Cygnet

Joy, the Bolshoi is the place to be.

It took one week, but the Mariinsky Theatre webmaster has finally gotten around to posting Katya's promotion announcement. http://www.mariinsky...ws2/15_229june/ The Ballet of this Theatre has been on auto-pilot and "also ran" status behind the Opera, the Orchestra and international guest musicians for years. The slow gait to post Katya's promotion is just one example of where it is on the priority list. Impotant ballet announcements like this are posted by stealth. The Theatre site now looks like it's Maestro Gergiev's personal site or fb page. The consequences are that there doesn't seem to be any equality between the two companies in the Theatre. IMO that 50/50 "balance" has long since dissapeared. If one wants notable ballet news especially re specific company members on this site, one has to get a well lit desk lamp, rubber gloves, tweezers and a microscope to find it. This is true, especially when long overdue promotions, (in this case Kondaurova's), or of other dancers, (who promote at tortoise speed), happen. This includes lower ranked dancers who receive honorary titles or awards. On the other hand, the Head of the Ballet's classe politique trumpets debuts of favorites that he wishes to push - but that's it. At least Katya received a paragraph. That's alot more recognition than a certain Mariinsky alumna who: 1) Participated with great acclaim as one of the guest artists during the recent Mariinsky International Ballet Festival - but wasn't listed among the guest artists; and, 2) Was recently named a Bolshoi Prima Ballerina, but to this day hasn't been granted one syllable on the site acknowledging the fact.

Thanks everyone for your reports; now I know... Natalia, I also hope that you can see Boylston's O/O debut. I'm so happy to learn that she did so well last night!

Sergei Filin discusses the purpose and participants of the Bolshoi Ballet's first ballet festival which he has established called, "WWB@LLET.RU." The festival will take place in the Bolshoi's New Theatre on June 29 and June 30, with San Francisco Ballet, Ballets de Monte Carlo and Bolshoi soloists. The program will feature a variety of excerpts from ballets by Tomasson, Possokhov, Wheeldon, Bintley, Liang, Maillot and Elo. http://www.bolshoi.r...cles/2012/2233/.

This is very, very sad news. Dolgushin was an iconooclastic treasure. In his heyday he was Natalia Makarova's main partner at the Kirov before her defection. He was an exemplary Albrecht, and one of the greatest danseur nobles the Kirov-Mariinsky ever produced. In retrospect, he may even be considered the most intellectual, or the 'greatest thinker' of Soviet Russia's "thinking" danseur nobles. Today's Mikhailovsky, (which was the Maly when he came on board there, then the Mussorgsky), and classical ballet have sustained an irretrievable loss. Nikita Dolgushin was a great performer, an excellent and intuitive pedagogue and ballet master, but most of all, he was kind person, and a gentleman. He will be sorely missed.

The Bolshoi opened tonight to a sold out Dorothy Chandler Pavillion for the first time since 2000. Yuri Grigorovich’s version has been nipped and tucked, edited and tweaked several times since it’s 1969 premiere. The last time I saw this version, it was in the old historical theatre, and at that time the standard Soviet happy ending was required. What has happened with his most recent edit (circa 2001), is that he’s done away with the happy ending, love does not triumph at the end, the heroine is an abstraction who is, (in theory), almost inconsequential, and the hero is left to agonize over what might have been. Grigorovich doesn’t even let Siegfried die from the psychological stress as he does in Nureyev's version. Siegfried is left alone by the lake, where his dream becomes an eternal nightmare because the end, well, is ... open ended. Also, the musical edit that replaces the composer’s original denouement, takes us back to the penultimate section of the overture and the impending doom of the final notes of scene 2. Now that I’ve revealed the spoiler and worked backwards from the finale - to the dancing. I am pleased to report that the Bolshoi is in fantastic shape and they all danced beautifully tonight! I found myself watching the corps de ballet in Acts 1 and 2, with a smile on my face: The swans (24 of them), were faultless as were the medieval courtiers. When Grigorovich made his Petipa redactions, he liked to cram everything into two acts with one intermission, along with major cuts in the scores. He’s also done this with his version of “Romeo & Juliet.” Tonight some of these were jarring, there were more musical edits dating after 2001 to these ears, but this did not detract from the glorious harmony and heroic style that the company is famous for. The company danced their “Swan Lake” and they served it up like a grand banquet, regaling the audience with the true Bolshoi spirit and style. The Bolshoi dancers "super-sized" the audience, and the stage simply was not large enough to contain all of the technique that poured forth from the newest member of the corps to the principals. The Cast: The Princess Mother, Ekaterina Barykina strode with her ladies in stately, majestic unison. The Evil Genius, Pavel Dmitrichenko mirrored the line, intensity and virtuosity of Semyon Chudin’s Prince. The Fool, Vyacheslav Lopatin was technically marvelous and funny - which is not always the case with Russian jesters. He received both gasps at his feats and laughs at his antics. The pas de trois was danced by Chudin, a very promising novice named Anzhelina Vorontsova and Anna Tikhomirova. Of the two ladies, it was Vorontsova that shown. She is very light, aerial, graceful and utterly charming and secure. Tikhomirova was more fleet, but without the characterization that Vorontstova brought to the piece. Vorontsova also excelled as the Russian Bride in the ballroom scene. The Hungarian Bride, Yulia Grebenshchikova; Spanish Bride, Anastasia Meskova; the Neaopolitan Bride, Daria Khoklova; and the Polish Bride, Yanina Parienko, each devoured the space and the stage with their fiendishly difficult variations. The Act 1 waltz (which was liberally cut in strategic spots), was led by Anna Okuneva, Yanina Parienko, Anastasia Meskova, Anna Rebetskaya, Karim Abdullin, Denis Rodkin, Artemiy Belyakov and Mikhail Kryuchkov. The Master of Ceremonies was played by Alexander Fadeechev. Grigorovich’s 2001 production focuses completely on Siegfried. If any of you ever have the chance to experience Semyon Chudin live in anything, do not hesitate to see him! This Siegfried took over this ballet from start to finish. Chudin hi-jacked this performance. He danced this role like a man possessed, and that is what is really needed in this version. Kudos to Sergei Filin for bringing him along when he left the Artistic Directorship of the Stanislavsky to assume the post at the Bolshoi. Where to begin? Chudin’s leaps were effortless; his landings clean, soft, feline and silent; his line and technique, all the details and semantics - exemplary; his commitment to Grigorovich’s conception of the role, total. Grigorovich has succeeded in reducing Odette/Odile to an abstraction, or at best, Siegfried’s ideal obsession which haunts him and is forever out of his reach. When you have a ballerina who disagrees with that concept and actually believes in the original plot, and dances like she believes in the original plot, and ‘marries’ this traditional interpretation with a premier danseur like Chudin, you have a ballerina who is making a powerful statement. Tonight, Leading Soloist Anna Nikulina served notice that she is here and she is a force to be reckoned with. Her Odette was very feminine, traditional and a frightened and at times agitated in her opening monologue with Siegfried, but, how can I say this? She was beautifully agitated. It was unbelievable how she achieved that effect, but she did. The white pas de deux and her variation were beautifully executed, and she has lovely arms and hands. Throughout the evening Nikulina was totally in control. In Scene 2 Chudin partnered her with care and lifted her like a soufflé. The cygnets, Svetlana Pavlova, Yulia Lunkina, Maria Prorvich and Daria Khokhlova were perfectly matched in height, temperament and technique. The three swans, Yulia Grebenshchikova, Olga Marchenkova and Ana Turazashvili, weren’t matched as well as the cygnets, but they maintained the high level of artistry. The 24 swans had unanimity of impulse. In the ballroom scene Nikulina’s Odile was a technical marvel. She's obviously more at home as the evil twin; she is a natural Odile. Chudin was totally focused on her, and danced for her. The pas de deux was very physical and full of virtuosity. In Odile’s variation, Nikulina’s piourettes were fast as lightening – very secure, she didn’t falter. The fouttees were a demonically fast series of one, then the triple – this combo no less than five times, before settling in to conclude with doubles and triples and finishing en pointe in fifth. Needless to say, that tore the roof off the house. After this we immediately return to the lake of Siegfried’s imagination. I’ve already described the finale. The Music Corner: The local orchestra, christened in the program in all caps as“ THE ORCHESTRA OF THE BOLSHOI BALLET” acquitted themselves well. During the ballroom scene the brass section played a few notes that the composer didn’t write, but they followed conductor Pavel Klinichev’s baton ably 99.999% of the time. Opening Night Performance Trivia: During the coda, Tikhomirova was conspicuously absent after her variation i.e. disappeared. The pas de trois became a pas de deux and ended as such. During intermission when I told my seat mate that something must have happened but they completed the Act and Alexei Loparevich’s Tutor and Vorontsova and Chudin covered this incident extremely well, he said, “ . . . I'm very much into opera, but I'm really enjoying myself tonight. I didn’t know anything happened. Wouldn’t that be like a diva leaving the stage in the middle of a love duet? You couldn't help but notice that.” No kidding . Nikulina alternates Odette/Odile with Ekaterina Krysanova, and Chudin alternates Siegfried with Artem Ovcharenko through Sunday’s closing matinee June 10. There was an 8 minute (approx.) standing ovation – Brava Bolshoi !

O.M.G. it's about time!!! Congratulations Katya for being promoted at last !!!

Duato's "Madrigal" opens the graduation ceremonies honoring one of A. Vaganova's greatest products and disciples? In what way does Duato honor Dudinskaya's memory ? Okay, that may be interpreted as too provocative, so I'll re-phrase: This year's theme and who is being showcased up front (in Dudinskaya's honor) is a stretch.

The Mariinsky Ballet has announced the opening night and second casts for their premiere of Balanchine's wonderful ballet. Victoria Tereshkina will be the Mariinsky's first Titania and will alternate the role with Ekaterina Kondaurova. Kondaurova will also dance Hippolyta and alternate with Alexandra Iosifidi. There will only be two performances during the current White Nights Festival. http://www.mariinsky...012/6/6/1_1900/ http://www.mariinsky...012/6/7/1_1900/

Voice of Russia has just announced the 2012 Benois winners. Congratulations to this year's laureates, and all the participants ! http://english.ruvr.ru/2012_05_22/75631723/

The Moscow Times' Raymond Stults reviews the Bolshoi premiere of "Jewels." http://www.themoscow...uts/458362.html. Thank you Marc Haegeman for the beautiful pics ! http://www.for-balle...ewels-2012.html. The costumes for Emeralds and Diamonds are lovely. Now that I can compare the review with some visuals, I must say I'm ITA with Stults' assessment of the new decors for Emeralds and Rubies. The costumes for the Rubies females aren't as successful... Karinska's design for Rubies remains the best. I feel that if it isn't "broke don't fix it" - MO. I apologize if production values may be considered slightly off topic here.

The Mariinsky Ballet 1st Soloist was awarded the "Spirit of Dance" by Russia's Ballet Magazine. Congratulations Katya! http://www.mariinsky...ws2/10_229may1/

Indeed: The Vaganova Alumnae are thriving at the Bolshoi. Olga will follow up "Diamonds" with another debut: She will be one of the leading "Emeralds" on May 9. http://www.bolshoi.r...#20120509190000. On May 10 she will join Yevgenia as she repeats "Emeralds." http://www.bolshoi.r...#20120510190000. These are important debuts for both ladies. For example, Yevgenia was never given any segment in "Jewels" while she was in the Mariinsky. We all wait for Katya Kondaurova's promotion. She is still a 1st soloist even though she's won a Benois, a Golden Sophit and a Golden Mask http://www.mariinsky...rs1/kondaurova/. Moreover there are other Honored Artists and decorated ballerinas who haven't advanced as they should have, and now, (for a lot of them), their "time" has passed. Had Smirnova and Obraztsova stayed (under the current regime), the former would have been a perpetual corps member waiting years for her first opportunity, and the latter would have retired a 1st soloist.

In today's Moscow Times, Raymond Stults intereviews Merrill Ashley, Sandra Jennings and Paul Boos re the Bolshoi's rehearsals. Pic of the day: Principal Dancer Semyon Chudin and Olga Smirnova are shown rehearsing "Diamonds" with Ashley! http://www.themoscow...ife/457969.html Brava !

After her April 23 debut last year, she appeared as O/O with Moscow's Kremlin Ballet at the Athens Megaron on December 29 and 30, 2011. Her Siegfried was the Mariinsky's Igor Kolb. Now that she's a Principal Dancer with the Bolshoi, she will no doubt acquire Grigorovich's O/O and access the Bolshoi's classical and modern repertory. Her coach is former Bolshoi Prima, Madame Ludmila Semenyaka. This is her second Benois nomination. This nomination is for her Bolshoi debut as Kitri in October 2011. This happened two weeks before the reopening gala; at which time she was listed as the Bolshoi’s sole Guest Principal Artist for the 2011-2012 season. She was officially listed as a Bolshoi Principal on January 1. Her first Benois nomination was for the role of Syuimbike in the Mariinsky's revival of Leonid Jacobson's ballet "Shuraleh," a few years ago during their International Ballet Festival.

The 2012 Benois de la danse nominees were announced this evening in Moscow: CHOREOGRAPHERS Patrick De Bana – Marie Antoinette, for Vienna State Ballet Jean-Guillame Bart – La Source, for Paris Opéra Ballet Lar Lubovitch – Crisis Variations, for Lubovitch Dance Company Chung Eui-Sook and Daniel H. Byun – Interview with Isang Yun, for Arzid Modern Dance Company of Seoul Boris Eifman – Rodin, for State Academic St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre of Boris Eifman BALLERINAS Kathleen Breen Combes – Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Boston Ballet Olga Esina – The title role in Marie Antoinette, Vienna State Ballet Kim Ji-Young – The title role in Giselle, Korea National Ballet Alina Cojocaru – Julie in Liliom, Hamburg Ballet Sara Mearns – Honorata in Ocean’s Kingdom, New York City Ballet Evgenia Obraztsova – Kitri in Don Quixote, Bolshoi Ballet Laëtitia Pujol – The title role in Cinderella, Paris Opéra Ballet DANCERS Matthew Golding – Prince and the Mouse King in Nutcracker, Dutch National Ballet Vladislav Lantratov – Basil in Don Quixote, Bolshoi Ballet Lee Dong-Hoon – Albert in Giselle, Korea National Ballet Chase Finlay – The title role in Apollo, New York City Ballet Mathias Heymann - Zaȅl in La Source, Paris Opéra Ballet Carsten Jung – The title role in Liliom, Hamburg Ballet COMPOSERS Michel Legrand – Liliom, Hamburg Ballet Sir Paul McCartney – Ocean’s Kingdom, New York City Ballet (Source for information listed above: http://www.pointemag...ois-de-la-danse) The winners will be announced as follows; (source for information listed below: http://benois.theatr...h/history/2012/) Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation Centre Benois Bolshoi Theatre of Russia 22 May 2012 Charity Gala of the Nominees to Benois de la Danse-2012 and the Award Ceremony 23 May 2012 Charity Gala “STARS OF BENOIS DE LA DANSE” CHAIRMAN — YURI GRIGOROVICH THE STARS OF THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAMMES: Bolshoi Theatre of Russia Boston Ballet (USA) Drew Jacobi and Rubinald Pronk (USA) Fernando Romero (Spain) Hamburg Ballet (Germany) Het National Ballet (Netherlands) Korea National Ballet Lar Lubovich Dance Company (USA) Les Ballets de Monte Carlo Mariinsky Theatre (Russia) Munich Ballet (Germany) Paris Opera Ballet State Ballet of Boris Eifman (Russia) Stuttgart State Ballet (Germany) Vienna State Ballet (Austria) Wang Di (People Republic of China) *Update 4-26-12. The site now lists the May 23 gala programme participants the 2012 jury panel. http://benois.theatre.ru/english/massmedia/news/

The Canadian and U.S. cast lists are up: http://www.bolshoi.r...cles/2012/2160/

Cast lists for the Bolshoi "Swan Lake" June 7- 10, 2012 have been announced. http://www.musiccent...12_bolshoi.html http://www.musiccent...iBalletCast.pdf

I'm ITA with you Natalia. Ceeszi, that's a horrible ordeal to go through. Everyone lost here: The audience: Will patrons get their refund? That remains to be seen. Ardani Artists & its reputation Diana Vishneva

The handkerchief is used a lot in Grigorovich's "Ivan the Terrible." In Act 1 during the entrance of the young noblewomen, a silk white handkerchief is tied to their right index fingers. It also appears in the Pelotas in Act 3 of "Raymonda." During La Scala's live broadcast of the reconstruction last October on RAI, the lead couple briefly danced with a long white one in the middle of the czardas, before discarding it before the presto. One of the children was tasked with picking it up after the lead male threw it upstage.

Join the club. And Vishneva's 'Dialogues' haven't even made it to City Center yet. Buyer Beware. Buyer beware indeed. Here's the trailer: Her "Dialogues" is "Beauty In Motion 7.0" or what the iPad is to the iPhone. If you love the product you'll upgrade.

RIA Novosti and Russia Today (among others), have announced that JFC Group (Joint Fruit Company), has filed for bankruptcy. This is seismic for the Mikhailovsky because JFC Group was founded and is owned by Vladimir Kehkman. http://en.ria.ru/bus.../171452498.html http://rt.com/busine...er-failure-925/

SZ and LS (not 'I' confused with Ivan Vasiliev, but 'L' for Leonid Sarafanov) danced the second performance of Duato's "Beauty." Perren and LS (Sarafanov) danced the premiere. NO and IV danced their debuts in the ballet after their first two performances as new Principals. This was NO's Russian debut as Aurora, as she made her American debut with ABT. This was IV's debut as Desire. Here's the thing: They both wanted this production because they were vehemently denied the roles at the Bolshoi. As for SZ, it's a mystery (to me) why she's even bothering with it.

Mussel, today's Mik isn't ready for the Met. Two years ago, reknowned ballet teacher Misha Messerer single handedly whipped the Mikhailovsky's corps de ballet into shape for his redaction of the old Asaf Messerer/Gorsky version of "Swan Lake" for their London tour. It was this production of "Lake" by which Plisetskaya, (in her prime), ruled and reigned over the Bolshoi Theatre. Their engagement was at the London Coliseum. "Cippolino," "Laurencia," and "Giselle" were also on the schedule. The tour was a great success, and the majority of the critics lauded Messerer's efforts. After this, we know that Kehkman hired Nacho Duato as Artistic Director. The repertory now has a modern emphasis primarily of Duato's works, (which makes sense because he's the A.D.) When Duato began work on his new vision of "Sleeping Beauty," former Mariinsky (Kirov) danseur noble and Mik coach Nikita Dolgushin, declined to participate in the new production (as it began to unfold). The classical purity, that the former Maly-Mussorgsky (now reverted back to it's Imperial name) Mikhailovsky was known for, has been markedly diminished because of this new modern dance emphasis. The Mik used to be the second company of St. Petersburg after the Mariinsky and during Soviet era when they were known as the Kirov and the Maly respectively. Two years ago, Messerer's "Swan Lake" was nominated for a Golden Mask for "Best Ballet Production." That's how competitive the corps de ballet was just two seasons ago. For what it's worth, Duato's "Beauty" had it's premiere, and the reviews (in the Russian media, among the pedagogues and the cognoscenti) have been, (politely) deemed in a word, mediocre - at best. All this, in spite of Kehkman's recent acquisition of Osipova and Vasiliev, not to mention Zakharova's and Sarafanov's participation in it. Love it, hate it or undecided, Duato's vision of Petipa's masterpiece may be a top recipient of Golden Mask nominations this year. IMO if they came to the Met in their current condition, they would do best if they brought Duato's works, (not his "Beauty"), and the playbill that they brought to the Coliseum - tried and true crowd pleasers, with a mixed-bill of Nacho Duato. Finally, I'm ITA with "YID" and Natalia re establishing a Mikhailovsky Ballet link. At the moment, they're more Mikhailovsky Dance Co. than "Ballet."

Finally, vindication and victory! Felicitations and congratulations to the newest Prima of the Bolshoi Theatre, Yevgenia Obraztsova. This is a RED letter day in her career. "Brava" & bouquets x 1 trillion to her ! Yuri Fateev? >!