Fleurdelis

12 hours ago, Mashinka said:

My reference to vulgarity referred solely to technique, described succinctly by Helene. 

But then Helene was referring to very specific elements, such as (and I quote) 190 degree split with a dropped crotch or excessively high extensions. Neither Stepanova nor Smirnova are known for ever doing anything of the sort. So your attack on them is a complete miss.

The worst display of excessive extensions was in the Mariinsky recording of Rubies. And Alina Somova, as I remember her at a young age, abused her unique extension for the sake of pure showmanship without any regard for appropriateness. Maybe she has settled down a bit since then, I don't know, I have not seen her in a long time.

Why is the Bolshoi then getting all the flak?

She is indeed a superb technician, one of the best there has ever been, and owns one of the biggest jumps in Bolshoi's history. In the right role it works to a great effect. I retract any inference of considering her vulgar, but in many roles I prefer to see a more finesse approach. 

5 hours ago, Mashinka said:

Aesthetics in dance seem to have shifted, just as technique has become vulgarized, for me both Smirnova and Stepanova are vastly inferior to past generations of Bolshoi principals.  To get back to Vaziev, what is he going to do about it?  Demoting Alexandrova and Kaptsova doesn't inspire faith in his judgement  

Don't know how technique can be vulgarized. It is delivery or character representation that can be vulgar or not.

And, of course, railing against vulgarity while at the same time hailing Alexandrova is as much of a contradiction as there can be. So, I am with Vaziev on this one.  But not on Kaptsova.

All IMHO, of course. 

5 hours ago, mnacenani said:

Oh dear dear ....... our Stepanova fans will respond to this with "fire and fury" ...... if they don't have a heart attack first !

Gets quite partisan, even sectarian. Fan wars are almost as old a tradition as ballet itself, at least in Russia.

The graceful hands, arms and epaulement that Smirnova demonstrates in classical works are one of the most exquisite, fluid, harmonious and expressive things in ballet today, they are what makes one revel at and revere the classical ballet tradition, and have been so since school. Depending on the work and the character in question, her movements would also change (after all, a long mournful adagio does call for different movement than a perky allegro piece), so the manner of doing them will vary, but this is not a mannerism, but rather another demonstration of considerable acting range and careful application of the language of classical ballet for the purposes of creating a believable character and a compelling artistic impression. 

Sure, people are perfectly entitled to like or dislike things (I once had someone, an arts student, no less!!!, try to convince me that Michelangelo's David was actually an ugly disproportionate figure, so, go figure!), and there is no point in arguing over matters of taste. 

On 1/21/2018 at 10:01 PM, Laurent said:

 You may not care about the canons of the classical dance, you may not know them, but they do exist. The dancers with natural flow of movement, who dance as they breathe, who don't need to constantly try to harness their hands and shoulders that refuse proper placement, have a significant advantage over those who do. The most ambitious of the latter category can, of course, with a lot of luck and enormous determination, have very successful careers. This is how I see her.

Canon of classical dance is not a set of rigid narrowly prescribed rules, it may be far from a free-for-all, but still allows for quite a range of styles and expressions. Otherwise we would not have had such a plethora of amazing, legendary, yet very different dancers. One can simply compare and contrast how different such stars as Plisetskaya, Semenova, Ulanova, Kolpakova or Kurgapkina were in classical roles to see this plainly. Smirnova's hands and shoulders (her generous epaulement, the expressive, the defined and finished movements of her arms and hands, the way her arm movements start at the back) are what I find particularly spectacular about her, and this is what favorably distinguishes her, a thing of mesmerizing beauty.

On 1/21/2018 at 10:01 PM, Laurent said:

I don't think she was successful, however, in drawing the audience "into the world of the play", as you say, in "Sleeping Beauty" or "Swan Lake", even as an actress, precisely because she was expressing herself. Every single ballerina who has anything to show always expresses herself in every piece she dances-acts. She is always willingly or not, drawing the audience into her world.

It may be very tempting to associate one's own judgment or impressions with those of an entire audience, but is best avoided, as it is almost always a fallacious illusion. And my point was that, as someone who is also a member of the audience, I am impressed precisely by her ability of making an entire play happen, acquire a greater significance and meaning, rather than showcasing just her own individual performance.

Having seen her in both Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, I found the characterizations so different, that I would find it impossible to tell in which one, if any, she was actually be expressing herself, rather than giving her interpretation of Aurora, Odile or Odette. I call it having a wide range, which is what great actors are admired for. And while I feel that more often than not dancers do not fare well when they step outside their emploi, she is one of those very rare artists who do it incredibly well.

If you see green chairs - it is the New Stage. If you see red chairs - it is the Main or Historic Stage, the "real" Bolshoi.

The costumes might have been reminiscent of Perugino, but the background sets were anything but Renaissance, painters back then used more than one color, and their colors were not so "chemical".

Krysanova really surprised me by setting aside her usual edginess and presenting a tender youthful Juliet, I did not think her capable of pulling of this role, but she did admirably. And Lantratov left a very favorable impression, managing to make sense of the choreography and channeling it into expressions of his character.

But the overall production screams of mediocrity, the Bolshoi deserved something a lot grander. I fully understand and share the plan to scrap the awful Grigorovich version, but the theater should have replaced it with something more fitting. Ideally the Lavrovski version, which is not only more grand and powerful than its subsequent imitators, but is also well-preserved, so should not need a lot of restoration work, and this would be more in line with keeping up the country's ballet heritage than importing what is essentially a Russian ballet from Canada.   

4 hours ago, Laurent said:

Froustey left because she was approaching that age when you simply can't wait for the success to come. I saw her Giselles. They were good, I wasn't awe struck. For me Giselle must radiate some kind of inner innocence or at least inner tenderness. Bereft of either, she felt like somebody capable to be in love only with herself.

There are different ways of approaching this. Froustey's interpretation of Giselle in the wilis act was that of an otherworldly ghost. And, unless I am missing something, supernatural female spirits who roam the forest at night looking to kill those who had done them wrong could be pretty dark and scary. Tenderness and innocence may have been Giselle's qualities while she was still alive, but now she was only a ghost, perhaps an illusion. Which is why her saving Albrecht is so remarkable, because he is essentially rescued by this ominous forest spirit who, incredibly, preserves the ability to love and to forgive. 

Maybe there was no tenderness in the first act, I didn't see it, but her wilis was incredible.

On 1/20/2018 at 2:44 PM, Laurent said:

 Also her approach to the roles, too rational, too calculated, she is unable to shed this "I have taken care of everything" image when she is on stage. Such is her Aurora, a business lady who planned her life before she was born, such is her Odette which is really more like Odile "en blanc", such was also her Carmen. I prefer the dancers who are capable of drawing me into their world because there is something magnetic and perhaps very pure in them.

I would think that "theater" is where one would typically want to see acting take place. And Smirnova, in my view, is one of the best actresses of her generation in ballet, if not the best. She does not draw people into her world, she draws the audience into the world of the play, into the world of her character. This is what at least I come to see in a theater. But others may prefer other things, what do I know?

As for the specific roles, I have seen her Aurora, Odette / Odile and Carmen, and saw absolutely nothing of what you saw there, quite the opposite actually.

Watching it right now. The production should be considered for the "worst set design ever" honors (followed by Bolshoi's latest Don Quixote). What is this ridiculous red plastic toy castle in the background?  And so obviously hanging by the cords.

With such an amateurish set design, it is impossible to take the story seriously.

Looks like the promotions game at the POB is also complicated

I think the company could have really used someone like Mathilde Froustey to headline its female ranks right now. I saw her a long time ago as Giselle and was awe-stricken.

And what I see right now, at least on videos which may be a very poor way to judge things, are dancers going through the motions, some better, some worse, but without any feeling, whether internal or outwardly expressed, I just don't see personalities. It is true that no personality can be above a company, but a company also needs personalities to maintain identity. Her departure for SF feels like it was a lose-lose for her and the POB.

9 hours ago, ballet_n00b said:

Does Gillot dance much classical ballet anymore? I don't remember her being cast in anything recently.

But there are videos of her classical ballet performances on YouTube.

I  must say, I thought I would see the superstars of POB in Emeralds in New York last summer, must cannot say that I was overly impressed. Rechecking the cast, the performances featured Pujol, Ould-Braham, O'Neill, Eun Park, Colasante, Baulac and Gilbert. Apart from remembering that I thought that Heymann and Marchand were two EXTREMELY good looking men, there is not much I can say about those performances, they left me largely disinterested. I am even surprised to see that Ganio was actually also among the performers I saw then, he did not  leave much of an impression with me, so I have forgotten he was even there. Although I had seen him at other times and found him to be outstanding.

Perhaps, Balanchine's choreography is wanting in terms of showcasing the considerable talents of the POB artists. But if Gillot no longer dances, I am afraid Pagliero is probably the only dancer at the POB I would specifically go to see live right now.

On 1/14/2018 at 7:46 PM, Gnossie said:

 

Among the women:

In the technical department: Charline Giezendanner.

In the Acting department: Eve Grinsztajn.

In the Allure department: Myriam Ould- Braham. 

In the Diva department: La Gillot.

Thank you for an exciting discussion. I know very little about the POB and the French style and it is exciting to be getting into it, so watching lots of videos and trying to remember the precious few performances of Paris dancers that I had been fortunate enough to see.

For now, out of the active ladies really enjoying Gillot and Pagliero, the others don't care about as much for some reason, but will keep watching.

Svetlana Zakharova is just as thin as Kirkland on this DQ video. But Zakharova's Kitri is always energetic and sharp, while this is just a poor performance, Kirkland looks completely winded.

On the other hand, it is amazing how "modern" Baryshnikov looks here, even by today's standards. Had the peak of his career happened today, he'd still be the world's best dancer by far. Maybe he should have been considered for the AD role? What type of legacy has he left at ABT as its AD?

On 11/28/2017 at 5:53 AM, canbelto said:

Uh, not really trying to pry here, but why the mention of Vaziev and Gergiev's ethnicity?

Wondering about this too. Shared North Ossetian ethnicity did nothing to prevent the major falling out between these two back in 2008.

Krysanova is all set in the international stardom department, in fact, she is starring in the lead role with the Ballets of Monte Carlo as we speak.

Ah, but this changes things entirely...

Safe to say that Stepanova will NEVER be like Krysanova, who is probably one of the most extroverted and confident (bordering on arrogant) ballerinas of our time, and revels in showcasing her flashy technical brilliance, speed and character.

While Stepanova, by this measure, feels to me as wanting in expressiveness and characterization. She looks the same in all her roles and performs them evenly throughout, in the same measured, mechanical, plodding way, without dynamics, accents, emotions or mood inflections. She displays fundamental soundness in her execution of steps and movements, but not what one would call artistry. So where this leaves me is that I cannot really find many faults with her, except that she is, for lack of a better word... boring.

10 minutes ago, harpergroup said:

How about Calvin Royal as replacement for one or two of Gomes’ dates?

I believe Calvin has a great future ahead of him. Maybe this is his chance.

Unlike the other people who have known and worked closely with Marcelo, Ratmansky does not hide behind vague and obfuscating words and innuendos, and expresses open and direct words of support. Shows him as a man of great honesty and integrity, which deserves nothing but respect!

As many here I am shocked by the resignation of Marcelo and the accusation against him, I certainly would have never thought that doing anything indecent or inappropriate would be in his character. I believe his fans and the public in general deserve clarity on this matter instead of an ill-defined suggestion of an allegation. If Marcelo has indeed done something wrong, he should be man enough to admit it and atone for it, if he is innocent, he should have the courage to denounce and fight the accusation.

Thanks for the interesting observation and the links to Swimmer, saw excerpts of it, namely Lolita, thought that Tom Waits fit the theme perfectly. The multi-media aspect, actors singing and playing instruments onstage, a narrator reading in the background, and shifts between dramatic action and more abstract visual performance pieces is also something that Serebrennikov used quite a bit, almost becoming his trademark. I guess he and Possokhov have found each other as thought partners. "Noureev" takes in ALL of these elements, combines and magnifies them, and the effect is overwhelming. 

Still excited after yesterday's evening. Nureyev is not a ballet. It is a masterpiece that has fused multiple art forms into a spectacular event, a phenomenon! At a loss of words of how to describe it, but I felt as if I was actually inside Nureyev's body and mind and experienced his life first hand. A very unusual experience.

The audience being packed with representatives of Russia's ruling elite, who eagerly joined in the long applause, while the very same system is now putting the director of this work on trial, can be viewed as a spectacle in itself - surreal, but also, unfortunately, so real.

7 hours ago, Gnossie said:

I wouldn't compare them about how they approach their work, It's not logical to compare them because one is a teenager and the other a grown woman, and everyone is different. Kovalyova is "living the dream" of most dancers around her age: to be getting principal roles and appearing in magazines so they can post it on instagram. The only similarity between Kovalyova and Smirnova is that they're both hyper-extended but that's it, Kovalyova behaves like what she is: a 19 year old and Smirnova behaves like what she is: a grown woman. 

If anything we should compare Kovalyova to, say, Zhinganzhina and Smirnova to Stepanova. 

Just mho. 

Looking at the Smirnova video, she strikes me as a very mature, intelligent and intellectual person, much more so than her age may had suggested at the time. She was also something like only 20 at the time of the video, if I am not mistaken.

Before we read too much into photos and the friendships displayed