CharlieH

2 hours ago, ABT Fan said:

I see that on Nov 11, ENB will show highlights from Akram Khan's Giselle, which will be the only NYC showing of that piece.

Several of us on this site, myself included, have wished that this ballet would come to NYC. At least this gives us a chance to see parts of it. And, it would be great if Jeffrey Cirio dances as well.

This has been filmed, with Cirio as Hilarion. No word yet on when the DVD comes out. Doesn’t appear to be classical.

Kapitonova is a real gem - Ratmansky’s first Odette/Odile when his Swan Lake recon premiered. I was sorry when I read about her recent departure from Zurich. Now we know where the Swan has landed.

...AND Andrei Batalov as Guest Artist. Really?

I would understand if the English version of the roster is lagging behind but the Russian?! 

Yet, they update the Corps de  Ballet page, eg, Khoreva and other newbies listed, Androssova and other recent retirees out. 

47 minutes ago, Colette said:

It was the 2005 Mariinsky Festival, when in the last "Artistic Evening" she was given (what an insult!) she danced the most remarkable La Valse with Merkuriev. (and Yanna Selina in the first Solo Couple and Obraztsova in the second! Amazing cast!)

Yes! Sorry, I mixed my Festivals...women’s tributes in 2005 and men in 2006. Great cast...all who you mentioned and my discovery of Olga Yesina in the 3rd couple of La Valse. That night opened with the premiere (and last?) performance of Simonov’s dopey Daphnis et Chloe-Beach edition. Second ballet was Forsythe’s Steptext, which put much of the audience to sleep, despite great dancing. The pay-off for those of us who stayed past the intermission was that glorious La Valse.

A TV special that I saw while living in Russia was a documentary-style tribute to Karsavina, with Pavlenko playing the great Diaghilev ballerina. I wish that it would appear on Youtube!

Fantastic! Thank you, Colette. I remembered seeing clips on Kultura but I did not realize that the complete ballet was recorded. I saw Pavlenko live in this during one of the Mariinsky Festivals and was bowled over. It may have been during her special tribute night at the 2006 festival or soon after. 

I almost forgot one of Pavlenko’s greatest roles but little known: the lead in La Valse! To me, she topped even Lopatkina in the role...Pavlenko more natural, totally embodying the role.  She is still my favorite La Valse ballerina, even with NYCB in mind. What a shame that she was not (officially) filmed in that.

Also, Pavlenko was perfection in the Chopiniana Prelude solo (hand to ear pose). Sigh. 

Doesnt Pavlenko have family (sibling?) in the USA? Would it be too much to hope for a move here, if she & her husband may not be so appreciated in Russia?

1 hour ago, MadameP said:

Shakirova does not have either Odette/Odile or Nikiya in her repertoire.  In my opinion, she is no Aurora, although she now has that role in her repertoire. She is no Raymonda. I don't think she is principal calibre although I like her very much, and I do not believe Chebykina is principal calibre either.  For me, both are good soloists, but not principals.  As for Nagahisa, I still defend all those Vaganova corps and coryphee girls who were overlooked in favour of her... 

ITA with you. She is a wonderful dancer in lighthearted soubrette roles; was greatest as Laurencia, at her graduation. Natural Kitri.  Nice Masha and Peasant pdd but really being pushed.

Sr management at the theatre doesn’t seem to favor dancers associated with the late Sergei Vikharev, which is why I hold little hope for Osmolkina and Novikova. This is similar to what happened with Zubkovskaya’s students (Part, Ivanova, Nekipelova) after Zubkovskaya died...coach no longer around to lobby for her dancers’ advancement. 

1 minute ago, MadameP said:

Yes, Yuri Fateev is a law unto himself. And Makhalina does still dance on average once or twice a season- certainly not enough to justify her principal status.  

 

Got it. I just edited (added to) my earlier post with a “Shakirova Theory.”

Anything goes with Yuri Fateev!

So Makhalina’s anniversary gala on Dec 18, 2016, was a “Farewell”? It was never billed as such...

https://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbill/2016/12/18/1_1930

Makhalina is still on the Principals roster. Not that she has danced much since that gala.

Back to the matter of the next Principal lady - 

Fateev seems to spring these on us before major international tours. I can see this happening with Shakirova - whatever her rank now - just before the Corsaire tour to Washington DC next April...giving her additional cachet just before opening night in DC. Hmm? 🤔 

1 minute ago, MadameP said:

Chebykina and Shakirova are both second soloists: one of the current first soloists is more likely.  

Not necessarily. May Nagahisa went from apprentice straight up to 2nd Soloist. The old order can be thrown out the window!

Thanks, kbarber.

I just got the full list of prize winners through the Varna FB page. It’s public, so all should be able to see it. It’s on 3-4 pages, so one must click arrows to view all.

https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1736652179788335&id=444071619046404&set=pcb.1736661009787452&source=48

Ms. Barkmann repeats the Sr silver medal that she won in Jackson, MS, one month ago.

Congratulations to all! 

On 7/29/2018 at 7:43 AM, Mashinka said:

...

It has occurred to me that there is a vacancy now in the top rank, should be filled by either Novikova or Osmolkina.

“Should” is the operative word. 

Most likely it will be Renata Shakirova.

On 7/29/2018 at 4:58 AM, MadameP said:

I read that last night's performance of Anna Karenina with Daria Pavlenko in the leading role, was the last performance of Pavlenko after 22 years dancing for Mariinsky Theatre.   A video of her bows was uploaded:

 

 

Thanks. Pavlenko is lucky. This is more than was given to Lopatkina, whose departure was simply announced. No chance for the public to cheer and say thanks.

I suppose that we’ll have to await hand-written snail mail from Bulgaria to know who won this thing. Utterly frustrating. Even their so-called “live streaming” of the award ceremony was a shaky hand-held iPhone with garbled sound. Impossible to tell the names or faces as figures walked up to collect their bouquets and medals. No press release. No nothing.

Lovely dancer. She will be missed. She’s a contemporary of Part and Ivanova - 1996 graduate. Some of the last exponents of the old Kirov style. Sigh.

Pavlenko was on the Autumn 2012 “Cinderella” tour to the Kennedy Center, performing brilliantly opposite Sergeev (her husband). DC also saw her in Chopiniana, Scheherazade and Giselle. We also saw her O/O in Swan Lake in Boston, around 2004/05...so she toured a bit to the US. 

I’ll especially cherish memories of her Nikiya in Vikharev's recon of Bayadere, opposite Kolb. 

4 hours ago, NinaFan said:

Yes to Bright Stream!  Why on earth hasn't ABT brought that ballet back?  It's so much fun! 

I believe that the sets and costumes belong to the Latvian National Ballet. 

One more link - the Varna Competition’s own FB site. Note that the rehearsal schedule for the gala of July 29 was posted six hours ago and includes Barkman and Phillips dancing Grand Pas Classique. Still no indication of exact prizes won.

https://www.facebook.com/varnaibc/

Katherine Barkman’s FB site: 

https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002482453249&ref=content_filter

Congratulations on having made it to the final round! Prizes will be revealed at the start of tomorrow’s gala, with winners performing after the announcement.

The link below takes you to a list of Rnd 3 finalists, from which the winners will be announced on July 29:

https://varna-ibc.org/competition/

At least one USA dancer is still in the running: Katherine Barkman, dancing with Joseph Phillips (non-competitor). Barkman is a Principal with Ballet Manila (AD Lisa Macuja):

http://www.katherinebarkman.com/about/

Adding: Joseph Phillips is also a Principal with Ballet Manila. He was with the Mariinsky-Vladivostok until recently and, before that, with ABT.

2 hours ago, Mashinka said:

I last saw it at the Bournonville Festival under Frank Andersen, don't think Hubbe has revived it.  The RDB does however seem to have dropped Whims of Cupid and the Ballet Master, far earlier than Bournonville of course bur perhaps even more offensive to those posting here than Far from Denmark.

Thanks, Mashinka. The 2005  B’ville Fest was the last time that I saw Far from Denmark and other B’ville rarities...which they’re all becoming. Re. Whims - That, too, is unfortunate. 

3 hours ago, Laurent said:

No, Pierre Lacotte's La fille de pharaon is not a fantasy "based on". It is a recreation aiming to preserve as much of the feel of the ballets of that period as possible, including lost and forgotten "small steps" (petits pas).

You’re absolutely correct, Laurent. It’s not merely a fantasy. Lacotte’s La Fille du Pharaon is a real treasure in the Bolshoi’s rep. God bless Pierre Lacotte and other stagers of these 19th-c ballets, with appropriate designs and the music as intended to be heard. If only the RDB also cared enough to return its Bournonville gems to the stage as they should be presented! For example, to remove the concept of Christianity from Napoli (and other Bournonville works) is like banning wine from French restaurants. 

Does the Royal Danish Ballet still perform Bournonville’s Far from Denmark? That one has a wince-enducing (but still cute, IMO) little dance for a black servant couple, Jason and Medea, and their retinue of kids banging drums...all white dancers, in blackface. I’m wondering if the company’s progressive AD, Hubbe, has eliminated this ballet from the rep because of the Jason/Medea dance?

Here is the joyful music for the dance, to Gottschalk’s Le Bananier:

Alas - or maybe thankfully, some would say - the ballet is no longer on YouTube. 

Free, beginning at 2pm this Saturday at Kennedy Center. Ashley Bouder will host. Many free performances, in many genres, throughout the afternoon and evening! Are you ready to learn & perform the official group dance? Film of the dance, and details of the day, are in this notice:

http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/event/DSDSK

I’m curious to know if Doug Fullington’s research on the six River Variations ever resulted in a performance suite? I remember that a lot of his early work with the Stepanov notes was first set on students, such as the Corsaire Jardín Animé. Was the Pharaoh’s Daughter Rivers Suite (six variations) ever staged in Seattle?

6 hours ago, MadameP said:

Here is Olga Smirnova in the beautiful "underwater" scene from Pharaoh's Daughter.  I love her grace in this, the choreography, costumes, scenery, music - everything.  I am very glad to see this fabulous ballet back in the current Bolshoi repertoire and hope they perform it again next season.   In my opinion, it IS well worth its place in the repertoire, and far more so than some of the current horrors currently wasting space in the playbill!  

 

 

Another heartfelt “thanks” to MadameP for this lovely clip of Smirnova leading the Underwater scene. I’m only sorry that Lacotte revived (rethought) only three of the six River Variations, as there were originally six and all exist in the Stepanov notations. Didn’t PNB’s Doug Fullington once revive all six of the River Variations?