MadameP

I loved all of these Lopatkina ballets, and it's hard to pick a favourite!

Here is the link to the 12 hour video of Olesya Novikova ballets:

Firstly, I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year, and I hope that everyone is coping as well as possible with the current Coronavirus pandemic. Good health and happiness to everyone this year and I hope we can all enjoy the beautiful art form of ballet in whatever way we can. In this spirit, I would like to draw your attention to a new video channel on YT by user Mezentseva Fan. This user has uploaded many videos, including a number of TWELVE HOUR videos, featuring some of the most famous roles of a number of illustrious Mariinsky and Bolshoi ballerinas - Obraztsova, Somova, Tereshkina, Stepanova, Zakharova, Smirnova, Novkova and most recently, Uliana Lopatkina! They are absolutely wonderful! I am not sure whether BA can support a link to a 12 hour video, so I will post the link to a performance of Swan Lake by beautiful Altynai Asylmuratova and her husband Konstantin Zaklinsky, so that you can find the channel (if you haven't already!). If you click the play button in the middle, and then click on watch on YouTube at the bottom right, you will then be able to access the channel on YouTube. Anyway, I hope you will all enjoy it!

Agree! Savin is a fine artist, but I don't believe he deserved to be principal as much as Tsvirko did - and like you, I am not a Tsvirko fan, but in terms of the body of his repertoire, he was by far more deserving of the promotion.

MT is streaming a number of ballets on their tv channel. Today The Fountain of Bakhchisarai - Matvienko/Parish/Tereshkina/Belyakov - is being shown. I hope this link works. https://vk.com/videos-130074765?z=video-130074765_456239480%2Fvideos-130074765

I enjoyed Smirnova's performance. I thought her reading of the character of Giselle was intelligent, full of detail and touching, and she displayed spontaneity in her interaction with other characters on stage. Her technique is precise and her petit allegro in general was excellent. Also, she certainly gave the impression of an insubstantial wili in the second act. I loved Belyakov - a true danseur and such a worthy principal finally! He has an excellent presence and that jump... the height of his entrechats is amazing! His acting is heartfelt and sincere and he looks the aristocrat. I thought Khokhlova in the peasant pas was delightful - so fleet and light in her footwork - and her partner Alexei Putintsev had great ballon. I have been very critical of other Ratmansky productions, but I really enjoyed this one. I thought the whole of the second act was beautiful indeed, and the choreography for the wilis very effective in giving the impression of an army of man-killers - especially in the scenes where they capture and dispatch Hans (Hilarion). Ratmansky increased the petit allegro element of the choreography and also the amount of mime, which I found to be totally in keeping with this 19th century ballet, and there were many new and beautiful poses - the kneeling pose that replaced the high lift in the act 2 pd2 for example. I thought Nelli Kobakhidzhe gave an extremely sympathetic performance as Bathilde and also Lyudmila Semenyaka as Berthe was entirely convincing and how wonderful to see her back on stage! We can all argue about various elements we didn't like (and I did find some of the changes of tempo a little sudden) but overall I thought this production is a success. Loved it!

Agree. Olga took that Spessivtseva diagonale at great speed, too! Fabulous, wasn't it?!

I wrote recently that of all the great performances that I've seen I'm still maybe waiting for the one that wins my heart. This may be the one. ____________________ I agree! I watched and it was really like seeing the ballet afresh! Such a beautiful partnership, heartfelt acting, and for sheer beauty of lines, epaulement, artistry - it was a staggering achievement for this young ballerina. I can't remember when I enjoyed a Swan Lake as much as this one! Bravo indeed to both Ilyshkina and Korneev!

Excerpts show she was an absolutely stunning Odette-Odile. She has such beauty of line and epaulement and such artistry - it's a superb debut for this young ballerina, and to think this is her first principal role. It is an amazing achievement.

Buddy, yes, I think Chebykina was still a coryphee when she debuted as Odette/Odile. I'm delighted that Ilyushkina is to have this opportunity - she's such a lovely young dancer with those beautiful lines!

What a beautiful video - thank you!

I love the Mariinsky Vainonen version with the gorgeous pas de six in the final act, and also the Sir Peter Wright version. Both beautiful!

Some really great news today - Maria Bulanova has been promoted to Second Soloist, bypassing the Coryphee rank! She is a wonderful, dramatic ballerina with real presence on stage and acting ability! I am so pleased for her, and hope to see her in many more roles now! Congratulations!

Can you post a link to the ballet/piece?

He was a wonderful Hooligan when I saw him in the role - technically brilliant, and truly rough around the edges in character, instead of being a bit too much like an Oliver Twist type as some are. Truly poignant in his acting. A very talented boy.