Kevin Ng
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Ari, I know that one of the dancers will be Chan-Hon Goh, a principal of the National Ballet of Canada who I remember has already danced with Farrell's company in the past two years. I interviewed Goh last month about her book, and she mentioned that she has been invited to dance with Farrell's company this autumn.
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A friend who attended the competiton told me of 2 winners from St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre (directed by Konstantin Tatchkine).
Irina Kolesnikova - silver
Anastasia Kolegova - bronze
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Both the Don Q performances yesterday were more polished than the opening performance on Monday. The character dances were superbly danced, as usual, by the Kirov. The younger cast yesterday afternoon - Golub and Korsakov (both in the same year in the Vaganova Academy before joining the Kirov) - was probably more satisfying than the evening cast of Elvira Tarasova and Andrian Fadeyev.
Irina Golub's Kitri was fresh, exhilarating and a sheer joy to watch. Golub danced with more spontaneity and ease than Vishneva on Monday. Her equlibre in the grand pas de deux was rock steady. Anton Korsakov managed the 2 one-handed lifts in Act 1 better than Samodurov on Monday, and his 'death' scene in was hilarious. He was impressive in the grand pas de deux. In the evening, Andrian Fadeyev, whose acting as Basilio was better and who had a more dazzling virtuosity, did a different version of the solo in the grand pas de deux - a series of double tours en l'air followed by single pirouette. Natalia Sologub's solo of the Queen of the Dryads was perfectly danced.
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Yes, Jeannie, it will be Vishneva and Samodurov dancing in Don Q tonight.
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Zakharova's performance yesterday afternoon was superlative, and was even more expressive than in the Kirov's London season last year. Danila Korsuntsev was an excellent partner and danced powerfully in his variation. Last night Andrei Ivanov as the jester brought the house down with his multiple pirouettes. Anton Korsakov was impeccable in the pas de trois, his 'battu' steps were crisp and clear.
Kevin,
Hotel Empire,
New York.
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Thanks, Mussel, for your info. on the running times. I didn't realise that the Kirov's new/old production of La Bayadere is that long, as I missed its first, and so far only performance at the Maryinsky on 31 May.
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The results of the Vaganova Prix are now reported in the St. Petersburg Times.
http://www.sptimes.ru/archive/times/781/fe...ures/a_6766.htm
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I would be interested to know if NYCB is planning a Balanchine festival, similar to the Balanchine Celebration held in 1993, to celebrate the centenary of Balanchine's birth in 2004. I guess it's unlikely if an Eifman ballet is planned. Also I doubt if Martins is really interested in reviving any 'lost' Balanchine ballets.
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Alexandra, I'll briefly describe Neumeier's ballet "Sounds of Empty Pages" which was created for the Kirov Ballet in April 2001 as part of a Neumeier triple-bill programme. It also included two earlier pure-dance Neumeier works created for other companies. This ballet was based on the tragic life of the Russian composer Alfred Schnittke, who was a friend of Neumeier. In the ballet, Schnittke was created on the Kirov danseur Andrian Fadeyev, a classical stylist who showed his dramatic gifts by infusing the role with a gripping intensity. His pas de deux with his muse (created on Diana Vishneva) was the best part of the ballet, which was relentlessly gloomy all the way through.
Neumeier's choreography for this Schnittke ballet was typical of the angst-ridden style of the 'Eurotrash' choreographers. His other two earlier ballets had more interesting choreography. I didn't see the programme at its premiere, but saw it last autumn with a change of cast as well as in the Maryinsky Festival in March. I wrote a review on Ballet.co.uk.
http://www.ballet.co.uk/magazines/yr_01/no..._kirov_1001.htm
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The winners of this year's Baltika prize have been announced on the Kirov's website.
http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/news/festivals/baltika_2002
Kirov dancers Daria Pavlenko and Zhanna Ayupova have won the ballet awards.
Daria Pavlenko, incidentally, will guest with the Hamburg Ballet this week with her colleague Andrian Fadeyev. They will dance a pas de deux from Neumeier's ballet "Sounds of Empty Pages" in the Nijinsky gala on 30 June.
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Xinxin, thanks for your detailed information on the National Ballet of China. I am really impressed by the diversity of its large repertory, and note with interest its Balanchine repertory. I long to see the company do "Who Cares?" which you said was just acquired this year.
Do you know if the National Ballet will undertake any overseas tours later this year?
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Alexandra, thanks a lot for your updated casting information, which is very helpful to me in assessing the feasiblity of making a trip to NY to attend the Kirov season.
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Thanks Jeannie. So the Maryinsky Festival next year will be even longer than this year's. I've come to the conclusion that the best stage to see to see the Kirov is still at their Maryinsky Theatre. Last week it was a delight for me to see Le Corsaire there; there were eight pairs of Vaganova students (missing in Covent Garden) to augment the corps de ballet in the Jardin Anime scene, as well as three huge fountains instead of only two in London.
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Thanks for your news of the Kirov's tours for next year, Jeannie. I heard that the Kirov is also due to return to Covent Garden next July for a season.
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Like Jeannie I've also greatly enjoyed the Stars Gala at the Conservatory on Monday, which for its length is really good value for money. I've nothing to add to Jeannie's vivid, and detailed review. I was glad to have the opportunity to see dancers from the Maly and other St. Petersburg companies. And I look forward to seeing Le Corsaire again tonight. It's a great experience to be here for the White Nights.
Kevin
Hotel Astoria,
St. Petersburg
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The two Kirov galas at Covent Garden this week offered a rare chance to see two pieces from the Soviet era which are rarely seen on the Kirov's overseas tours. The pas de deux from Leonid Jacobson's version of "Spartacus", seemed rather dull and flat in comparison with Grigorovich's version for the Bolshoi. It's surprising that there were hardly any supported lifts in Jacobson's choreography, which however had far too much operatic-style gesturing and exaggerated facial emoting from Yulia Makhalina and Alexander Kurkov.
"Leningrad Symphony" choreographed by Igor Belsky depicted the city's suffering in the second world war. Shostakovich's score sometimes had a repetitive rhythm not unlike Ravel's Bolero. The choreography was rather cliche-ridden and not particularly inventive, and had a lot of static groupings in a series of tableaux following each other. Daria Pavlenko was the heart of the ballet and danced expressively. An ensemble of white-clad male dancers had a lot of exciting jumps in the first movement. Later, a betrayer figure appeared who was brutalised by a group of soldiers in grey costumes. The city's suffering seemed to be symbolised by a group of women also attired in gloomy grey.
The audience also saw snippets from two new ballets created for the Kirov in the past two years and shown in this year's Maryinsky Festival in March. Diana Vishneva, the foremost Kirov ballerina at present, was ecstatic and heart-meltingly lyrical in the pas de deux from Alexei Ratmansky's new production of "Cinderella", with Andrei Merkuriev as her prince. And the waltz of the snowflakes from Kirill Simonov's production of "The Nutcracker" with the corps de ballet in black must have astonished some in the audience.
The night before Diana Vishneva and Andrei Merkuriev dazzled in the "Don Quixote" pas de deux. Vishneva was delectable in the series of 'pas de cheval' in her solo and in those 'retires', and in the coda threw in some triple 'fouettes' turns. Merkuriev was moving in the title role in Balanchine's "The Prodigal Son", which seemed more avant-garde and less dated than Belsky's "Leningrad Symphony". Daria Pavlenko had the right allure as the siren.
For me the most significant piece in the two different galas was Balanchine's early masterpiece "Serenade" which was given a transcendent performance by the Kirov dancers. Irina Golub had the most glorious jumps as the Russian ballerina. Natalia Sologub, partnered by Danila Korsuntsev, was poetic in the waltz. I hope that the Kirov will continue to acquire more Balanchine ballets in the future.
Sologub (the winner of this year's Golden Mask award for female dancer) and Golub, both rising stars in their early twenties, testify to the Kirov's consistently strong line-up of ballerinas. Golub also danced in the Blue bird pas de deux from "The Sleeping Beauty" with Vasily Scherbakov whose 'poisson' jumps were impeccable. And Sologub was exciting in Alexei Ratmansky's duet "Middle Duo", strongly partnered by Islom Baimuradov.
There were also two pieces in the galas reminding us once again of the Kirov's unsurpassed strength in character dancing - the Act 3 Hungarian dance from "Raymonda", and Fokine's Polovtsian dances from "Prince Igor". In the latter piece Islom Baimuradov, as the male soloist, was most charismatic and dazzled in his high jumps.
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Jeannie, La Bayadere this Friday will be danced by Daria Pavlenko and Igor Kolb. I will try to come to St. Petersburg next week. The flights from London are very full this weekend because of the Queen's Golden Jubilee holidays.
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The programme and casting for the Kirov's Stars of the White Nights Festival, to open this Friday with La Bayadere, is in the Playbill section of the Kirov website.
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There's a short mention of President Bush's visit to the Maryinsky Theatre last night, in the News section of the Kirov website.
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This is the up to date programme for the two Kirov galas at Covent Garden this week. I will only list the programme for the Kirov Ballet, and not the Opera.
Tue., 28 May -
"Serenade", "Don Quixote" pas de deux, extracts from "Raymonda" and "The Sleeping Beauty".
Wed., 29 May -
"Leningrad Symphony" (Belsky), "The Prodigal Son", "Middle Duo" (Ratmansky), extracts from "Cinderella" (Ratmansky) and "Spartacus" (Jacobson).
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It seems that the Kirov dancers won't have much rest after their return to St. Petersburg from Mexico yesterday. Some of the dancers on the Mexican tour, e.g. Irina Golub, Andrian Fadeyev, Danila Korsuntsev, are already due to dance in "Jewels" this Sunday.
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The first part of the Gala was "Chopiniana", with Danila Korsuntsev and Sofia Gumerova.
Second part:
Harlequinade, with Elena Sheshina and Andrei Ivanov.
Espartaco, with Makhalina and Alexander Kurkov
Sleeping Beauty pas de deux, with Natalia Sologub and Andrei Merkuriev.
Dying Swan, with Makhalina
Finally, Don Quixote pas de deux, with Irina Golub and Andrian Fadeyev.
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The Mexican tour will end tonight with the gala. The two casts of Swan Lake last weekend were - Yulia Makhalina/Igor Kolb, and Sofia Gumerova/Danila Korsuntsev.
At the Maryinsky Theatre tonight, Anton Korsakov will make his debut as James in La Sylphide.
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Evgeny Ivanchenko is still a principal of the Kirov Ballet; he just danced Giselle with Sofia Gumerova about 10 days ago. He only guests with the Bolshoi, mainly to partner Anastasia Volochkova. The Bolshoi star Nikolai Tsiskaridze guests with the Kirov regularly as well.
International Ballet Festival
in Kirov-Mariinsky Ballet
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Patricia, thanks for your early news of the programme of next year's Maryinsky Festival. I didn't realise that Pierre Lacotte will be staging Ondine for the Kirov.