Ostrich

The UK probably gets preferrential treatment

While Tatchkin's company was by far not the worst I've seen in the way of Russian touring companies, I wasn't tempted to go back after that Swan Lake. If this is not their usual standard, maybe they thought audiences at the southern tip of Africa aren't very discerning (which often enough is true). The Jacobson company, however, gave a jewel of a performance and I've been praying for a return visit from them for years now.

I have seen both Tatchkin's St Petersburg Ballet Theatre and the St Petersburg State Academic Ballet Theatre of Leonid Jacobson and found the latter to be considerably the better company! Their all-round standard was significantly higher than that of Tatchkin's ballet, where I remember some of the corps work was positively shoddy and the production(Swan Lake) was performed to one of the most brutally played(taped) versions of Tchaikovsky's score that I've heard. That said, I never got to seeing Irina Kolesnikova herself, who I believe alters the chemistry of their performance.

St Petersburg State Academic Ballet Theatre didn't boast one particular star, but their performance was polished and tasteful in every way. They did perform a lot of Jacobson's work, which was fascinating to see.

In my opinion Tatchkin's ballet is very overrated and their reputation partly built on heavy publicity and partly on the "star" status of Kolesnikova. However, I only saw this company once (not having bothered to see them when they returned with Giselle), so I may have missed something.

If you go, please tell us about your experience with the "State Academic" ballet! I'd love to know what impression they make on you.

P.S. I must add that they seem to use the title St Petersburg Ballet Theatre interchangeably with and/or as a shortened version of St Petersburg State Academic Ballet Theatre. When I saw them the longer title appeared on posters/programs and the shorter one in reviews and program notes.

I thought so, I just couldn't remember if this was just an assumption I made.

Reading this interview with Marianna Ryzhkina: the following sentence struck me

If the tradition of permanent personal teachers comes to an end, the Bolshoi will cease to be the Bolshoi.

I used to assume that having personal teachers for dancers in a ballet company is a "Russian thing". However, now I'm wondering whether any company of note other than the Bolshoi has this system. The Mariinsky? And why, seeing that this system works so well for the Bolshoi, is it not more generally adopted, especially in the west (where it seems to be almost unheard of)? I have heard many Bolshoi dancers emphasising the great importance their teachers have to them and their art form, amongst others Nina Ananiashvilli and Nikolai Tsiskaridze. Ryzhkina says:

I thank my stars for all my teachers. It is so good when you have your own mentor who knows you well and feels for you, and you get attached to her...Through them we feel a link with the Bolshoi’s legendary times.

Ryzhkina focuses more on the emotional aspect here, but technically as well this must have great benefits for the dancers. Of course what works for the Bolshoi may not work for other companies, but is it ever bad to have continued personal attention throughout your dancing career? I've seen so many talented students, carefully polished and perfected by their teachers, enter the ballet company and within months the standard of their dancing deteriorates from (I guess) a lack of just that. Permanent teachers may get blinded to their pupils' faults, but generally I think the advantages of a teacher who knows you, your strengths and your weaknesses outweighs the drawbacks.

Fascinating, thanks chiapuris. Keep it up!

Well, I must have it then!

Thanks for that, coda. I'll see if I can get hold of one. BTW, I presume it is entirely written in Russian?

Any way to get hold of this book without going to Russia/Russian contacts?

I can't remember falling in love with ballet - I was too young when it happened. My mother tells me she took me to see a local ballet production when I was four (I was apparently very good in the theatre, sitting dead still, mouth gaping). During the interval I needed the bathroom. On hearing the bell, I wanted to know what it was for. When my mom said it meant the ballet was starting again and I'd better hurry or I'd miss it, I apparently fell into the toilet bowl from shock.

Anyway, that seems to have been the beginning of my love affair with ballet.

One later performance that stands out for me as having cemented my love for ballet was watching (on video) Grigorovich's Swan Lake with Bessmertnova. This was at around age 10and probably explains why I still prefer Grigorovich's Swan Lake to all others I saw later.

I like Drosselmeyer to remain as close to Hoffman's conception of him, i.e. kindly but slightly mysterious uncle of Marie/Clara. The version done by the Royal Ballet (Peter Wright's production) is the closest I've seen to my 'ideal' Drosselmeyer. Of course, there's nothing wrong with experimenting.

Welcome and please tell us about the performances you see. I am green with envy!!

I'm still waiting for Harry Potter... one of these days its going to make a killing...

I've already seen Harry, Hermione and Ron on the local ballet competition scene!

I want to see the Indian legend of Rama and Sita staged as a ballet (full length preferably). I haven't worked out the *details* of the acts/music, but I do know what cast I want: Nikolai Tsiskaridze and Svetlana Lunkina.

While it's hard to judge from such short videos, I agree whith aurora's assessment of them - very well put! And I even managed to find a (translated) review!

Both Nadya and Michail shared initial apprehensions that they were going to see a very 'flamboyant', Kitri-ish (Don Quixote) interpretation. Natalia Osipova is already world famous for this performance. Both were very pleasantly surprised that this wasn't the case.

Michail remarks that he was concerned that he might be seeing a lot of 'athleticism'. He comments that the jumps, etc. were indeed huge--but done with amazing Gracefulness. He says that he has never seen anything like this before and that this is now the new standard as far as he is concerned. He thought it was Amazing ! He also philosophizes about how something like this is in Another Realm.

http://www.ballet-dance.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=29989

I'm dying for news of Natalia Osipova's debut in Giselle - any reports?

I just use my birdwatching binoculars!

Ostrich, sorry to disappoint you - forever.

Oh well I'll just have to depend on the enlightened members of Ballettalk to fill me in on the interesting news. Meanwhile I'll consider getting it just for the pictures, as I'm a big Thomas Lund fan.

It is hard when the bookstore is right next door

Huh...what about when you work in one? And all the marvellous books come in and after all, you get them for a discount...

...it's that if you continously put duble assemblé en tournant,pirouettes and too much technique,it becomes the Spectre of Turns.

The two best performance I have seen on video are by Maris Liepa who I always thought the best until I had seen Andris Liepa who is for me the best of many performances I have seen live and on film. Yes, it was a great shock for me to see Andris so perfect in THIS role.

I can imagine that Spectre would suit Andris Liepa very well. Like innopac, I'd love to get a DVD/video of him in Spectre, if anyone has any info.

Tristan and Isolde and Beren and Luthien get my votes for "story ballet" plots. I'm not sure if it's doable, but I would like to see a Beowulf as well.

Of course choreographers may be tired of them, but the fairytales really haven't been exhausted and they usually provide plots that aren't hard to adapt for a ballet. The bluebird, for example, appears in Sleeping Beauty, but why doesn't he get a ballet to himself(although many people seem unaware that he even has a fairytale to himself)? And of course myths and legends from around the world are a rich resource. Really, I think choreographers can hardly complain about a lack of stories for ballet.

There are two videos that I know of - Moiseyev Ballet (by Kultur) and Moiseyev Dance Company: A Gala Evening (by View Video).

Thanks with your information I found them on amazon. Funny, when I did a search previously nothing came up.

Very, very good point. We may not be lacking great choreographers so much as great composers.

Apparently Gudanov stood in for Kobborg in "For Four", but Kobborg did perform his solo.

I'd also like to know.

Halo-oo? Anybody out there?

Sad to hear it. I recall seeing a photo of him on his 100th birthday looking very sprightly.

I once saw a video of his company advertised, i think on the kultura website, which I can no longer track(and I cannot remeber any details about it either). I'm desperate to get it. Does anyone know about this (or other) videos of his company and where one can get them?