Marc Haegeman

It's a new choreography by Kirill Simonov, but it are Mikhail Shemyakin's designs which carry the show.

I thought that Maria Alexandrova was the only true classical ballerina (not a term I use lightly) with real authority in the Bolshoi on their last visit to London. There were others dancers who performed with technical authority who are principals. Natalia Osipova was a star (not a ballerina) in the making and the only great artist in the company was Yuliana Malkasyants who is a legend in her lifetime. I do not know why Alexandrova is not a principal, most serious minded ballet goers in London I spoke to think her superior to the exaggerations of Svetlana Zakharova. But Alexandrova is a principal, acclaimed, awarded and doing fine, Leonid . (Alexei Ratmansky promoted her on stage in June 2004.) I must say I never concern myself regarding the company status of a Russian dancer, as the politics that exist within the Bolshoi and Kirov have always in my long experience of watching both companies, determined their careers. I should of course realised Alexandrova was a principal but like most of us, I judge a dancers status by my own standards and that is why I consider Yuliana Malkasyants to be more important as a representative of what was once great in the company, above most of the other Bolshoi dancers. As you know Marc I have an independent view on most things to do with classical ballet. Best regards. Point taken, Leonid. But this board is being read and it's better not to cause any confusion regarding simple facts. After all, you reacted to a post of 5 years ago and as you know politics can and do change in that time, even in Russia .

I thought that Maria Alexandrova was the only true classical ballerina (not a term I use lightly) with real authority in the Bolshoi on their last visit to London. There were others dancers who performed with technical authority who are principals. Natalia Osipova was a star (not a ballerina) in the making and the only great artist in the company was Yuliana Malkasyants who is a legend in her lifetime. I do not know why Alexandrova is not a principal, most serious minded ballet goers in London I spoke to think her superior to the exaggerations of Svetlana Zakharova. But Alexandrova is a principal, acclaimed, awarded and doing fine, Leonid . (Alexei Ratmansky promoted her on stage in June 2004.)

Thank you, Alexandra. One can only hope they bring it on tour, although after the three opening performances, only four more are scheduled for the rest of the 2008/2009 season.

European fans of Maria Alexandrova took note that she will guest with the Paris Opera Ballet as Raymonda, December 27 and 30. Ruslan Skvortsov is her Jean de Brienne.

Absolutely, Bart. A staging like this is the perfect antidote against those who still believe classical ballet is per definition dull, old and dusty.

The creators of the new Grand Pas - Burlaka, but also designers Zaytseva (costumes) and Pikalova (sets) have been aiming to recreate a definite period atmosphere, which I think they succeeded admirably. It's also the first staging of this work I have seen which pays so much attention to the 19th-century Spanish, Polish and ballroom dancing that Petipa included, but mostly disappeared in the Soviet era for a more uniform style.

I think it's safe to say that these blu-rays considerably improve our watching pleasure, even of mediocre performances. Can't wait for RDM !

I hope it does look good, because with a Blu-ray player it demands the best-quality widescreen monitor with HDMI inputs you can afford. Mind you, I'm not sure if I want to see every stubble on conductor Valery Gergiev's face, though. If only these blu-rays could improve the performance. Maybe next time?

On the 'Essential Ballet' video with Vaganova Academy students, the girls do not wear pointe shoes or character shoes but rather satin slippers (they do not appear to be ballet shoes). Do they normally wear pointe shoes? Normally they wear satin slippers.

Correct, Robert, it is of course "La Source", but "ruchei" (as in Svetlii Ruchei = The Bright Stream) was translated into "stream". Quite hard these translations.

Many thanks for the reactions. Robert, the new staging by Burlaka goes back to the Sergeyev notations at Harvard and several other sources preserved in Russia (e.g. the apparently excellent drawings of the Paquita Grand Pas by principal dancer of the Imperial Ballet Pavel Gerdt, preserved at the Bakhrushin Museum in Moscw), but so far never used or even considered for a staging. Therefore the result is very different from the Soviet versions, foremost Oleg Vinogradov's 1978 version for the Kirov (as can be seen on the DVD with Makhalina/Zelensky or in an earlier Russian film with Komleva and Zaklinsky). In a nutshell, Petipa's choreographic structure appears here denser and richer than we ever saw before, while the dancing itself appears less "spectacular" than in the Soviet version. As with the Jardin animé reconstruction in the Burlaka/Ratmansky Corsaire, for Petipa the emphasis is clearly on the architecture of the Grand Pas, while the virtuosity is reserved for the variations which sometimes appear totally different from the ones we know, although here again it's eventually more about individual character than mere bravura display. I haven't seen all 11 variations (each cast dances 7, incl. one interpolated male variation which Burlaka took from L. Lavrovsky since he didn't want to reduce the cavalier to a mere porteur) but some of the Soviet ones don't seem to appear here (such as the Cherepnin variation.) The choreographic plan of Burlaka's reconstruction can be found on the Bolshoi website . Hats off also for Burlaka for his efforts to identify all the different composers Petipa used.

I've added photos of the new Paquita Grand Pas at the Bolshoi, in a new staging and choreographic version by future director Yuri Burlaka. Grand Pas from Paquita Thanks for visiting!

Well, I've never considered "sportsmenka" (no translation needed, it's very clear...) a ballet genre or emploi, Leigh It's anything but flattering even when used to make a contrast and between " ".

By his writings Clive Barnes learned so many of us to appreciate ballet and he did until the very end. His contribution to ballet cannot be overestimated.

Thanks for the update, Natalia. These promotions are indeed surreal.... Somova on the same level as Lopatkina, Ayupova, Vishneva, Pavlenko...

There's plenty of choice, but I would go for the classic recordings by either Fritz Reiner with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, or Rudolf Kempe with the Staatskapelle Dresden.

She's currently a principal with San Francisco Ballet (Sofiane Sylve)

Oh please.... at least I hope they give her a real partner.

The announcement almost coincided with her promotion to Leading Soloist with the Bolshoi Theatre, October 18.

According to an ABT press release dated today, the Bolshoi's Natalia Osipova will join as a Guest Artist during the Company’s 2009 Spring Season at the Metropolitan Opera House. Double ace for McKenzie.

Natalia, Stupnikov is just trying to make a point and he's right: character dancing in Russia is a dying art. Of course, Malkhasyants is a tremendous artist. It would be interesting to find out if during her career as dancer (which is now coming to an end) anybody ever created something substantial for her?

Surely this "prima ballerina assoluta" title is only valid in household or youtube terms?

There is a biography in Gennady Smakov's book on Russian dancers. Online, there's one here: Soloviev

Then she must have a body double impersonating her in Le Corsaire Le Corsaire was the major classical revival of 2006/7 mounted by Ratmansky and Yuri Burlaka. Zakharova danced the premiere simply as prima of the company (who had danced it several times before with the Mariinsky); this didn't imply any special collaboration with Ratmansky. What makes Ratmansky's directorship of the Bolshoi remarkable is that by trying to blend the various layers of the Bolshoi tradition with the present, he gave his dancers a very challenging repertory, choreographically and musically. Whether it were creations, foreign import or revivals from the Bolshoi's own past, somehow it often brought out the best of them. The result is there: the company looks better, more vibrant and interesting than ever in recent times. I don't see any point in ignoring that simple fact, but of course for that you need to have seen them.