Thalictum

Very good, idea, Mashinka, it's the people like Scherbakov who are indeed "stuck," who work hardest at proving themselves and creating something original and unusual onstage. The abuse they suffer at the hands of the company even seems to give them a different emotional depth.

Right on, Natalia!

In recent months I have felt that a return to Soviet-style didacticism was occuring as the company relentlessly flogged that specious succession lineage.

No, I made a mistake Natalia, I meant White Nights 2004 and I've

changed it in my post. If my friend still has the program I'll try to check it. It's listed on the electronic affiche without any casting.

Mashinka, Scherbakov will dance 1 of the 4 Mercutios in London (apparently!).

How can we possibly take seriously the idea of "emploi" at the Mariinsky when Korsakov now dances Solor and Albrecht (and was scheduled, then scrubbed, for Jean de Brienne last April)? Not to mention Sarafanov, who dances every danseur noble role in the rep regularly?

The Kirov only invokes "emploi" when it wants to keep someone out of a role.

The only functional emploi active these days is the dancer's relationship with the management.

I do predict that, after her triumphs in New York, Vishneva will dance Odette/Odile at the Mariinsky in 2005-2006

Kolpakova did, however, rehearse Swan Lake. Probably she herself or her coach decided she shouldn't do it, because if she had insisted, she could have gotten performances -- at least after Sergeyev left in 1970.

A friend of mine saw Samova in Etudes at the Mariinsky during White Nights, 2004. At least when she read me the program over the phone it had Samova's name in as the lead.

Selina is a very busy soloist. Do people feel she should be doing more?

She was superb in La Valse last January at Kennedy Center.

My way of dealing with the current casting decisions by the Kirov may well be to severely curtail my future visits to the company.

Samova's Etudes debut was a year ago, incredible as it seems.

Tkachenko was dreadful compared to what the role should be. She didn't fall down, but there wasn't one imperial moment in the entire performance.

She's been good in other things -- in fact I thought she looked very promising at the Kennedy Center in 2002 -- but she's been pushed way too fast.

Dumchenko reportedly danced brilliantly at Lopatkina's gala June 22. She also gave a superb Juliet last December. I don't know why she was wobbly in Cardiff. She dances quite infrequently now -- although three times in the Lopatkina evening -- and it is hard to regain shape that way. She is a great favorite in London, and was on maternity leave last time the Kirov was there two years ago.

Personally I'd rather see her wobble than watch Tkachenko plod.

I don't know whether Scherbakov dances Mercutio in London.

I assume Baimuradov and Zubkovsky will be there -- don't know for sure.

Couldn't agree with you more about Samova.

There may be people who have bought tickets to see Vishneva and Sarafanov dance together that night. They may well be disappointed.

No, Helene, I'm not going to tell you exactly who told me what so that I can watch more careers be destroyed. If you don't think what I'm saying is authentic, so be it.

Well most of the people making decisions there have spent most of their life as Soviets and remain Soviet in their methods and mind sets.

Not that these things don't go on here as well.

And a source close to [snip]

Tkachenko was dreadful in Ballet Imperial in her debut several months ago.

How dare they not bring Dumchenko for Juliet?????!!!!!!

How dare they take Ivanova out of the Forsythe????!!!!! After Forsythe picked her for the St. Petersburg opening?

And how sad that London will not see Vishneva's magnificent Odette/Odile!!!!

Let's say that Samova, Bolshakova, and Vostrontina could learn a lot from seeing it.

Some of those performances are not going to happen as scheduled.

Antonicheva dances like a dream, more classical than many of the current Kirov principals.

But the wardrobe person isn't always in the wings with the dancer.

Carbo, Wiles has a much more perfect classical physique than Kolpakova, who had a short torso and very long legs, long but not arched feet. What did you find superior about Kolpakova's physique?

The video Carbro must have seen is a ca. 1980 Raymonda live at the Kirov that was shown over the BBC. It's at the Library of Performing Arts in New York.

Hans I agree with you -- let's see more of Bystrova!!

If I were a Londoner, I'd wish that the Kirov would for once try to display its real depth of talent, and give each of the four performances to a different Odette/Odile. I might even go to London to see that.

Samova is not a star; she is a dancer being cast in lead roles.

Could it be Darcy Bussell, Paul?

What's sad is that the Kirov doesn't seem to understand that it is competing that week with its own Part and Vishneva's Swan Lakes at ABT in NY -- each dances the role twice that week.

How many Terpsichores did Part and Meunier dance respectively?

Who dances it Monday night? Does anybody know?

Monique's dancing is so moving -- what a profound grasp she exhibits of the expressive possibilities of Balanchine.

I agree with you, Carbro, Reyes' dancing was more dignified than usual.

I must apologize for saying weeks ago that Veronika Part would never actually go ahead and dance the Ballet Imperials for which she was scheduled. She certainly did make her debut in it last night, and was much more adept than I would have thought possible. She is a very serious dancer; she has been taking class at the School of American Ballet, I guess as part of her preparation -- but she is careful to do a long warm up before class!!

TWO Zakharova Don Qs and not ONE by Antonicheva!!!!????

As a record of her Beauty, I much prefer Kolpakova's 1976 performance with Soloviev -- also because he is a much greater dancer than Berezhnoi.

Osipenko will also teach in California this summer.