage. I do think she is the best Firebird I have seen, and for me much preferable to Kondaurova, Matvienko, Vishneva - actually any Firebird. Here was a Firebird, both inhuman and powerful as well as glamorous and as for those arms .... I have never seen a Firebird with those constantly undulating, magical arms and flickering hands. She truly commanded the stage, particularly at the moment where she is sending everyone to sleep Her grands jetes were magnificent and also her lines in arabesque - but she never just poses. It is all part of a coherent whole. Her expressions were wonderful and she actually glamourized the whole stage! I liked Smekalov's Ivan, broadly drawn, but partnering well, and also Brilyova was for once a real character, and a playful princess. I found the whole performance absolutely mesmerizing. Uliana Lopatkina in Marguerite and Armand also took my breath away. I have to say that I do not like this ballet, which does look somewhat old fashioned and as it was made for Fonteyn and Nureyev, many think only they could make it work. From what I saw of them filmed, even they could not really make it work. I have seen many in this role, including Guillem, and I have to say that Lopatkina is the ONLY dancer I ever saw who made this believable. She was wonderful. Her movement is exquisite, so so graceful, she reacted to every nuance of the score with such musicality. Her acting was wonderful. Really a great performance. Sadly, Askerov was so terrible I cannot believe he was even cast with Lopatkina. Unstretched legs, wobbly balances, complete LACK of panache. Acting? What acting? He had two expression - vacuous smile and pained - nothing in between. Anyone who attempts this role is inevitably competing with the shade of Nureyev - well, Nureyev must have been roling in his grave with laughter at this travesty of "his" role. The ballet rightly belonged to Uliana, who was greatly applauded. In Concerto DSCH, to me the most virtuosic dancer was Vasily Tkachenko, although Konstantin Zverev also was good. Quite frankly, for want of a better word, Anastasia Matvienko is just "meh" - she doesn't have any beauty of line, really she does not interpret the music. She is very ordinary. I wondered how many in the audience realized that Renata Shakirova is only an undergraduate student of Vaganova Academy, since it was not mentioned on the cast list. Actually, she was very good, bright and fast, but how could she compare with Nadia Batoeva or Nastia Nikitina, if they had been given the chance to dance this? Why were they not cast? Why cast a student when there are so many brilliant dancers at Mariinsky just waiting for the chances they never get? Yes, she was good enough - but still WHY? I enjoyed this evening for two truly GREAT performances - the bewitching Firebird of Poster Girl Yulia Stepanova and the exquisitely drawn Marguerite of Uliana Lopatkina.

Tiara, thank you for the detailed review! I have tickets for a few upcoming Mariinsky "Swan Lakes." I have been so curious to see who will be cast. Now I am really hoping Somova is one! You are very welcome and I hope you will enjoy whatever performances you see, but Alina Somova is certainly very special. Just a funny thing that happened - before the performance I was in the Ladies' (bathroom if you are American) and a woman said to me, I hear Alina Somova is the glamour-puss of the company, like Sarah Lamb is of the Royal Ballet, and I said to her, yes, she is very beautiful! It just made me laugh! There are many beautiful ballerinas in the Mariinsky and when they can dance as well as they look ... just W-O-W!!!!

I think Oxana Skorik has a real problem with that left ankle. That was a calamitous performance. Bad fouettes and bad ballonnes and numerous mistakes - whether these are because of underlying faulty technique or physical limitations, or both, she is very lucky that the current Acting Artistic Director has a forgiving nature.

Somova/Zverev Swan Lake on 5th August 2014 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ This was another sell-out for the Mariinsky. Konstantin Zverev is the prince that Yulia Stepanova was to have danced with and ALina Somova was lucky to have him as her Siegfried. He is an extremely tall, handsome dancer, strong and a good partner. He is also elegant and a wonderful actor. Several times I found myself watching him rather than the corps in Act 1 as his interactions with every character on stage are so real and believable. He does have beautiful lines and particularly neat finishes to his turns and jumps. He partnered Alina Somova to perfection - for those who like to count there were numerous 6 supported pirouettes and also a 7. The height of the two overhead lifts in the White Swan Adagio was truly breathtaking. Alina Somova entered to applause from the audience. She is a beautiful woman with long slender legs and her ease in just finding instinctively the perfect line in arabesque is awe inspiring. Her arms were fluid and ever changing, ever reaching or rippling. She had great chemistry with her Siegfried, and certainly he appeared totally spellbound by her. She is a lovely actress and her expressions throughout were wonderful, making great use of her eyes. Her White Swan Variation was soulful and poetic. Odile was just masterful. Technically she was superb. In her variation each time she performed double pirouette into double attitude turn, ending that little section with a triple. The last diagonale of turns before the pique turns she interspersed with fluttering swan arms - just beautiful to behold. The fouettes were thrown off with extraordinary virtuosity - single single double double double twice, then single single double and singles to the final double - yes, I did count!!! She finished them perfectly. Her Odile was cold, hard, bewitching, glamorous and entirely in control of the situation. I particularly loved the moment where Odette appears at the back of the stage and one could actually see Odile thinking - OH no! What shall I do? Oh yes!! I will pretend to be Odette and bewitch him. The transformation so suddenly was uncanny! Siegfried was palpably bewitched! At the end of the scene she threw the whole bouquet of flowers outwards in a huge dramatic gesture and her expression was one of pure wicked, triumphant glee! The final act was finely acted and her arms here told the story of desperation. Zverev's expression of determination when he knew he had to kill Rothbart was thrilling as was Odette's expression of joy at the end! There was huge applause and rightly so. The corps was on magnificent form as always, and I very much enjoyed the Prince's Friends of Batoeva, Krasnokutskaya and Parish, Parish for me dancing much better in this role than as Siegfried, and landing his double tours with aplomb. Nadia Batoeva's virtuosity and charm would make her a fine Kitri incidentally. I loved her variation and the pdt was much applauded. I was surprised to see Yulia Stepanova as one of the big swans, replacing Zlata Yalinich, and this was not announced beforehand. Her soft flow of movement and beautiful arms made me notice her straightaway. Others who deserve mention were Nastya Nikitina as one of the Two Swans - she is a small, beautiful ballerina, with lovely physique and technically fast and brilliant, but here she was refined and poetic. Also, again, Anastasia Petushkova was a sexy Spanish dancer. The Mariinsky has so many wonderful ballerinas throughout its ranks. On the negative side, unfortunately, Smekalov's Rothbart was not memorable. He does not have any beauty of line and his arabesques were very sloppy. Also, quite simply he could not compare with the breathtaking elevation of Andrei Ermakov in the same role. I have to say that Grigory Popov as jester did receive much applause, especially for his grande pirouette, but I do find him rather sloppy and he is looking stocky these days. This was a magnificent Swan Lake and Alina Somova's Odette-Odile quite superb, memorable. In my opinion, the Mariinsky has the three best Odette-Odiles in the world today - in ALPHABETICAL order! - Lopatkina, Somova, Stepanova.

No, just saying it's an iconic move in O/O that Stepanova hasn't mastered yet, so maybe criticisms of her performance aren't just out of ignorance or stupidity. Actually, I must say here that I have seen all three of Yulia's Swan Lakes - her debut in St Petersburg and the third one in London actually in person, and her second performance on video, and her frappes in London were better than her debut.

The comment that Stepanova was a bit of a mediocrity and a "poser" is patently incorrect. I was there also - and one thing she has above all else is wonderful flow of movement. All steps connect and flow into each other so to say she is just a poser is completely wrong. Moreover, there was no shaky technique. I am completely mystified where all these adverse remarks come from that are so at odds with what I actually saw with my own eyes. As for Sodoleva - who I have seen numerous times, and as a singularly inexpressive stiff-armed Zobeide - she is not in the same league as Stepanova.

Yes, I can confirm that there were certainly many cheers from the audience for Yulia's White Swan and throughout the performance.

Yes - I realize the British CAN appreciate delicacy, subtlety, gentleness and poetry! I am British myself. On this occasion, however, plainly some British critics did not, for whatever reasons.

I think that there is no-one else in the company with Yulia's artistry, because it is so exceptional. However, there are amongst the men some very interesting dancers who are as yet little known. In fact there are so many that just are not seen much except by those in St Petersburg. The one who stands out most to me is Andrei Arseniev, who only graduated last year I was completely mesmerized by his faun at Vaganova graduation. What is so outstanding about him is his use of upper body and arms and head - no other male in Mariinsky has his unique qualities. He has an instinctive and uncanny rightness of movement and outstanding acting ability allied with wonderful technique. So far he is featured in small roles, such as the goat in Sylvia, one of the Etruscan in Spartacus, Gamache in DQ, the Tsar in Little Humpbacked Horse, but he was also a magnificent Benvolio and Mercutio in R&J. He has a very bright future. Latypov, also in the corps, is a tall, thin boy with wonderful lines and turns - recently he had his Basiliio debut, but he is also a fine Ali. Tkachenko, also coryphee, strong boy with great jump and turns - very fine Idol in Bayadere and would be a magnificent Basilio, in my opinion. Another corps boy, Konstantin Ivkin, has probably the best ballon and elevation in the company - he is a magnificent Bluebird. Konstantin Zverev, recently promoted to 1st soloist, is in my opinion the best Prince in the company - he has wonderful presence, acting and partnering, and an elegant technique. Filipp Stepin, currently 2nd soloist, is in my opinion, probably the cleanest technician in the company and very elegant also and a good actor. Alexei Popov - currently coryphee - another talented boy with technique to spare. Going back to the corps, Baibordin and Tyutyunnik (spelling is wrong, I think!) are both greatly talented boys. The future is very bright at Mariinsky Theatre, if only all these talented boys could be promoted and used more often. There needs to be a new generation of males dancing the principal roles, and those at the top who are going or gone over the hill need to be dancing less or not at all .

Sorry for the oversight re. Styopin. I didn't mention Tkachenko since I don't like mentioning in public disappointing performances. Yulia didn't seem to me tense which is not to say that she possibly felt more relaxed at the rehearsal. In the last act Yulia has already reached near-perfection. I never saw this better done.My impression is that yestarday's performance could have been on the other hand affected by too many distractions that Parish is daily facing in London. On June 6 he was in love with Odette, yesterday I had an impression his thoughts were elsewhere. In «Swan Lake» I value more tenderness, delicacy of movement and, honestly, going for fireworks in a few variations often associates in my mind with vulgarity. Some time ago I realized that I would give up all the fouetté in the world for the "poetry of wrists". I didn't think she was tense either and I was sitting near enough to the stage to see her face clearly. There was certainly no tension in her movement - far from it; the softness and fluidity of her movement is one of the defining characteristics of her dancing.

Yes. it was a performance of just so many beautiful details and I was sitting near enough to the stage to be able to see all her expressions. Completely mesmerizing!