Helene

According to Ismene Brown's latest blog: http://ismeneb.com/Blog/Entries/2013/10/29_Asylmuratova_said_to_be_still_considering_options.html Rector Dorofeeva submitted her resignation and has been hired by Kehkman as Deputy Director of the Mikhailovsky Ballet. Asylmuratova has not yet submitted her resignation. According to this article and a related blog entry with a translation of an interview with Tsiskaridze (dated 28 October), he had already spoken with Ministry of Culture in September 2012. Tsiskaridze's specialty in law school is Employment Law.

To answer the question in the title, no, but she seems to be in the plans for a different role. The news has been posted in the "Ballet News" forum. Please continue the discussion there: http://balletalert.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/37981-tsiskaridze-lopatkina-at-the-vaganova-ballet-academy/page-2#entry328596 I'm closing this thread so that there's one place to discuss this.

It's possible actual footage was extended. He didn't say.

There's nothing to suggest they auditioned in Miami. In the Arizona Republic article, Ib Andersen states that normally he wouldn't have had positions open in June. Luckily for them and Ballet Arizona, he did. They defected at a tough time to get a contract in NA.

In the pre-performance interview with Peter Gelb, Kentridge discussed this.

The Vaganova School has produced many beautifully trained dancers over the last decade. If there's any aesthetic basis to Gergiev's power play -- talk about political -- it could be that the school has not produced enough contortionists. Kolpakova certainly wouldn't be more successful in this area. She would understand the coaching and training necessary to dance the rep into which the Bolshoi and Mariinsky have been trending. Plenty of musicians, teachers, dancers, and figure skating coaches went abroad in the early '90's, and many were politically connected to the Soviet system. Many have returned, some to great resentment that they are not flogged publicly for leaving, but to target Kolpakova would mean targeting many who've been welcomed back by the public. (Alexei Yagudin, who wore a Canada team jacket as a spectator at the SLC Olympics, draws crowds whenever he appears, replaced hip and all.) Kolpakova would face similar resentment within the School; however, part of Gergiev's strategy might be to clean house, which would solve that issue. Also, if Kolpakova has a fully oufitted free apartment in St. Petersburg, and got to pocket any cash she made, however low the salary, moving to NYC on salary for ABT in what is one of the most expensive cities in the world (then and now) far from family and friends in a place where ballet isn't nearly as respected, where there isn't fully subsidized institutional training, where she had to work in another language, and where she went from being a household name and cultural hero to being known and respected in a very small niche, is not exactly living high on the hog. A great opportunity that she's made the most of, surely.

Kolpakova left with the break-up of the Soviet Union, like many others. 80 is pretty old to take over a school. If she were offered a good enough deal, though, one that included real estate, I could imagine that she might like to return to St. Petersburg. She's been in New York for a long time.

According to this article, Arianni Martin has also joined Ballet Arizona and will make her debut in the lead of the upcoming production of Ib Andersen's "Cinderella," and they're waiting for a work permit for Alejandro Mendez, who is currently training with the company until the permit comes through. Also among the new dancers at BA from Cuban National Ballet is Annier Navarro, who the article says came to the US earlier than the seven who defected during the tour to Mexico. I listed Martin, Navarro, and Crespo in a roster update in the Ballet Arizona forum, but the names didn't strike me at the time, and the bios weren't yet up. Lisbet Companioni! I look forward to seeing these dancers during my next visit to Phoenix. Josue Justiz has joined the Studio Company of Washington Ballet: http://www.washingtonballet.org/sitewide-bios/justiz-josue which would make Diaz and Santana the two dancers who are in Puerto Rico. I surmise that because the public-facing part of Santana's Facebook Page lists him as a former member of National Ballet of Cuba, shows photos of him dancing, and states that he's in a relationship with Annie Diaz, I've got the right people. Annie Diaz's Facebook Page says she works at Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico, whose website only features photos of six dancers. However, the video shows a bigger company. http://www.balletconcierto.com/%C2'>

I prefer the music to "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk," but I thought the entire integrated production was terrific. There was a lot of dancy movement in it, mostly in the animation, but Paulo Szot had his moments, too.

The dancer's name is Robert Mead. Speight Jenkins just announced it during the curtain calls during the live broadcast, so I'm not sure how it's spelled.

Thank you for the report, Swanilda8! We don't hear enough about Boston, and I hope you'll keep us up to date on what you see.

I hope well: Cavanaugh was one of my favorite dancers in the company from the first time I saw him in "Serenade" in 2004.

Right about now, either Gomes or Sarabia might be considered Mericun. I was hoping for Alex Wong, myself.

Here's a new video featuring Lindsi Dec and Karel Cruz speaking about, performing in, and practicing "Petite Mort."

I'm so sorry I didn't mention the uncredited dancer who played the butler: he had the expert gumminess to do some hysterical physical comedy.

This past weekend, I saw two performances of Donizetti's "La Fille du Regiment" at Seattle Opera. It was a merry union of former Seattle Young Artists Program singers: soprano Sarah Coburn sang with Lawrence Brownlee on Saturday night and with Andrew Stenson on Sunday afternoon, a Seattle Opera family day. Speight Jenkins spoke before each performance, opening with an announcement that everyone was healthy, and then asking those who had subscribed to all 50 Seattle Opera seasons to stand. The curtain is always held until he takes his seat; on Sunday afternoon it took longer than usual, as he accompanied Sarah Coburn's 4-year-old daughter to their seats. The production by Emilio Sagi, with sets and costumes by Julio Galan was created for Teatro Communale de Bologna, and has been performed over ten times, with the costs of this intercontinental shipment shared by Seattle and San Diego Operas. It is set in a small village in France in 1945 at the end of WWII, and the regiment is American. According to Jenkins, Seattle Opera invested a lot in upgrading the sets and costumes, including getting the military insignia right. The update makes it more difficult to get the acting and timing right, because the audience expects something more realistic, even with a goofball plot, than something set in another century, and the ensemble cast found a sweet spot. Kudos to Coburn who is onstage for most of the opera. I'd listened to the 2013 Neue Stimmen competition a few weekends ago, one aria for each semi-finalist and two for each finalist. Since it showcases young, polished professionals -- the gowns were red-carpet worthy and most of the bodies would look at home there, too -- there aren't a lot of deep rich mezzos or big dramatic or Wagnerian sopranos, and had they not gone for some gender diversity -- the standard is one first, second, and third prize for each gender -- I'm sure I would have heard "Una voce poco fa" and Lucia's mad scene even more times than I did. In "La Fille" Coburn had her share of happy, show-offy stuff, but listening to her sing the emotional first act closing aria, I would not have tired of it if half of the finalists had chosen it, even if they could not have spun it so finely and with such delicacy, pathos, and sensitivity to the text, not to mention with some crazy high notes. Choosing between Lawrence Brownlee and Andrew Stenson should be a false predicament: the best way to enjoy this opera is to hear them both. Brownlee's voice gets richer and richer while maintaining its golden tone, and everything was note-perfect, including the beautiful second act aria in which he declares his love for Marie to the Marquise of Berkenfield, her supposed aunt. Stenson is younger and his voice isn't as big -- this isn't really an issue in McCaw Hall -- but he's a more mature stylist than most singers with a decade on him, and his voice is lovely. Alexander Hajek made his Seattle Opera debut as Sulpice, a tough role that shifts from comedian to trusted confidant, something that could easily fall flat. With his strong baritone and excellent acting skills, he found the elusive balance. Veteran singer and voice teacher Joyce Castle played the Marquise of Berkenfield. In period productions she'd swish in with the huge dress of an aristocrat, but in this updated production, she wore a practical and somewhat drab (although surely expensive) suit, and while it didn't quite make her a serious character, taking it down a notch made it possible to "hear" her character. The same was true of her elegant velvet dress in the wedding contract signing scene: it's possible to envision Maggie Smith wearing it in "Downton Abbey" had her character lived long enough. It was the Duchess of Krackenthorp who had the big entrance and the huge dress, not surprisingly because the role was played by Peter Kazaras, who did it as straight as a big, tall tenor in two bolts of silk could possibly do. Kazaras' gifts as an actor and comedian are legendary in Seattle: he gave a presentation during this past summer's Cycle III "Ring" symposium of a minute-by-minute account of what it was like to be Loge, and I don't think any of us stopped laughing for the entire hour. He more than met expectations -- embodying imperiousness, singing the drunk song from "La Perichole" for the guests, and, after the Marquise reconciles Marie and Tonio and dashes the wedding plan, getting happily tipsy in the corner, courtesy of the servants. He could easily have taken over the scene, but like Allen Galli in the Ratmansky "Don Q" PNB presented a few years ago with Tom Skerritt, he pulled it back enough so that he and Castle were in perfect counterpoint. There were several other roles played wonderfully. The unattributed (silent) actor who played the young Duke and Coburn had a meet-for-the-first-time moment that was right out of Lise and Alain in "La Fille Mal Gardee." Long time chorus member Karl Marx Reyes -- talk about a great name -- has done many small character roles, and here he played the Marquise's loyal factotum Hortensius, desperately trying to keep his boss out of trouble. This production was a joy, and "La Fille" has some very beautiful music in it aside from "Ah mes amis," especially Marie's end of Act I scene and Tonio's Act II aria. For those in the Seattle area, it plays Saturday, October 26, Wednesday October 30, and Saturday November 2 with Lawrence Brownlee and Friday, November 1 with Andrew Stenson. For those who are not, this Saturday's (October 26) performance will be broadcast on KING radio/online, starting at 7:30pm PDT, 10:30pm EDT.

I didn't realize Bartlett Sher directed the world premiere of Nico Muhly's "Two Boys" at the Metropolitan Opera, which opened this past Monday.

San Francisco is not in NY, you know. And, of course, Kochetkova, who started her career at the Royal Ballet years before Osipova, could not possibly have her own approach and just wants to be like Osipova.

Here's a 3-minute interview with Merrill Ashley on "Ballo della Regina" with practice clips; it was linked from MCB's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151642547366090&set=vb.10244171089&type=2&theater

The very basic set-up at the Kennedy Center, Juilliard (for Master Classes), and the Guggenheim (for Works & Process) isn't nearly expensive as the HD broadcasts, but I don't know how many companies want to be seen in such a primitive form. I'm sure they'd all love to be on the big screen.

Welcome to Ballet Alert!, Lobella! You've found a community of ballet lovers

Many thanks for the dancer ID's, cantdance! I really liked Valerie Tellmann in "Agon." It's also nice to Alison Basford again: she dance with PNB in the 00's.

Who was the woman in "Agon"?

I know I'm supposed to love "Agon" the best of the black-and-white ballets, like I'm supposed to love Enrico Caruso, but I love "Episodes" best of all, and I can't see it enough. I hope Ib Andersen can get "Mozartiana" someday for Ballet Arizona, and I'd love to see "Pas de Dix" as well.

Next was Terpsichore's solo, Apollo's solo, and the pas de deux from "Apollo." Magnacaballi danced with Michael Cook, I think. "Agon" is being announced now. Excerpt from second pas de trois. Women's solo through the end. Kenna Draxton? Edited to Add: oops, no, she's not with SFB this season. Heather Ogden? Last up: "Pas de Dix" excerpt. The ending, with Magnicaballi and Cook.