sasark

Ah, I see. Thanks for explaining!

Oh, that's interesting. The program says that Rothbart summoned them and "commands them to separate Odette and Siegfried," which they didn't appear to even attempt! Your idea jibes much better with the choreography.

Birdsall, your description of the corps is so beautifully written and evocative, you are making me want to go back! I'll be interested to compare what I saw with the POB. I'm hoping to see their Swan Lake in the spring.

Oh, thank you, Helene -- that's so nice of you! I appreciate it! And I am glad you like detail, because there is more coming. : )

Thanks, everyone, for your comments! I hope all of you who want to can see it soon! I'd love to hear what more people think. Sandik, was there something specific about the new interpretation that you didn't like, or which you struck you as questionable? I am just curious. Just as a general reaction to your question about interpretations, my opinion is that it's very personal. If I love the original of something, and I don't think the re-imagining is well executed, then I tend to be down on it. If I don't feel particularly attached to the original work, or if I can appreciate the new work as being well done, then I'm all in favor of it. Just as an example, one of my favorite movies is "Blade Runner," which takes great liberties from its source material. I personally think the movie is better than the novel, though I also appreciate the novel. On the other hand, I love the novel "The Golden Compass" and I couldn't even go see the movie because from the small bits I saw in the trailer it looked wrong wrong wrong. That doesn't mean the movie is bad, and if other people liked it, I think that's great. But for me, I want my memory of the story to be of the novel only. In the case of "Shrew," I've never seen another ballet interpretation of it, so I had no expectations. As for the play, it's been so long since I read it, I wasn't bothered by inconsistencies. And in fact, over time I've come to expect people taking liberties with Shakespeare. For this work alone, I can think of many "creative" interpretations. (I admit to liking "10 Things I Hate About You" and, from what I recall, the "Moonlighting" homage was pretty entertaining.) For that reason, I'm long past the point of expecting people to be faithful to Shakespeare's words. But again, I think it's very personal.

Thank you, Drew. The corps was great, but I didn't have too much to say about them because I was sitting very close (2nd row stalls), and for me it's easier to appreciate the swans when I sit farther back. I was in the same seat every night, and I now wish I'd picked one night to sit in the balcony for just that reason (to appreciate the corps). However, I have to also admit that when it comes to assessing whether a corps is moving together perfectly, I don't have a finely tuned eye for that. (Of course, that might be because I always sit in the front! Maybe I should force myself to do balconies for a year. : )

I recently went to St. Petersburg for the first time. While there, I was able to see the first five Mariinsky performances of the 2014-25 season: Swan Lake (on three evenings), La Sylphide, and Ratmansky's Cinderella. Getting these tickets, and using them, was a thrill! I am going to use this thread to share my thoughts on each work I saw. First: Swan Lake with Skorik and Yevgeny Ivanchenko, in the historic theater. Before going to Russia, I read many of this forum's threads about Skorik, her past blunders, and the controversy about her rapid rise within the Mariinsky. So when I learned of the casting for this performance, I was a little disappointed. However, seeing her was pleasantly surprising. The performance was not flawless, but I liked a lot of what she did. Her Odile had some good moments, but in general I preferred her Odette. In my notes during the first intermission, I wrote down that she moves "like a willow branch," while maintaining beautiful classical lines. To me this created a feeling of elegance, which was accentuated by the fact that she's so tall and slim, with beautifully arched feet. I used to think that Odette is best portrayed by a petite dancer. My thinking was that it's easier for a small person to seem vulnerable. I had already been starting to not believe that anymore, and in my eyes Skorik offered further evidence that Odette doesn't need to be small. I felt this way especially when she sank onto the ground before the prince came to collect her for their central pdd in Act I Scene II. Both her descent and her position on the ground were exquisite. She looked fragile, like she could blow away. Act I had some other high points: Her developpes to the left and right were exceptionally high, but not too high. I was impressed by how easy and natural she made it look. Also during this scene, there were several times with the prince when she seemed to almost melt onto him, again, moving with her whole body. This "melting" quality made her portrayal one of more sensual ones I can recall having seen. One small thing I didn't like had to do with her arabesques. When she was in arabesque, in profile to the audience, with one leg and one arm behind her, it sometimes seemed that her arm and leg were on the same horizontal level, or close to it. It might just be my preference, but to me this position looks better when the arm is a few inches higher than the leg, so you can better appreciate the lines of each. In Act II, I thought she did a respectable job, though I didn't love this part. One of the first things I noticed was that her hands in this scene looked very hard somehow. Also, during her solo, I thought she had a few moments coming out of the pirouettes where she looked ever-so-slightly unsteady. I could be mistaken, but it looked like she wasn't quite vertical during the pirouettes, and that may have caused a little awkwardness coming out of them. However, everything else was fine, and her fouettes were strong -- very fast, a mix of singles, doubles, and triples. So this act had some good parts, but in general I thought her Odette was more cohesive and made more of an overall strong impression. Beautiful as it was, as I was leaving the theater, I wondered whether the performance could have been more emotionally engaging. I've seen Odettes who drew me in more. However, in my view, one factor that makes it hard to judge is that Skorik is so infamous (in my mind, anyway) that it's hard to look at her and think you're watching Odette. Or at least, for me, I was always very aware that I was watching this controversial dancer. It's sort of like when you see a movie with a really big star. You're always so aware that it's Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise, or whomever, and that can keep you from seeing the character. But anyway, I found more to like than I was expecting to, and I would be curious to see her again. At this point, I will take a step back and offer a few thoughts on the rest of the cast: Ivanchenko was good. He seemed very solid, very regal in his interpretation, and throughout the evening I thought he partnered her well. They seemed to have good chemistry. There were a couple of little odd things in Act II, but I don't know if they were his fault or just general opening-night staging snafus. One example: when the image of Odette appears at the back of the stage (before he knows), he was looking right at it, and then he turned away quickly. It looked like a mistake. Another odd thing was that after Odile's fouettes, he did a great job with the jete en menage (split jumps in a circle), but somehow he ended up on what I believe was the wrong side of the stage (downstage right). The result was that when Odile does that quick series of steps from upstage right to downstage left, she was not moving toward him. (On the next two evenings, Siegfried did end up where I'd expected, so I guess either it was a staging difference on the Skorik/Ivanchenko night, or the other possibility is that Ivanchenko's leaps just covered a lot more distance than the other Siegfrieds'. The leaps did look good!) Regarding other notable cast members: I really enjoyed the pas de trois, especially Nadezhda Batoeva. I liked all the character dances, especially the Hungarian dance, which featured Anastasia Zaklinskaya and Boris Zhurilov. Andrei Yermakov was phenomenal throughout the evening as Rothbart, particularly in Act III, where he cut through the air with high, sharp leaps. He is probably the best Rothbart I've seen. Gregory Popov was strong as the jester. I could be wrong, but it looked to me like he had a painted-on smile and didn't do much real smiling, which to me read more "joker" than "jester." But that's preferable to an over-the-top goofy jester, IMO, and his turns were terrific. In general, I thought the costumes, the sets, and the attention to narrative detail were fantastic. I loved everything about the opening scene. The company seemed to easily create the feeling of a glamorous outdoor party, right down to the dimming of the lights as evening fell. The costumes, the set, and the overall atmosphere were all exactly right. I loved Act II for many of the same reasons -- this too felt like a lush, privileged court scene. I really liked the costumes of the women who danced with the fans (and their dancing!). And I loved many of other details as well, such as the way Rothbart flips his black-and-red cape just as you hear the first stirring beats of the Spanish-dance music. A few details I didn't like: I didn't really need the projection of actual swans on the backdrop, just prior to Odette's Act I appearance and just after her exit. These images may help tell the story, but the technique was a bit too literal for me. I also thought the swan tutus seemed long and floppy. (I guess this might be a Russian style. I also noticed this type of tutu at the Mikhailovsky, in other works.) Another thing I didn't like related to costumes and styling: the combination of Odile's headdress and Skorik's tightly pulled-back hair was very unflattering to her. Something should be adjusted there. Finally, I didn't love a lot of details about Act III. I was a little sad that they omitted one of my favorite parts of the score and choreography (which in other interpretations, including Nureyev's, occurs right before Odette's entrance). From a narrative perspective, I didn't quite understand why the black swans seemed to be dancing harmoniously with the white swans. Also, in general I prefer interpretations that have Siegfried and Odette alone on the stage at the very end, rather than surrounded by swans. I think it has greater dramatic impact. Lastly, I thought the act, at about 20 minutes long, seemed shorter than what I'm used to. The shortness may have been accentuated by the long (and IMO unnecessary) intermission right before. However, these are small complaints. In general, it was a great evening!! I left the theater feeling satisfied and excited to do a little comparison the following night. Next: Esina and Parish.

I've just returned from Moscow, where I twice saw "The Taming of the Shrew," Maillot's new work for the Bolshoi. I attended on consecutive nights, seeing the same cast in all the principal parts. I have so many positive things to say about these performances, I don't even know where to start! This work seemed to have everything: fresh, gorgeous choreography, innovative staging, pitch-perfect sets and costumes, a great score, a narrative with genuine comedy and wit, and best of all two ferocious, flawless performances from its leads, Ekaterina Krysanova and Vladislav Lantratov. Both nights I left the theater feeling elated, and to me that's what great ballet and great theater is all about. The piece starts in an unconventional way: Before the lights have dimmed, before audience members have even been reminded to turn off their phones, a well-coiffed woman wearing cigarette pants and a mesh shirt strolls out onto the stage and sits down. On both nights I attended, most audience members didn't notice her right away. But more and more did notice as she slowly removed her stilettos and began putting on her toe shoes. A few people even clapped. In return, she flashed a broad smile and waved. Once her pointe shoes were securely tied and she had powdered her nose, the lights dimmed, and she rose to applaud the entrance of the conductor, Igor Dronov. Then she turned to face the stage and, as the first notes of Shostakovitch's music rang through the auditorium, she flung open the curtains, moved to center stage, and began to dance: a series of quick steps en pointe, precise bourres, and something like a backward glissade, as other cast members streamed onto the stage. It was exhilarating, because it was like seeing someone transform from a mere mortal into the most gifted kind -- a dancer! This dancer, Anna Tikhomirova, played Baptista's maid. In the opening sequence, she and her fellow servants assemble the set while imitating the family they serve: Baptista (Artemy Belyakov) and especially his two daughters. These antics are a great preamble for the real players, who show up soon enough: blonde Bianca (Anastasia Stashkevich), prim in a bright blue circle skirt and white long-sleeved T, and Katharina (Krysanova), red-haired and irritable in a sloppily tied, long emerald-green satin robe over shorts and a bustier. Their personalities are totally embodied in their dancing: Bianca is not to be ignored, as she demonstrates with a gorgeous, high leap in that first scene. But she is the polite one. It's clear who the force is: Katharina, all brashness and bile, as she shoves Bianca in the face and knocks about Bianca's suitors. As if by magic, her long robe never gets in her way, yet eventually she flings it off in a motion that clearly indicates an end to her patience. From that moment on, she's free to do even more, including not one but three fabulous leaps in a row. These opening scenes are immensely entertaining, but the piece enters a new level with the addition of Petruchio (Lantratov). Tall, shaggy-haired, in a long black feathery coat, he electrifies the scene even further with a blustery entry that segues into a jaw-dropping series of jumps and leaps intended to impress Katharina. When he finally lands at her feet, thumping his chest a few times for good measure, the audience claps sincerely. Katharina, on the other hand, gives him an ironic round of applause, stands, knocks his hat off and shows him a few of her own bravura moves. He then joins her for their first incredible pdd. The game is on! Throughout the piece, much of the dancing is intensely athletic. (Petruchio lifts Katharina with one arm. He picks her up and bends her in half. He runs across the stage with her hanging on for dear life!) At the same time, technique is never sacrificed. Each lift, leap, and string of turns is done with fantastic power and energy, yet to my eye everything was finished absolutely perfectly!! In a way, this surprised me. In some YouTube clips of the Bolshoi, I've noticed incredible leaps with landings looked rough and sloppy. (I guess I'm thinking mainly of Ivan Vasiliev -- sorry, I hope that's not heresy!). Anyway, I wondered whether that was just the Bolshoi way. However, in this piece, it was absolutely not the case. This cast's technique was as clean as the elegant white staircases that anchored the spare set. I've mentioned athleticism, but the choreography isn't all lifts and leaps. One example is the wedding dance of Bianca and Lucentio (Semyon Chudin). This pdd, which I would describe as organic, blissful, and almost spontaneous-feeling, garnered well-deserved bravos on both nights. In a different type of sequence, Petruchio tests to see if Katharina is awake by waving his hand over her head, and then her arm, each of which rises and descends slightly in response to his movements. And near the end of the piece, Katharina wakes up and holds her arms at her sides, observing how they look sort of clawlike. Then when she turns them over, they become graceful, beautiful hands. I could go on, but I will start to wind this down. Suffice to say there are many wonderful moments in this ballet, and they all work together beautifully. Each great scene supports and enhances the one that follows. Everything is part of the narrative, which includes real drama and comedy. This is a comic ballet where people in the audience actually laugh! At other points, there is so much chaos and fury, if you didn't know that this was a Shakespearean comedy, you might think things were going in a bad direction. Much of this is due to Krysanova and Lantratov, who bring these characters to life with so much passion, it's hard for me to imagine anyone else performing these parts. Krysanova especially totally owns her character. She is unforgettable in this role. I saw these performances on the new stage, which I thought was quite beautiful for a new theater. The sold-out auditorium was well-behaved on both nights -- I didn't notice any photography or other distracting behavior. Both nights the cast enjoyed many curtain calls, and both nights they were joined by Maillot. The presence of the choreographer, dressed all in black except for his white sneakers, lent the ovations an added bit of excitement. This was my first time seeing either the Bolshoi or a work by Maillot. What an incredible introduction!

I'm interested in their production of "Giselle" in April. But I'm wondering -- does anyone know whether there are any "tricks" for getting to buy tickets early? For example, is there any possibility for getting in on a pre-sale? It won't kill me to wait until February but, for work purposes, I'd like to know before then whether I'll be traveling in the spring. thanks a lot, Sasha

Thanks so much for the information, everyone! I really appreciate it. I've now bought my tickets and am really looking forward to seeing this company for the first time. Sasha

Just a follow-up question -- for a work scheduled in Gamle Scene, does it work the same way? I just wondered because, for several performances of "La Sylphide" that I just looked at, seats in the first four rows don't seem to be available. Are those probably also for the orchestra? thanks again, Sasha

Wow, that seems so unusual to me -- but I'm happy with the answer! Thanks a lot! Sasha

Hi there, I was just browsing for tickets to the RDB's new Swan Lake next spring. I noticed that the first seven rows for every performance are unavailable. The seating for all of the dates looks something like this: I wanted to see whether there was any way to get seats in rows 1-7, so I began the process of starting a subscription. But the seats still were not available. I know that some theaters, such as the Mariinsky, sometimes release front-row tickets after they release tickets that are further back, so I wrote to the theater and asked if the closer rows would be availability at a later date. Someone wrote back to me and said, "The first 7 rows are for the orchestra – that is why you cannot book them." I have never heard of a seating plan that used empty or unavailable rows to represent an orchestra. I suppose it's not impossible, but I'm skeptical. Does anyone here know more about this? Have you ever come across this when booking tickets for this company? If you had to guess, when would you expect these seats to come available (if ever)? Thanks a lot, Sasha

Thank you both!

Bart, which is the coaches' box? What would it correspond to on this seaing plan? http://tickets.mariinsky.ru/en/performance/7604/ thanks! Sasha

Tiara, thank you for the detailed review! I have tickets for a few upcoming Mariinsky "Swan Lakes." I have been so curious to see who will be cast. Now I am really hoping Somova is one!

In the theater, they just looked (to me) like beautiful dark colors. Looking back now at the culturebox video, I see that the red and blue do have some black in them. (To my eye, it appears that the tutus have some sort of black netted overlay on top of a colored skirt and that the bodices have black trim.) In any event, I thought they looked great. They looked very striking on the setless, light-colored stage. In my opinion the pirate solo is the best part of this piece. No arguments here! I also liked one of Daphnis's solos in the first half of the work.

I can totally understand anyone feeling aversion to someone tampering with a classic. For me, though, I dislike James very much in the classic telling of the story. Of course, I don't know what Hübbe is planning, but if James were struggling with his sexual identity, that could actually encourage me to feel some sympathy for the character. Otherwise, it is hard for me to muster any. I also think a twist like that could make the story more relevant and painful. (The idea of a gay man thinking that a woman beautiful enough could make him straight -- I've met people in real life who have expressed that hope.) Again, I have no idea what's being planned, but I think the changes could work.

Oops... I see that Bondareva is listed as a Mikhailovsky guest for that performance. So that explains it.

One concern I have about the end is that if a performance was canceled, you wouldn't necessarily have the option of choosing a later date. (Of course, if the entire run sells out, the same would be true if a performance in the middle was canceled.) I guess cancelation is less likely with a brand-new work that a company has spent a lot of time and money on. But sometimes I tend to be cautious and think of these things....

If a company is showing a brand-new work over the course of, say, two months, in what part of the run do you like to get your tickets? At the very beginning, when there's a bit of buzz and excitement, in the middle, when the kinks have been worked out, or near the end, when it will be more polished, but maybe the top-tier cast has gone on to other projects? I am drawn toward the beginning-middle time frame, but I'm just wondering what others think, if you have a preference. Of course, I realize it might depend on the company and the work.

This cracked me up! (Though I also feel the pain....) I've been keeping an eye on the Mikhailovsky's September calendar because I will be in St. Petersburg then. Either late yesterday or early today, they posted casting for the second half of September. Interestingly, they list Bondereva for one of the Don Qs that I have a ticket to. Now I wonder if she will really perform. Maybe she had a contractual obligation to continue to appear for certain additional performances? I hope it's not a mistake. I am curious to see her.

Jane, thank you for the information! Looks like I'll be rolling the dice! That's OK, though -- I'm sure it will be great. : )

I am not very familiar with this company and am wondering if any of you can help me with the following question: I am thinking of checking out their new Swan Lake. I'd like to see a few performances, ideally with different casts. Does anyone have insight into whether the casting would be likely to alternate night to night (or week to week)? Or would there more likely be one primary cast? Normally I'd judge by the company's current calendar (to see how they are varying casting in current performances), but of course there aren't any right now. Does anyone know how many casts they typically feature for any given work? Also, does anyone know where on the site they usually announce the casting? Would it be in the calendar view, or on the page that lists all the dates for a particular work? I realize that I'm asking quite a long way in advance, but I'd just like to find out how it works. thanks a lot, Sasha

I'm just curious. Do you remember what exactly he did? Sounds amazing! Thanks for posting!