Roma

We all have our personal values.

Clearly.

As a Russian American who grew up in this country, and simply as a human being, I found your post incredibly offensive and have reported it to the moderators.

As to the point that City Ballet tickets are a rare commodity and, therefore, the company, as a free market agent, can raise their prices sky high, I would argue that they should first try selling out the repertory season at the current price. If, as has been reported on the board, their average attendance rate is only 62%, they can not be said to be in possession of a hot commodity, and should sell their tickets at a discount instead of creating a false sense of scarcity by closing off the top two rings.

I don't see why it should defy belief that someone who has traveled for years could one day lose their passport. It can happen to anyone, and it's always unfortunate. Careless, she may be, but I just don't think that an artist of such caliber would risk her reputation with audiences and company management by willfully skipping out on a Met engagement.

I would imagine that Osipova is contractually obligated to fulfill her ABT dates, since unlike the Bolshoi they are not in the habit and probably can't afford to make principal casting changes unless an injury forces them to (as was the case with Vishneva's appearances last spring). As Helene pointed out, it's feasible for Osipova to dance Corsaire in D.C. on the 20th, although 3 full-lengths in 4 days is really tough going...

It now appears that Natalia Osipova’s performances with ABT this spring may be jeopardized by the powers that be at her home company. The Bolshoi has just released its Kennedy Center schedule listing Osipova for two evening performance of “Corsaire”, on June 17th and 20th. Her dates for ABT’s “La Sylphide” are June 17 and 19 (also evening), and these have been set since September. So appearances in New York and D.C. would seem to be mutually exclusive. According to Osipova’s interview with Moscow critic Tatiana Kuznetsova (given at the end of October and published on balletfriends.ru http://forum.balletfriends.ru/viewtopic.php?p=67756#67756 on Jan 29, 2009) both the outgoing and the incoming Bolshoi administrations (Ratmansky and Burlaka) were aware of and had expressly approved her ABT engagement, so is this simply a casting oversight or something else? Can anyone shed light on this situation?

This gala will also feature Guest Artists from the Mikhailovsky-Maly Ballet, the Matvienkos (erroneously rumored to have moved permanently to the Mariinsky, as per recent Russian gossip websites):

Natalia, that "rumor" is true. Denis has signed as a principal, Anastasia is going over as first soloist. It was in today's papers (Nezavisimaja Gazeta)

I think that for some reason, it's more or less standard practice at the Bolshoi Academy to use young men from the company to partner the girls from the school.

Artyom Ovcherenko danced the male lead, Lucien (Paquita's man). He is not only a very capable partner -- dealing with a brash prima-in-the-making -- but is an incredible (and handsome) soloist with the jump and face of Rudolf Nureyev. WOW-WEEEE!!!!!! I can see this guy conquering the golbe a-la-Ivan-Vasiliev once he joins the main Bolshoi troupe. Almost as spectacular is the more compact Igor Tsvirko, a wonderful turner and jumper with lots of charisma.

Natalia, thank you for a detailed report!

Actually, Ovcharenko and Tsvirko are both 2007 graduates and joined the Bolshoi last fall (they are listed on the company website). It seems a bit misleading of the school to present them as students. Ovcharenko won gold at Perm this year and has danced some major soloist roles with the company. (There is a video of his Fisherman from La Fille du Pharaon "out there".)

If I am remembering correctly, the all-Balanchine/all-Tchaikovsky program ABT put together in 2004 was overstuffed but sold very well.

Mozartiana (1981 version) is among Balanchine’s greatest masterpieces, and, I think, one of the greatest masterpieces in any art form. But it’s a delicate work. Not in architecture, which is superb and breathtaking, but in musical phrasing and the tonality, the intention given to the steps. There have been some impressive readings of the ballerina role, though none that I saw ever came close to the wonder that Farrell was in it. The prayer gestures sometimes look positively domestic.

Suberb, it certainly was. Corella was not always unerringly elegant, but Vishneva was pitch perfect. A role and dancer have met.

I thought that Vishneva was, as Manhattnik used to say, the cat's pajamas last Wednesday evening. The acting has gotten 100% better since the 2002 performances Dale was referring to, and her dancing was emotionally charged and expansive up to and including her first entrance as a Shade. Thereafter she began to look a little tired. I also thought Stiefel overcompensated through overacting, and that the ballet didn't gel as theater that evening, though I blame Makarova's digest version for that.

I am fairly certain that the costume is from Bejart's I Trionfi del Petrarca. Farrell danced Laura in that ballet.

What terrific news! Congratulations to Mr. Hubbe, and to RDB for finally getting it right. Best of luck.

I apologize if this has been mentioned elsewhere on the board already. Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo's "Gay Parisian" has finally been released on DVD (accompanied by "Maltese Falcon"). Fonteyn's Ondine and Firebird with Somes have also been released. Both DVDs are being sold on DanceBooks and are coded for region 2 only (UK). But once 'the genie' is out, it's bound to come to the US sooner or later.

One other thing bothered me. The theater was nowhere near full! I have always been during the regular winter and spring seasons, but I had thought Nutcracker always packed the houses. I talked to an usher who had been there since 1994, and she said that attendance had not been good this season, or at least at not at all like it had been when she started working there

It could be the ticket prices--the highest ever this season. $75 for third ring seats at a kiddie matinee is really pushing it.

Michael, if I am not mistaken, when 'Middle Duet' was being made, it was set on several couples. At the time, I believe, Ratmansky used to bring prepared steps to the studio and teach them to the dancers, though I don't think he works this way now. Pavlenko and Islom Baymuradov danced the premiere, but Ayupova and Sologub were among the women Ratmansky worked with during the rehearsal process. The original had two angels (dark and light) framing the pricipals on either side of the stage, and when the couple "died", the light angel walked them off the stage, as another couple came on and began to reprise the opening, and then the curtain fell. It was affective.

This was my first look at Slice, and my second look at Elos's work. Already I see a pattern -- novelty lighting that accentuates shadows and makes it difficult to see.

It was my first look at Slice, and I thought that it could benifit greatly from complete darkness.

Congradulations! Long expected and well deserved.

All of Bournonville, the 4th variation in Divert.

I think that in this instance it has more to do with Martins wanting to say "twenty years later--my company--deal with it". This is anecdotal, but in my experience all-Balanchine programs tend to nearly sell out, while at programs leaning more heavily on Martins, and even Robbins, one tends to see a sizable number of empty seats, sometimes a third or more.

Dancers often say that in order to develop fully they must have new works created specifically for them. Do you feel that your dancing benefits more from discovering older masterpieces or from working with choreographers on new ballets? Why is it so important for a dancer to have ballets made on them?

Could you talk a little bit about the difference between the technique required to dance Balanchine’s and Petipa’s ballets?

Do you feel that it is possible to combine the theatrical flamboyance which is the Bolshoi’s trademark with a very clean technique, or does one necessarily exclude the other?

You were a wonderful Sylphide in the Bolshoi’s production of that ballet. Could you talk a little bit about creating that character. What do you think sets Bournonville apart from Petipa and his heirs, and how does the technique required to dance his ballets differ from your training?

Do you think the Bolshoi needs to dance works which were created in the West in the last 80 or so years—Balanchine, Ashton, Tudor, etc, or should it concentrate more on works made specifically for the company?

It somehow doesn't seem likely that Conrad would have been so little dressed.

The last name, as far as I can make it out, reads Lisnevsjuk.

If there's a connection to other versions, I haven't heard, but am curious.

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Raffaello Giovagnoli's "Spartacus" was written in 1874. It was enormously popular in Russia in mid-twentieth century, and is still in print there.

Thank you, perky . I have, of course, read Gottlieb's Vanity Fair article, and was by no means suggesting that he is incapable of depth or originality or of anything else .

I understand that the book is written for the general reader and wasn't expecting to be astounded by a flood of new information. I just wish, since the labor was undertaken, for the finished product to be a bit more than a summary of quotes from other sources.