vrsfanatic

Natalia, your observations are the same as mine and I was on the "inside" from 1993-1995. There are more dancers within the male ranks who were being groomed, so to speak, who have not had their stars developed in the West, however the females of those years are all still shining, if they stayed with the Kirov. It is interesting however to see that the class of 2000, although filled with glorious dancers, has not taken the helm as I expected. Perhaps since there were only 5 years between the graduating class of 1995 and 2000, there may not be enough room at the top.

Colorado Ballet and Pennsylvania Ballet have danced a few, but I am not sure if they do anymore.

It would be great to see Marcelo and Sara together again. I do not think they have danced together in 10 years since their graduation from Harid in 1995! It should be a very special show!

What a great suggestion, Alexandra. I have enjoyed her lectures and books immensely! historianhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0415942578/wwwlink-software-21/202-3410353-8599043

Actually I did recommend the Tarasov book specifically because it is about as basic as one can get on the "how to part of teaching" and just about as advanced as one can get when need be. It gives a very thorough picture of steps from beginning to end which is quite helpful when teaching. Sometimes the difficulty in teaching can be a lack of understanding on the teacher's part as to how, why, when and where something is going. If Ed McPherson is looking for a book that helps to give ideas about exercises and the progression in which they are developed, there is always "One Hundred Lessons of Classical Ballet" by Vera Kostrovitskaya. This book also can be found on Amazon (remember to go through BalletTalk for Dancers). Actually, you may find it interesting to run a Search in the Teacher's Forum on the other site. There is a wealth of knowledge and many teachers who may be eager to give you various helpful ideas. http://balletalert.com/dancersforum/index.php?showforum=17

The way I heard it said in St. Petersburg, Russia, by Russians and in the US by Russians is "Asylmu-RA-tova". Now whether or not that is how it is said in other parts of the world, I do not know. As for Guillem (Guilem), I would only report how I say it!

The clearest manual on teaching that I have found in Nikolai Tarasov's "Ballet Technique for the Male Dancer". Do not be confused by the title. It is also for woman, it just does not include pointe work. It also has included many specifically male steps that woman did not study when the book was written in Russia. It is difficult to find (out of print), but well worth the search. You can find it on Amazon (remember to go through BA, ) as well as ebay. There are no books out there that give you all of the answers, but they can answer lots of questions that may come up for teachers. I hope you are enjoying Indiana. Many of our former students have enjoyed it. Have fun teaching!

I have seen the Orff/Butler piece performed by PA Ballet, more times than I can count and then I saw another company do it (I will not mention which), both to live music. Live music is a plus only when it it done well. Please for those of you out there who love this music, please, please, please only do this piece with a good ballet orchestra, a very good chorus and very good ballet conductor as PA Ballet did it back in the 1970s to date.

Megan Gray, three years Harid Conservatory. Two 6 week summer courses at Boston Ballet!

Are you looking for pictures while she was a dancer or more recent photos prior to her death?

For the 2003-2004 school year, Terekhova was a full time faculty member at the Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia. I believe she will continue to work in this capacity for the following the up and coming school year.

The Japanese dancers/teachers I know, have a general Russian background. While I was in Vaganova Academy there were about 14 Japanese students (all in the upper levels), my first year and 25 in my 2nd year. At that time, they were members of the existing classes with the Russians, but I have heard that now they have their own classes, as had been done during Communism with some groups of foreign students. I did have one Japanese apartment mate who was a teacher, although she was not studying in the pedagogy program. I taught in a Russian Pedagogy program in Japan, 13 years ago, where most of the teachers, I was told, had studied RAD. Last year, while judging a competiton in Japan,, most of the students had trained either in RAD or some form of Russian. I leave in a week for Japan again and I will ask more questions about the teaching and training background of the Japanese students and teachers.

The Japanese at this time have one full time professional company, in Tokyo, that I know of. They have many small student companies where the dancers pay to be members, not the other way around! They have a few very talented professional choreographers who work both in Japan and internationally though. They have very talented teachers who are producing very good students. Each school seems to have its "company", although the students/dancers are not paid to work.

Having watched a deaf dancer work within a company situation (yes, only one! ) I can only say that she definitely did not need monitors during performance and we only used live music in rehearsal and on stage back in the 1970s and 1980s at Pennsylvania Ballet. I have seen monitors backstage in many theatres without having a deaf dancer onstage. I am not doubting the situation, but I am quite surprised about it! :shrug: The young girl with whom I worked, was so on the music that I did not even know she was deaf until one day when I was correcting her and she turned her back on me while I was speaking with her. :angry: I was obviously a little perturbed at her "rude" behavior when another student finally told me she was deaf. From then on I looked for some sort of "sign". As Ms Leigh said, in class, she was really fine but in rehearsals, Bolero was being choreographed for a company performance, she did need a little more time and patience from the AD/choreographer. She had no one signing for her. Her mother had not wanted anyone to know about her "situation" so no one was told, at first, we just learned as we went along. :shhh:

Ostrich was it a performance with a live orchestra or to canned music? This could make a difference. If Peasant Pas were kept to an even tempo then following the partner's tempo could make sense to canned music. In that case it would have always been rehearsed at the same tempo. Watching the monitors in the wings just sounds highly unlikely to me, like a movie out of sinc.

I had a student at Pennsylvania Ballet, back in the 1980s who was deaf. She became an apprentice at Pennsylvania Ballet and eventually a member of the corps de ballet at SFB. She felt the rythum of the music through the floor in order to stay with the beat. There was a slight delay, which she did learn to compensate for eventually. She was a wonderful dancer.

Yes, of course, I forgot about all the dancers I know who have children not active in the ballet world! The list is endless!

Having lived in St. Petersburg, Russia, worked with many former dancers from both the Kirov and the Bolshoi, I would have to say there is no truth in this statement at all. Too many Russian ballet families in Russia and around the world. The Fokine family, the Legat family, the Zubkovsky family, the Lavrovsky Family, the Messerer Family (related to Plisetskaya family), are all active families within the ballet world. Today in the Kirov one may still find the Zubkovsky, Shcherbakov names, as well as Kuznetsov, both parents having been 1st soloists in Samara, and Rassadina whoses parents were both in the Kirov, mother, the late Margarita Zagurskaya, father choreographer Rassadina. What about the Liepa family? And these are only the few I can think of off the top of my head.

Thank you for the update on both Bridgett and Connor. Although I do not like the picture, at all, a giant merde to them both. Proud as can be!

Rachel, one would have to know the videos, Vaganova terminology and the way movements are broken down and taught to actually understand the conversation. Maybe if I explain through PM? PM me if you are interested to continue this conversation further.

Rachel, my observation has more to do with the fact the material was incorrectly executed (as material) by not only Mezentseva, but the other "students" in the class. It is not that they looked better or worse than a student of 3rd year, it is that the material is incorrectly presented. There are rules of execution of every step and one of the beauties of the program is that these rules are observed, particularly in the lower and middle levels. There are certain ways to do things at each level and it is obvious in these vidoes that this was not understood by whomever produced the video. My expectation would have been that Mezentseva would have recognized how important certain particulars were/are to the body of work. I do not place blame on her, just disappointment. I recognize that most people looking at these videos would not see what I see, but if videos, such as these, are intended to be a respresentation of the Vaganova Syllabus, they had better be correctly executed. There are teachers and students who would look to these videos as actual documentation of the Vaganova program and accept them as factual. They are not. Perhaps I misunderstood your point when you said, Since the execution was not in the manner of the level for students of that age group, to me, then it does not clearly represent the Vaganova program. I ask your understanding in my concern.

The Willis videotape series of classroom work, although a valiant effort, is far from an example of Vaganova schooling in its purest form. There are so many mistakes that it is difficult to credit Mezentseva with knowledge of the lower and middle levels of the Vaganova Syllabus. Perhaps this video was made when Mezentseva was at a turning point in her career? Just beginning as a teacher for Willis? The idea of Vaganova Academy or someone authorized by the Academy, producing a video series representing their school, is a fantastic idea, but it must be done with better examples of the actual execution of the steps by professional level students or in the case of Mezentzeva, someone who could take the time to research what the actual execution of movement should be at various levels. A video produced by another for public distribution that has not been approved by the school (and would not be approved in its current state) is misleading to all who are trying to learn about the the study of/teaching of the Vaganova program. As for Mezentseva, as a performer...brava! I was only fortunate enough to see her in Russia, a few times, with the Makarov Company (Choreographic Miniatures, formerly directed by L. Jacobson), after she had "left" the Kirov. She performed the pas de deux from Legend of Love, Dying Swan and the lead in a ballet choreographed by Willis on the Makarov Company. It was the end of her performing career, but she was still in good shape. I cannot comment upon whether or not she embodied the Russian school or not, as these ballets were all quite particulari n their own style, but she was beautiful. I remember wishing I had had the opportunity to see her in more classical work, as a younger dancer. I did miss one important gala performance of hers at the Maly Theatre unfortuantely. There was not a ticket to be had. Everyone was there and by that I mean, all of the soloists and ballet masters from the Kirov, all of the faculty and administrators of the Vaganova Academy, as many students as could be stuffed into the upper balcony with the free seating for students and of course whatever general public could afford the hefty price of the ticket (I do not recall the price, but it was steep by Russian standards. I was too late in arriving at the theatre to get in with my Vaganova Academy pass). The excitement within the ballet community was unbelieveable, something I had not experienced in Russia. I heard for days about this performance. It was all anyone could talk about, good and bad, but it really did spark the professionals into gear. People truly had been inspired.

Thank you all for your explanations. Things are making a bit more sense now. It is a most important point in Vaganova training that the legs have equal expressivity as the upper body. Character of movement and expressivity is always a major portion of every movement. In our examinations, as teachers (as well as for the students) this was always a major portion of the answer. Saying that the body is split horizontally is only a portion of what a student/dancer must physically understand. Perhaps Ms. Farrell did not understand what Ms. Kolpakova was saying? Perhaps the translator was not someone well versed in translating for ballet, which is a very specific thing? I will also check with I. Kolpakova the next time I see her. Perhaps Ms. Kolpakova got side track and was not able to complete her thought. I do not know, but I can say that the training of dancers in Vaganova method is three dimensional at all times. In fact, one could even say there is a 4th dimension of the soul (thank you Kevin). I would like to read both the Farrell book, as well as the essay by Balanchine. I hopefully already have the correct addition of the A. Chujoy Dance Encyclopedia. I seems to me that Balanchine was stating that both the horizontal and the vertical are necessary in ballet. Although in this quote the horizontal is not clarified, he does seem to state that it is necessary. It only makes sense for all forms of dance, not just ballet.

Having studied both "ways to dance" Balanchine, as a student, Vaganova, as a teacher, I cannot say that I am following what the actual difference is in terms of movement quality. It is true that Vaganova training does teach the usage of arms, legs, and head from the beginning of training. I just do not see what that has to do with horizontal. As for vertical relating to speed and mobility, again I do not get it. Both groups of dancers are extremely mobile and both groups of dancers can move quickly, but in different ways. What does that have to do with vertical versus horizontal? I really do want to understand this idea because I have heard it before, but I just do not get it. Maybe I just need to accept that I do not get it. :shrug: Thanks for trying to explain it though.

Not having seen the performances of the Kirov in question (for that matter I have not seen the Kirov in almost 7 years) however, I do have a few quick questions! And perhaps some not so quick comments. Cygnet, could you please explain what you mean here? I am not quite sure I understand what you mean. and If this is being questioned regarding Kirov dancers performing Balanchine then perhaps it also could be questioned for dancers everywhere dancing many ballets they are rehearsed in, by coaches who also have never performed various ballets? It is actually a very common practice within the ballet world to have coaches who have never performed ballets by various choreographers. Many choreographers and Directors even present to the audience their versions of standard classical works that they themselves have never performed. Not saying this is wrong, just that it is done by many. While studying in Vaganova Academy, I had the distinct pleasure of watching I. Zubkovskaya reconstruct the female variation from Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux for one of her seventh year students to perform in the small theatre in the school (not a public performance). I assumed she learned it from video (my guess would be the G. Kirkland). I never asked, I just sat quietly watching day after day as she taught her student. It was a most interesting process indeed. Many things were alien to them from the musicality, to arm movements and steps. Speed was not a problem actually since the seventh year program requires lightening fast foot work at the barre and in the centre. The way the actual steps are combined was a challenge however. Just as taking class with a different teacher is something to adjust to for a dancer, so is becoming acustom to the way a particular choreographer combines steps to create the movement. There were a few rehearsals that the Artistic Director, I. Belsky, came to watch (upstairs, in Rep Zal, where unless you get all the way upstage in the studio and look up you could not see who is watching). It was interesting to sit there quietly with Mr. Belsky commenting to me periodically about the movement. There I was, some sort of American/Balanchine trained dancer/teacher thinking about the mistakes and the things they just did not know about Balanchine training when all of a sudden, Mr. Belsky blurts out, "no, no,no that is all wrong." And you know what, he was all right! I do not remember what it was exactly (this was almost 10 years ago) but I do remember that what he said amazed me since I could never figure out how he would have known the right way to fix it! There was a 21 year age difference between the two men. The point I am trying to make is that sometimes ballet masters and coaches just may know and sometimes they do not. Sometimes they have the authority and sometimes they do not. Sometimes dancers take it upon themselves to "put something in" out of the blue that was never rehearsed. And often times, dancers do not do what the coaches ask them to do. Ballet is a living breathing artform. The dancers and the coaches all need time to develop in all roles in all ballets. One of the first things my teachers, J. Schneider, J. Cunova and Valentina V. Rumyanseva, asked me when I began to study Vaganova pedagogy was why are you doing this? What were my intentions? Over the 10 years of study, the answer evolved. Madame Cunova and Madame Rumyanseva used to tell me, you cannot make your dancers like Mariinsky dancers because of the cultural differences. Help your students to retain their national identity, but give them the tools to work as dancers for all choreographers. All they will need is time and then there will be another generation of dancers, critics and balletomanes who will discuss endlessly the various aspects of this that or the other. These conversations will always take place, thank goodness. Do we get further way from what was originally intended? I, for one, will never know, but aren't we at a lucky time in the developement of ballet that we can actually be involved in this remarkable period in history when all dancers are free again to learn everything that is out there?