I am new to ballet performances and therefore from a layman's point, here goes:
There was a change in the ballets being performed and the dancers.@It was actually as follows:
Rose Adagio from Sleeping Beauty
Elena Esveeva, 4 princes
Pas de Quatre
Oksana Shestakova, Irina Perren, Elvira Khabibulina, Oksana Kutcheruk
Sleeping Beauty Grand PDD
Diana Vishneva, Igor Kolb
Romeo and Juliet (Balcony Scene)
Svetlana Zakharova, Andrian Fadeev
Don Quixote
Elena Filipjeva, Denis Matvienko
La Sylphide
Nataliya Ledovskaya, Ilya Kuznetsov
Cinderella Grand PDD
Aurelia Schaeffer, Chris Roelandt
L'apres-midi d'un faune
Maya Plisetskaya, Charles Jude
Raymonda Grand PDD
Yulia Makhalina, Mark Peretokin
Tchaikovsky PDD
Diana Vishneva, Igor Kolb
Giselle Act 2
Evelyn Hart, Farukh Ruzimatov
I think I now understand the "emploi" discussion in this board (in other threads). Diana Vishneva just is not Princess Aurora. She does not come across as princess-like. It was a lot of high extensions and tutu flopping over the head. However, she was brilliant in the Tchaikovsky PDD@- definitely a highlight of the programme, with a standing ovation. She was vivacious and her pirouettes were just amazing. (Although the stage was rather small and she almost pirouetted right into the wings!).
Svetlana Zakharova gave a very sweet and breezy performance in Romeo and Juliet. As for DonQ, Denis Matvienko had nice bouncy and energetic jumps. I thought Elena Filipjeva was not flighty and springey enough, as a Kitri, but her fouette turns notched up the excitement level in the hall and from there, she and Denis Matvienko livened things up. The DonQ was a very enjoyable performance.
Maya Plisetskaya did not do much dancing, more like stylized walking. But I am glad she came anyway. Despite all the criticisms about Yulia Makhalina's style of dancing, I think she has very nice poses. Evelyn Hart brought back some gentle ballet. No high extensions or showiness, but very graceful and elegant ballet. Ruzimatov is Ruzimatov, of the high jumps and arched back. Again, a very enjoyable performance from Hart and Ruzimatov.
After the perfomance, I stayed back to collect autographs. Evelyn Hart and Maya Plisetskaya very sweetly and patiently signed autographs for everyone! Because there were so many to sign, the people at Bunkamura pulled out a chair, and later a table, for Maya Plisetskaya to sit down and sign! Ruzimatov on the other hand walked right out, making no eye contact and not signing any autographs - even though the fans had waited out in the cold for over an hour for him (he was being interviewed)!
Today's performance was taped by the networks! It will be shown on the following dates (in Japan, of course!):
NHK - April 6 (Sun) 10pm
BS-2 - May 24 (Sat) 12.00am (I think this means from mid-night of Friday)
Also, the 4 ballerinas who did the Pas de Quatre have also shot an advertisement for Marche curries here in Japan! The advertisement will be released on Feb 17. Curry and ballet? :eek: