Kevin Ng

From what I remember from the programme notes last week, there was no mention of anyone from the Balanchine Trust being responsible for staging "Symphony in C". (It's the same version which the Royal Ballet danced in the 1990s with costumes designed by Dowell.) Patricia Neary was listed as the stager for the other two Balanchine ballets - Agon and Prodigal Son.

And I guess that the board of directors was mostly handpicked by Martins. I just read this week's review of NYCB by Robert Gottlieb in the NY Observer, and I find very meaningful his last paragraph in which Gottlieb wrote that NYCB should be the Balanchine museum. http://www.observer.com/pages/dance.asp

At least for their one-week tour to St. Petersburg beginning on 30 July, the repertory fortunately consists mostly of Balanchine's masterpieces. I noticed from the Mariinsky playbill that Gergiev will conduct the opening night at the Mariinsky Theatre. http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill?pbmy=200307 http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill?pbmy=200308 I am considering a trip to attend the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg to see the company instead of coming to NYC next season in view of this very disappointing centennial programming.

I think the answer to Dale's question boils down to what Peter Martins really thinks of Balanchine's works. I quote from Arlene Croce's review in The New Yorker in 1993 during the Balanchine Celebration. "Many of us were shocked by what the past decade gradually but unmistakably disclosed - that Peter Martins was not Balanchinean, not a believer, and didn't want to be."

It is disgraceful for Peter Martins to honour in this way the centennial of the greatest choreographer of the 20th century. If I come to NYC next season, I will pick a week with the most Balanchine ballets and avoid the rubbish choreographed by Martins.

I think the Gala shown on BBC was filmed on Friday night. On Saturday night President Putin and the visiting heads of state saw a different, and probably more interesting ballet performance at the sumptuous Peterhof Palace by the St. Petersburg Conservatory, according to this report from the St. Petersburg 300th anniversary website. http://www.300spb.ru/enews-item.html?id=321

There's a mention of Alexei Ratmansky's Cinderella in the Moscow Times by Raymond Stults, which was pointed out by Ari yesterday. "Privileged over the past 50 years and more to have seen the very best in ballet on the stages of Chicago, New York, London and Paris, I cannot recall a production of greater overall beauty than the Mariinsky's "Cinderella." http://www.tmtmetropolis.ru/metropolis/sto.../04/18/113.html

Marianna, what ballet(s) will they perform on the tour?

It is noteworthy that the Royal Ballet will give an all-Balanchine programme next Jan. - Agon, The Prodigal Son, Symphony in C - to mark Balanchine's centenary. I saw Nureyev in The Prodigal Son in the early 1980s, and I don't think it's been revived by the Royal since then.

I don't know about the exact height of Sofia Gumerova, but I don't think that Anton Korsakov is too short for her. Korsakov is nearly 5'11". Korsakov actually made his debut as Solor in Washington, he had never danced this role in St. Petersburg before. I am glad to hear about Gumerova dancing. She was indisposed last month, and didn't dance a single performance in the Mariinsky Festival.

Bilbo, the hotels nearest to the Mariinsky Theatre are the Hotel Astoria and the Hotel Angleterre. Both are about five minutes away from the Mariinsky by taxi. I have stayed in both and recommend them. Hotel Angleterre, which is slightly cheaper than the Astoria, has just been renovated, as I found out when staying there during the Mariinsky Festival last month. Hotel Astoria is more prestigious as it is used by heads of state.

Paris Opera Ballet will also perform Jewels (as well as La Bayadere) in Tokyo for their tour in late March.

I found some casting information for the first four performances from another website. 21/02 La Bayadere: Diana Vishneva, Elvira Tarasova, Manuel Legris 22/02 Cinderella: Natalia Sologub, Andrey Merkuriev 23/02 La Bayadere: Daria Pavlenko, Ekaterina Osmolkina, Nikolai Tsiskaridze 24/02 Giselle: Alina Cojocaru, Johan Kobborg

Ina, thanks for your news, I didn't realise that Vladimir Malakhov won't appear in the festival. The revised programme for the Mariinsky Festival is now in the English section of the Mariinsky website. http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/

Jeannie, I share some of your enthusiasm for Chemiakin's Nutcracker. I like Simonov's choreography for the grand pas de deux, which at the performance I saw at last year's Mariinsky Festival was beautifully danced by Natalia Sologub and Andrian Fadeyev. I just noticed that the revised programme for the Mariinsky Festival next month is up in the English section of the Mariinsky website. http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/

Some of the guest artists who will appear in the Mariinsky Festival next month include Vladimir Malakhov, Manuel Legris, and Alina Cojocaru

Ina, I only know that Vladimir Malakhov is one of the guest stars who will dance in the Mariinsky Festival next Feb. I don't know yet in which ballet he will dance. But I'll post again here when I've more information on the casting, which probably won't be available till nearer the time.

I'll start off with the Kirov Ballet, which this year I am fortunate to have seen many times, in St. Petersburg, London, New York, and earlier this month in Hong Kong. It's been a rewarding year to see more and more ballets from the Kirov's large repertory, and to see some outstanding debuts from their many talented young soloists, e.g. Irina Golub, Leonid Sarafanov. Highlights - the Kirov's reconstructed version of "La Bayadere" which was revelatory. - The Kirov's glorious performance in their London galas of "Serenade", splendidly led by Natalia Sologub, Irina Golub, and Veronika Part. And the whole company was always excellent in Balanchine's masterpiece "Jewels". - Natalia Sologub in everything she danced, she was especially moving in the title role in Alexei Ratmansky's new but uneven production of "Cinderella" premiered in the Mariinsky Festival, and as Masha in the Chemiakin's controversial production of "Nutcracker". - Diana Vishneva's superlative Giselle in Hong Kong, her Manon and her Rubies in the Mariinsky Festival both partnered by Manuel Legris, and her lyrical Nikiya in New York. - Andrian Fadeyev in the Mariinsky Festival showing his pure classical style as the Nutcracker Prince, and his stirring performances as Romeo and in "Le Jeune Homme et la Mort". And finally his profoundly moving Albrecht in Hong Kong several weeks ago, and his charismatic "Rubies" soloist. ---- At Covent Garden I was most impressed by Alina Cojocaru as Tatiana in "Onegin", Darcey Bussell and Jonathan Cope in Christopher Wheeldon's wonderful new work "Tryst" for the Royal Ballet, and Jonathan Cope and Tamara Rojo in "Mayerling". I greatly enjoyed the English National Ballet's triple bill including Balanchine's Apollo and Who Cares, and also another triple bill including Mark Morris' delightful work "Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes".

Ina, Diana Vishneva's Swan Lake in Berlin will be in April 2003. Perhaps Neumeier's The Lady of The Camellias will be a new production for the Berlin Staatsoper. Vladimir Malakhov has been invited again to dance in the Kirov's Mariinsky Festival in St. Petersburg next Feb.

The Kirov will tour Baden Baden, Germany, for a week from 25 December. Here is the casting for Swan Lake, La Bayadere, Fokine programme, and the gala programme, which was posted on Ballet.co. http://www.danze.co.uk/dcforum/happening/3264.html

I just listened again to the tape of my conversation with Diana Vishneva in Hong Kong. Vishneva also mentioned that she will return to dance with the Berlin Ballet next year - in John Neumeier's Lady of the Camellias, as well as in Swan Lake which she hasn't yet danced with the Kirov Ballet.

Diana Vishneva was in Hong Kong during the Kirov's tour about 3 weeks ago, before she flew to Berlin to dance with Malakhov. When I interviewed her, she told me that she will guest with the ABT next spring, but she didn't mention her partner.

Here is the list of the winners announced at the ceremony last Saturday evening: Female Dancer: Lucia Lacarra Male Dancer: Vladimir Malakhov Choreographer: William Forsythe Choreographic Production: La Belle, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, Jean-Christophe Maillot Emerging Choreograper: Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui

Nothing much to add about the second gala evening in Macau. Zhanna Ayupova was sharp and precise in the "Tchaikovsky pas de deux"; and Anton Korsakov danced brilliantly for his debut in this ballet, his manege of coupe jetes was effortless and breathtaking. Korsakov revelled in the difficult steps in Balanchine's choreography, as his delight clearly showed on his face. Elvira Tarasova and Andrei Batalov were spectacular in the Don Quixote pas de deux. So ended the Kirov's memorable two-week tour to Hong Kong and Macau, on a high note. The good news is that they are due to return in the 2005/6 season. But meanwhile I look forward to the Kirov's Mariinsky Festival in St. Petersburg next Feb.

Last night in Macau I was particularly impressed by Zhanna Ayupova and Maya Dumchenko. Ayupova was radiant in the Sleeping Beauty pas de deux (K. Sergeyev version); and Anton Korsakov was on top form as Desire, his solo was quite brilliant. Dumchenko was exquisite in the waltz in Chopiniana, and was also very moving in the Romeo and Juliet pas de deux. "Rubies", which opened the evening, was just danced against a black backdrop instead of the Peter Harvey's sets which are probably being shipped back to Russia from Hong Kong. I found out that a part of the Kirov which left Hong Kong on Monday then flew to Moscow to give a single performance of the Fokine programme earlier this week before finally returning to St. Petersburg.