Ostrich

Zakharova, Alexandrova and Lunkina all Gulnaras? An ecclectic mix! It should make for three very different interpretations. The Conrads too, come to think of it. Edited to correct: Sorry, rq, you're quite right. I mean Medora, of course. It's just one of those things that I always get the wrong way round...

If only we could change the setting of Swan Lake... Swan Beach?

Just my luck! It's the third one I most want!

Personally, I'd choose Friedemann Vogel over Vladimir Malakhov any day.

Interesting question. It requires a dancer who can perform two directly opposing characters. Nikolai Tsiskaridze, an unforgettable Rothbart, has also performed Siegfried on occasions, but whether his performance as Siegfried lived up to the standard he set by his Rothbart I don't know, never having seen it.

Indeed. Those of us who couldn't see it could at least...imagine!

Um...suicide? But what about the versions where Giselle doesn't stab herself because Hilarion pulls the sword away in time and she dies of her mysterious heart ailment instead? The Bolshoi's current version follows this pattern.

My point exactly! Very interesting to hear about the Vienna Opera Ballet. I would have had a chance to see one of their ballerinas guesting with South African Ballet Theatre a year back(I forget who it was), but I decided to miss it, having, like nysusan, no very high expectations of the standard of their dancing. Now I'm sorry I missed it.

Why oh why oh why is it so hard to find any videos with Ruzimatov and Asylmuratova together? It's robbing posterity!

He should definitely not be portrayed as too short-sighted to see the difference between black and white! Seriously, although I "technically" like Siegfried very much, I seldom actually see one that I can admire. Mostly this is the ballerina's fault, because if she does the big, vicious, she-devil act as the black swan, there's nothing he can do except pretend he hasn't noticed, which isn't a great reflection on his future capabilities as king/husband. Not to mention the palace security being seriously lacking. How come they let such an obvious "baddie" as Rothbart enter in the first place? Swan Lake is difficult ballet for the lead dancer in that the believability and sincerity of his portrayal relies so heavily on the appearance/acting of his partner and, to a lesser degree, Rothbart. I like to see Siegfried as an idealistic, courageous, faithful and heroic character, but if I spend half the performance wondering why he doesn't just grab his crossbow and shoot Rothbart and the other half wondering why he can't see the difference between Odette and Odile, these qualities suffer considerably. In short, I think a very subtle approach is needed by Odile and Rothbart, otherwise the poor prince doesn't stand a chance! Anyone have any ideas how a dancer could turn such a situation to his advantage?

If I had to sum up Bolshoi style in one word, it would be "generous".

And if I'm not mistaken, he did it all with a nonchalance as if Alexandrova weighed nothing at all. Have you noticed how slender his arms are? I never know how he does it.

I only just saw this now! So have they definitely been dropped?

Wouldn't Stuttgart qualify for the top ten? I haven't personally seen the company in performance, but they have a school turning out excellent dancers, they have a "style" and a distinctive repertoire. Is their corps de ballet standard or some other factor keeping them out of the top ten, or is it just lack of travelling/exposure?

My "top ten" invariably includes the State Academic St Petersburg Ballet Theatre (what a mouthfull!). Not Tatchkin's theatre, by the way. Their technical proficiency, professionalism and beautifully executed choreography seem to me to warrant this. On what basis to decide if a company is "great"? I think one should add the number of famous individuals the company boast/ed. This is not necessarily fair on the actual company, but I think it has a great influence on how the company is percieved by the public.

That's an interesting list, anin. I am repeatedly amazed at how many "stars" do get married to fellow stars, even though dancing as a partnership must put great strain on their relationship. There are exceptions, like Maximova and Vasiliev, who claim that being together all the time helps them in their partnership, but in general the stress, the competition and the fact that you can never really get away from each other (especially not in the middle of a ballet) makes it a big challenge. Is this specifically a Russian phenomenon, or is it equally widespread in Western companies?

Thanks for the comfort! i'm smiling again!

I'm not quite superannuated, but the ones who are are 'not deaf' and they are doing what they have been told to do. That remark about the 'superannuated pianists who are too deaf to hear' is objectionable. I've been fired from doing ballet classes because I wouldn't do the hokey cornball stuff a lot of ballet teachers want; it's their decision, and they like those old-timers who bang it out. I'm sorry if I offended you, papeetepatrick, I was (partly) joking. However, while there is you and, I am sure, a lot of other excellent pianists, none of this kind have ever found their way into any studio I danced or teach in. And boy, would I love to have a musical pianist! I am fully aware, of course, that the low pay and tiring hours make this very unlikely.

The problem starts in the studio! Either there's a CD player that regurgitates the same old tunes time after time, or there's a superannuated pianist who's too deaf to hear that he/she is playing at rock show decibel level (well, almost). This explains why at least part of the audience may be oblivious to poor music - well, it's a darn sight better than what they heard when they did ballet.

Leigh, I also have the falling and landing with a bump problem! I love it when I dream I can dance like nobody before ever could - I stay suspended in grand jetes, cabrioles, etc. for as long as I like, I take curtain calls with all the "bees knees" (don't know how they all got on one stage together) and when I get sent on to replace somebody in a starring role, i'm quite happy just improvising the entire ballet... But my usual dreams go along these lines: I'm preparing for an important performance, but I'm upset because I haven't had enough preparation time. As the peformance comes closer, I realise that my teacher has only seen me about once or twice. Next I realise that my costume hasn't even been started on. The final realisation, just before I step on stage, is that I've actually never learnt this dance at all! I wake up sweating, not laughing!

Grrr... I am soooo jealous!

I think I'll write that letter anyway... Oh there is that dancer who plays a minor role on the DVD of Pique Dame - Genaddy Geraskin - I don't know how much good he is at a full-blown character role, but he certainly knows how to be nastily repulsive. Or we could give Nikolai Tsiskaridze a try, whose Carabosse and Rothbart are apparently sensational (well, I've seen the Rothbart, so I can testify to that). Not exactly traditional Severyan-style, but one could give it a try.

Given that you could have any ballet of your choice revived with the cast of your choice, what would you most like to see? Currently, I'd go for Stone Flower, with Alexandrova as Mistress of the Copper Mountain. Or Ashton's Phersephone, a ballet I have always been curious to see.

I know exactly what you mean. I usually can't stand the movement. It looks like she's trying to chase flies away (quite possible, you know, hot climate and all that). I suppose it's meant to be an expression of joy and exuberance.