mtthwbrehm

3 hours ago, BalanchineFan said:

Perhaps I am quibbling, but of course it’s “really” Swan Lake. It’s certainly not Agon. It’s just not a full-length. Who says you need four or five acts to tell the story? Does it turn into a different story just because it’s shorter? Or do you need Odile for your Swan Lake?

Is Ashton’s The Dream not really Midsummer?

Is Balanchine’s Midsummer not really Midsummer for wrapping up the plot before intermission? Does that make it less authentic?

Perhaps I’m in a mood. 

Yes it is absolutely a different story because it's shorter. In fact there's not really a story at all. Balanchine's Nutcracker is always advertised as Balanchine's Nutcracker, but I have not seen this Swan Lake advertised with Balanchine's name prominently attached. It seems like the idea of a traditional Swan Lake is what motivates people to buy tickets. At Friday's show I passed by a couple who was arguing that there WOULD be another act, but had to be explained that this was not a traditional Swan Lake. 

You don't need a multiple act ballet to convey story, that is certain. However, when the work of art was designed to be seen in a multi-act staging, like Swan Lake, then in my opinion that difference should be made apparent to the casual buyer.

12 hours ago, vipa said:

 "I think Nadon and Hod are on principal track"

I hope you're right, especially about Hod. I watched Ms. Hod's Sugar Plum on Sunday and she was extraordinary. Her arms were expansive and expressive. Her interpretation was so grand and the audience loved it. That said, I've been extremely frustrated with her casting. Maybe I'm overlooking the schedule, but she only has two Sugar Plums this entire season, and I believe a similar number of Dewdrops (which she also excels in). After witnessing the extraordinary grand adagio I saw on Sunday, I cannot understand why she's being mostly cast in Hot Chocolate and Lead Flowers.

I believe this is actually for their summer 2020 tour.

Great to hear these comments! Thank you.

Wow it sounds like an incredible performance. Who replaced Olga during the second act?

On 2/4/2018 at 5:40 PM, Quinten said:

OMG.  How can this be?  I had such high hopes that her troubles were over.  What is going on with her?

 

Even the most experienced ballerinas still make mistakes every now and then. It wasn't a big deal. 

On 2/11/2018 at 11:16 AM, Buddy said:

Thanks, Mtthwbrehm, for your thoughts.

Based on your continued enthusiasm and what I've seen on the internet I may try to see Angela Vorontsova twice although it might involve a tight schedule from the airport. I've never bought flowers for a ballerina before, but I'd be glad to give it a try. If I do and you want your name included on a card please send me a personal message. At the Mariinsky I've often seen a lady arriving with an armload of very beautiful  bouquets, which I assume she's delivering for customers. It's a lovely sight and a lovely gesture.

Sorry I have not responded to this message, but I will send a personal message! Thank you so much

10 hours ago, Buddy said:

I like your choice of the word “effervescent” very much. Looking at a few other video clips, that’s how she seems. I’d like to discuss her, because although she’s not (not yet, anyway) part of the Mariinsky Festival, she will be part of my festival.

Much of her identity has been associated with the ‘Felin attack,’ of which I know little, like many. I would hope that time will show that she was perhaps naive and an innocent bystander who should be discussed here primarily as a fine artist. 

If you just look at her as an artist, I think that she’s very noteworthy. If you look at some of the internet interview video clips, she seems as innocent and precious a person as you could imagine. Again, my justification for mentioning this here is that I think that it reflects highly in her stage presence. It explains her ‘effervescence.’

I can direct message you if more appropriate than this forum, but I believe wholeheartedly in her innocence. She is an extremely beautiful and technically capable ballerina. On stage, I feel that she did not have to act. Her personality was just as sweet and innocent as Aurora. I'll never forgive myself for not bringing her flowers.

If it is within your interest, I would consider buying her a nice bouquet for the performance. 

1 hour ago, Buddy said:

I thought that Angelina Vorontsova might move to the Mariinsky. In any case she's as beautiful as many of the 'best' that I've seen at the Mariinsky and perhaps will be the best that I've seen at the Milkhailovsky.  

I saw Angelina this summer in the Sleeping Beauty. Out of all the ballerinas I saw in Petersburg and Moscow, her performance made the greatest impression. She was effervescent and beautiful, perfectly capturing Aurora. Mikhailovsky is lucky to have her and the theater's repertoire suits her well.

I think that having designated claques in the audience is a good thing. It makes the audience more engaged and more inclined to shout "bravo" and applaud as well. As long as claques aren't doing anything horrible to dancers behind the scenes, it seems to be a good institution. 

Over the summer I did study abroad in St. Petersburg and had the opportunity to watch performances at the Mariinsky, Mikhailovsky and Bolshoi. The claques at the Bolshoi made the performance much more interesting. No one around me ever seem disinterested or bored. It was a lot easier to work up the courage to cheer "Bravo" when people around you already were cheering. 

At the Mariinsky, without claques, you could hear a pen drop at the end of variations. At some performances, I made it my duty to applaud loudly. Only a performance of Swan Lake with Victoria Tereshkina had a lot of true ballet fans in attendance. Tereshkina was the only Mariinsky performance I attended which had multiple curtain calls.

At the Mikhailovsky the case was worse. The entire audience were tourists from cruise ships who had no idea what they were watching. I saw a performance of Nacho Duato's Sleeping Beauty and I had to start applause for Princess Aurora's (Angelina Vorontsova) entrance. I had never been more upset. Only at the Bolshoi did I feel like the audience truly enjoyed the ballet, and that was probably due to the claques. 

On 1/13/2018 at 1:26 AM, mnacenani said:

Yesterday tix were still available, extremely tempting ..... am trying to restrain myself 

PLEASE GO AND TELL US HOW IT IS. Mekhmene Banu is a perfect role for her. 

On 9/30/2017 at 9:49 AM, Fleurdelis said:

 

Not to worry. The Moscow style will be coming back in with the Vaganova newbies from now on, courtesy of Professor Tsiskaridze.

Tsiskaridze founded a committee to ensure the correct teaching of Vaganova's teaching. None of his recent graduates have taken on a Moscow style. 

So glad to hear that you enjoyed Anastasia Lukina. I saw her debut as Queen of the Dryads last summer on the fourth of July and she was not ready. She messed up the Italian fouettes, but I was still glad to bring her flowers!

I had the pleasure of attending both performances on Saturday. There has been a lot of critiques against Oksana, but the only noticeable error I saw was during the first en dedan pirouette of the scarf variation. It looked like Andrey hadn't given her the proper fabric length. She very visibly had to yank for more cloth before taking off into the next arabesque-pirouette section. Either way she finished the forward pirouettes with a clean triple on the music, something not a lot of ballerinas can do well. 

Andrey Ermakov impressed me immensely as Solor, his jumps were so high I was astounded. Anastasia Kolegova won me over as Gamzatti as well. Her italian fouettes were so exciting, and although they are a step I'm not partial to, I thought she did them extremely well. 

Ekaterina Kondaurova was beautiful in the evening performance but, I was not a fan of her costume in Act II. It looked a little tie-dye from where I was sitting; it did not translate too well. I enjoyed Timur Askerov as well, his jetes were so elegant. 

If only it could have premiered this summer!!! I had to stand and then sit for two back to back Don Quixotes, their 'Nureyev' alternative. Either way, hopefully some better recordings emerge online from the premiere. I suppose the Bolshoi decided to stall its Coppelia revival to make room for this. 

On 9/8/2017 at 12:02 AM, Drew said:

Welcome mtthwbrehm -- I'm in Atlanta and planning a trip to see the Mariinsky in D.C. as well.  If the casting holds as announced, it appears you will get to see several of your favorites .

Yes! I should be able to see Ekaterina Kondaurova and Oksana Skorik if the casting holds. 

6 hours ago, sandik said:

Greetings and salutations -- we're glad to have a correspondent from Houston, especially as you are all struggling to get your feet back underneath yourself.  Please do keep posting updates from your part of the map, and chime in on anything you see here that strikes your fancy.

 Thank you! I'm glad to be a part of this online community.

I am really hoping that the performances of Mayerling go on as scheduled. I wonder if Houston Ballet will try to find alternate venues - places like Jones Hall did not flood. Either way, best of luck as they are repairing and many thanks to the MET Dance Center.

I have followed these forums for a long time, but I only recently had the urge to make an account. I'm a university student in Texas and I used to be a ballet dancer. Although I only take ballet class once or twice a week, I regularly attend performances at Houston Ballet. Additionally, this summer I attended a Russian language course in St. Petersburg and had the opportunity to see performances at the Mariinsky, Mikhailovsky, and Bolshoi Ballet (we took a weekend trip to Moscow). Although Hurricane Harvey caused a lot of devastation, I am hoping to attend as many Houston Ballet performances as I can. Additionally, in October I will watch two performances of the Mariinsky's tour to Washington D.C.. My favorite dancers are Katherine Precourt, Karina Gonzalez, Connor Walsh, Nikolai Tsiskaridze, Angelina Vorontsova, Viktoria Tereshkina, Oksana Skorik, Ekaterina Kondaurova, and Maria Alexandrova.