Inga

Marga, thank you!

Hi Marga, thank you for the info. I think Dmitry Gudanov is very talented dancer, and Nutcracker Prince is one of his best parts! His bio (in Russian) can be found on http://www.ballet.classical.ru/b_gudanov.html Marga, do you know the names of the “ few of these students have gone on to train at the Bolshoi”, may be I saw them in Moscow? What Dmitry Belogolovtsev danced with CBT? I hope after the performances somebody will write here the impression, I curious to know how it will be.

Thalictum, Moscow critics trash Moscow ballet as well, it’s their style . When there was Lopatkina, they praised her, when there was Sologub, the reception was colder. And last time there was not so many interviews. Vishneva and Zakharova have success but there was not such a rave about the company as before.

It’s really looks as if in the last years Kirov management lost it’s grip. I remember in 1998 or something there was much talking in the press about great Kirov ballet and “baby ballerinas” Lopatkina, Vishneva and Zakharova who at the time was new for many people, there was articles in many newspapers, programs on TV. Now there is not so much attention to the Kirov, and there is no new ballerinas who have such a reputation. Critics in Moscow have not much raving about Kirov when it danced here last time. May be Kirov have no new good dancers, may be they just don’t want to advertise their new ballerinas. This time Kirov ever nominated no ballerinas for the Golden Mask Award, they nominated boys only, Sarafanov and Fadeev, for their parts in Etudes. The press write that Kirov suffered from the endless touring that is hard to bear, and it give to the dancers no time to prepare their roles and even premieres is not well prepared. Also the tough style of the management don’t give to the dancers to refuse the roles they don’t like and so on. One critic think it’s the reasons why Zakharova leaved the Kirov for the Bolshoi. May be Zakharova’s departure also was considered as a sign that Kirov have problems.

Biography (in Russian) of Alexei Ratmansky can be found on http://www.ballet.classical.ru/b_ratmansky.html

Nina Ananiashvili's biography can be found on http://www.ballet.classical.ru/b_enina.html

Svetlana Lunkina’s biography can be found on http://www.ballet.classical.ru/b_elunkina.html

October 27, Pierre Lacotte’s “La Fille du Pharaon” Svetlana Zakharova, Sergei Filin, Maria Alexandrova, Gennady Yanin. The performance was rather mediocre. In the first act Zakharova’s acting consisted of a big simper without any variation. Toward the end of the ballet she developed some charm but the ballet asks for more. The most shocking for me was the choreography she danced: it was not the movements that other Bolshoi’s ballerinas (Ananiashvili, Gracheva, Alexandrova) did in the part! Zakharova danced a much more simplified version! The variations that looked in the past like French lace, with Zakharova were turned into simple school exercises! May be Lacotte himself castrated his own creation to adjust it to Zakharova’s abilities – with her long legs she apparently have problems with that “small” French technique. Or she did it on her own accord? The performance was filmed by the French TV, so the ballet will be saved in history in the “light” version…. I think it’s a great pity because the original ballerina variations was much more beautiful. To say nothing about Zakharova’s very modest artistry. Sergei Filin was better – he was the creator of the role, his dancing abilities were as great as always, but he didn't look very inspired. However Maria Alexandrova as Ramze and Gennady Yanin as Taor’s servant looked very good. Their warmth and commitment looked especially pleasant in comparison with the coldness of the leading dancers. I also liked Anna Tsigankova, Denis Medvedev and Anastasia Yatsenko who danced variations.

On October 19 I saw Pierre Lacotte’s La Fille du Pharaon with Maria Alexandrova and Ruslan Skvortsov. Both principals made their debuts in the roles just 3 days before. Maria Alexandrova was just superb. She was very strong technically in her variations and did complicated movement that no other ballerina did in the role. More that that, she was so majestic and beautiful, so skillfully show the beauty of the classical movements! She weared her glittering costumes with such a dignity as if it was made of real gold and diamonds. She was real miracle. The only reason why the performance dont was really great was Ruslan Skvortsov. He cannot cope with the technique, and the adagios apparently gave to Alexandrova many unpleasant moments, he hited her and so on. We cannot talk about chemistry in that case. His own variations did not improve my opinion about him. Anastasia Yatsenko was very good as Ramze – sweet naive soubrette. Anastasia Goriacheva was nice looked but absent-minded in the grand pas.

Love Legend, September 14 Mekhmene Banu – Maria Alexandrova Ferkhad – Alexander Volchkov Shirin – Marianna Ryzhkina Masha Alexandrova at last made her debut in the part! The role of the oriental Queen is good for Masha’s personality – she was strong leader, showing both charisma of prima ballerina and power of Impress. That queen hold tight her country and all the neighbourhood, and in her love for the court painter Ferkhad she want to forget her duties and be just a simple woman with simple man. In her dancing she showed more enthusiasm than drama (it’s rather sad story) but her stage presence and inner fire made that performance really memorable.

Pop show dancing and classical ballet – it’s different things. Ms. Volochkova is beautiful woman who may be good as a model or pop dancer, but as a classical ballerina in last times she is awful. Volochkova’s technique is very weak, her Raymonda last May was a disaster because she cannot cope with the demanding choreography. She still can turn but she have weak jump, she cannot do movements that need speed and quick change of direction. Her stage behavior is cold and monochrome, without any acting abilities. Her only good stage quality is her good look. Bolshoi Ballet is serious company that cannot give principal roles to such a weak dancer. Volochkova have her fans but they usually dont mix with the fans of ballet. I hear that Volochkova’s own galas in different consert halls usually sold well, but the tickets for her performances in the Bolshoi solds badly. Year ago, on the Benois de la Danse ceremony in the Bolshoi, Ms. Volochkova was booed by the audience. Bolshoi apparently dont need her. Madonna is a good pop singer but nobody expect her to sing Traviata with Metropolitan Opera, so why Volochkova must dance with the Bolshoi?

For me the most interesting moment was Diana Vishneva in La Bayadere. In spite of her unsecure turns she have great stage presence so I enjoyed her dancing. Sarafanov is incredibly gifted dancer, he resembled young Malakhov. However he is not yet credible Solor. Uliana Lopatkina still have stage presence but she have something of old woman about her. I hope she will achieve good form in the future. In “Le Corsaire” pas de deux Zakharova was sweet but less strong technically than usual. Zelensky was more strong that in the winter but he still put away hard liftings from that part. At last Ruzimatov in the same pas de deux did more above-head liftings.

On May 1 Maria Alexandrova made her debut as Esmeralda in Roland Petit’s Notre Dame de Paris. She have the role at last! In the first act she was assured and technically strong but rather bland. But her second act - it was a miracle!!! Masha showed her stage presence and was full of emotions! In the adagio with Quasimodo (superb danced by tender Nikolai Tsiskaridze) she was bright and playful, she was like splash of cold green sparks! When talked with Frollo (Yan Godovsky) she looked like tiger in the cage, craving for freedom! In the end, when she go out of The Cathedral before the execution, she radiated such a power and hate for Frollo that audience almost physically feel the hit! She go round the stage, staggering, so painfully beautiful!!! If she danced the first act as beautifully as she danced the second, her performance would be a historical event! May be she began the performance so low because she was not ready - it was her second debut in last two weeks (she danced The Ballerina on the premiere of Ratmansky’s Bright Stream), or because she was not at ease with the new role. I hope Masha will dance it again and we will see her in her full star power.

Marc, the Bright Stream scheduled for 5 times in April and 2 times in June. I saw two more performances of the ballet with different casts, and I am happy to say that there was several very good performances from different dancers. Anastasia Yatsenko (Zina) was moving and graceful. Elena Andrienko (The Ballerina) whom I never like in classical parts, was charming and convincing as actress. Yan Godovsky (The Ballet Dancer) was a little miracle – he admirable showed different moods of his personage, with all his changes from ballet star to simple man dancing, from Sylphide to a girl and to a man. Young Daria Gurevich and Irina Yatsenko (first year with the Company, Anastasia Yatsenko’s sister) was both very good as the schoolgirl Galya. Denis Savin (also first year with the Bolshoi) was wonderful gipsy-like The Accordion Player. Andrei Bolotin was impressive as The Tractor Driver. I also like Lubov Filipova as The female dasha-dweller.

On April 18 Bolshoi Ballet showed world premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s Bright Stream (the name is in the program book, not Limpid Stream!), and it was big success. The main impression from the ballet – it’s very funny and looked like no other, the ballet have it’s own “personality”. During the second act the audience laughed almost interminable! The Ratmansky’s choreography looked very simple, with many movements from classical vocabulary, or ballroom dancing, or acrobatics. But the simplicity is deceptive - alltogether it speak volumes. There is also many funny episodes that showed Ratmansky’s rich fantasy and keen sense of humor. The main parts was danced by Inna Petrova (Zina, Petr’s wife), Yuri Klevtsov (Petr, the agricultural student), Maria Alexandrova (The ballerina), Sergei Filin (The Ballet Dancer), Gennady Yanin (The Accordion Player). I was not particularly moved by Petrova and Klevtsov but the last three stars looked fantastic! Masha Alexandrova as The Ballerina, just stunning by her stage presence and technique, was strong prima-ballerina in the first act. In the second act the Ballerina disguised herself into male costume of the Classical Dancer and go to a date with an ageing female dasha-dweller who courted The Dancer – dressed like man, Masha looked like saucy little devil! She have big success, critics called it her best part, but I think she must be more varied in her emotions because both her personages (male and female) looked a bit flat in spite of her rare charisma. Sergei Filin as The Ballet Dancer showed star presence as well but he also was convincing as actor. In the first act he was just the image of Regular Guy of 30ies – modest, manly, simple, he danced in the Soviet style of the time. In the second act The Dancer put on a costume of Sylphide and go to a date with an old male dasha-dweller who courted The Ballerina, and pretend to be her. It was impossible not to laugh when he played Sylphide, or young woman in love, or forget that he must be a woman and behaved like man! Gennady Yanin was The Accordion Player who courted village schoolgirl Galya. He was real seducer in brave officer style. I think my review looks ragged but it all was very complicated to describe especially in foreign language. Main thing – the ballet was enthusiastically received by the audience and by the critics so it was a triumph for choreographer Alexei Ratmansky and good aquisition for the Company.

balletstar811, I saw the link. Lunkina and Gudanov didnt danced La Spectre in Moscow in last years to the sorrow of their fans who just saw the photos and read reviews. On the http://www.memimiracle.com/movies/petersburg/cast.htm is bios of the movie actors of “StPeterburg-Cannes Express” including Lunkina, and there is enigmatic remark that Svetlana “will next perform as a prima ballerina at the La Scala Di Milano Theatre in Italy”. I wonder is it mean that she will guest with the La Scala Ballet? May be somebody know anything about it?

On April 9 I saw Nutckracker with Anastasia Goriacheva and Dmitry Gudanov in the Bolshoi’s filial building. The Filial of the Bolshoi Theatre, so-called New Stage, was opened last autumn. The two buildings stand near each other and have underground communication. Filial stage is smaller than that of the main building so they usually perform there “small” ballets – Giselle, La Fille mal gardee and Nutckacker. When the Filial was opened it was general disappointment: the acoustics was so awful that people in the orchestra badly hear the singing in operas, but on ballet performances people in the tier hear very well not only bumping when a dancer landed after his jump but also squeak of point shoes when a ballerina moved on her pointes. Stage floor was called very slippery. The auditorium have many places, even expensive ones, from where you see almost nothing or must sit in very uncomfortable position with your nose on dusty border. It seems that in the orchestra the view is good but on the tier you have decent view only from central seats and NOT on the first row. The Bolshoi management is trying to improve something and have some results but to make the auditorium comfortable they should destroy the house and build it anew with more professional architect. The building is decorated very lovely but it cannot help. It’s unusual to see Nutckracker performed in spring but I liked it anyway. Goriacheva danced Masha with commitment and her personage was beautiful – lovely, tender, modest girl. She is very charming dancer with stage presence and the only drawback I saw was that she was almost the same in the beginning of the ballet and in the end, without developing her character. Dmitry Gudanov as the leading male was not at his best, he was just a nice boy doing ballet pas but not the Prince at all. His technique was not always secure, and wandering fouette without turnout on the working leg was rather deplorable. Gudanov is very gifted by nature, he always have some charm, but he is uneven dancer. The rest of the company was good. I like Xenia Pchelkina as the Nutckracker Doll, Yulia Chicheva and Morihiro Ivata as the Chinesse Dolls, Anastasia Yatsenko (Spanish Doll), Gennady Yanin (Russian Doll).

Naoko S, the magazine exist for many years, their site exist since 2000 but for some time it was poorly supported. Sorry, I know nothing about the foreign advisors.

http://www.russianballet.ru Russian Ballet Magazine, Russian and English versions. The site have short summaries of the magazine’s issues.

Marc, you may think the style romantic and interesting because for you it is exotic but for me there is nothing new . May be if I saw Kirov’s Manon several times I’ll like the rendition more but on that performance I thought I see travesty on Don Quixotte. At March 17 Manon was danced by Diana Vishneva. I dont see the performance but hear favorable opinions about the ballerina.

At March 16 I saw Kirov’s Manon Manon – Svetlana Zakharova De Grieux – Ilya Kuznetsov Lescaut – Maxim Khrebtov G.M. - Alexander Kurkov Lescaut’s Mistress – Natalia Sologub My main impression –Svetlana Zakharova. She have exceptional physical abilities - wonderful grace, plastique, technique, beautiful appearance, “singing” arms and legs – it’s miracle! She apparently seriously worked on her interpretation – every smile, every gesture put in it’s place. However that scheme worked only in the first act where she was radiant with youth, beauty and freshness. In the second and third acts she still attempted to act but the radiance was gone. Manon is very complicated role that need good acting abilities, whereas Zakharova was credible as innocent young girl but rather bland as corrupted and broken creature. I think Zakharova have very narrow emploi: she may be charming when she play young fragile beauty but when she try to play something else she became uninteresting. The rest of the company was too cold to be impressive. The only soloist (except Zakharova) I liked was Andrei Ivanov as the Beggar Chief. Marc, on the performance at March 15 the public was more polite than enthusiastic. I hear that on the opening night when Carmen was danced by Diana Vishneva and Middle Duo by Svetlana Zakharova the audience loved the ballerinas. However the program was rather unsuccessful. Tatiana Kuznetsova, the dance critic of the Kommersant newspaper, write that in the Kirov, Petit’s ballets did not work because the company have “too much pathos and too little sensuality”. I think Kirov Ballet have their own serious aristocratic style of dancing but Petit’s ballet call not for gravity but for liveliness, and they lack it. The same story with Manon – the company looked too cold and reserved.

I think the school have no website. Some info (in Russian) about it may be found on http://acareer.ru/h_schools/247.htm http://www.dancelife.ru/Study/high.htm

Exchange tour between Bolshoi and Kirov is in progress. At March 11,12 Bolshoi Ballet danced in StPeterburg two ballets by Roland Petit – Passacalia and Dame Pique. At March 14,15 Kirov Ballet performed in Moscow Roland Petit’s Carmen and Jeune Homme et La Mort and Alexei Ratmansky’s Middle Duo. At March 16,17 they will dance Manon. I saw the Kirov performance at March 15: Carmen – Natalia Sologub, Andrei Merkuriev Middle Duo – Zhanna Ayupova, Islom Baimuradov Jeune Homme et La Mort – Yulia Makhalina and Andrian Fadeev. The first ballet looked like funeral. Very serious and no erotic. The less is said about Sologud, the better. Merkuriev was watchable. Middle Duo was the only pleasant moment in the evening. Auypova was romantic and soulful, Baimuradov showed temperament and nice plastique. Jeune Homme et La Mort was rather dull. Fadeev is very beautiful boy with good technique but he have no stage presence. Makhalina looked rather repulsive.

Naoko S, thank you for the link! I really interested in that particular event so I hope to find a way to translate the page

Naoko S, cant’you give me a links to Japanese ballet sites where you saw comments about Zakharova and Zelensky in La Bayadere? Thank you!