mnacenani

Imho Tsiskaridze has more "substance" than most people give him credit for. When he was appointed as

rector of Vaganova I thought it was due to his connections only, and was quite upset when our beloved

Asylmuratova left, but found out later that while dancing at the Balshoy he was also teaching at ballet schools

in Moscow and beyond. I watched his webcast interview at Prix de Lausanne last year and thought here is

someone who knows what he is talking about. I will try to find and post that interview - in the meantime here

is the recent RT docu featuring him and Shakirova :  https://rtd.rt.com/films/ballet-a-la-russe-e1/

On 3/16/2017 at 4:24 AM, Buddy said:

Olesya Novikova -- Gamzatti

She's so beautiful and during the last several Festivals she so put her heart into her performances. Will be fascinating to see how she handles this one.

Have never seen Novikova live yet, and neither Aksana Skorik who I am tracking. Had tix for Legend of Love on 28th Feb

with both Novikova and Skorik cast, was in Moscow couple of days before to see Ivan the Terrible at the Balshoy but had to

return home from Moscow ..... so frustrating. And once again will not be able to go to the Mariinsky ballet festival week, will

be holed up at a trade show in Frankfurt doing PR and chatting up our principals .......

1 hour ago, Buddy said:

I guess the reason that I continue to be so enchanted by Alyona Kovalyova is the combination of such beautiful refinement and and the lovely freeness of her youthful manner.

That makes quite a few of us then thinking we have witnessed Рождается звезда ..... birth of a star !

3 hours ago, Buddy said:

 

Your second stage exam in what, mnacenani? In any case, congratulations!

I would say that you really started something here. Again, congratulations! 

I'm really taken, along with everyone else here, by "Алёна Ковалёва".

Many thanks dear Buddy ! I am four months into a Russian language course and I passed my second

stage exam and will start the third stage next week, at the end of which (2 months) it is said I will be able

to speak extremely basic Russian when I fly over to see ballet. God knows it's quite hard at my ripe old

age with a porous brain !

Now : I have seriously taken up Russian classical ballet since this time 3 years ago, and am trying to

catch up by seeing as many classics as I can in Moscow and Peterburg. You cannot imagine how

elated such a person can be and what a boost it gives his self-confidence when he thinks he has

discovered something and posts it and it gains the acceptance of senior membership. First time I

saw Kovalyova on the videos I posted I immediately thought of the young Zaharova but did not dare

say so until you seconded my thought. Thanks to everyone who participated and best wishes.

Seems this series is continuing with the 7th episode posted under RT link above !

Seems the series is continuing - noticed a 7th episode has been posted at RT link above !!

3 hours ago, Buddy said:

Alyona might look a bit more familiar to us if spelled letter correct rather than phonetically....Alena.

(In Russian two dots over the "e" (often omitted) becomes "yo" phonetically. Thus Kovaleva=Kovalyova.)

 

Also I just discovered that Svet (свет), as in Svetlana Zakharova, means "Light" and that Svetila (Светилa),

as in Svetlana Zakharova, means Luminary, as in "Zvezda", "Etoile", "Principal", "Baleriny", "Premiery", etc.

While on the subject : "e" and "yo" (e with two dots) both exist in Cyrillic and are separate sounds.

Westerners know her as Diana "Vishneva" but in Russia she is "Vishnyova"

Свет = Light     "Светлый Ручей" = Bright Stream  (excuse my showing off - just passed my second

stage exam this evening )

23 hours ago, MadameP said:

I agree with you about Shakirova!  She's not an adagio ballerina, but she is fast, generally turns well and has a good jump - she just has one of those very expressive faces, so she does become the character!  I like her very much!  

Dear MadameP just discovered a very recently aired 6-part ballet docu by RT channel,

featuring among others Shakirova (in first episode I think). Also posted this link under

docus :  https://rtd.rt.com/tags/ballet/

Very recently aired, links to the 6 episodes below on linked page :

https://rtd.rt.com/tags/ballet/

19 hours ago, Deflope said:

It seems they intend for her to partner with Jacopo Tissi, the Italian Vaziev brought over. They've danced together in several galas and he is very tall too. 

A recent interview with Tissi :

http://www.balletinsider.com/en/archive/solo/6409

11 hours ago, Deflope said:

Just to be clear for our non-native speakers, Zvezda means literally star like star in the sky or "movie star."

When talking about actual ranks in ballet, the Bolshoi and Mariinsky use "Balerina" for women and "Premier" for

men and their English sites just call them principals. And, given that their head of PR has an incredible command

of three languages, I trust her judgement. 

"Zvezda" is a metaphor I like to use to denote "top rank" - borrowed it from "Etoile" which POB uses to denote top

rank. I am hopeful our members will warm to it in due time. In reference to another post above : POB officially terms

their top dancers "Etoile" and the promotion to Etoile is announced on stage after a performance. However, I fully

agree with Vaziev that nowadays almost everyone is an "Etoile" at POB and the rank no longer has the "cachet" it

once had. Have been an Arop member for many years but I don't go to see ballet in Paris any longer. Having disco-

vered what classical ballet can be in Russia anything in London or Paris seems second best. No wonder someone

said "POB dancers dance like civil servants" which in fact they are, and you may remember Millepied got into hot

water for saying the Paris CdB should do better than look like "flowers on wallpaper" !!

6 hours ago, Natalia said:

Kovalyova is absolutely exquisite! Aristocratic looks and manner that I love. She has a Yulia Makhalina air about her.

Didn't she dance the lead in the Vaganova Acad FAIRY DOLL this past June?

Yes dear Natalia - the video of her Fairy Doll is among what I posted from YT above.

12 hours ago, Buddy said:

 

I would agree that she's indeed lovely and has a beautifully airy elegance. I would guess, mnacenani, that you have Svetlana Zakharova in mind.

I do see definite very fine qualities that they share. I also find resemblances, sometimes almost identical, to Nina Kaptsova, whom I've been capti-

vated by and wish could see much more of.

 

 

 

 

YES - you're spot on Buddy ! Overjoyed to find that a Gold member agrees with my take on Kovalyova !

Zvezda = Etoile

Rodkin !!  Would be a fabulous match imho. Last saw Rodkin as Solor and he was excellent : flawless

tech and characterisation imho. Vaziev really has a problem : how to develop great young talent like

Shrayner and Kovalyova and God knows how many others, while keeping the likes of Alexandrova and

Zaharova on board ! I do hope Urin will not cave in - from what Masha posted recently it seems she went

over the head of Vaziev.

As a latecomer to classical ballet I really cannot comment on technique - can only notice glaring

faults (like Stepanova not being able to do a proper 32 fouettée on the three occasions I saw

her dance the Medora-Ali pdd). But expession, presence, mime I crave for :  she must make me

believe she IS the Sylph, or Nikiya, or Kitri and not an "impersonator". Shakirova is no Zaharova

but when I saw her as Kitri at Mariinsky she WAS Kitri.

Vaganova 2016 graduate taken up by Balshoy (aka Bolshoi), being given small solo roles

by Vaziev. I have found some videos on YT, links posted below. She was selected for Prix

de Lausanne 2016 but did not make it to the finals, strange. This junior member sees some

potential here and likens her to a current top Balshoy prima at the time of her Vaganova

graduation ..... but will not say to whom so as not to invite ridicule ! Would like to hear the

views of our learned membership.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJgn8eakQ9s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0N0jukp0Ro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4nUaZqkBso

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO9gDuJj5-k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq8D4aY4SwA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2sJgf_ltpI

Dear Natalia I had tunneled into the Russia-only webcast of Sleeping Beauty but the livestream

broke up and changed resolution so often I cannot say anything about any of the cast. I really

liked Shrayner as Silfida at October's gala (and not only I) but her Diamond Fairy might not have

worked. I am going to pose a similar question on another young dancer under separate post and

would love to hear your view.

Thank you Jayne ..... I am always hoping that there will be something in my posts that merits

some degree of attention other than how I spell Большо́й in Latin lettering

Dear naomikage and Mashinka : we have had this discussion before a couple of months ago. I am

not Anglo-Saxon and am on a fairly intensive language course and don't want to be bound by the

incorrect pronounciation of Russian names adopted in the West. It is pronounced "Balshoy" in Rus-

sian, and written as "Bolshoy" not "Bolshoi" which I hope will one day go where "Bombay" and "Peking"

went. Please do excuse me regarding this issue.

Having read Ismene's translation of this interview I totally sympathise with Vaziev, I have the

feeling that he is the medicine Balshoy needed badly after the turmoil of 2013. I just cannot

believe Vaziev told Masha Alexandrova "I wanted to harm you" as she recounted in the Kultura

chat with Sati Spivakova, but then balletmistress Natalya of our local ballet academy says she

has seen and heard Russian ballet directors saying such things and worse to dancers. Evidently

a modus vivendi has been found, since Masha danced on Tuesday as far as I know. Does anyone

have any feedback on Tuesday's Bright Stream ??

"These aren't my requirements, they are the requirements of classical dance. And either we obey them or we don't.

Otherwise these ballets simply expose you - all your inadequacies are on show. Sadly, within the theatre world you

often find performers' ambitions get out of hand. Let's not imagine that in the sunset of a stage career one can go

on dancing the ballets you did 15 years ago. Everyone has a different physicality and different physical gifts. This

is a fact for even the greatest. You know Baryshnikov danced his last Don Q at the age of 33?"

Vaziev as quoted in the translation of his recent interview on Ismene Brown's blog (link posted under Bolshoi - excellent inter-

view well worth a read imho). Methinks one can find above a clue regarding Masha's falling out with Vaziev. As dear as Alexan-

drova and Zaharova are to my heart, I have to admit neither of them can go on dancing Kitri for much longer. I think their technique

is as yet flawless, but they may not "look the part" in a year or two.

http://www.ismeneb.com/blogs-list/170305-vaziev-monitors-bolshoi-studios-by-cctv.html

Recent interview with Vaziev as posted by Ismene Brown