Kevin Ng

I remember Daria Pavlenko's assured debut in "Diamonds" at Covent Garden last June after only three days of rehearsals, replacing the injured Uliana Lopatkina; but was not as impressed by her Odette/Odile which was also a replacement cast. In the Kirov's master class in August, when introducing Pavlenko to the matinee audience, Vaziev himself paid tribute to her ability to learn roles at such short notice.

Xinxin, your report is most interesting to read. I envy you seeing Vainonen's "Waltz", which I've never seen yet, as well as the new Alexei Ratmansky work "Middle Duo". And you've seen Igor Kolb in more roles than I managed last summer in London. It's thoughtful of you to say goodbye to Mr. Vaziev. He's a very nice man. I hope that he will bring the Kirov to tour China again soon, and that you can finally see them dance "Jewels". [This message has been edited by Kevin Ng (edited December 16, 2000).]

From what I remember of the ballet when I saw it 7 months ago, the various pas de deux seemed to have been derived from MacMillan's style, but I couldn't detect any Soviet influence at all. To be fair, there are some good bits in this work, which however don't quite cohere. But overall there is a gripping intensity in Bintley's storytelling. And the cast made a difference too. I was also impressed by Robert Parker's Edward, but I don't know if he danced the title role in New York. [This message has been edited by Kevin Ng (edited October 08, 2000).]

I now wish I had gone to see Yuan Yuan Tan in Hong Kong last year when she came with her Ukranian partner to dance the Don Q pas de deux in a school performance. I wasn't asked to review the performance, and also at that time I hadn't heard of Tan. Hope she'll come back here soon.

Good question, Juliet. I had also wondered why BRB brought Edward II to Hong Kong 6 months ago instead of an Ashton or even MacMillan work in its repertory. BRB's press officer told me that David Bintley wants the company to be seen on tour in a programme which is representative of its present direction, instead of its past. [This message has been edited by Kevin Ng (edited September 23, 2000).]

Did Wolfgang Stollwitzer dance Edward? I guess the young Robert Parker will dance later. [This message has been edited by Kevin Ng (edited September 23, 2000).]

I agree with Jeannie's observation that the Kirov presently dances "Symphony in C" the best. They didn't do this work in London this summer, but I still remember the Kirov's performances of Bizet in London in 1997, especially with Uliana Lopatkina in the second movement. Then I saw "Symphony in C" again in early 1998 danced by NYCB in the "Balanchine Black and White Week". Somehow there was far more exhilaration and radiance in the Kirov performances. (I remember however NYCB dancing this ballet far better in the late 1980s.)

Jeannie, thanks for your wonderful report. What good programming to be able to see 3 companies - Bolshoi, Miami, and Joffrey - in one evening. I am interested to hear that the Kirov does Rubies better than Miami City Ballet, and I wish I could see the Joffrey in Square Dance. (I last saw this ballet danced by NYCB in the late 1980s led by Kyra Nichols.)

I read that Kyra Nichols is in her early 40s. I now remember that I also saw Nichols before in New York in the main ballerina role of "Concerto Barocco", which Estelle reviewed in the second programme. I wonder why she wasn't cast in that role in Edinburgh this time. [This message has been edited by Kevin Ng (edited August 29, 2000).]

Estelle, thanks for your detailed review of the first programme, and I look forward to reading your impressions of the other programmes. I wish I were in Edinburgh too last weekend, which unfortunately clashed with the Kirov's Don Q at Covent Garden. A general point about last week's season. I think it's very strange programming that Kyra Nichols (NYCB's top ballerina in my opinion) was only seen in "Serenade", and not another Balanchine masterpiece. Why not "Mozartiana", e.g., which is one of her greatest roles, and which suits her at this stage of her career? However I would have liked to see in Edinburgh "Western Symphony" which is one of the small number of Balanchine ballets that I still haven't seen. [This message has been edited by Kevin Ng (edited August 26, 2000).]

Actually Johan Persson has already started taking class with the Royal Ballet in late June, but I don't know if he has started rehearsing yet with the company. I spoke to Persson and Jaimie Tapper briefly at Covent Garden about 2 weeks ago.

Vaziev last year agreed to bring the Kirov company to Macau this December to give several performances of Sleeping Beauty. But according to the Macau Cultural Centre, Gergiev has abruptly cancelled this Macau tour recently, and the Kirov's repertory for the Japanese tour this autumn has been changed as well.

According to Igor Stupnikov in the June issue of Dancing Times, Makhar Vaziev "is no longer called Director of the Ballet Company but company manager." Valery Gergiev has formed a new artistic board for the Kirov Ballet including a number of principals including Asymuratova and Zelensky, coaches, and ballet masters. So I suppose that Gergiev is effectively the head of the Kirov Ballet.

I received the June issue of "Dancing Times" today. In Igor Stupnikov's monthly letter from St. Petersburg, he quoted Clement Crisp's opinion of the Kirov's Manon when he was interviewed by the "Moscow Commercial Daily". "The Maryinsky company dances Manon better than the Royal Ballet does. This is how matters stand - and think what you will about me...The Maryinsky has extraordinary dancers who perfectly understand the connections among choreography, drama and emotion and they wonderfully put this connection into practice...."

Estelle, I enjoyed your review, and I look forward to seeing this production when the Ballet de Marseilles tours Hong Kong and Macau in 2 weeks' time.

What an unusual programming at the Vienna Opera. Are you going to see this in Vienna, Eugene? Who is the choreographer for this Rite of Spring?

Yes, I read this article too. Well, I am glad that the conflict has now been resolved, and that Vaziev will lead the company in both the London seasons. Now that he has seen off this unsuccessful challenge to his leadership, I suppose that he must have strengthened his authority in the company. [This message has been edited by Kevin Ng (edited May 13, 2000).]

I have also thoroughly enjoyed reading Garis' book "Following Balanchine", and learnt a lot about the particular qualities of each of Balanchine's ballets. Is Garis still active as a writer, by the way?

Andrei, thanks for your brilliant review. Dmitry Simeonov is only due to dance 2 matinees towards the end of the Covent Garden season in June, according to the booking brochure; but his name is not listed in the second season in August.

Besides her Juliet, I liked Trinidad Sevillano's Giselle with Matz Skoog with the English National Ballet. I seem to recall that she left the company because she didn't get to dance much later on in her career due to some disagreement with her artistic director Peter Schaufuss.

Yes, Mme. Hermine, I remember those words of Balanchine which you quoted from this wonderful 2-part documentary which I saw when it was broadcast on BBC in the 1980s.

Sometimes I think of Symphony in C -- each movement has a different type of ballerina (bravura/classical, adagio, allegro/soubrette, classical/demi-soloist). Does that sound strange? -------------- Dale, I agree with your comment above. So, it looks like Balanchine's ballets like Symphony in C are even harder to cast than the 19th century classics.

For keen followers of the Paris Opera Ballet, I recommend a discussion thread on POB on the Ballet.co.uk website in the What's Happening section. There are 2 Parisians there, as well as Estelle, who are most informative on the POB dancers, repertory, concours etc. They post in French and English. For me, it's a good opportunity to practise my French. This thread has been running since January. Currently it's already the 12th thread. http://www.danze.co.uk/dcforum/happening/529.html [This message has been edited by Kevin Ng (edited February 25, 2000).]

I would also cast my vote on Balanchine as the ballet person of this century, and his "Apollo" as this century's ballet. [This message has been edited by Kevin Ng (edited December 30, 1999).]