Kevin Ng

I think Margart Illmann left the Stuttgart Ballet several years ago due to some disagreement. The Spanish demi-soloist Ivan Gil Ortega only joined the company in 1997. By the way, Stuttgart Ballet will tour Japan and South Korea next Jan.

Lovebird, I think you are referring to my interview with Svetlana Lunkina in the April 2000 issue of Ballet.co magazine. I am not sure if Maximova ever guested with the Stuttgart Ballet. I also saw Maximova in Cranko's Onegin when she guested with the English National Ballet in 1990. She was sublime. I am also lucky to have seen Bessmertnova and Pavlova during the Bolshoi seasons in London in the late 1980s. [ 05-26-2001: Message edited by: Kevin Ng ]

A London friend of mine also attended the dinner after the performance, having paid 750 pounds. The tables in the Floral Hall were all reserved for corporate entertainment by a bank. Most of the guests dined on the level of the Amphitheatre restaurant, including Dowell himself. My friend was seated at the same table as David Bintley. Apparently the Royal Ballet principals who participated in the gala came to the dinner as well, but were seated at different tables.

I heard that the last night of the Kirov's Giselle in Mexico was led by Diana Vishneva and Faroukh Ruzimatov. NO7, can you please confirm that? Back home in St. Petersburg, the Kirov will premiere a Shostakovich evening on 30 May including the Leningrad Symphony, and the Young Lady and the Hooligan.

Friday night saw a welcome return to Hong Kong by the Stuttgart Ballet for four performances of John Cranko's two-act "The Taming of the Shrew". The opening night was led by Yseult Lendvai and Maximiliano Guerra. (Guerra produced a new version of Don Q for the Stuttgart company last December.) The first night audience clearly loved every minute of it, and it's a long time since I've heard so much laughter from a Hong Kong dance audience, as well as such loud ovations at the end. The last time there were such ovations was during the ABT tour last autumn after Angel Corella's performance in "Le Corsaire" pas de deux. As Katherine, Yseult Lendvai was a sophisticated dance actress and extracted every emotional nuance from Cranko's choreography. Petruchio was danced by Maximiliano Guerra who was still in top form, and showed off his dazzling virtuosity. They were sublime in the several pas de deux, which contain lots of lifts as typical of Cranko's choreography. I was also impressed by the Kirov-trained Elena Tentschikowa who was totally ravishing as Bianca with her beautiful footwork. The second cast this afternoon was led by Sue Jin Kang and Robert Conn. Particularly noteworthy was Lucentia (Bianca's lover) danced by a young demi-soloist Ivan Gil Ortega. This tall and handsome dancer has a long and beautiful line and all the makings of a danseur noble. In the press conference on Thursday, artistic director Reid Anderson mentioned about the 40th anniversary celebration of the Stuttgart Ballet in early November. The full details will be announced in Stuttgart in early June. The programme for the 9-day celebration will consist of new choreography as well as Cranko's ballets. Reid Anderson also said he will be in New York in June to supervise the final rehearsals of ABT's "Onegin", as well as in London later to cast the Royal Ballet's production of "Onegin" next season. [ 05-20-2001: Message edited by: Kevin Ng ]

Thanks NO7 for another very interesting update on the Kirov. Let's hope that the Mexican audience will gradually warm to the Kirov and show more enthusiasm in the subsequent performances.

I just happen to have spoken to Chan Hon Goh on telephone last week. Goh told me that she'll perform with Suzanne Farrell's company in Washington DC in late Sept. Next season in Toronto, she'll also dance "Mozartiana" which is to be revived by Farrell for the NBC. And this summer she has guesting engagements in Australia and Tokyo. [ 05-14-2001: Message edited by: Kevin Ng ]

I just found this article in the archives of St. Petersburg Times on Neumeier. http://www.sptimes.ru/archive/times/665/fe...ures/a_3158.htm

Yes, the POB does look a bit thin in the top rank of 'etoile', compared to the Bolshoi and the Kirov who can perform in 2 to 3 places simultaneously. For instance, while one Bolshoi contingent is performing in London at present, another group is performing in Italy, and there are performances at home in Moscow as well.

I noticed from POB's casting that neither Laurent Hilaire nor Nicolas Le Riche is in California. (Le Riche on the other hand will join the Royal Ballet in Washington DC next month.) Estelle, do you know why?

I totally agree with you about Andrei Uvarov. Last week he and Svetlana Lunkina danced beautifully the Giselle pas de deux during the current Bolshoi season in London.

Nutkin, I strongly recommend you to see this second programme in the coming week. I wish I could see more Bolshoi performances myself, but I have to return to Hong Kong. If I could spend one more week in London, I would definitely go a few more times to see the Bolshoi. [ 05-06-2001: Message edited by: Kevin Ng ]

Jane, Gennady Yanin did the Narcissus solo last night.

The house was much fuller last night for the opening night of the second programme, which was even more enjoyable than the first. "Chopiniana" was grandly danced, and Svetlana Lunkina and Andrei Uvarov were sublime in the pas de deux. In the divertissements in the second half, Lunkina made her debut in the pas de deux from "La Sylphide" with Gudanov. (Lunkina told me that she had been coached in this role by Maximova and Struchkova in Moscow). Their dancing was full of nuances. But the highlight for me was the pas de deux from Gorsky's "La Fille Mal Gardee" which I had never seen before. Anastasia Goriacheva and Yan Gudanov danced the airy choreography with a joyful abandon that lifted the spirits. Also notable was the pas de deux from Lavrosky's "Romeo and Juliet" danced by Inna Petrova and Sergei Filin. [ 05-05-2001: Message edited by: Kevin Ng ]

I was at the matinee too, and noticed the low attendance. I think it's partly due to the planned (but cancelled at the last minute) underground strike which put off some people. But the applause was enthusiatic. I love in particular Goriacheva and Gudanov in the Flower Festival at Genzano pas de deux, and Svetlana Lunkina and Andrei Uvarov in Giselle pdd. I look forward to seeing the second programme tonight.

A.M., thanks for your very interesting updates on this Neumeier programme. Do you think the Kirov will tour in future with this programme?

I saw a performance last week. My favourite items were the Flower Festival pas de deux which was stylishly danced by Goriacheva and Gudanov. I also adored Svetlana Lunkina in the Giselle pas de deux, with the noble Andrei Uvarov. And I look forward to seeing Lunkina again when she makes her debut in La Sylphide pas de deux in the second programme later this week. [ 04-30-2001: Message edited by: Kevin Ng ]

I heard that one of the Neumeier ballets is called "Now and Then". It was also danced by the Royal Danish Ballet several years ago. [ 04-30-2001: Message edited by: Kevin Ng ]

Alina Cojocaru was in distinguished company last weekend. The President of Romania was in London, and Cojocaru was invited to a reception hosted by the Romanian embassy to meet the President. The embassy had also offered Cojocaru to organise a party for her to celebrate her promotion, but she modestly turned it down because she wanted to spend more time with her father who is visiting London. [ 04-23-2001: Message edited by: Kevin Ng ]

I saw Alina Cojocaru's second Giselle on Tuesday. There was no announcement of her promotion after the performance. I only heard it from a Royal Ballet dancer afterwards. There was quite a big crowd waiting at the stage door to greet Cojocaru. When she finally appeared with her father (on a visit to London from Romania) who was holding her bouquet of flowers, she seemed to take the great news of her promotion very calmly. She was really nice and spent some time speaking to her well-wishers, signing their programmes, and posing with some of them for photos. [ 04-19-2001: Message edited by: Kevin Ng ]

Leigh, warmest congratulations! I hope you can bring your company on a tour to Asia in the future.

I would place more credence on the information given in the Golden Mask organisation's official website; it's inconceivable that they could have put down inaccurate information. Jeannie, I am glad that you have reminded me of the Kirov's "Jewels" in Washington DC next Feb. If I miss the "Jewels" in London this summer, I'll have a perfect reason to revisit Washington DC next winter! [ 04-14-2001: Message edited by: Kevin Ng ]

"The Swan of Tuonela" was an early work that David Bintley did for the Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet (now called the Birmingham Royal Ballet) around the early 1980s. I have never seen it even though I was living in London at that time.

Excellent choices by the awards panel! Diana Vishneva well deserves this prestigious award. And the Kirov dances "Jewels" better than the Paris Opera Ballet did last winter. I hope that the Kirov will acquire more Balanchine ballets in future. [ 04-11-2001: Message edited by: Kevin Ng ]

Were there any dancers among the Stars of St. Petersburg group that particularly impressed you? Some of the Kirov dancers originally announced for this tour include Yulia Makhalina and Andrian Fadeyev. I wonder who went in the end.