mnacenani

On 9/17/2017 at 3:52 AM, Birdsall said:

I have seen her do fouettes perfectly in person at the Mariinsky when she was a coryphee no less

Stepanova's fouettée at time 1:11 in this gala video is quite acceptable in my view, but she cannot be

relied on for perfect execution each and every time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1451&v=BQiIA3Hyqfc

2 hours ago, naomikage said:

Some videos of Eleonora Sevenard's Black Swan from her instagram. At this point, she seems to have more refined technique

Dear Naomi I saw Sevenard live as Paxita last June at Mariinka during the Vaganova graduation show. Imho damn

good dancer technically but does not have the "allure" of Kovalyova and can never have, it's a gift of God. I could

maybe liken Sevenard vs Kovalyova to Alexandrova vs Zaharova. Alexandrova was my default Gamzatti - not even

knowing her name at the time I was simply stunned by her performance when Mezzo livecast the current production

of Bayaderka from Bolshoy in 2012 or 13. But she does not have the allure of Zaharova "who can simply go out on the

stage, just stand there and not move at all and still create incredible beauty" in the words of Vaziyev.

PS - between you and me : my friends in Moscow used to and still tease me regarding my sympathy for Alexandrova,

saying I have betrayed my affinity towards "strongly built women" !  Hope I won't get reported and censored for

these harmless quips !

2 hours ago, Dreamer said:

A short clip of Odile's variation. I find it to be a good example of why extraordinarily  long limbs are not necessarily a desired attribute in a ballerina. Nor are they estetically pleasing

Polina at the 2009 Zurich Spoerli staging : any resemblance would you say ??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU0DPmcjvYc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBk8XzVGfWo

The more I watch the clips being posted on YT the more I am thinking Kovalyova and Tissi put up a very acceptable performance

regardless of it being their debuts. Matters of aesthetics are quite personal and I have total respect for your view - I have yet to

arrive at a final appraisal. One cannot, at least I cannot capture everything as the live performance flashes past : saw Vishnova

as Giselle (with Ganio) live at Mariinka last year and could not really connect, probably because I was infatuated with Vishnova

as Juliet for a long time (her performance made me dump opera for Russian classical ballet). Earlier this month Mezzo Live HD

telecast the very same performance I saw and I recorded it, watched it three times so far. Woken up to what a great, possibly

incomparable portrayal Diana made of Giselle - now she is my joint No. 1 Giselle, tied with Cojocaru. For me it does take some

time to fully digest and appreciate a performance or portrayal.

3 hours ago, Buddy said:

Do they represent well what you saw, Mnacenani ? Perhaps you could point out some things that the videos might not show.

Watching all these clips a couple of times now I wonder why I wasn't too impresssed by Alyona on Saturday,

should have been. As a late starting amateur can't even dream of evaluating or even noticing the subtleties

of technique, but this aside she looks fine and could very well become Zaharova-2 !  Same for Tissi, surely

will take over Bolle's mantle, and to my eye seems to have better mime and characterisation than Bolle.

50 minutes ago, Drew said:

 

I'm curious though--how did she PROJECT in the giant Bolshoi theater? That seems an important piece of the puzzle that one can't judge in video of this kind.

Imho she projected well, had very good stage presence. Will see whether any of my Russian ballet friends can

find the adagio. One of the reasons why I did not rush out after the performance bellowing "Eureka - it is a star"

may be that Swan Lake is not my favourite ballet as drama. Have never been affected by Swan Lake the way

R&J, Giselle or Bayadere touches me. Last year I saw two casts of Swan Lake at Bolshoy London tour, Smirnova/

Chudin and Zaharova/Rodkin, and did my homework before flying over by watching 9 different productions of

various houses on dvd looking at characterisation : did not change my feeling for Swan Lake. The British critics

could not praise Smirnova enough but I thought Zaharova was the better of the two - seems I just don't connect

well with this work.

33 minutes ago, naomikage said:

Some videos on YouTube about the Kovaleva/Tissi/soares debut

I found a couple of others, hopefully members will comment on whether they see a Zaharova Jr. and a Bolle Jr.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIkGnsxPjP4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ip8ElPVBtX0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl21LclkaHw

42 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

 

As for Kovalyova, I await the opportunity of seeing her in full-fledged glory. She was certainly impressive as a leading student of the Vaganova Academy Class of 2016 (Fairy Doll).

I could not say to myself, however much I hoped for and wished it, "YES - a star is born and I was one

of those who predicted it !"  Will keep tracking and hopefully seeing - the problem is that it's very hard

to track specific dancers at the Bolshoy :  online booking opens 3 months before performance and

casting is posted only 2 max 3 weeks before, by which time it's long sold out. I was able to see Kovalyova

by being tipped off by an insider before casting was posted - the show was sold out months before (Swan

Lake Saturday matinee !) but someone I knew was able to help find a seat.

13 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

I'll have to agree with mnacenani: Stepanova was not the tidiest of Odiles this past season, especially with fouettes all over the map.

I would hate to alienate Stepanova admirers but on the three occasions I saw her last year it was"all over the map"

in your terms, and if I remember correctly same at her Medora debut at Bolshoy this year. Seems she somehow

cannot get the timing right and lands couple of counts early. I believe members who have written that on the occa-

sions they saw Stepanova perform fouettees she executed it perfectly, a dancer can have his/her off days.

In view of the striking similarity between my impressions of the dancers and company and those

of Ms. Cappelle I posted both here on the suggestion of one of our members. My report was

posted earlier than Ms. Cappelle's tweets ! Am sure she will write a full review, hopefully for FT

which I cannot miss.

https://twitter.com/bellafigural/status/909404624725127168

https://twitter.com/bellafigural/status/909406367487873024

https://twitter.com/bellafigural/status/909406717745811459

https://twitter.com/bellafigural/status/909408017422192641

13 minutes ago, Buddy said:

we wouldn't be discussing any of these artists if a lot of folks didn't think that they were special.

Dear Buddy :  Laura Cappelle of FT also has seen this performance and posted her comments on Twitter and funnily

enough we could have copied from each other - I think I posted earlier than her !  I have asked my Russian friends to

trawl for any reviews from local critics and was told some could appear tomorrow. I think Alyona handled her debut

rather well - my hope and wish to discover a fully-fledged star -Zaharova Jr.- who would hit the ground running was a

bit far fetched for starters. Will try to get some insider feedback if I can, and wait for what Vaziev will cast her for next.

Would like to see her in something a bit more dramatic than S.L., say Bayaderka.

4 minutes ago, naomikage said:

I am not sure whether it is OK to post videos here

Please do so - I don't follow Twitter or Instagram, have been looking for videos on YT but could

not find any. My Russian friends are looking for any reviews from Russian critics which I will post,

if any. Please at least post link/s to the Instagram video/s !

17 minutes ago, Buddy said:

What kind of audience response did 'She'  get, Mnacenani ?

Kovalyova got big enthusiastic applause during and after the performance. It was a good enought performance, regardless of the fact that this was her debut in a top-profile role at 18. Magnetic stage personalities come around once in a blue moon and it may turn out that K is not one, one has to wait and watch. Wonder what Osipova was like at 18.

Had written up almost a full page of my impressions at the airport while waiting for my plane back home.

It vanished when I tried to submit it when the damn airport wifi suddenly cut in asking for payment. Now

the spontaneity is gone, don't feel like writing anything but I will try to put something together. Full casting

for Swan Lake matinee of Saturday 16 September :

http://www.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/36/roles/#20170916120000

It seems this matinee was a casting experiment by Vaziev, as no fewer than 6 dancers were debuting in their

roles : Kovalyova, Tissi, Soares, Koshkin, Zhiganshina and Marchenkova. First Kovalyova : imho good presence,

looks like a young Zaharova. Her solos in both acts went well, except the  Odile fouettee when she wobbled a

bit at the end and finished one count early, can be perfected (Stepanova is a principal and still cannot do it !).

I see great potential here but time will tell whether this is the bright comet we have been expecting or a size-

able meteor. She was good as Odette, excepting one point I attach importance to :  the realistic surprise, the

recoil which should be displayed when Odette sees Siegfried first time, which can take the viewer in and make

the rest of the action believable (Aksana Kardash acted this to perfection when I saw her at Stasik couple of

months ago). This also can be perfected - the Russians are so superior in developing character dancers. As

Odile she was good also but again could benefit from some acting coaching - if Odile is to come out as a

scheming seductress. But what am I talking about - this is an 18-year-old last year's Vaganova graduate, if I

was expecting to be dazzled that was unrealistic. Let's see what she is up to later in the season, next season.

Jacopo Tissi :  Vaziev imho certainly has an eye for talent. If Kovalyova is a Zaharova in the making here we

have a Bolle in the making ! Currently no Rodkin, Lantratov or Chudin but I again saw great potential. Small

wonder Vaziev brought Tissi over from Scala with him. Handsome, elegant dancer, good PdB, good elevation

(I was told his lines were not perfect !). Imho good characterisation, has good mime ability. First act solos not

impressive, has to do better if he is to match Rodkin and Chudin. I thought the second act solos were better,

with well executed tournes-en-l'air.

Soares as the Evil Genius was perfect - ready for the showroom. I believe he is a graduate of Moscow Academy,

must say he held his own against my default "Zloy Geniy" Belyakov - can appear at any performance anywhere.

Koshkin as the Fool was also perfect - Balshoy has so many of them, Tsvirko et al. In these character parts I find

the Russians peerless and these parts acted to perfection to me are as important as the lead roles - they add so

much to the enjoyment or effectiveness of the performance. Even the Wolf, Cats, Bluebird etc in Sleeping Beauty

are in a different league in Russia.

Friends of the Prince were Zhiganshina and Denisova - much has been made of them elsewhere on this forum

but I will stick my neck out and say I saw nothing extraordinary (maybe due to my ignorance) : good soloist class

dancers,

Now the Balshoy CdB :  they are also in a league unto themselves !  I will probably be roundly condemned and

tagged as ignorant and of poor taste but ........ I find the Balshoy CdB better than the Mariinsky . So well

rehearsed, a whisker away from absolute perfection in every way. Even those changes of formation in Swan Lake

and Bayaderka which last only a few seconds are pure bliss which linger in my memory long after the curtain has

fallen.

7 hours ago, Buddy said:

Will you be seeing any of the others ? 

No, will fly back home right after today's matinee.

Уважаемые дамы и господа - Я приехал в Москву !   I know I am going to

draw the ire and fire of some (if not all) of our esteemed members by my

false pretenses but what's wrong with having a bit of fun once in a while ?

I'm hoping our Russian speakers won't call my bluff right away

Anyway, in Moscow for tomorrow's matinee debut of Alyona as Odette/Odile.

I have no chance of evaluating her technique at micro level so my friend and

ballet tutor Vita Khlopova will join me to discuss the performance at the intervals

and at lunch afterwards. Vita is a graduate of Moscow Ballet Academy and was a

former dancer herself. She is a well-known ballet historian, writer and lecturer in

Moscow and founder of the website nofixedpoints.com (Russki only). I hope to be

able to post my impressions, and hers, late tomorrow evening Moscow time.

On 9/9/2017 at 7:14 PM, Buddy said:

Russian and 'Russian sphere' (Alina Cojocaru....) ballerinas will draw me to see any company. I just got tickets for my daughter and myself to see Sylvia because Natalia Osipova is performing.

Alina was my default Giselle, now tied with Diana V. Sadly have never been able to see Alina live.

I am hoping to see Osipova as Sylvia too (keeping my fingers crossed) and I just got tix today for her

Giselle on March 1st with Hallberg. If she appears this will be the first time I will have seen Osipova

in a "real classic" after four tries.

15 hours ago, Drew said:

Simkin may have good reason to make the move--sounds like Berlin has a lot to offer him

Sure seems to boost Yana's performance and make her glow - watch the clip of them dance

the Don Kixot Grand Pas :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_5lto74MF4

http://www.mezzo.tv/nos-programmes/giselle_de_marius_petipa__mariinsky_?date=2017-09-09

"MEZZO LIVE HD" has today started telecasting last year's July 11th Mariinsky performance of

Giselle with Diana & Mathieu Ganio. I wholeheartedly suggest all members who can get this

channel on cable or satellite not miss it - I saw it live on location. I think these July 11+13 per-

formances were the last Giselles Diana danced at Mariinsky. Telecast times are CET.

13 hours ago, Drew said:

I don't think the Royal needs Osipova or, in the past, "needed" Guillem. But having a remarkable external talent also has an impact on a company

Dear Drew :  you DO have a point here !!  In the Nineties we used to visit the ROH regularly, and Guillem, Darcey

Bussell and Viviana Durante were the only dancers I got attracted to, knowing next to nothing about classical ballet.

Now I know a little more than at the time, and I think Darcey was the one and only home grown talent who could hold

her own against the best in Russia. There is her docu-monologue "A Ballerina's Life" which is still on YT and I would

like to draw your attention, and of other members too, to what she has said starting from 17:00 mins :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju27oD0mkqI

So can a a foreign star have a great impact on the repertoire and casting of a company ?? You tell me please !

(Re Ashton :  couple of years ago I had to ask the admin of a British ballet forum to delete my membership when

I asked whether the "Ashton style" known for "exquisite footwork" could be due to his having to work with a

company which had dancers of limited physical potential who could not hope to "touch their ear", quoting this

same excerpt from Darcey, which caused a firestorm of condemnation - would still like to have some answers

from our learned members)

4 hours ago, Mashinka said:

Regarding Salenko, although not a big name. she is an excellent dancer and the favoured partner of Steven McRae.  Earlier this year I saw her dance a wonderful SB and together with McRae the best performance of Diamonds I've seen from the RB in years

Dear Mashinka : have seen Yana Salenko both live in Berlin and on Mezzo quite a few times. I totally agree with you that

she is an excellent dancer ...... especially when she is not dancing with her husband !! Here is a clip of Yana partnered by

Simkin in the Don Kixot Grand Pas :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_5lto74MF4

I haven't seen Yana anywhere near as radiant when she dances with hubby Marion. Last year for the premiere of the

Duato Sleeping Beauty Berlin brought in Sarafanov, which I thought was a wise choice, but again this is my half baked

personal view !

PS :  just learned that Simkin is joining Berlin effective September 2018 !!

17 hours ago, Ashton Fan said:

I am not sure that  everyone who attends performances by the Royal Ballet  would actually feel that her continued presence as a member of the company was essential to its continued artistic health.

Dear Ashton Fan :  Natasha is the only reason why I am still a member at ROH, and the only reason I will travel

to London to see "ballet" at the ROH. Please do excuse me but to me at least, everything in London, Paris, Berlin

and Wien seems second best after having discovered at a late age in Russia what classical ballet can be. I know

that some members may take exception to what I have just written : it is quite personal and subjective ("beauty

is in the eye of the beholder") - an emotional thing. Western born dancers can be excellent technically, but I find

the characterisation, "emotionality" and "spirituality" of Russian dancers superior. When Osipova pulled out of

Giselle last year I saw Sarah Lamb - I thought she was excellent technically (as far as I can tell) in the 2nd act, but

she was not "Giselle" for me in the 1st act, and I could not get taken in emotionally, if you know what I mean.

PS :  when Osipova pulled out of Don Kixot two years ago I sent an email to the RB begging them to bring in

someone from the Balshoy, explaining that I and probably many other people would be flying in specially to

see Osipova and deserved to see someone of comparable status. On the night I got Tsygankova, was OK under

the circumstances !

http://www.ismeneb.com/blogs-list/170906-osipova-i-wont-ever-leave-royal-ballet.html

Ismene Brown just posted this on her blog - could well be interesting for her British fans.

Natasha danced Giselle in Perm this Tuesday 5th and I again missed her : logistics from

Istanbul did not work out. Last November she danced Juliet in Perm, would have loved to

see her as Juliet.

6 hours ago, naomikage said:

Nina Kaptsova, Maria Alexandrova and Maria Allash have all moved from Principal to Working under Contract.

Dimitry Gudanov's name has disappeared (he seems to be retired) and also David Hallberg's name is missing.

Seems there has been a wholesale transfer to working under contract within this week. I looked

at this couple of days ago and there weren't this many people under this section !

Balshoy has posted official casting for Swan Lake performances on 15-17 September and

as some insiders had reported last week Alyona Kovalyova will dance Odette/Odile at the

matinee on Saturday 16th September, partnered by Jacopo Tissi. Am hoping to report

from location in due time if I can find a good parter seat. As some members may recall,

I had posted some videos of Alyona earlier this year likening her to Zakharova and some

senior members actually agreed with me, which was a big boost to my self-confidence.

Alyona I am told was the star of the Vaganova 2016 graduation class and Vaziev who cer-

tainly has an eye for talent scooped her up. She is being coached by Vaziev's wife (Chenchi-

kova) and had already been given solo roles towards the end of last season. It is said that

this will be the first occasion an 18-year-old who graduated only last year will dance the lead

role in Swan Lake at the Balshoy !

Links below :

http://www.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/36/roles/#20170916120000

http://www.bolshoi.ru/en/persons/ballet/3306/

34 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

The Ratmansky R&J is slated for "Live in Cinemas" soon after its Bolshoi premiere, so all of us living close to a cinema that carries the series will be seeing it live and have the chance to judge for ourselves.

On second thought - this will be at the Balshoy New Stage where tix are normally one-third the price of ballets at the historic

stage so I might still go see it ...... and post my half-baked amateur appraisal as usual !  I'm certain to approach it negatively as

I am dead against the great classics being "updated" or "re-interpreted" ........ especially with Western-born dancers who are

usually light years away from the spirituality and emotionality of Russian dancers.