leonid17
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Posts posted by leonid17
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I have read in the past that Natalya Makarova was married first to a dancer, second husband was a film firector before she married Mr.Karkar.
ADDED
On reflection I think the source may have got confused with the film director Bondarchuk who married Inna
Makarova.
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http://www.tvc.ru/Sh...date=13.02.2008Sergei Polunin in rehearsal of "Coppelia."
for Google translation of text, go to http://translate.goo...te%3D13.02.2008
It is interesting that there is an implied criticism of the coaching at Royal Ballet, as being a restrictive element in what he saw as his personal development as a performing artist.
For photographic essay
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Premiere performances of the ballet “Coppelia” by Roland Petit will take place on July 8, 9 and 27. Staging by Luigi Bonino (Italy), Set Designer – Ezio Frigerio, Costume Designer – Franca Squarciapino, Lighting Designer – Jean-Michel Desire.
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It would appear that I may not have quite got the grasp of the productions on offer.
See:
http://www.theartsdesk.com/arts-news/irek-mukhamedov-dances-again-london
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I am sorry to inform everyone that the English dancer Leo Kersley recently passed away aged 92.
Leo was a pupil of Idzikovski and Marie Rambert whose company he danced with and later joined the Sadler’s Wells Ballet and later again, was with The Anglo-Polish Ballet but soon returned to the Sadler’s Wells Ballet from 1946-1951.
Among his roles with the Sadler’s Well’s company was in the pas de trios from Swan Lake with Anne Heaton and Nadia Nerina having a great admiration and friendship with the latter. Leo was at one time married to Celia Franca founder of the National Ballet of Canada.
I knew Leo and his family from the 1960’s and I organised the journey for us all to go to the 1968 Varna Ballet Competition when Galina Panova was awarded the Gold Medal.
He had a Ballet School in Harlow, Essex with his wife Janet, where he staged ballet performances and I well remember him reviving Andree Howard’s “Death and the Maiden” (Andante Cantabile from Schubert’s String Quartet in D Minor) ballet which was first produced by Ballet Rambert at the Duchess Theatre London in 1927 and was revived by ABT at “The Premiere” New York in 1940.
Together with his wife Janet Sinclair in 1952, they co-authored. “A Dictionary of Ballet Terms.” Janet pre-deceased him. He is survived by his children Alexandra and John.
Leo was a kind and goodly man known to all the regulars at the Royal Opera House where he frequently attended performances into the 1980’s.
I last met him at the British Film Institute where he regaled a group of his long term friends, with memories of the ballet dancers we were about to see on archive film.
There is a rather fond interview with Leo at, http://www.bl.uk/projects/theatrearchive/kersley.html
Leo is referred to in the current Ballet Alert posts on "Retirement."
Obituary: http://www.harlowsta...er-05072012.htm
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Irek Mukhamedov is to appear in character roles in London including Carabosse.
From Dancing Times:
Irek and Alban:
Written by Zoe Anderson
http://www.dancing-times.co.uk/features/item/937-irek_and_alban
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NIFME is = to "Not In Front Of Me".
Thank you for asking.
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Sorry to say not to my taste having seen Gabriella Komleva dancing the role.
Technique without respect for period style is absolutely NIFME.
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For the first seven years of my ballet going I never had the temerity to approach the two groups of critics that formed in the old foyer and the Crush Bar of the Royal Opera House as they seemed to me to be to singularly austere. It later turned out that in several cases it proved not to be so.
Richard Buckle and John Percival were the only two critics that I spoke to thereafter and most occasionally to the affable but more serious John.
John Percival was not only knowledgeable he was entirely sincere in what he wrote. He did not cultivate foreign dance company impresarios, but remained entirely his own man.
Throughout that golden age of the 1960's one got to the newsagent to buy "The Times" on the way to work to see how last nights performance had inspired Mr Percival to reveal his often warm and sometimes cutting response, to the fare on offer. He was always able to directly point out comparisons in matters of historical performance in an open manner and was always generous in what he saw as excellence. He was a direct influence on my taste in the appreciation of both ballet productions and dancers.
By the 1970's I chatted to him more frequently and found him to be in possession of a somewhat reticent manner until, a spark of interest aroused his enthusiasm. Then John would expand on the how, why and when something was right or wrong.
His last few years I understand were not his best, but his best years were among the best of the best in London's ballet and dance criticism.
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Given the mythic status I am sure the performance of “An Intimate Evening with Anna Pavlova” will gain, I offer the following plus an introduction to other highly successful events. I do declare an interest, as I was responsible in part for an event I have not described or commented upon.
PAVLOVA 2012
The absolute highlights of this event for me was an interview with Dame Monica Mason who gave an in depth memory of her dancing life from her child hood to the latter parts of her career with such candour and a depth of the meaning, that it became an extraordinary and revealing experience of this woman who has been a pillar of the Royall Ballet over a long period of time.
There was an audible intake of breath when a member of the audience asked her about the departure of Sergei Polunin and his reasons for leaving the Royal Ballet.
In a measured, caring and frank manner, Dame Monica I believe gave and extraordinary open and honest retelling of the day that Mr. Polunin walked out of the studio where Sir Anthony Dowell was rehearsing/teaching and into her office to coldly tell her that he was leaving the company here and now.
Dame Monica then gave a background to Mr. Polunin life and studies and said that she felt,”… he had always remained an outsider…” and went on to describe how she had spoken to him in what was obviously, a most extraordinary situation.
The gravity of the occasion that Dame Monica retold was both sad and riveting as it was clear throughout her interview, that her recollection of events from her childhood to the present day was of the quality that enables dancers to precisely remember complex ballet roles.
To say that she distinguished herself in various and very open manner is to say the least. Her tribute to Winifred Edwards (Vera Fredova of Anna Pavlova’s company) was telling in the manner how she described this elderly former dancer’s abilities to sort out problems in technique and focus.
Tamara Rojo also gave a most interesting interview in which she was confidently expressive and quite obviously has a significant intellectual approach to her work and her forth coming directorship the English National Ballet. The talk was topped after a short interval by her performance of three of Sir Frederick Ashton’s, “Brahms Waltzes in the manner of Isadora Duncan.”
Clement Crisp I understand gave an in depth lecture on Anna Pavlova and Phillip Gammon gave a wonderful recital of Chopin’s music as used in Ashton’s, “A Month in the Country.”
Anita Young former Royal Ballet dancer and teacher at the Royal Ballet School gave an interesting demonstration of the Cecchetti method with two extraordinary students of the Royal Ballet School who look at this time, as being potential star performers of the future.
Anita Young bemoaned the disappearance of the rounded port de bras of Cecchetti in favour of the more elongated Russian style, capping the demonstration with a lively and expressive talk on her experience at the Royal Ballet then and now.
Throughout June to August an exhibition devoted to Anna Pavlova and the centenary of her living in Ivy House and The absolute highlight for me of this celebration of Anna Pavlova staged by the London Jewish Cultural Centre, current owners of Ivy House, has been the collaboration with the Royal Ballet and the Royal Opera House with the involved support of Lady Sainsbury (former RB ballerina Anya Linden) who with Anthony Dowell and Ursula Hageli created the programme.
On Sunday the 17th of June at the Linbury Theatre in the Royal Opera House was given what turned out to be an absolutely triumphant evening called, “An Intimate Evening with Anna Pavlova” in which Anthony Dowell was the marvellously on stage narrator with or without a Russian and cockney accent and supported by an extraordinary acting performance by Royal Ballet’s Ballet Mistress Ursula Hageli, as Anna Pavlova.
Hageli (a former dancer with a strong expressive and integrated technique) had meticulously re-created (and invented in the style of) dances from Pavlova’s repertoire.
Most surprising was Liam Scarlett’s reconstruction of Pavlova’s original ballet “Autumn Leaves” which gave this young choreographer a triumphant success with Valentino Zucchetti as The North Wind recreating every photograph and description of the original Pavlova production, in a most vivid manner.
To cap it all Sir Anthony and Ursula Hageli gave a highly expressive performance of the now legendary, “Fred step.”
Nostalgia abounded with seeing Sir Anthony dancing again of the Opera House stage and it brought the house down.
In what was a complete moving feast written by Caroline Hamilton, directed by the distinguished opera producer John Copley directed with his careful eye, pulling the whole evening into a complete memorable event and designed by Steven Gregory
Nostalgia coupled with excellence, together with extraordinary support from donors made it a fabulous and undoubtedly an evening that will be recalled by many for years to come.
Such a unique one of event could not have been pulled of in England without the support of sponsorship which came from, Selfridges, The Blavatnik Family Foundation, The Linbury Trust & Rothschild.
Proceeds from the performance will go to the upkeep of Ivy House and a donation to The Bursary Fund of The Royal Ballet School.
Parallel to these Pavlova celebrations, has been the publication of the visually stunning and thoroughly researched "Anna Pavlova: Twentieth-Century Ballerina" By Jane Pritchard with Caroline Hamilton including for the first time, a full chronology of Pavlova's performances that went the length and breadth of Great Britain.
Royalties from the sale of the book will go towards the student scholarship and bursary programme at The Royal Ballet School, London.
The publication was made possible with the generous support of: Elena Heinz, The Linbury Trust, The Monument Trust, The Rothschild Foundation and Trusthouse Charitable Foundation.
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Pavlova 2012 has been extensively supported by a distinguished group of charities, foundations and patrons with Irene Newton as its Artistic Director.
As part of the Pavlova 2012 celebrations, last week I attended the book launch of “ANNA PAVL0VA TWENTIETH CENTURY BALLERINA” written by Jane Pritchard (Curator of Dance at the Victoria & Albert Museum) with Caroline Hamilton and last night I was in the Linbury Studio Theatre part of the Royal Opera House complex to witness a performance of “An Intimate Evening with Anna Pavlova.”
The book launch took place on the roof of Selfridge’s historic store on London’s Oxford Street on a dullish day brightened by the presence of former Royal Ballet ballerina Lady Anya Sainsbury who gave the keynote speech.
The royalties from the book are going towards the student bursary programme at The Royal Ballet School and the chosen recipients were present.
It was a champagne and canapé event with dancers and former dancers in attendance plus the great and the good who have supported Pavlova 2012.
The book is a spectacular photographic essay with previously unpublished photographs, supported by a highly informative well written and researched text.
“An Intimate Evening with Anna Pavlova” had Anthony Dowell as narrator who expressively read the story of Pavlova’s life in his usual voice, with a Russian accent and he slipped into “cockney” at one stage. All the time subtley acting as events in Pavlova’s life were shown with Ursula Hageli playing Anna Pavlova using the dancers recorded words with extracts from Pavlova’s repertoire being performed.
The dance repertoire was:
An evocation of the Spanish dance from, “The Fairy Doll” by Ursula Hageli
“Foyer de danse” Frederick Ashton reconstructed by Christopher Newton and Ursula Hageli - excerpt
“Bacchanale” Choreographed by Liam Scarlett
“Gavotte Pavlova” – an evocation by Ursula Hageli
“The Fairy Doll” - excerpt After Ivan Clustine
“The Fairy Doll” after Pavlova
“La Nuit” after Pavlova
“Autumn Leaves” by Liam Scarlett
and a sprightly exhibition of, “The Fred Step” performed by Ursula Hageli and Anthony Dowell which brought the house down through the wave of nostalgia at seeing Dowell dance 18 years after he retired from dancing.
See:
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When you think of all the works associated with Dudinskaya (of whom I am not a particular fan) its pretty poor show that you get a Duato contribution to celebrate the centenary of her birth.
Where is the respect for the best side of her and her husbands work.
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This year's Graduation Concerts of the Vaganova Academy (the great school affiliated with the Mariinsky) will honor the 100th birthday anniversary of the beloved prima ballerina and pedagogue, Natalia Dudinskaya. The first act will be...Nacho Duato's 'Madrigal.'
Act II consists of a divert of excerpts rom the Mariinsky repertoire. The evening closes with the Jardin Anime scene from Corsaire...although the biggest honor to Dudinskaya would be a staging of Konstantin Sergeyev's version of Corsaire but that's not what they'll be doing here, most likely.Link to first concert info: http://www.mariinsky...12/6/16/1_1130/
As soon as I see the castings, I'll upload here and translate, as I did last year. This year has four graduating dancers who have been followed and praised for years, expecially the beautiful Arina Varentseva, who has been almost as highly 'anticipated' as last year's Olga Smirnova (already a STAR at the Bolshoi). Other VIPs among the class are Ksenia Shevtsova, Danil' Lopatin and Ernest Latipov. (I wonder if any of these will actually take jobs at the Mariinsky?) Also sure to be on view is wunderkind Ksenia Zhiganshina, who danced a pdd at last year's graduation and won the Mikhailovsky Prix 2 years ago... but still has two full years to go before she graduates in 2014.
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A real charmer, as well as being lovely.
It would have been interesting if they had allowed us to see more of her when she was actually dancing.The only thing that struck me as unlikely was the relative absence of personnel and clutter in the hallways and other spaces. Love the ceiling in the smaller Fonteyn Studio.
leonid, I can see why you admire Ms. Choe. What is it, especially, about her dancing in performance that caught your eye?
P.S. Ms. Choe's Royal Ballet biography, including a list of her roles, is here:
http://www.roh.org.u...ail.aspx?id=829
The biography page includes a link to the YouTube edition of the video. There are already over 281,000 clicks.
For me Yuhui Choi is much more than simply a clean and neat technician, she is also musically and physically expressive often becoming the role in a manner that the choreographer might have dreamed of.
As the girl in, “The Lesson” she showed that she could bring the right weight to every moment of her dancing and acting and was also poignant, a quality not always achieved in the role.
In the Swan Lake “pas de trois” she showed a joyous vivacity in the Nocturne in “Les Sylphides” her phrasing was exquisite performed with an extraordinary lightness. In the first variation of the Florestan pas de trois she retained perfect classicism and had simply classical beauty as Princess Florine. Delightful as Lise in “Fille mal Gardee”, young enough make her behaviour acceptable and with a steely lightness of attack as she floated through the choreography. Both desperately touching and funny, as “Cinderella.”
I have found Miss Choi to be well schooled rather in the manner that one found in young Kirov dancers of the past with a beautiful carriage of the arms that flow through the positions of the choreography in an elegant expressive flow.
I looked on you tube for suitable clips of her dancing and regrettably found them mostly disappointing.
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Thank you Helene and Rock.
I have admired Miss Choe for some time and the reality of her day, with the need to concentrate her focus on both physical condition and her energy, must have surprised a good number of Guardian readers unfamiliar with the rigours of being a ballet dancer.
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I must have seen "Graduation Ball" at least 10 or 12 times. It was one of those lighthearted ballets full of charm that it in England seem to have gone out of fashion.
Festival Ballet had a pretty decent repertoire of one act ballets at one time and was always a refreshing change to the Royal Ballet when they gave a season in London.
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In some religious traditions, it prevents direct touching between the sexes.
Absolutely.
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The fantasy of having time for a "normal life" must be seductive from time to time.
Especially when you have existed in such a hothouse atomsphere from a very early age. And while the Royal Ballet understandably wanted to make the most of such a box office attraction and also give him as many chances as possible, he had a pretty heavy workload for some one who has only been a member of the company for a comparatively short time.
You are absolutely right and what I would consider his pairing with female dancers of lesser technical abilities in certain major roles, has been a source of frustration to me and possibly was also for Mr Polunin.
When you consider that currently the most outstanding female dancers of the Royal Ballet l received either all their training or formative training in schools with a superior method to the Royal Ballet school, it seems no wonder therefore, that he mentions Tamara Rojo as a favourite partner.
Currently the Royal ballet is pushing Lauren Cuthbertson in ballerina roles whom Polunin has partnered and who in my opinion, is of a senior soloist level and not what I would personally call a star.
I feel that Polunin has had to dance with dancers who were overparted in principal roles, which for some one with his talent and passion, I am now considering that this may have been one of the reasons why he felt he had to leave the company..
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We are getting close to the Royal Ballet getting its dirty washing hanging on the line.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2012/mar/06/sergei-polunin-give-up-ballet
The articles seem to say very little about Royal Ballet and dirty washing, and http://www.bbc.co.uk...london-17250159who doesn't much like ballet. Reading these, I feel sorry for him, but I don't find him terribly sympathetic as a figure. He seems to not care much for the wonderful gift he has, or for the artform besides a joy in performing only, and occasionally in being the best in something.
The negative allusions are clearly indicated in the text both by himself and the authors.
When you state, "... and a lot about a rather sad man (boy really, he comes across emotionally)..."and "...but I don;t find him a teribly sympathetic as a figure." Why would you? To do so would mean that you know him well and the situations he has been in.
He has clearly found the Royal Ballet where he has had enormous success, not the home he expected, nor it would seem that he has been partnering the dancer(s) he would wish to partner. This has also been a feature of both his discomfort and according to the articles his displeasure. The comparison he makes clearly alludes to this. He is a real star of the
Royal Ballet as is Tamara Rojo.
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I understand that the use of the handkerchief in Russian folk dance goes back to its use in old traditional wedding ceremonies with the lucky couple each holding the diagonally opposite corner of the handkerchief, to the flirtatious use (to catch or torment a man) in other traditional folk dances.
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We are getting close to the Royal Ballet getting its dirty washing hanging on the line.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2012/mar/06/sergei-polunin-give-up-ballet
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Dame Margot was tender, regal, glamourous and glittering.
Oh, I almost forgot to say she was unforgettable.
The tragedy of Dame Margot like many other significant dancers, was that the film camera did not quite love her like it did lesser mortals.
Sergei Polunin Appearances
in Royal Ballet
Posted
Again in an earlier interview, Polunin refers to a lack of freedom at the Royal Ballet. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00r2cqb