solo

To make sense of information by the Russian press agencies is not easy sometimes. At midday the INTERFAX agency had reported that the condition of the artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet Sergei Filin remains serious and he is kept in intensive care: http://www.interfax.ru/russia/383191 Two hours later ITAR-TASS reported that Sergei Filin had been discharged from the hospital. “He is making his way to the Theatre for work”, said the Bolshoi Theatre’s press officer Katerina Novikova. According to her, Filin feels fine and intends to be present today at the rehearsal of the ballet “The Taming of the Shrew”: http://itar-tass.com/kultura/1286868

Acosta is not the first foreign dancer of the Royal Ballet who has been honoured. In 2000, Irek Mukhamedov became OBE (Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) http://www.google.co.uk/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=irek+mukhamedov&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=ltfNUrSbJoGrhQfvnoCgCQ

Thank you, volcanohunter, for your very accurate analysis. In the most recent article I read something, which came as a surprise for me - the news about some “Ballet Traditions” fund, which doesn't have a website. An extract from: http://izvestia.ru/news/561760 "From January 1, 2014, the post of Advisor to the Artistic Director of the ballet company will be abolished. According to “Izvestia” newspaper, the Bolshoi’d press officer Katerina Novikova said that Dilyara Timergazina who is holding this post at the moment had been already notified of her dismissal. According to “Izvestia”, immediate boss of Timergazina the Artistic Director of the ballet company Sergei Filin had been warned in advance of the non-renewal of the (her?) contract with the Bolshoi. His contract will expire in 2016. Also, according to the newspaper’s source, the Artistic Director was offered a one-year leave to make a recovery, which he turned down. It is known that Dilyara Timergazina is a graduate of one of the best business schools in the USA - a New York University Stern School of Business. In addition to her work at the Bolshoi she also works as the Director General of "The Ballet Traditions" creative fund where Sergei Filin is the President and his wife Maria Prorvich is the Executive Director. Timergazina's son Dmitry is married to a Bolshoi’s leading soloist Olga Smirnova."

I am afraid, Helene, that your computer mistyped the name of this remarkable teacher Vera VOLKOVA http://www.google.co.uk/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=vera+volkova&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=jC2XUubjPNGA7Qad5IGYDw (While VolCHkov is the surname of the the Bolshoi’s Principal Alexander Volchkov.)

Me too. I don't know if they are - I suppose only the courts and those with access to them will know for sure. Dear volcanohunter, I would like to share your hope but I doubt that we will see the perfect trustworthy report of the court hearing. Agree with the last statement. I noticed that even in the lawyer's personal report online there were omissions of some important information pieces, which popped up in the newpaper reports later. To be fair to the lawyer he admitted himself that he was “short of words to make at least some sort of evaluation of what we hear”.

Unfortunately, this governance from above proves the Russia's addiction to totalitarianism. The top cultural institutions are treated as a part of the ruling Court.

RAPSI broadcasts Filin’s acid attack testimony live: http://www.rapsinews.com/judicial_news/20131105/269522223.html I am puzzled with this phrase, which exists in Russian version but is missing in the English version: “17:35 On the whole, dear friends, we are short of words to make at least some sort of evaluation of what we hear at the Meshchansky Court today. Make sense of it just as you like.”

Quote: “Ample possible explanations exist…” I completely agree, puppytreats. My question about “what was the ballet administration doing during all those seven years” was purely rhetoric. The failure of the Mariinsky’s ballet administration to champion the company’s rights and requirements proved again that Gergiev made it completely rightless. Mariinsky Theatre lives under totalitarian regime and, unfortunately, the great ballet company suffers from it.

Quote: “… Islom Baimuradov stated at the time, "why wasn't the ballet administration consulted ... in what was needed in terms of rehearsal space?" Islom Baimuradov could better ask his own boss - the head of the ballet company: what was the ballet administration doing during all those seven years? Why couldn’t they demand that the ballet company’ requirements are taken into account? Quote: “… it is his devotion to the old Bolshoi style and Grigorovitch (If I understand from afar) that seems a bad choice for the Maryinski's school.” Why will devotion to Grigorovich be bad for the school? It should not be forgotten that Yuri Grigorovich graduated in 1946 from Leningrad Choreographic School renamed later after A.Vaganova. He danced at Kirov Theatre for 10 years, choreographed ballet scenes there in 5 operas and created his fill-length ballets - “The Stone Flower” and “The Legend of Love”. The latter is considered by some as his best ballet and is still in the Mariinsky Ballet’s repertoir.

Here is the TV News about Sergei Filin’s arrival at Moscow airport: http://ria.ru/tv_society/20130914/963207018.html He said that his left eye had improved very significantly and with his right eye he can see his fingers. Sergei’s sister Elena gave an interview: http://www.mk.ru/culture/article/2013/09/15/915558-rodnaya-sestra-sergeya-filina-mk-brat-uzhe-gotov-vyiyti-na-rabotu.html She quoted his words: “I can see and move around independently.” He said that he is ready to start working and is planning to come to the theatre on the 16th Sept. for the auditions of new young dancers and on the 17th for the meeting of the company. She confirmed that he can see 80% with his left eye but there are some rises and falls. A progress has been made with his right eye too. He can see large objects. If he closes his left eye, then he can see with his right eye his fingers, which wasn’t the case earlier. The treatment will continue. May be he will stay in Moscow for a month, may be longer. When asked if he has no problem with watching performances and rehearsals, Elena replied: “Of course. He went to London and saw the Bolshoi’s performance there.”

Absolutely agree with you, yudi. I met some people there who travelled thousands miles to see it and, fortunately, didn’t regret it but wished they could see more. Because we were privileged to see the Bolshoi at its best.

True, the drama didn't stop with the arrest but continued: worries for Filin with his numerous operations, Pronin losing his job, Tsiskaridze's contract not being renewed, Iksanov's contract terminated, Vorontsova’s resignation, the dancers and staff waiting now for unavoidable reshuffle in the company (opera manager M.Fikhtengolts has already lost his job) and so on. But I personally do not imagine all this while watching excellent performances by the Bolshoi company. Thank you, Bolshoi, for the wonderful three weeks!

Not on any account could I do that. I have seen 19 performances out of 21 (work prevented me from seeing 2 more) and enjoyed them all. Every single preview and review in the press mentioned the Bolshoi's problems but the dancers didn't disappoint. I enjoyed their powerful exciting performances, some were truly outstanding and unforgettable, 'The Flames of Paris' among them.

The stressed "U" in the name of the new Director is pronounced as the short "u" in "bull", and "i" is short, like in "pin". Therefore, Oorin could be a right transcription.

The programme “Great Expectations” on RUSSIA 24 TV channel today: http://www.vesti.ru/videos?vid=519252&cid=460 had interviews with the acting artistic director Galina Stepanenko and the former ballet company manager Ruslan Pronin. Pronin said that although he and Tsiskaridze were not special friends but his own departure from the Bolshoi is linked to the situation with Tsiskaridze, i.e. with the way how the administration was ‘squeezing-out’ this Principal dancer from the theatre: ‘I didn’t like the methods used by them’ Pronin said. ‘They realised that they cannot rely on me and our paths diverged.’ In the meantime Mikhail Messerer said in his interview that Angelina Vorontsova is rehearsing the role of Diana Mireille de Poitier in his production of “The Flames of Paris” at the Mikhailovsky Theatre and he hopes to see her also in the role of Jeanne in July. When asked if she had joined the Mikhailovsky company Messerer replied : ‘For a start she will appear with us in “The Flames of Paris”. Further actions depend on her - whether she chooses to stay with us or not. She has many offers. http://izvestia.ru/news/552977#ixzz2Y05XhD6h