Cygnet

Full length ballets: For the lead ballerina, I'd say, Swan Lake, La Bayadere, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty & Raymonda (IMO these two run neck in neck regarding

stamina, style and level of difficulty), and Don Quixote. For one act ballets, Theme & Variations (for the ballerina and the corps), Agon, Rubies, Symphony in C, Ballo del Regina (the work Balanchine created for Merill Ashley - sp.?) and Bugaku. For the corps I'd definitely say La Bayadere and Swan Lake are the toughest - Bayadere being #1 and SL a very close #2. I'd say its especially hard for the shade or swan that is first, leading the corps out onstage. That's pressure.

I am not sure what your "huh" was about

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". . .premature casting of novice dancers in leading roles is not the academy's fault."

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Someone once said, 'When the chickens come home to roost, they don't go anywhere else but to your house.' Whenever Gergiev comes here to Los Angeles, he's always late. For me, his one epiphany was Tchaikovsky's 5th with the Vienna. Back to topic. The problem isn't the Academy. The problem never was the Academy, or the Conservatory. The problems have always been house policy, favoritism and backstage politics. Based on what has happened onstage in recent months and weeks, I'm not surprised. Gergiev should have discussed this and dealt with this in his weekly staff meetings - not at a press conference. Now the fit has hit the shan. How, pray tell, does he propose to improve the company's condition since it will be living out of its trunks, and at 'home' in a foreign venue for the next few years? Just a thought .

Recently retired ballerinas:  . . .  Ayupova  . . .

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Oh, tell me it isn't so!!!!

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Hi Cabro! I sincerely hope not as well. She's still listed among the Principals on the Maryinsky website, but she's been absent from the stage for a very long

time. In recent years she was treated like a quaint relic from the past vs. the "new" Kirov generation and style. I learned she moved to Helsinki with her family months ago. They may not have updated the roster. If she's retired, she went out very quietly (like Altynai). Disappointing, huh? Can someone confirm whether she's still dancing or not? Thanks!

Retired ballerinas: #1 - I. A. Kolpakova, Dame Merle Park, Terekhova, Komleva, Tchyentchikova, Maximova, Makarova, Cynthia Gregory, Carla Fracci (for the Romantic style), Merrill Ashley, Suzanne Farrell, Allegra Kent, Melissa Hayden, Evdokimova, Patricia McBride, G. Kirkland, Chauvire, Shelest, Semenyaka and Haydee.

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Recently retired ballerinas: Asylmuratova, Ayupova, Platel.

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Retired best supporting soloist: I. Tchyistyakova (may not count here, but I give her honorable mention for being an exemplary dancer).

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Ballerinas currently in action: Julie Kent, Ananiashvili, Murphy, Alexandrova, Pavlenko, Tarasova, Rojo, Zanowsky, Lezhnina, and Ferri

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Should've made principal by now but hasn't: I. Zhelonkina (another honorable mention).

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Man still moving: M. Baryshnikov

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Retired men: Vasiliev, Fernando Bujones, David Wall, Sir Anthony Dowell and

Wayne Eagling.

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Men currently in action: Jonathan Cope, Roberto Bolle and Tzisarkidze.

Very good analysis, Natalia, but I don't totally agree.

To me his face is All-Ukrainian juvenile.  He also has a big head which makes him look even more childish. 

He wouldn't bother me so much if he weren't being upheld by the Kirov as their greatest male dancer -- upheld by virtue of the exposure he's given.

I have to say without exaggeration that he is considerable damage to the company, as well, natch, to other deserving careers.  The Kirov has lost its mind; I hope it's temporary insanity.

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Excellent post Thalictum! He was paired with Dasha Pavlenko in "Bayadere" this past Sunday. I saw him live in this ballet with Nioradze. . . Who is his coach? Leonid needs to bulk-up and get some more mileage in what Makarova called the "inner-world." If he can do this he'll bring experience, concentration and depth to what he's doing on stage. You can't put over on stage what you haven't experienced. I'm not saying he's inexperienced, just that he doesn't seem to be able to project "IT" to the audience. He's not totally at fault. In alot of cases he's simply miscast. IMO he is miscast as Solor. I said before that seeing him as the Indian warrior, gives me the impression of Siegfried popping up in "Aida." They seem to be pushing him and he's not suited for everything, nor does he seem to be growing artistically. Another problem is his height. Dasha and Irma are both taller than him and so are other stars. This makes partnering (in his case), much more difficult on top of everything else.

One clip I wish was more extended is Sibley in Giselle.  Didn't Sibley suffer a career-ending injury doing the movie?

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Sibley may have sustained an injury during filming. She did take time off to have and raise her twins. After this, she returned to the Royal Ballet for a short time in the mid-eighties, then retired and was later knighted.

Ossie Davis' death at the age of 87 was just announced.  I will remember this great actor's magnificent voice mostly for its urgent and tireless advocacy for social justice.

I am grateful, too, that he lived to receive (with Ruby Dee) the Kennedy Center Honor two months ago.  My condolences go out to Ms. Dee.

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I'm sorry to hear of his passing. Ruby Dee is my Sorority sister; my condolences

to her and her family.

. . . I love when ballerinas dance effortless and very fluently.

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I agree; tall or short is OK by me if they can achieve the above.

Thank you so much for the detailed review! I agree with you that Vishneva

is relatively unsuited to "Giselle" (ie. too earthy and fiery her temperament), but nevertheless she does very well in the role. Her Act 2 is much stronger than

her Act 1. I'm sorry the home team mated the poodle in "Sleeping Beauty."

One or two good soloists does not a SB performance make: Everyone must be

more than "on," especially in this ballet.

I saw Plisetskaya's Kitri on film. Her kick jete was just !!! Terekhova's Kitri, Myrtha and Gamzatti?: Ditto !!! I totally agree with all of the men mentioned with special mention for Nureyev & Vasiliev: They moved and landed like felines. They were simply amazing.

Just from videos, I find Grigorivich's legacy very disappointing. For one, his seeming insistence on filming Natalia Bessmertnova in every role (Juliet TWICE, Giselle TWICE, Swan Lake, Spartacus) meant that an entire generation of Bolshoi artists were virtually not filmed at all (especially Maximova). Plisetskaya made several films, mostly because as the Prima Ballerina Assoluta I guess even Grigorovich couldnt sideline here.

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I agree Canbelto. His wife definitely had the monopoly on Bolshoi videos. IMO,

NB as Raymonda was a huge miscast, culminating in the denoument of her Act 3 solo. Natalya, the pianist, and the conductor all disagreed on the tempi. The result was .

(7) For those who have seen other versions of Cinderella, compare them to Ashton's.

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I know this topic has be dead for a while, but here goes. Besides Ashton's I've seen:

-the Strukhova video with the Bolshoi (a very young Maximova is 'Spring' in this one ).

-the East Berlin Comic Ballet video (Tom Shilling's choreography) - Tai Chi is performed in the waltz instead of choreography for Cinderella and the Prince .

-San Francisco Ballet's production (an old PBS Great Performances broadcast).

-ABT's -- Baryshnikov's version with giant cat, and the one with D. Walker's designs. Both productions were okay but not as good as Ashton's.

-Paris Opera Ballet (Nureyev's production): Sylvie Guillem as Charlie Chaplin and the Parisians go Hollywood. OK concept but it didn't work for me.

Live performances? Perm Ballet (Vinogradov's production). The issue I have

with this production is that the end of Act 1 looks dangerously similar to "Giselle" Act 2 when the Fairy Godmother appears and works her magic - (choreographic plaigarism)? I tried the Paris production live too; looked much better on video IMO.

Ashton's production is great and has a wealth of wonderful original choreography, but the sisters are too much pantomime for me. I think the original Bolshoi

production (Zakharov's), although very Soviet and very pedestrian, is in concept and execution, the best IMO. I especially love how the coda in Act 2 is done. I wish Ashton would have included the prince's journey and search for Cinderella, and not just finding her 'in the morning.' To me that always seemed too easy an ending with no obstacles for the two to overcome.

I've seen the film. Its like Russia's answer to 'Birth of a Nation.' IMO the best thing about the film is Prokofiev's score - fantastic!

Does anyone know if Pavlenko is on this tour?

Are the bells decorative or is there some symbolic meaning in the  bellringing? Is it supposed to have a story or is it just images from the life of Ivan the Terrible? Also I'm not sure I understand what happens in the end (at one point he is killed by the sword carrying corps, a moment later he is up and about again)?

Can anyone help me fill the gaps?

Christina

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I have the huge 1976 bicentennial anniversary book "The Bolshoi." This coffee table paperweight tells the history of the opera house, its orchestra, opera and ballet companies. It has illustrations and synopses of every work in the opera and ballet repertory at that time. For "Ivan" the bells do indeed have symbolic meaning. According to the captions, in the beginning, the bells herald his coronation. In the middle the bells herald war, the suffering of the Russian people, victory in battle etc. In the end when he holds the bells and rises above the stage its supposed to show that he has subdued the empire and the people.

Natalia, I'm sure Ulyana's public was very disappointed, considering the many sacrifices that were made to see her Lilac last night. The Maryinsky and Lopatkina really dinged the scoreboard for capriciousness this time. An announcement

before curtain is always better than none at all.

Gergiev is ceding far too much influence to Lopatakina, who is a wonderful ballerina but qualified only to determine what she wants to do, not what the direction of the company should be.  She is not a ballet scholar, not an executive, not a person whose artistic judgment is at all infallible.  Since returning from her injury her performances have aquired an authoritative air that borders on authoritarian, and I am loathe to imagine this kind of doctrinaire-ism impacted on the company.

I adore the Vikharev reconstructions, like the Chabukiani/Ponamarev Bayadere very much and don't mind the 1952 Sergeyev Beauty.  Hopefully all can be admired in the Kirov repertory.

However, the disastrous and inequitable casting miscalculations -- Sarafanov is now dancing twice (Rubies and Corsaire) in two out of the three ballet/opera galas in Washington --  being made by the current ballet administration have left it vulnerable to a take over by Lopatkina and other Gergiev allies. 

Furthemore, although Kennedy Center has been advertising Daria Pavlenko's appearance in La Valse at the galas for months now, it is Lopatakina who will dance both La Valse and the Dying Swan at all three galas!! 

This is in direct defiance of the Balanchine stagers, who objected to Lopatakina dancing the premiere of La Valse in Petersburg because she refused to attend all rehearsals.  [sorry is this gossip?]

Is this the Sarafanov/Lopatkina show or the Kirov Ballet?  Where does this end?

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Excellent post Thalictum, I totally agree. I would never take anything away from Lopatkina - she is a great dancer. Dasha Pavlenko is a principal too, but based on the casting policy at HQ you wouldn't know it unless you checked the roster.

This goes for other exceptional dancers as well. Also, I trust that Leonid has grown since I saw him last year, but he's not suited for everything. For example, for me, watching him as Solor was like seeing Siegfried turn up in "Aida." Corsaire and Rubies are suitable for him, but soooo much depends on who he's paired with. I know that scheduling is one of many factors in casting, and to a certain degree, what Fiona Chadwick euphemistically called the "personal opinion" of the management. But it's a shame that some principals and soloists have to go on tour to get performances that they aren't getting in Petersburg. Its even more ironic that when they tour they can still be denied.

Altynai Asylmuratova: For me she is number one.

The following are in no particular order:

Maya Plisetskaya

Patricia McBride

Allegra Kent

Zizi Jeanmaire

Uliana Lapotkina

Marguerite Porter

Larissa Lezhnina

Yvette Chauvire

Tamara Karsavina

Elisabeth Platel

Daria Pavlenko

Svetlana Beriosova

Carla Fracci

Lubov Kunakova

Alla Shelest

Ludmilla Semenyaka

Ekaterina Maximova (for eternal youth)

in response to cygent's comment, on fonteyn's artistry:...

'what' it looked like to those who witnessed it, (way before my time - or my parents')

please cygnet - NOT meaning to be at all rude, just explanatory or curious!...i can't help wondering how young you are!

Hi Grace! Its not rude at all to be curious. I was an infant when Margot and Rudi were dancing. I'm post a post baby-boom/Generation Xer. In response to Dirac about my comment re the 90 year old: I don't mean to come off as dismissing him as a 'non-person,' or that he was irrelevant in her life. Nor do I want to infer that I diminish what he believed he had with Margot. Far from it. It just seemed to me that Daneman gives him honorable mention (ie. short shrift) and just seemed, what's the word (?) - gratuitous - to me based on what had been

written prior to that portion of the text. With the other guys we get the whole record from first sight to break-up, and in Lambert's case, death, including all of

the casual stuff. It's Daneman's text that dismisses him. She even states that Margot doesn't comment about him at all in her memoirs. I think I'd let M have the last word on that for the obvious reasons.

I think discussing MF's romantic involvements is fine, but Daneman also just races through her stage work. Masterpiece ballets are described in a graph, but MF's hookup at some cocktail party is discussed for two pages. After several chapters of that, it can be equally as boring as a bio that just says, "and in 1968 he made this ballet..." instead it is "and then in Italy MF slept with this guy...everybody loved her robe..."

I'm on page 305 and I totally agree with you Dale. Talk about speaking ill of the

dead. I'm comparing Fonteyn's memoirs with Daneman's work. It seems to me that she had what G. Smakov said of Kchessinkaya's tome many ". . . slips of the pen." Its interesting to me that Daneman majors in the minors regarding her sex life. For example, the irrelevancy of a 90something-year-old man, who as an also ran, and in the interest of full disclosure, wants to get on record that he had a relationship with her. Daneman glosses over other things, which I think are far more interesting, like focusing on the 'how' of her artistry, and less on the 'why' and 'what' it looked like to those who witnessed it, (way before my time - or my parents').

In 'Autobiography' Fonteyn didn't delve too much into the area of how she arrived at her interpretations, or how they evolved, - except to emphasize the 'tape recorder' in her mind, and simply repeat what Ashton and coaches like Karsavina told her to do. It read like upbeat fiction - a ballet novel (ie 'E' True Hollywood Story stuff) only it was non-fiction. For example, Farrell thoroughly covered the 'how' of her artistry, which IMO is a much more rewarding memoir.

I do give Fonteyn the benefit of the doubt, though. I will allow that she lived in an era where scandal was to be avoided if possible, at all costs, and when the media gave celebrities and royalty a free pass. Today she'd be fair game. I also give her this: She was discreet, in that she knew how to keep her mouth shut. She was never the one who made a scene, (like Lambert's first wife). She knew how to charm and handle the press. When she was quoted, she sounded as gracious as a queen. She also had the added advantage of the loyalty and love of a company that wouldn't give or sell any of her secrets to the press.

What isn't cool for me was her propensity to be a freeloader, (ie. free servants, free vacations at the expense of others etc.). IMO, in the autumn and winter of her career she was calculating and ruthless with individual rivals, as well as the men she rejected, and unwilling to mentor younger dancers. Yet the paradox is that no one in the rank 'n file of the Royal would dare censure her - because she was egalitarian with them all. She knew the concept of CYA very well. Therein lies a wealth of professional wisdom. I hope I'm not being too harsh, but that's my take on her. I'll keep ploughing through til I'm done.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but did she ever call an early press conference, (and by 'early' I mean shortly after her defection), saying in effect that she would 'never dance with that man again' because of a spill on stage? Obviously, they made up and that was beneficial for all of us.

Is she related to Natalia Bolshakova?

FYI: Alina and Johann scored a huge triumph during the Havana International Ballet Festival this past weekend. They danced National Ballet of Cuba's 'Swan Lake.' Los Angeles Times dance critic Lewis Segal praised them and the production in Saturday's edition, (search www.latimes.com). :blush: *(Slightly off

topic here: Bourne's "Nutcracker" is coming to L.A. next month, can someone who has seen it please advise me as to whether I should attend? The most radical one I've seen is Mark Morris'. Thanks!)

Has anyone gotten their hands on the new Fonteyn biography? It's simply

awesome! I can't put it down! I don't know how it is on the East coast,

but in L.A. it was hard to find a major bookstore chain that carried it in

stock. I had Borders Bookseller order it for me, and it was worth it.

Rating Scale: 5 + Stars.

The question is which cast lists are up to the moment accurate, the playbills from their website or program inserts? In my experience, its been the latter - and sometimes not even then.