NO7

Thanks for the info, Kevin. For the casting, I guess the leading roles won't be anyone else but (the same old) Zakharova/Gumerova/Korsuntsev and Kolb. I wish I could go to Beijing to see Siegfried and his Swan queen make their adventure to the Great Wall of China.

I was in London last week and expected to see the stellar couple--Cojocaru& Kobborg in Don Q Wednesday night. But Nunez and Acosta didn't disappoint me at all. They were just fantastic, like what Lolly wrote. I saw Nunez a year ago in the Nutcracker and wasn't impressed much. But now she becomes one of my favourite RB dancers. I hope she'll be promoted principal in near future. Nunez as Dulcinea and Galeazzi as the Queen of the Dryads were absolutely stunning in Act II. They both danced beautifully. Acosta's solos were the fireworks. He brought the house down everytime he executed it. But I think I didn't see him doing the one handed lift that night. I don't think I missed it despite suffering from a jetlag. The overall performance was so good that I didn't even want to blink!

Michael, Tatiana Tkachenko was the prize winner of the International Ballet Competition. I think it's Vaganova-Prix 2000. I saw her last year in St Petes during the 1st Mariinsky Ballet Festival. She was quite good and the audience loved her especially in Suite from Laurencia.

Thanks, all. I believe it's the dancers' spirit that could turn offstage 'enemies' into onstage lovers. Interesting to know further that, for Kirov, male dancers sometimes consider their partners as rivals.

I've been curious for a long time about partnering in ballet. Are there rules/criteria for choosing who partners who? What will be happening if the company agreed to have Mr.X dance with Miss.Y, and the audience loved them too, but they never ever get on well off-stage. Could anyone throw light on it, please? Comparing between Royal Ballet and Kirov (unfortunately I've only been familiar with these two companies), the former seems to promote permanent partnerships between dancers, while the latter, as everybody realises, likes to switch around.

Manhattnik, you posted only a second after me. Thank you for the info about the cast for Wed. night (although not intentionally!;) ) So glad you like Gumerova, a girl from Moscow. She is definitely taller than Vishneva and Zakharova (approx 5'8"). Don't miss her in Rubies. Great techniques and stylish. But I still doubt with her Odette/Odile. She wasn't quite into the character. Hope she will improve. And if you've got a chance. Try to see her in Le Corsaire as Medora. Simply wonderful.

Couldn't agree more with Jeannie and Alexandra. Although I don't have insight knowledge and experience in ballet, I still believe 'much mime&less dance' is fit quite well to any dramatic ballets. Take Fokine's Scheherazade as an example..where are pointe shoes? But I really love it (please.. don't throw eggs on me! ). I think this is how the story is told. When I encountered La Bayadere (by POB) for the first time, the only scene that struck me was the mime in ACT II. While I found Shades scene a bit tedious (just like Kirov's Swan lake Act III). Now back to the Met Season. It's very discouraging to hear that 1/3 of the audience left the hall. It's too bad if they were only looking for excitement. Can anyone kindly describe me the reaction of the rest of the audience during the curtain calls? And how about the casting for Wed. matinee and eve.?

OK Jeannie. See you in St Petes next spring. BTW do you have any info about the int'l ballet festival 'A Visit to St Petersburg' to be held sometime during March to April?

It's not a surprise, Jeannie. I was sure my favourite 'Igorushka' would do the best! Not until can I see this new production myself that I would be able to tell you if that dance in Divertissement is Thai or Balinese;) Oh..and if Tsiskaridze dances the first night for the Met season, what about the rest then? a big change again? Thanks very much for your vivid report. Can't wait to read more!

First off, it's wiser not to count on Kirov's provisional casting. No matter how good Zelensky is, at least at the time being, it's likely that he won't be able to appear in NYC due to his injury. I think there will be a big change in casting after all. For Vishneva, her Nikiya may be too sophisticated for someone. But for me she's unsurpassed in Rubies. I saw Zakharova doing Swan Lake three times in London and I think she's only second to Lopatkina.

Thanks for good news, Jeannie. Hope she doesn't have a plan to quit dancing. Pozdravlyayu Lopatkina!

Heard that the Kirov Ballet will be making an agreement to tour Mexico City annually for ten years time. Next year they will perform Romeo&Juliet (which I voted for the worst production of the Kirov:p ). Meanwhile, the cast for Swan Lake to perform next week at the Auditorio Nacional include Nioradze, Korsuntsev, Gumerova, Kolb, and Part.

As fas as I know, the gala will be held on the 14th, featuring Chopiniana, Don Q grand pdd, Scheherazade, and an excerpt from Sleeping Beauty. The dancers include Fadeyev, Kolb, Sologub, Makhalina, Gumerova, and Golub.

I remember well that Alina was also very moving in A Month in the Country. She made me really believe that she fell hopelessly in love with Massimo Merru. I felt sympathy for her so much that I wanted to grab Merru and ask..how could you possibly turn that girl down, stupid? Back to reality, I particularly adore Alina for her role in the Nutcracker. She's the best Clara I've ever seen.

Thanks for the report, Kevin. Nice to know that Sologub and Pavlenko are on a high these days.

It is proved the Kirov enjoys Mexico. They will return to Mexico City performing Don Quixote and Swan Lake at the National Auditorium from 8 to 12 May 2002.

Thanks Kevin, for keeping us updated. How about the cast for the performance on 9 March then? Will it be goddess Vishneva and Fadayev again? Oh..by the way, can anyone give me a hint where Igor Zelensky is? He hasn't recently been cast in any Kirov programmes. He was originally scheduled to guest with Zakharova in Rome, but replaced by Kolb, as Marc mentioned in another thread. [ February 20, 2002: Message edited by: NO7 ]

A bit disappointing news, Jeannie. I can't really imagine Sologub as Cinderella. Her Aurora was less charming than others and her dancing was quite rigid. As Roma said, she was pretty good in a more contemporary choreography. She suits pretty well with the role of kittenish Marsha in the Nutcracker 2001 version. However, Sologub was surprisingly impressive in Chopiniana, so I guess she could make good Giselle as well.

Juliet, thank you very much for your kind response, and apology accepted!

Juliet, it seems you're really disappointed that Prince Desire wasn't Korsuntsev I, too, missed Kolb's arrival on the stage when I first saw his Desire But to be fair, as far as I've experienced, Kolb was more princely and 'noble' in other roles, say, Siegfried,Chopiniana,etc. At least in London, he is very much admired and appreciated for his artistic merits. Hardly anyone complained about his looks, stage presence, or anything like that. I'm sure it's a matter of taste here again. In his Swan Lake last June, Kolb recieved quite a warm-welcoming applause in Act I, while, to my surprise, Odette (danced by Zakharova) appeared on the stage in front of silent audience. How weird! I guess good/bad stage presence sometimes depends on space and time. So, please, gentler criticism on the dancer's physical appearance would be highly appreciated [ February 18, 2002: Message edited by: NO7 ]

When I saw this production for the first time in London almost two years ago, I even mistook Galifron, the Prince's tutor for the Prince. It wasn't until the Vision scene that I started to realised that..ummm..a man in a big red jacket was in fact Prince Desire.

Couldn't decide whether I should be another Rachmaninoff or Rimsky-Korsakov!

Couldn't decide whether I should be another Rachmaninoff or Rimsky-Korsakov!

My highlights of the year 2001 include --the 1st Mariinsky Ballet Festival in St Petersburg. --Diana Visheneva and Igor Kolb as sublime Aurora and Prince Desire in the Sleeping Beauty--the Kirov's summer season in London --Sylvie Guillem in A month in the Country and Alina Cojocaru in Romeo & Juliet

There's a review on the Kirov version of the Prodigal Son in St Petersburg Times. http://www.sptimesrussia.com/archive/times...ures/a_5422.htm