Natalia

...which begs the question: Why aren't 'Swan Lake' and 'La Bayadere' in Lunkina's repertoire by now, for goodness sakes? Has she added *any* major roles to her repertoire since autumn 2000? I think that she danced Lise in Ashton's 'Fille' a couple of times this winter but she wasn't even first-cast in that. Anything else?

I can't speak for 1970, as I did not attend/see it, but -- yes -- the reviews at that time were awful. Part of the critical success of the May 1996 revised version was the excission of the 'fluff' in Acts I & II by the stager, Lady McMillan (widow of the choreographer). I did not see Durante in the ABT version. I saw Julie Kent. Totally off. But the corps truly resembled 'jokers' compared to the Royals.

ABT did present the 1996 Royal Ballet version 2/3 years ago. I'll have to disagree on your recollections of the ballet, as a whole. I attended the May 1996 premiere-week of the Royal's most recent version & it was an enormous hit with public & almost all the critics. Viviana Durante (the opening-night Anastasia) was cheered to the rafters & praised to the hilt in newspapers (Clement Crisp et. al.). Leanne Benjamin & Sarah Wildor were also heavenly, in 2nd & 3rd casts, a few days later. I remember nothing but enthusiastic, cheering audiences. HUGE standing ovation on opening night for Durante. I still have hard copies of all the newspaper reviews & the production was a huge success, AT. Hence, you can imagine my surprise & shock when, a few years later, I saw a palid performance by ABT...utilizing the 1996-London sets & costumes, which are stunning for Acts I & II, IMO. The energy of the various London/RB casts simply wasn't there. And the ABT dancers seemed to be going through the motions, almost as if in mockery. Sorry - that's the way I saw it. With appropriate cast & 'degree of respect' among corps -- as in London 1996 -- McMillan's 'Anastasia' can be a joy to behold. It could be spectacular in the hands of the Kirov, I believe. Petersburg audiences would love it, due to music, melodrama, Romanov theme, stunning Act I/II sets/costumes, etc, etc.

Yes, the fan - forgot about it. And how about Volochkova's 'extra-glamour' jewelry: huge gold loops & a shiny gold bracelet? This must have been her tribute to Mathilde Kchessinskaya, who was known for wearing her personal jewelry on stage (the 'trinkets' given to her by Romanov paramours).

Ari - No, Antonicheva & Volochkova (& the 'ill' Gratcheva) are not the only two ballerinas on the entire Bolshoi roster. How about Svetlana Lunkina, Inna Petrova, Anastasia yatsenko, Galina Stepnenko? Or more recent essayers of principal roles at the Bolshoi, Lola Kochetkova, Anastasia Goriacheva (recent Giselle debut) & Ekaterina Schipulina (recent big-success in Odette/Odile debut at Bolshoi...maybe she'll relieve Antonicheva for a performance or two this week???). And, of course, the unrecognized/unacknowledged true female star of today's Bolshoi, Maria Alexandrova, who is here but given the 'second ballerina' roles always. I don't even count Ananiashvili, who all-but-disappeared from the Bolshoi radar since the change in administration. NA did not even dance at her own 20th-anniv. tribute last December...in which Anna Antonicheva 'stole the show' with her Kitri. I was there...AA was spectacular that night, much better than last night. Ananiashvili was, uh, "ill." And how about the amazing male dancers left behind, such as Dimitri Gudanov (spectacular in Lavrovsky's 'Nijinsky' last December) or Sergei Filin (a true danseur-noble who was so wonderful as Romeo here in DC two years ago)? Or Andrei Bolotin, the young sendation who was Kapsova's Colin at the Ashton 'Fille Mal Gardee' this past winter? Odd...really odd. Maybe they're all 'ill'?

June 11, 2002 Bolshoi Ballet & Opera Soloists + Chorus Opening Night Gala, Kennedy Center, Washington, DC It was a night of multiple disappointments, with an occasional delight thrown in. Many of the dancers (corps & soloists) who I saw last night would not qualify for the back row of St. Petersburg's Choreographic Miniatures Troupe. Programming disappointments included, for example, the fact that what was billed as 'Polovetsian Dances' from the opera PRINCE IGOR was merely the chorus standing in place & singing that excerpt from the opera. No Fokine ballet!!! Also, the Bolshoi recently acquired Ashton's 'Fille mal Gardee' & it was a huge 'hit' especially for Nina Kaptsova as Lise. So what does Nina Kapsova dance tonight? The old Soviet version of 'Fille' instead! Go figure... *************** Run-down of ballet excerpts: BAYADERE 'Kingdom of the Shades' Nikia - Anna Antonicheva Solor - Nikolai Tsiskaridze Shade 1 - Elena Andrienko?? Shade 2 - Marianna Ryzhkina ?? Shade 3 - Maria Allash (I'm sure of this one - the 3 solo shades were not announced in the programme) Corps of 32 shades If it's the Bolshoi, then the shades come down three -- count 'em, THREE - ramps! The entrace of the shades went well. However the total 'look' & body line (all rather long & ultra-thin without the beautiful curved musculature usually seen in the legs of Vaganova-style grads, when they stand together) was disturbing. Anna Antonicheva (Nikia) was 'off' in this piece. She could not dance to the beat of the music if her life depended on it. The solo with the scarf was full of shaky moments. And her constant pursed-lips-look (concentrating really, really hard) was disturbing. On the other hand...our Solor, Nikolai Tsiskaridze, lived up to his reputation. Soaring leaps & beautiful body line. The audience woke up when he tore up the stage in his solo...but even *he* was somewhat off last night & even had a major error in the coda, falling off-balance in the sequence of double tours-en-l'air around the circumference of the stage. And he has definitely 'toned-down' his demeanor, compared to the gusto with which he dances when guesting with the Kirov of late. The solo shades are probably the worst I've ever seen, as a group. All three ladies must have still been suffering jet lag. Totally unmusical. Hideous 'kicks' (instead of slow developes) from the 3rd Shade. Give me Michele Wiles of ABT or Irina Zhelonkina of the Kirov-Mariinsky anytime!!!! ***************** SWAN LAKE 'Black Swan pdd' Odile - Anna Antonicheva (last-minute substitution for the puportedly-ill Nadezhda Gratcheva, who remained in Moscow) Siegfried - Andrei Uvarov Antonicheva was surprisingly better in this than in 'Shades' considering that she was originally scheduled to dance only Nikia tonight. She was glamorous, menacing & displayed solid dance technique, especially the circle of jetes in her solo (the Grigorovich version set to less-familiar music from Tchaikovsky's 1872 Moscow version, pas de sept). However, Antonicheva's 32 fouettes in the coda wouldn't qualify for amateur-hour at Dolly Dinkle Academy of Dance....sloppy as heck. Uvarov was serviceable enough; he seems to have developed more muscle-bulk since his last visit here two years ago. ************ LA FILLE MAL GARDEE pdd (Gorsky version to hertel music...not the Ashton/Herold version that the Bolshoi premiered not too long ago...) Lise - Nina Kaptsova Colas - Denis Medveyev *Finally* a dance excerpt & two soloists worthy of the heritage of the Bolshoi!!! Kaptsova & Medveyev were the surprise 'hits' of last night & the public poured out its warmth to them. Not only spot-on technique from both dancers but total psychological commitment to their roles -- cute & adorable but not over-the-edge saccharine. My heart was so overjoyed to finally see some great dancing that I put down my pen & simply soaked it in. Kaptsova's performance makes me ITCH to see her in the complete Ashton version now. ************ DON QUIXOTE 'Grand Pas de Deux' (Gorsky 1900 version, with two solos for bridesmaids) Kitri - Anastasia Volochkova Basil - Yevgeni Ivanchenko (guest from Kirov...I saw him in class at Kirov last week & he is still officially with the St Pete troupe) Bridesmaid 1/jete variation - Maria Alexandrova Bridesmaid 2/soft waltz - Maria Allash corps de ballet of 8 What can I say...hmmmm...Maria Alexandrova was terrific as the 1st Bridesmaid! A creature of the air in those jetes. Alexandrova is the true star of today's Bolshoi, along with Svetlana Lunkina, who is out 'ill', I suppose. Anastasia Volochkova as Anastasia Supermodel...errrr....I mean, Kitri, was interesting. Some in the audience went gah-gah. Most of us knew better. To *this* the Bolshoi has come? It's not even worth pointing out specific flaws. Volochkova is --has been, for a long time -- a shadow of the excellent 17-yr-old graduate student who I saw in the early 1990s. How sad. Ivanchenko provided strong support for the tall ballerina. He was a bit heavy-ish in his solo. At least the evening ended on a 'high' with the magnificent Coronation Scene from Mussorgsky's 'Boris Godunov' with glittering costumes & kokoshnik-headresses on the female choristers. Beautiful voices. A fine Tsar Boris by basso Vladimir Matorin. Scenery depicting the marvellous Uspenski Cathedral of the Kremlin. Maybe the ballet was 'off' due to jet lag & all will be better in tonight's full-length 'Swan Lake' by Yuri Grigorovich? We shall see what we shall see. Jeannie Szoradi Washington, DC

Sorry, NO7 - that's a new one to me!! Perhaps it is a tour being marketed by a hotel or tourist agency? What I listed above are the events being managed & sponsored by the Mariinsky Theater. The entire year of 2003 will be extra-special because of the 300th anniversary of the founding of the city. It's a leitmotif that is apparent when one turns any street corner in St pete nowadays. half of the monuments or palace facades are covered in scaffolding, as the city is sprucing up for it s big celebration.

Thanks, rg. Oh my - Antonicheva must have superhuman stamina. May the power be with her! Well, at least this is one fine Bolshoi ballerina who was kept off the May 2000 tour, who will finally get to perform in DC.

'Corsaire' in Boston? She'll lead the Forbane character-folk dance.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! So I will have *two* nights of Tsiskaridze (Gala + Baya). You just made my day, Ari. Woooo-hoooo!!!! Of course, that's assuming that casting doesn't change & we all know what can happen. But I'm still thrilled for now.

Thanks, Ari...YIKES! So the Thursday performance has been changed to SWAN LAKE, instead of BAYADERE (as announced & still posted on the Kenn Center site)? If so - that is rotten, as I & others planned to attend 'one-of-each' ballet. So now I'm suddenly stuck with two Swan Lakes & no Bayadere? The absense of Lunkina is truly odd. Ananishvili is no surprise given her disfavor with current management of the Bolshoi. Volochkova???? On the other hand...Gracheva & Antonicheva - two great Bolshoi ballerinas who were kept 'away' during the last USA tour of the Bolshoi. At least common sense prevails on a few fronts. Good to see them here FINALLY. p.s. - Your note on the Thursday 'Swan lake' reports Antonicheva & Allash...Allash is a woman (Maria Allash) who dances Gamzatti...not Prince Siegfried in SL!! So perhaps Thursday *is* a Bayadere, after all? If so, I wonder who is the male lead, assuming it's Antonicheva as Nikiya & Maria Allash as Gamzatti. I still have hope for Tsiskaridze... ;) but, if not, at least I'll see him at the gala.

I'm getting this thread started. The 'Big Bolshoi Show' opens tomorrow night (Tues, 11th) with a star-studded gala. Casting for tomorrow is up on the Kenn Cen's own website...but there is still a mystery about casting for the repertory performances (Swan Lake & Bayadere). Here's the Kenn Cen's link: http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/ind...=DCBOL#schedule As everyone knows, it was completely sold out months ago...but there'll undoubtedly be reviews galore from alertniks among us. I'll cover tomorrow's opening gala + Wednesday's 'Swan Lake' & Thursday's 'Bayadere.' - Jeannie [prayin' really hard for a performance with my 'Bolshoi King' TSISKARIDZE!] ;)

Attitude, thanks for the review. And how appropriate & timely, as I just attended the *other* 1895 'SWan Lake' that exists on this earth (as far as I can tell)...that of the Maly-Moussorgsky Theater of Opera & Ballet in St Petersburg, Russia. How interesting it would be to compare side-by-side videos of these two productions, which allegedly are the 1895 pure-Petipa/Ivanov versions, danced to the complete 1895 score. Happy to read the details about casting, successes, etc. The Royal dancers are on a real 'high' nowadays. How wonderful!! p.s. - Darcey B. is a beautiful Odette/Odile, regardlss of glitches on the fouettes!

Emi Hariyama of Japan was a 'hit' as Odette/Odile in the Maly-Moussorgsky Ballet's 'Swan Lake' in St Petersburg...yes, *that* Emi Hariyama, who has competed in many an IBC competition. Read all about it in the last installment of my 'White Nights Diary' on this thread: http://www.balletalert.com/forum/showthrea...=&threadid=5319

June 8, 2002 Maly-Moussorgsky Theater Ballet 'Swan Lake' (revision of complete 1895 version, by artistic dir. of the troupe, Nikolai Boyarchikov) A Bit of Theatrical History The third of the great-remaining imperial theaters is a small jewel box once known as the Court Mikhailovsky Theater. This is where early-autumn ballet performances were staged during the reigns of the last two tsars. Among the Petipa ballets premiered here was his famous revision of 'Coppelia' (done in collaboration with Enrico Cecchetti). In Soviet Days, it was renamed the Maly Theater &, around 1931, the present ballet & opera troupe -- considered to be the 'second troupe' of the city, after the Kirov-Mariinsky -- moved in. It's original ballet director/founder was Fedor Lopukhov. After perestroika, the theater was once again renamed...but instead of going back to its imperialname, it isnow official the 'State Theater of Opera & Ballet in Honour of Moussorgsky'. Folks here prefer to call it the Maly-Moussorgsky. [Are you lost yet? Hope not.] This Version of 'Swan Lake' - The ORIGINAL! Tonight I attended the last of my ballet evenings on this fruitfuljourney -- the complete 'Swan Lake' in the ca-1991 careful restaging by the M-M's artistic director, Boyarchikov. *This has long been, no-doubt, my favorite current staging of 'Swan Lake' in that it is the one closest to the 1895 Petipa/Ivanov original. In fact, it IS the 1895 Petipa/Ivanov original. The only other ballet troupe on earth that, I know, stages this version is the Royal Ballet of London...but...errr...(I'll be nice)...the Maly-Moussorgsky's sets & costumes are more traditional than those of the Royal...leading me to give the top-Swan-Prize to the Maly-Moussorgsky. It is only here that one can see, for example, the Act I Peasants Waltz exactly as Petipa envisaged it, with 24 couples, arranging themselves atop little stools, some carrying little baskets of flowers; a May Pole in brought in for the final measures of the dance. It is only here that one can see the correct finale & apotheosis of Odette & Siegfried love-suicide into the lake...done tenderly...not the heave-ho-and-away-we-go method of ABT! Tonight's Performance - My last ballet-eveining in St Petes brought me a true surprise - Japanese guest star Emi Hariyama's Russian debut in the role of Odette/Odile. YES, all of you ballet competition fanatics, this is *the* long-and-lithe Emi Hariyama who is a perennial competitor & often-medalist at I BC events & star of the Indianapolis Ballet Theater (not sure if that's stil her permanent home). I did not realize that she would be making this important debut when I bought my ticket and, voila! -- I read the name of Emi Hariyama as Swan Queen!!! And how did she fare? Magnificently, thank you. Just go back to my old reviews of the 1998 Jackson Competition (where Emi made finalist) to hear me wax-on about Emi's 'swan-like ribbon arms' and unreal frailty. THAT made for a perfect Acts II & IV Odette ('white swan') full of pathos, all trembling wing-arms & bourrees. The mostly-Russian audience -- who can afford tix to this theater more easily than to the Kirov -- were stunned (lots of signs...'kak krassiva'!) & cheered Emi Hariyama to the rafters. As for Act III -- the Black Swan pdd -- Hariyama dug deep for the strength that allowed her to pull of a picture-perfect pdd with solid partner Kirill Myasnikov. Her 32 fouettes in the coda were laced with doubles...she did 'single-single-double' for most of the sequence &, as Russian audineces almost-always do, they clapped along in time, marking each fouette, encouraging her!!! [Giannina Mooney - be forewarned, if you even come to Russia - they LOVE their fouettes here & clap along like crazy!] The other big highlight of tonight's performance was the male soloist in the Act I Pas de Trois, an amazing lad named Dmitri Beginni. Medium-height, lovely long line (but not skinny) poker-faced elegance. But his greatest feature: he is a creature of the air..natural ballon that is a rarity...Nijinsky style? That first diagonal of glissade-jetes (you know, the ones facing audience; sorry for lack of proper terminology) were as if suspended by a string...and he ADDED a back-double-cabriole (a-la-Solor in Bayadere) in between each of the traditional glisades. No visible effort whatsoever. THEN his final diagonal of double pirouettes were so cleanly completed..he actually seemed bored, in fifth position, waiting for the timing of the next pirouette to come. In other words, he could have easily done triples. I really wish that all of you could have seen it. The two ballerinas inthe pas de trois -- Elena Yevseeva &, especially, Anastasia Lomachenkova, were also wonderful. [Lomachenkova was Giselle in a fine performance here, which I attended last March.] Another highlight was the Act III Mazurka, one of the friskiest & speediest I've ever seen. It brought a standing ovation. [The Mazurka is a big-huge deal in Russia, by the way...as famous & eagerly-awaited as Odile's 32 fouettes.] But this was Emi Hariyama's night & one that I'll never forget, in a 10-day span of unforgettable performances. But such is St Petersburg's ballet scene. Take any given week in any given year, and you're bound to come across a plethora of first-class ballet performances in a number of venues. - Jeannie Szoradi St. Petersburg, Rossiya

Thanks, Glebb & vrsfanatic, et al! I know that photo well, Glebb. And -- guess what?-- some of the costumes worn to that fabled 1903 ball are on display now in the Alexander Palace at Tsarskoye Selo. Yes--the long-closed-and-dillapidated neoclassical palace where Nicholas II, Alexandra & their children lived is now being restored...finally! The 'family wing' has been fully restored & one can now tour it. Imagine walking into Alix's 'Mauve Boudoir'! Tsarevich Alexei's 2nd-storey bedroom is the most recent room to be reopened. A lot of the original furniture & objects d'art are on display. Rooms for which the furnishings are missing contain glass cabinets with mannequins displaying those fabled costumes. Remember the old days when the Russian Navy/Baltic Fleet was headquartered here & any attempt to sneak into the palace was met with a resounding 'NYET!' Them days are gone. Hoorah!!! And from the Sublime to the Ridiculous: I am very sorry to report that the 'sacred' Rossi Street, aka 'Theater Street' in downtown St Petes, which contains the Vaganova Academy, now also contains a STRIP JOINT/EROTIC CLUB called 'Rossi's Place' at nos. 1/3 Rossi Street. If that isn't the most sickening & sacriligeous thing... Well, I DID mention that Russians have taken this 'market economy' thing to heart...but this...

The Mariinsky Theater has officially announced dates for next year's Kirov-Mariinsky events, related to the 300th anniversary of the founding of the city of St Petersburg: 31 December 2002 - New Years Concert & Ball at the Mariinsky Theater 21 Feb/2 March - III Mariinsky International Ballet Festival 5 May/30 June 2003 - Stars of the White Nights Festival (but note that bulk of the ballet troupe will be in Edinburgh mid-May for a week, then in Graz, Austria in mid-June, as per my earlier thread) 31 May 2003 - Ballet & Opera Gala Ball in Tsarskoye Selo/Ekaterinsky Palace. Gala concert with top ballet & opera stars to be staged on the lake in the park, with firworks & "fantastic lighting effects" (as per Kirov-Mariinsky flyer publicising the event). St Petes in 2003, anyone????

All of our UK-based Kirov Balletomanes won't have to travel too, too far to enjoy the Kirov-Mariinsky Ballet next summer, as the Austrian-based Gerhard Rieder Promotions have announced the following tours for the year 2003: May 12 - 17 - 6 productions, at the Edinburgh Festival Theater. Exact ballet(s) to be announced but the new-old 'Bayadere' has been mentioned in the corridors of the Mariinsky theater. June 2003 - 12 shows in Graz...exact dates & ballet(s) to be announced. At least you can circle the calendars & save the dates. Related note...and a 'bummer' -- The full Kirov Ballet troupe will not -- repeat, NOT -- be at the Kennedy Center in Wash,DC during the 2002/03 season. A handful of Kirov stars will perform in a potpourri concert being billed as 'Kennedy Center Int'l Ballet Festival' during the season. A bit of false advertising, perhaps?....hmmmmm...what happened to the highly-touted "TEN STRAIGHT YEARS OF THE FULL KIROV COMPANY IN RESIDENCE!!!" On the other hand... Plans are afoot to bring the entire Kirov Ballet & Opera troupes back to the KennCen in December 2003 (the 2003/04 season) with its luxurious-but-radically-revised 'Nutcracker'. Operas will be 'Eugene Onegin' & 'Mazeppa' I've heard. The December 2003 KennCen-Kirov mini-season will be a Tribute to Tchaikovsky. Again...save the dates/timeframe way in advance!

Thanks Juliet et. al.! I hope that this whets everyone's appetite to come to St Petersburg & the other ballet centers of Russia someday (if you haven't been here already). Believe me, this place is truly safe -- almost 'too safe' with increased security - but the cops are so kind & helpful. They're just trying to keep the country safe. The atmosphere & lowering in 'Mafia presence' since I lived here in 1994/95 is astounding, especially in St Petersburg. This is truly a market economy now. And, sure, the humongous state monolith will take years to dismantle but huge strides have been made. Taxes are finally being collected thanks to the 13-percent flat income tax! (John McCain would love it!!) And the most important element -- the individual workers themselves -- is in place; Russians are the most industrious, friendly, willing-to-please folks I've encountered in 25 years of international development work throughout the globe. Let's not blame the individuals for government mistakes of the past. I really had to get that off my chest because I have so much admiration for these people who are trying so hard & finally making economic accomplishments..not just in the success of the Kirov (Gergiev's revolution) but throughout the Russian Federation. And - hey! - I went through an apartment purchase & wasn't burned...against advise of well-meaning family & friends in the USA. They only know what they read in the press. Now I have a title & key & am proud owner of a place in Rossiya. And it was conducted in a decent, professional, above-the-table manner, with contract. So, you see, one can do business in the new Russia! p.s - I'll probably post my review of tonight's 'Swan Lake'/Maly-Moussorgsky Theater when I return to DC, as I have a get-together with some friends after the show, then depart on Sunday. I promise to take good notes! - Jeannie Szoradi St Petes

June 7, 2002 Hermitage Museum Theater (1785) 'Giselle' What a pleasure & honor it is to attend a performance - ANY performance -- in this jewel-like classical theater built by Tsarina Catherine II, a.k.a. "The Great"! The pleasure is doubled when the program on view is a high-quality classical ballet with a fine orchestral accompaniment: the Romantic-Era masterpiece 'Giselle' (Perrot & Coralli/Adam). History Surrounds Me - The setting could not be lovelier: one enters the Hermitage Museum by a special 'theater entrance' by the Neva River, close to where the Winter Canal intersects the two easternmost buildings in the ensemble...Tsar Nikolai I's 'New Hermitage' and Tsarina Catherine the Great's theater. One enters at the New Hermitage, goes up a staircase, then crosses the Winter Canal by an enclosed rococco footbridge into the classical white-and-pink-marble auditorium. Designer was Giaccomo Quarenghi, with assistance of Catherine, who did the initial sketches! I am sure that my face was as 'gumstruck' as that of President Bush's last week, when I entered the auditorium -- woweee!!! Huge crystal chandelier in middle of ceiling; 10 rows of classical-amphiteater-style seats with red velvet cushions; brocade curtain with a frisky version of the Russian emblem of the double-headed eagle, playing a lyre; life-size statues of Apollo & the muses in niches against the side & back walls...can't help but think of Balanchine when I see these! As a Petipa-Nut, I, of course, can't help but think of the wonderful one- & two-act little 'gala ballets' that Marius Petipa deviced for special Romanov accasions, eg, 'Harlequinade' premiered right in this theater in Feb 1900...and Glazunov's 'The Seasons'...and, and... Many of those special ballets premiered during the Petersburg 'Winter Social Season' that preceeded Lent. Tonight, I made a point of getting to the theater early -- as it is 'open seating' policy -- so that I could plop myself on the bench reserved for the Romanovs. You can see the photos of Tsar Nicky & Alix sitting there during their famous 1903 Romanov Ancestors Ball. Back to Giselle. (Sorry - I got carried away with history!) The Hermitage Theater Ensemble is comprised of dancers from a number of Petersburg companies, including Kirov, Tkatchine, Chor Miniatures, etc. Tonight's lead soloists are from the Tkatchine Troupe. Elena Glurdjidze (who danced inthe Monday gala described above) was the picture of Romantic perfection as Giselle. Clean, pure, no-frills dancing. She was spot-on in her Act I solo with clean completion of the two double-attitude pirouettes. Sergei Pevnev was a steady partner as Count Albert. Kirov soloists Vladimir Lopoukhov & Gennadi Babanin were vivid as, respectively, the Duke and Hans. Tall blonde Elena Nikolayeva (of Tkatchin troupe, I think??) tore up the stage with her powerful jetes as Mirta, Queen of the Wilis. Natalia Kuzmenko & Veronika Ivanova were listed as the two demi-solo Wilis...but it did not look like the Veronika Ivanova that I know from the Kirov. The modified corps (14 Wilis) were very precise & clean. About the Music/Accoustics One of the great delights of this theater is experiencing its perfect accoustics. I heard the score of Giselle played as never before...especially the menacing tympany (kettle drums) during the climax of Giselle's Act I 'Mad Scene'...it made my hairs stand on end!!! This auditorium in in Greco-Roman amphiteater style (semicircle with orchestra at bottom &, of course, proscenium stage above & beyond it...only 200 or so seats in theater...imagine the blast from a full symphony orchestra). Jeannie Szoradi St Petersburg, Rossiya

June 6, 2002 Kirov-Mariinsky Theater 'The Nutcracker' - 2001 version by Mikhail Chemiakin (sets/costumes/libretto adaptation/basic movement) & Kirill Simonov (choreography of set pieces) I have been hesitating putting pen-to-paper on this one since last night, as I don't believe that any words could do it justice. The new 'Nutcracker' of the Kirov is a stunning masterpiece of TOTAL ART. It's the perfect marriage of visual-arts to movement, and movement to music. No, it is not a ballet. I would term it more of a pantomime with balletic episodes (and some astounding dancing, to boot). The Visuals - The photos & drawings of the sets & costumes & props by US-Russian artist Chemiakin don't do justice to the 'live experience.' The curtain goes up on each & every scene & I am dumbstruck - incredibly rich & luxurious scenes...but not traditional sweetness. No, indeed. Chemiakin delivers a true-Hoffmanesque sinister world...a world of fat-cat bourgeois adults who gorge on boars heads & sausages, and drown in alcohol. The heroine, Masha, escapes to the Land of the Sweets (Konfiterinenburg) &, unlike other productions, never returns to reality. Rather, she weds her Nutcracker Prince & becomes a decoration atop a wedding cake...a cake from which rats are seen emerging during the final tableau. Bees and wasps cling to the sugar-dripping colums of the kingdom. Hieronymous Bosch couldn't have imagined a more sinister tableau! Uneasy Gala Audience - Last night's well-heeled audience of mostly-foreigners squirmed in their expensive seats (the tix are double-price when the great Valery Gergiev conducts...as was the case last night). A gorgeous production - but not one that traditionalists can take easily. I'm a traditionalist but, thank goodness, having had advanced warning of this production, I went knowing that I wouldn't be seeing a bunch of kiddies on pointe or a traditional Sugar Plum Fairy. [There *is* a SPF in this production...a mime artist -- Anastasia Vasilets last night -- in long gown, pompadour wig & honeybee crown. But the pdd is danced by Masha & the prince, as the SPF & Drosselmeyer sit by & watch.] No, Virginia, this is not your 'children's matinee Nuts'! The Music - Valery Gergiev has, quite simply stated, revolutionized the sound & 'feel' of Nutcracker. The instrumentation sounds richer...different tempi - faster in many parts...not at all to accomodate capricious dancers (not that our Kirov friends are!) but to convey Gergiev's philosophy about the tension in the score. The orchestra played 100-times better than at other ballet evenings of the Mariinsky this week! The Dancing - Now I know why Natalia Sologub's Masha has been so praised. MAGNIFICENT! Her body type & lush way of movement are perfect for this Masha...obviously in sexual ecstasy in her pas de deux with the prince. NATALIA SOLOGUB CAN MOVE, literally, and move us in the audience, too. OK, she won me over - she may not be Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, by a mile, but she is one great dramatic & neo-classical dancer. [Loved her Lescaut-Mistress in MANON earlier this week, too!] Andrei Merkuriev danced gallantly & was a steady partner to Sologub in his one number - the final pas de deux. Prior to the 'unmasking' of Nutcracker before the pdd, the character is acted by the choreographer, Kirill Simonov. Tall Alexandra Iosifidi was a majestic Queen of the Snowflakes at the end of Act I. The snowflakes ensemble itself was thrilling, with a corps of about 24 girls in black 'puffy-classical' tutus & connecting hoods...with many white cotton snowballs all over. The effect against the black background was of 'dancing snow.' Very neat! The Balanchinean hip-swirls, though, didn't make much sense. Act II divertissements included: Spanish - two matadors - one in black & one in white. Anton Pimoniv & Islom Baimoradov did a fine job. Eastern Dance (i.e., Arabic) - Elena Bazhenova in a slinky lime-green unitard, as a cobra-snake, unwinding from her basket (with two silly toy-cobras to her sides...cousins of the new Bayadere tiger, I think) Petroushkas (Russian) - Look ma! - three jesters!! Perhaps this was the special 'revenge' of choreographer Simonov, who is best known as a dancer, in the role of the Jester in 'Swan Lake'! China Dance - looks very much like the dance that it replaces in the old Vainonen version Bees Pas de Trois ('Flutes' music) - Vivacious Tatyana Nekipelova led a trio of bees...cute but slightly cheesy dance...more appropriate to a child matinee but, nonetheless, part of the 'bees' leitmotif of the work. Mother Gignone & pulchinellas- Biggest one on record...with possible exception of the Joffrey's Jumbo Mom!! Pulchinellas here are all adults, in white. (Almost no child dancers in this version, by the way...irked a lot of American audience members. They just didn't get it, I fear...gotta see the little kiddies twinkling around..or else 'it just ain't Nutcracker. "Where are the kids?' I heard one fellow behind me ask.) Waltz of Flowers - super-elegant, in late-1700s attire; Masha & the 'masked Nutcracker' lead it....as well as four 'sisters' of the Nutcracker - all beautiful up-and-coming Kirov choryphees: Daria Sukhorukova, Elena Androsova, Yekaterina Petina & Yana Serebriakova...all but the latter are new names for me. Recent graduates of Vaganova Academy. Pas de Deux - very sexy yet tasteful. Natalia Sologub did the 'swooning steps' very well. Lovely, lovely dance. In Sum - A million-dollar-night at the theater. I see room for BOTH types of Nutcrackers on this earth. This one is not meant to totally replace the Vainonen version, which can still be seen at the Kirov, performed by the Vaganova Academy, at Christmastime. Jeannie Szoradi St Petersburg, Rus

Da, Glebb. Ya buila v Gathinye vcheira! Eta moi lubimie dvoretz. On this trip, unfortunately, I am preparing the flat, which takes up most of the normal business hours but I did go to Gatchina yesterday with a pal. It is exquisite, especially the little pavilions scattered throughout the adjoining park. Have you ever gone to the Birch-log Pavilion? Looks like a little rustic log-cabin on the outside; step in, and its a boudoir with crystal chandelier, gold leaf, mirrors. Now *that's* what I call a HUT! 'Nutcracker' report to follow shortly. A TOTAL masterpiece of a theatrical experience. I cannot believe the awful reviews from last year....duhhhhh....this is theatrical brilliance! You have to see it to believe it...but I'm not so sure that it would 'play in Peoria.' On other subject... The White Nights Festival-fun will continue all this month. I have to be back in DC next week (not just work - it's Bolshoi Week at the KennCen). But here's some of the fun that lucky full-time Petersburg balletomanes can attend next week: * Alla Osipenko will emcee a star-studded ballet gala titled 'The Fairy World of Ballet'...with lots of the same dancers who Kevin & I saw at the conservatory PLUS Vishneva, Zakharova, etc. * San Francisco Ballet on tour - June 16 * Graduation concerts of the school affiliated with Choreographic Miniatures troupe...plus the long-awaited revival of Yakobsen's 'Spartacus' with original sets & costumes, by Chor Min. * full season by Eifman, then Tkatchine, ballet troupes at Alexandrinsky Theater * Vaganova Prix Competition the last week of June (HATE to be missing that one - LOL!!!) * Series "Ballet in the Palaces" - ballet gala evenings on outdoor stages in various suburban palaces in the vicinity, e.g., Peterhof, Tsaskoye Selo, Pavlovsk, etc. * Play "Anna Pavlova" at one of the major legit theaters in town...I'm going to try to see tomorrow's matinee but its sold out so I need to see what's being sold on the street in front of theater) Tons of other stuff I haven't mentioned. If this isn't Classical Ballet Mecca, then I don't know what is!

June 5, 2002 Kirov-Mariinsky Ballet 'Le Corsaire' chor. Marius Petipa; music by Adolphe Adam et. al. It's not until one views a Kirov-Mariinsky production at the Mariinsky Theater itself that one realizes how much of the 'total effect' is watered down on tours. A case-in-point is last night's 'Le Corsaire.' This late-Romantic/early-Classical-era ballet of pirates, slave maidens and pashas takes on a grander effect on its home stage, especially in the lush 'Jardin Anime' scene of Act III, in which three huge, high fountains gush their waters...like the fountains of Peterhof! We're talking torrential rains here - LOL! Similarly, it is only at the home theater that the full complement of Vaganova Academy students can be used in scenes such as 'Jardin Anime'. Did you realize that this scene employs not only the little girls holding garlands on the front row but also eight little lads in brown Arabic costume, complete with turbans? I don't remember seeing those boys on tours in Washington or in London. Anyhow, my point is: if ever you visit St Petes, don't pass up a ticket to a specific ballet at the Mariinsky Theater just because you've seen that one on tour; believe me, it's a different experience here. Back to last night's 'Corsaire'... Svetlana Zakharova -- very young, impossibly thin & of lyrical style -- was cheered to the rafters by the SRO-audience last night, as the heroine of the ballet, Medora. Let that be recorded. However, I remain troubled by her absurdly high (past 180-degree) extensions. Pure Cirque de Soleil. I am further troubled by her 'learn-by-rote; dance-by-numbers' style, with minimal intellectual & passionate involvement. I keep waiting, wishing for it...for the warmth of a Diana Vishneva or Uliana Lopatkina or Daria Pavlenko or even Natalia Sologub..or the vividness of the new-and-improved Yulia Makhalina. With Zakharova, 'everything' is there technically, yet there is a void in the soul. Sorry to be blunt - I've been trying really hard to come to grips by what is troubling me in this talented ballerina who is cheered to the rafters by almost everyone. So there. She is very young and, remember, Makhalina was once as cold as SZ is now...so there is hope. Ilya Kuznetsov, as the hero Conrad, was THE revelation & passion-prince of the night, for me! Kuznetsov is on a roll these days, as evidenced in last Sunday's Manon & Monday's gala at the Conservatoire. This is a new Kuznetsov, light, zippy, impeccable technique, elegant partnering of the ballerina but, most importantly, a real charisma that had eluded him for many years, since his graduation in '95 til quite recently. Now, all of a sudden, it appears that Ilya Kuznetsov is ready to burn the slage!!! Since WHEN has a Conrad been the 'main guy' in the famous Act II Pas de Trois (of Medora-Conrad-Ali)? It's usually the slave Ali who wins the day. Ali's solo is much more famous, a gala-staple. Ali is usually the showier dancer, e.g., Faroukh Ruzimatov or Nikolai Tsiskaridze. Last night's Ali, Vyacheslav Samodurov, is a lightweight in comparison. Not just his shortish stature but he simply lacks the fire...but his technique is fine enough. On the other hand, Irina Zhelonkina was magnificent in the 'second ballerina' role of Gulnara, who dances the famous Act I 'Slave pas de deux' with the slave-trader Lankedem. Zhelonkina is now one of the senior soloists of the troupe & her purely classical style is a joy to behold. No exaggerated positions, just beautiful dancing as Agrippina Vaganova envisaged. Added to this is fire and passion in Zhelonkina last night; she really 'sold' her character..unlike Zakharova as Medora, who relies on pure technique & ultra-slim line. As Lankedem the slave-trader, the just-returned Nikita Sheglov was quite wonderful, especially in his characterization. In his pas d'esclave solo variation, he soared; however, I missed the deep-down plies (after the jetes in the first diagonal) of Vladimir Malakhov of American Ballet Theater! The three odalisques were OK, as a whole. Only Irina Golub, as the first, was spectacular overall & even she has some timing problems with the initial series of quick cabrioles (off the music...playing catch-up). Ekaterina Osmolkina as #2 and Elvira Tarassova as #3 were fine, both lovely dancers. Tarassova chose to perform a series of clean double pirouettes for the final diagonal of her variation...rather than the triples that are performed nowadays in the role (e.g., Gillian Murphy at ABT). I rather see clean doubles than botched triples anyday. The Act II character number, 'Forbane,' was danced with the passion & fire that one sees in Russian troupes in Petipa's character -folk dances. It was led by Alexander Kurkov & Galina Rakhmanova - she of the amazing deep backbends & scintillating stage personna. The corps was splendid, especially in Jardin Anime. It is always a JOY to see the elegance & beauty of the Vaganova Academy children. Even the shape & size of their little heads match perfectly. It's called careful pre-selection of a certain 'look' - something that isn't very 'politically correct' in America & the west...yet we all admire the unison & symmetry of the Kirov-Mariinsky. This is how it begins. Tonight - the Kirov's new & controversial 'Nutcracker' with Natalia Sologub & Danila Korsuntsev. Jeannie Szoradi St Petersburg, Russian Federation

Thanks for the kind words, everyone. I'm glad that you're enjoying the reports. Just back from 'Corsaire' & it was another 'bravo-bravo!' night. I'll get some rest, gather thoughts & post something tomorrow. In the meantime, our Kevin Ng is having the thrill of a lifetime. [i'm sure that he won't mind my writing this!] It just so happens that Kevin is staying at the Hotel Astoria...and who checks into his hotel, without prior notification, but President Jiang Zimin of China!!! I just *knew* that Kevin had friends in high places!!! The friends-apartment where I'm staying, until my own flat is liveable, is just two blocks from the Astoria. I tried to get in to see Kevin a couple of minutes ago, for after-show drinks, but my path was blocked by tall Chinese bodyguards...protecting President Jiang & Kevin, no doubt. Ciao! Jeannie

Follow my adventures in St Petes...here's the link: http://www.balletalert.com/forum/showthrea...42889#post42889 More to be added to this 'diary' in days ahead! - Jeannie