leonid17

On the 16th January 2009 Makhar Vaziev took up the position of Director of Dance of the ballet company at Teatro alla Scala Milan. His wife Olga Chenchikova is expected to work with him.

Re: Eric Montreal 22 04/02/2009 As you will have found out, there are many serious posters on this site who have researched over a long period of years and have witnessed a good number of balletic history events. I have found that they are not only learned they are willing to freely share their knowledge, but I would also suggest, that they are cautious in their statements on ballet history, as it is only fairly recently that in depth academic studies have taken place and even those that have been published should not be taken as the final word. This is a good site on which to pose questions, but not a site where unsubstantiated or incorrect statements get by without correction, as I have learnt in the past. ."The Seasons", were never performed by Anna Pavlova's company. The "Autumn" section of "The Seasons" was however danced by Pavlova in a pas de deux called,"Bacchanale". You state, I would have liked to know what sources you checked for these two statements and especially how you could arrive at your second statement, given the complexity of the survival of what is thought to be actual Petipa choreography.

The doyen of British Ballet critics Clement Crisp, has published in todays Financial Times a review of these outstanding debuts. see: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/a06086c2-eeec-11...00779fd2ac.html

Just to correct the name of the theatre and company name. The theatre in question has since 2007 reverted to its original name of the Mikhailovsky and the ballet company has taken its name. In this same year the Russian businessman Vladimir Kekhman was appointed General Director of the theatre and donated $25 million rubles for its renovation and appointed Yelena Obratsova to take charge of the opera and Farouk Ruzimatov as Artistic Director of the ballet. As regards Oleg Vinogradov’s involvement with the theatre, forgive my poor translation but in the Russian newspaper “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” of 19 January 2009 Irina Gubskaya states that Vinogradov”… without noise left the Mikhailovsky Theatre and no joint plans remain.”

When you read Judith Mackrell's review you will see that I am not a lone voice in my appreciation.

Thanks for posting the link. I couldn't possibly write about Polunin in the way Ms Mackrell does.

Every now and again I have seen a debut in a role that makes me think that I really want to see the development of this dancer over a period of years. Last night at the Royal Opera House there were two such debuts in La Bayadere, Yuhui Choe as Nikiya and Sergei Polunin as Solor. It takes a lot to revitalise Natalia Makarova’s tired looking “La Bayadere” production for the Royal Ballet and last night at least in the leading roles there was plenty for the appreciative audience to shout about. Polunin at his first entrance, indelibly stamped his personality on the role of Solor with elegant grace and an impressive mimetic skill that made me sit up straight in my seat. As the performance progressed, so he proceeded to grow in stature, exhibiting excellent elevation, turns and a feeling for the traditional style of 19th century ballet and all that at 19 years of age. Many seasoned members of the audience were ready to compare him to former famous exponents of the role. What is immediately obvious about Polunin, is that he blends in perfectly with the Royal Ballet yet is plainly is not an English dancer. He achieved a chance to study at the Royal Ballet School, after winning a Rudolf Nureyev Foundation Scholarship. He arrived with an advanced technique compared to his peers and was placed in a class two years ahead of his age group. It is obvious from watching him dance, that his heritage is that of the Russian Ballet tradition via the Kiev School and he appears to exhibit his own high artistic aspirations in performances. Yuhui Choe appears at first to be a fragile looking dancer. However, she was to tear up the Covent stage with her speed, elevation and converted those who needed converting that she can give a ballerina performance whilst still only a soloist. Miss Choe was in turns, touching in her simplicity of the characterisation of Nikiya in the first scene, desperately moving in her death and marvellously ethereal, but with an underlying touch of steel in her technique, in the shades scene. Choe fully understood the role and in her interpretation and movement she flowed fluently, lyrically and in full expression with the music. Yuhui Choe’s family is Korean but she grew up in Japan. Her mother was a traditional Korean dancer but who had knowledge of ballet training. Yuhui studied in Japan until she was 14 and having seen Elizabeth Platel she travelled to France and at first studied with Daini Kudo and then with Dominique Khalfouni and Christian Vlassi. Hikaru Kobayashi most effectively essayed the role of Gamzatti, with strong technical attack and suitable histrionics, creating a character easy to dislike and fulfilling the choreographer’s intention. Eric Underwood in the mime role of the High Brahmin had a very big success and received loud cheers at the curtain calls. He has become a popular dancer with the local audience and I hope that he also will still get more opportunities in dance roles. The variations in the shades and the wedding scenes were performed with a lack of sophistication or any elegance of style while Brian Mahoney as the Gold Idol, was much below his own best form. The corps de ballet in the shades scene performed more like gymnasts than artists and in a vain search I looked for the flow of movement that Karsavina talks about as the essence of classical ballet. With some 15 or more graduates of the Royal Ballet School in the corps, you have to ask is the school teaching their pupils that epaulement is not merely upper body embroidery to movement of the body and legs, but is integral to the whole art of being a ballet dancer. I personally would like to see softer curved hands as a start. I would also add that the corps de ballet now having such a mixture of dancers of height and shape that it lacks an aesthetic form. I left the theatre cheered by the performances of the principals and I add would that the orchestra gave a spirited account of the score. AMENDED

Yesterday, The Ninth Annual Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards was held in London at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre. This award ceremony has grown over the years and on this occasion became a full scale theatrical event which for the first time was opened to the general public free of charge. The programme was entertainingly and expertly introduced and presented on stage by “The Balletboyz” Michael Nunn and William Trevitt formerly with the Royal Ballet and winners of the 2008 International Emmy in the category Outstanding Achievement in Arts Programming for Strictly Bolshoi. In the Artsworld Presentation Award for Best Foreign Dance Company, New York City Ballet won the award the other nominees included the Mikhailovsky Ballet and the National Ballet of China. Agnes Oaks the extraordinary ballerina (definitely a ballerina) with English National Ballet won the Richard Sherrington Award for Best Female Dancer. The Dancing Times Award for Best Male dancer went to Edward Watson of the Royal Ballet when I think many of the audience thought it should have gone to Denis Matvienko of the Mikhailovsky Ballet. Farouk Ruzimatov graciously presented an award, but appeared disappointed that he was to return to St.Petersburg empty handed when one of his dancers and the Mikhailovsy Ballet had been nominated. There were three performances in the programme with an energetic tap number to Cab Calloway’s “Happy Feet” performed by Ashley Nottingham(currently on tour appearing as Billy Lawlor in “42nd Street” with eight brilliant tapping girls in support all of whom worked really hard for the money and were worthy of the applause they received. Ash Mukherjee gave something of a cabaret performance in the style of the Bharatanatyam School which exhibited his excellent training and skills coupled with a very engaging personality. The last act was the “Le Corsaire” pas de deux performed by Shiori Kase trained at the Hirose Kato Ballet and Benjamin Ella who trained at his parents school The Australian Conservatoire of Ballet who are now students at the Royal Ballet School. Coincidentally the two dancers took part in the Youth America Grand Prix Competition in 2006.They attacked the choreography full on and gave an exhibition of technical achievement beyond their years but without much style. Miss Shiori Kase has a well developed ability to turn, but exhibits the poor port de bras now sadly typical of the Royal Ballet School graduates. Wayne Eagling accepted the Dance Europe Award for Outstanding Company for the English National Ballet of which he is the successful Artistic Director. Mr Eagling was accompanied to the event by Monique and their boisterous, charming 21 month old son Michael who was quite happy to show that he already knew the difference when given his fathers spoken direction of port de bras and arabesque. In an age when London ballet critics are generally not held in high esteem by the regular ballet audience one has to congratulate the the Awards Committee of Mike Dixon(Chairman), Fiona Baile, Debra Craine, Jenny Gilbert, Bruce Marriott, Jann Parry, Freda Pitt and Margaret Willis, for the recognition of the achievement of dancers and companies, performing in the UK. Mention should be made that without esteemed sponsors, events such as this, cannot take place Full details of the event and the awards for both dance and ballet can be viewed at http://www.nationaldanceawards.com/press/index.htm

In the earliest part of Pavlova's career on the stage, she had progressed because she looked as if she belonged there and that her ethereal qualities were described as being of the style of Taglioni who was a great inspiration for Pavlova who later had prints of the dancer adorning her London home. In 1902, after seeking advise from Enrico Cecchetti who she had met in Moscow, she decided to employ him as her personal teacher in St. Petersburg in an effort to improve her stamina. In the summer of the following year, she and Vera Trefilova decided to travel to Milan to study with Caterina Beretta the teacher of Pierina Legnani, to strengthen their execution, especially pirouettes and fouettes sur le pointe. This indomitable pair made they same journey the following year to study again with Beretta. Thereafter, Cecchetti was at various time her teacher of choice to give her lessons that would enable her to have the stamina to give as many as eleven performances a week. I can tell you from a good number of members of her company that I met, interviewed and knew, that Pavlova had no weakness in pirouettes or come to that fouettes. Pavlova hated what she called vulgar display of multiple turns en pointe. Ninette de Valois said that when she saw Pavlova (late in her career) she only ever performed two pirouettes and perfectly, but she added, that remarkably Pavlova made it seem as if she had done many more.

Perhaps a larger audience than Volynsky has heretofore enjoyed. I think you may be overestimating Ms Bentley's effect on reviewing a fairly obscure subject, when anyone who is seriously interested in buying the book, can google to find half a dozen commentaries who one might trust a little more, due to the elevated academic status of the authors. I sincerely hope that the days when one could rely on the New York Times book reviews is not over. But it may well be over if Ms Bentley's literary style as exhibited in this instance, is to become a typical example on the NYT bill of fare for the treatment of other serious and important new books when reviewed.

I was first introduced to both Volynsky and his work through the 1966 book "Era of Russian Ballet" by Vera Krassovskaya which was bought by all of my ballet friends in London. I have not read the Dance Scope article you refer to rg but have read Alexander Meinertz wonderful book on Vera Volkova. Ekizabeth Souritz in her book "Soviet Choreographers in the 1920’s has a good number of detailed references to Volynsky. Unlike Farrell Fan, I personally do not find the review by Ms Bentley erudite. In fact, I found Ms Bentley's review irritating as she surrenders herself to making cheap comments such as, "... don’t worry, nobody has heard of him", or "The book is a must for anyone claiming a love of ballet, but it is also the perfect antidote for anyone — I know you’re out there — who still thinks ballet is merely a pretty spectacle with pretty girls (not that it also isn’t) also “Some might call them roving eyes, but I bow to Volynsky.” and " Whoa, boy! A neoprene tux, perhaps? Erudite no and the last comment tacky. Apart from ballet, Volynsky is a significant figure in the Russian Symbolist movement. For those who think they might be interested to purchase this book, I googled and found it available as low as almost half-price on two sites.

I do not want to cross swords for the sake of it, but I did not suggest Ms Croce was calling dancers stupid or ignorant, I was merely questioning the breadth of her knowledge of dancers erudition and by implication one is talking about many tens of thousands of people many of whom I am sure are well educated and knowledgeable about things other than ballet. You state, "She’s saying that a range of reference as extensive as Balanchine’s is rare in the profession." To support this remark, I suggest a list be made of distinguished choreographers because that is what we are talking about and you will find that the vast majority are well read with a deep interested in fine art, music theatre etc and generally in the possession of an exceptional memory. She should have also been fully aware that Balanchine came from a distinguished, educated and sophisticated family background and anything less than erudition could not be expected from a such highly balletic and musically trained choreographer who had also been closely supported by two distinguished erudite patrons. I would suggest choreographers such as Lopukhov, Lavrovsky, Grigorovich, Ashton, Cranko as choreographers who were erudite and especially so when they were with people on whom it would not be wasted. I do not see how any excuses can be made for Ms Croce. But to make sure, I will purchase the magazine no doubt at great expense in London to read the whole article.

"To think of it again: this is the specific task of the choreographer. It means imagining a nonexistent past, resummoning the energies of previous choreographers whose dances have decayed or disappeared from memory. Balanchine assigned himself to rethink Petipa, because Petipa represented the sum of theogretical knowledge up to the end of the nineteenth century. One does not literally reconstruct the old dances; one reactivates the theory behind them." What does Ms Croce mean? Petipa was a highly successful, practising choreographer who quite clearly transcended knowing to know how. Does she mean that his period of activity was a limiting factor and somehow choreographers of the 20th century have gone beyond him. I think not. Different, successful yes, but beyond no, why, because we are not comparing like with like either in aims, achievements or audiences Balanchine was no more reactivating the so called theories that Petipa was working with nor was Picasso in respect of Raphael. In each case, they knew the past, saw the now and had a vision of the future. When she writes, ""The range gives some indication of Balanchine's erudition, especially remarkable for a dancer." It is more than careless to make such a statement unless of course she means to be deliberately provocative. I wonder firstly, how many dancers she has sat down with for a period of time and secondly did she give them a chance to exhibit erudition?

Like many people in Britain yesterday, I watched several hours of live transmission of the inauguration process and much commentary afterwards. I would say that us Brits think we do formal occasions better than anyone else but in this case, Washington showed us another way which was moving in its dignity and formality. In what other country would an outgoing and incoming President be so friendly at the point of the exchange of roles. I am a sucker when a country bares its soul about what it means in terms of its nationality and pride and Obama et al moved me to tears. I had never seen or heard of Elizabeth Alexander before and I beheld a woman of great dignity who read a serious and powerful poem which though stilted at times in content and dellivery I thought was most fitting and I was truly impressed. I hope a renewal is to take place in America and that people will remember Alexander's poem not in entirely in its words but in the statements and feelings it expressed.

It is never easy unravelling Russian Ballet history and I think you needed to do further research to establish your last statement as having some factual basis. I would have thought that Gorsky staged Raymonda something near Petipa's original in which he had appeared at the Maryinsky and that Ivan Khlustin (whose choreographic star had waned by this time and was working at the Bolshoi school) probably re-choreographed Raymonda's part for Adelina Giuri who technically, was no Pierina Legnani who had created role. But then, I may be as right or wrong as you are. As regards "The Authorised Bolshoi Ballet Book of Raymonda", if you have copied the list of Raymonda productions correctly it contains both an error and an omission.

Grigorovich joined the Kirov in 1946 when its current Bayaderka production was in the Ponomaryev 1941 staging after Petipa with additions by Chabukiani. It was in this production that Grigorovich had appeared in the corps de ballet when in 1948 Nikolai Zubkovsky introduced the Golden Slave variation, a role that he would himself essay later in his career. The Bolshoi definitely had a, “... different profile"... to the Kirov and some might say at times, their productions of the same ballets were at two performing extremes. The Bolshoi performing tradition of Bayaderka dated back to 1904, when it was staged by Alexander Gorsky with the Maryinsky designs. One cannot help but wonder if Gorsky who had helped to develop Stepanov's notation, staged the production from memory, notes or his own notation his talent for which, may have played a role in his abrupt transference from the Maryinsky Theatre in 1900 where having been nominated to become a premier danseur, was eight days later suddenly appointed regisseur at the Bolshoi. Vassili Geltzer restaged the ballet at this theatre in 1907 and it was again revised in a new production in 1917 with Balashova and Mordkin. In 1923 the ballet was again re-staged at the Bolshoi in a Soviet version with Gorsky responsible for Acts 1-3 with Vassili Tikhomirov responsible for a new Act 4. As far as I can discover, prior to Grigorovich’s 1991 production, the last production had been staged in 1940 by Ivan Smoltsov and Valentina Kudryatseva for Marina Semyonova who is still alive and perhaps the last person to dance Nikiya at the Bolshoi before Nadezhda Gracheva’s debut on November 17, 1991, a gap of more than 40 years. Finally, my vote is for Gabriella Komleva a wonderfully musically sensitive and expressive dance actress.

I have heard the 'radiator' story from members of the Royal Ballet some years ago before the documentary was made but have never found any official source to confirm this. It does beggar the question however, how much of it was destroyed if the "Nocturne" survived?

Thanks Jane for reminding me of one of the happiest nights of my life at the Royal Opera House. The event was a spectacular made exciting by the fact although one might have guessed some of what we might see, it was not until we exited after three and a half splendid hours were we able to obtain the printed programme. Each excerpt from Ashton’s oeuvre was a surprise and a delight and no doubt to Ashton himself who was kept in the dark, seeing works he himself had thought lost. It was an occasion when the art of ballet coincided with a superior entertainment. Dame Margot appeared in a further five excerpts of ballets by Ashton. Nocturne (1936) with Michael Somes, a solo for the Bride from “The Wise Virgins” (1940), The Dancer in the Ball Dress from “Apparitions” 1936 With Rudolf Nureyev and Ronald Hynd, “Marguerite and Armand” 1963 with Rudolf Nureyev and Michael Somes, “Daphnis and Chloe” with the extraordinary surprise of Michael Somes reprising the role of Daphnis and performing a pirouette and attempting a tour en l’air. The whole event was supervised sometimes sardonically and definitely amusingly, by Robert Helpmann sitting to the right of the stage on chair introducing the excepts and making comments including after Nureyev had danced in “Apparitions”, as if an aside muttered, “Miiiii interpretation was quiiite different.” All of the principal and soloists were given excerpts of works to perform many of which had not been in the repertoire for 30 years or more. At the end of the evening Ashton was taken back stage still in ignorance as to what was happening and ushered to a stage lift and from this he descended as if from the heavens floating down to stage level where us mere mortals were the inhabitants. It was a truly emotional event and people stood and cheered, flowers were thrown and no one could have guessed that such a glorious evening would have presaged the end of an era and in me, nostalgia for the past was born. The audience was largely from the ballet world and amongst them were former members of Anna Pavlova's company, the great ballerina having inspired Ashton from his teenage to the end of his life. I had queued for standing for the event and met whilst waiting two New York ladies who were cousins and have remained friends ever since. I was lucky enough in the end to sit in the side stalls circle and shamefully spent a lot of time watching the response of Natalie Dudinskaya and Konstantin Sergeyev* sitting in gangway seats in the stalls who must have found the evening a little strange given the Englishness of some of the works. I believe the whole evening was filmed. * The Kirov Ballet were in town (Amended)

I am completely with you on this, Cristian. This season I've watched dozens of videos of this pdd (the big names and the not-so-big names). I've also watched 10 or so live performances of the ballt, counting rehearsals, with three different ballerinas. Even if we set aside the matter of Fonteyn's beautifully proportioned body, her line,, and the great support she gets from Soames -- Fonteyn is so totally invested in every bit of what she is dancing! So unfussy. So alive. So full of the Sugar Plum Fairy's warmth, charm and magic. So attuned to the music. It's a kind of "gold standard" -- or perhaps "silver" is closer to the qualities she conveys. Thanks for posting this! RE: Hans's post. I was amused by one of the comments in the clip: P.S. I love the clip of Fonteyn at the barre. I also love Dame Margot at the barre. It captures her beauty of line and movement that is somehow very moving and it brought back many memories of seeing this exquisite woman and dancer on stage.

Hello David I suggest that you try the following: The Thomas de Hartmann papers consist of 15 linear feet of material in 31 boxes. His life and career are documented by manuscript and published music, correspondence, concert programs, reviews, newspaper clippings, and photographs. A 79 page register (Mss 46) of this collection is available from the Yale University Music Library, P.O. Box 208320, Yale Station, New Haven, CT 06520-8320. Regards Leonid

Can anyone explain to me who saw the performance, what Alistair MaCaulay meant in his review when he wrote, " In Act II the Cleopatra-like Ekaterina Kondaurova (Queen of the Dryads) was, as an artist, more nearly stale than I have ever seen her. " Is it a typo? If not what does he mean?

Thanks Robert. I misread the title and I have now obtained a copy of the story which is indeed a variant of The Beauty and the Beast. With the names of the characters in the ballet I had not made a connection being only familiar with the English pantomime version of the story.

I am not sure where Beauty and the Beast comes from? The Little Red Flower was a large scale ballet in 5 acts and 8 scenes first performed at the Maryinsky Theatre on 16/12/07. The starry cast included: Pavel Gerdt, Anna Pavlova, Vera Trefilova, Olga Preobrazenskaya, Mikhail Fokine, Leonid Leontiev and Alexander Bulgakov. There appears to have been an interpolated pas de deux called "Reverie" for Mathilde Kschessinskay and Nikolai Legat." Legat staged the ballet at the Bolshoi in 1911 with Geltzer and Tikhhomirov. The ballet was also staged in Novosibirsk in 1949, at the Rizhsky Theatre(Moscow?) 1951 and in Tashkent in 1955. This does at least suggest there are scores of the ballet in Russia.

Whosoever creates a work of art establishes its style. That means in ballet if the choreographer wants an arabesque to be at a 45 degree angle or a 90 degree angle it is established for all time. Every work of art has its own aesthetics which cannot be changed simply because it was created in an earlier era. There is a mistaken idea among some people in ballet that it is acceptable for a 180 degree arabesque to be executed in a Petipa ballet. This is not the aesthetic that one of the greatest choreographers sought to be part of his expressive style and it was not sought in academic classical ballet training as such physical acts were for the gymnast in a music hall or the circus. It was not that academic classical ballet dancers could not be trained to achieve such physical acts it was not part of the respect for the aesthetic of the form. The same respect should be shown for Ashton and for MacMillan’s earlier ballets. It is the very traditional manner of the symbolic/allegorical story telling of academic classical ballets, that has made them the most popular dance theatrical genre for almost a century. These ballets do not have to; “keep up with the times.” as they are for all time and one imagines that as long as the vast majority of audiences want traditional ballets, they will be performed. By the same token a company style should not be, “constantly evolving.” That is why ballets are notated and taught by former executants for the next generation of ballet dancers to ensure that the choreographers created intention is preserved. In classical ballet companies, new ballets expand a repertoire, but the old ballets are not thrown away and nor should their style of performance be changed because we have entered a new decade. Because someone can perform four perfect pirouettes en pointe does not mean they should execute them in a ballet when the choreography and music calls for two. To do otherwise is an expression of artistic nihilism. That is to say in terms of the art and aesthetics of academic classical ballet, four pirouettes serve no purpose or have an intrinsic value in terms of either the genre or the ballets created aesthetic. Such an act, would have certainly been seen as vulgar by most choreographers. The Royal Ballet style was the product as stated earlier of de Valois and Ashton combined with the inherited academic classical ballet tradition of the Imperial St.Petersburg Ballet and many dancers from far flung countries found no difficult in assimilating the style. The tragedy today, is unlike in the past the RB School has not in the last decade produce any seriously outstanding student who has become a star performer who might rekindle the manner of Dame Margot Fonteyn, Dame Merle Park, Dame Antoinette Sibley, all examplars of the 'once' company style. Ballets belong to choreographers not to companies or dancers and the admired ‘style’, belongs not just to a company, but also to the audience that regularly supports the company.