Buddy

I'm loving this discussion. Thank you all. I would like to go back again to Diana's two performances of Ratmansky's Cinderella (DC, January 2005) because these were among the highlights of my life-long viewing experience. First of all I will mention again that she did equally well both nights making it more than a one-time phenomenon. In more down-to-earth terms ,what she did was to take Ratmansky's more modern 'stop-and go'-somewhat gymnastic choreography and perform it with the total grace of a prima ballerina. She combined modern and classical with an excellence that I had never imagined before. This is perhaps the reason I gave her an all-time great designation. She went into completely new territory for me with a mastery approaching perfection! This for me gives her historical significance. I saw other dancers perform the ballet wonderfully, but it wasn't the same. I must say that Natalia Sologub in the final moments of her last night performed beautifully in another genre, a totally classical one. Also I would like to say that Igor Kolb as a very reliable partner, especially in the lifts, seemed to give Diana the security she needed to go the limit--to maybe take chances. I am always glad to know that he is performing with her. Besides being fine himself he allows Diana to shine at her best. I also saw Diana in L.A. as Aurora. There she did something that I read Nina Ananiashvili had once done. She took matters into her own hands. Her partner that night was very good, but his lifts didn't seem to be the most confident. She simply ingnored this and extended herself in the most beautiful unprotected poses. She could have landed flat on her face. Instead she soared. Drew, I almost completely agree with your quote that she is "thrillingly wild looking, yet ultimately (I would say "totally") controlled". I think this is a cornerstone in describing her and can't be emphasized enough. In DC the same confidence occurred. She simply took over the stage. Even sitting in the corner during someone else's performance she stayed the focus. This was stage presence with the technical ability to back it up. All good performers have this. When she was there everyone seemed to perform better. Now let me try another angle. This involves ascending to a higher level of excellence and staying there. Torvill and Dean in figure skating may be a related example. These two performances by Diana Vishneva for me is another. Maria Alexandrova was once asked whether she believed in a mystical sort of spirituality during a performance. She replied that she had never experienced this, but when she starts to perform she does become a sort of different person--perhaps transcending a bit. I think that many of us have experienced this or have observed this in performances. When you aren't as self conscious you may do better. Diana it seems interestingly to me can take her ego with her and stll reach remarkable heights. It is a funny idea because I am somewhat referring to a 'Diva' in the 'twilight zone'. A very unusual concept. I read someone once who said that when you reach the level of excellence of Diana Vishneva criticism really doesn't have much meaning. How do you discuss a person out in the 'twilight zone'? You can of coarse, but how much meaning does it have? As an amusing (perhaps) aside, I live part of the year in Switzerland and try to see the Lausanne dance competition whenever I can. Last year there was one tiny dancer that I loved. I called her "Tara Lapinsky in the Twilight Zone"! She was on her own little cloud, technically fine, I thought, and totally charming.--She didn't even make it into the third round! So much for the 'twilight zone'! I was heartbroken, but I will always remember her and hope that someone will find a place for her. I have to look through my notes to find her name. She is from Russia. Back to Diana. Yes, nysusan, I also consider her "close to gymnastic" with in my opinion a bit of an 'ego' showing, but what does this mean if you are in the 'cosmos', somewhere in the land of the gods and goddesses. (I am not by the way a religious person and am not really interested in mysticism. I guess that I am just trying to be a bit light-hearted about it all.) In the case of Diana's two DC performances, I feel that she really was 'out there' in her level of excellence. In my live viewing experience I have seen elements of this in Uliana Lopatkina, who I love, but not a complete package. I dream of that! OK, you've achieved 'cosmic' excellence. What do you do with it? Once again... "We can't take any credit for our talents. It's how we use them that counts." Madeleine L'Engle Drew, by the way, thanks for clearing up my own thinking for me on 'special moments of greatness'. I don't think it could have been said better. Just a bit more. I went to the L.A. Sleeping Beauty not sure of what to expect. I had considered Diana somewhat of a 'gymnast' a 'cosmic gymnast--beyond mortal discussion', but still perhaps a sort of gymnast. I wasn't sure how she would handle a real classic. I was very pleasantly surprised. She did pretty well. Again 'pretty well' as gauged on some sort of 'heavenly' scale. This is purely classical stuff and not the Forsythian variety of which I consider her to be an undisputed Mistress. If with maturity (not necessarily age and not necessarily adulthood), with some kind of lessening of the ego factor (albeit 'cosmic ego--beyond mortal discussion') and with her apparent dedication to her art--she could be even more of a performing wonder to behold!

Cygnet, richard it was good to read your comments. I also tend to stay away from absolutes. Something could always happpen tomorrow that could greatly change things. I have to recall my qualifier "in my mind" to begin with. Someone else especially with more viewing experience and/or more technical knowledge and a different opinion would have to be respected. Also I have to re-emphasize that my opinion is based on only two performances. I have read other postings describing one-time spectacular performances. This brings me back to my philosophy of "special moments" of greatness. Does a special moment qualify one for an all-time great designation? I tend to stand by my perhaps 'sweeping statement' because of the overwhelming impression that she made on me and my video viewings of the generally accepted world's greats. I should again say "in my mind" and based on my viewing experience. In any case I think for anyone's future appreciation, Diana Vishneva is a very significant talent capable of producing much future greatness.

chiapuris, so far the cast besides the lead Gala dancers has not been officially announced. As I mentioned on the same topic I started (and am trying to get deleted) before I saw yours, Diana Vishneva has announced on her website her plans to appear also. Last year tickets were not for sale from the Mariinsky itself on the internet until the end of January, but plenty of good seats were still available. I will try to post when the seating possiblities are announced. With a credit card it is fairly easy to get tickets from the Mariinsky website at perhaps 30% cheaper than using any of the services. I will be glad to explain more if anyone is interested. I hope to be able to attend. If you click on the Sticky at the top of the Ballet Talk Kirov-Mariinsky Ballet home page "Great Info for Attending The Mariinsky Festival" you can find some very helpful ideas from Natalia. I was there for six days last year and had a great time. %%

bart, I saw the three Galas last year. Each Gala featured the one artist, who will generally perform the lead in all the dances that evening. These dances may vary in style, perhaps to showcase the range of the dancer. For instance Diana Vishneva performed a scene from La Bayadere, Balanchine and Forsythe. This year the choice of featuring the men including Nikolai Tsiskaridze from the Bolshoi is very intersting. Last year it was Uliana Lopatkina, Diana Vishneva and Daria Pavlenko, all Kirov women. This I am guessing is a more normal occurance.

Could I please use this topic to reminisce for a moment. It seems appropriate here. I saw Diana Vishneva last January (DC) in two performances of Ratmansky's Cinderella. The press seemed to have missed these completely, probably because it wasn't their night to go. I would have posted something here at the time, but I didn't know how. Based on these two performances (plus two years of attending live performances and watching tons of videos of other ballerinas) Diana Vishneva secured her place in my mind alongside the all-time greats. What this woman did was simply to combine 'Incredible Gymnastics' with the 'Grace of A Celestial Being'! She did it twice! I've never seen anything like it before or since. I've seen other performances and videos by her and although often brilliant they have never been completely the same. Still the elements are always there. I'll repeat a feeling I have that at any special moment any human being can be the best in the world at what she or he is doing, for the good. In the art of ballet I think that Diana Vishneva can do this much more often than your average artist. Would anyone else like to comment on this? I mention all this here as a recommendation to try and see her during her US performances or anywhere else. The result could be spectacular! Can I finish with an added thought about it all. "We can't take any credit for our talents. It's how we use them that counts." -Madeleine L'Engle

The schedule has just been posted on the Mariinsky site. http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill?pbmy=200603

Dancers from the Vaganova Academy and five other famous dance schools will perform one or two different program segments each during four days. I hope to see two of these performances, as my daughter in nearby Philadelphia has just given birth to a baby girl, and I will use any excuse possible to see her again. I will try to report when I get back. http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/ind...rue&event=BGBSE

Dates posted on her website from February 16 (Costa Mesa,California) through July 10 (NYC). http://www.vishneva.ru/eng/perform.php The February performances seem to be with "The Kings of Dance", performing only one segment, Le Jeune Homme et La Mort. Costa Mesa http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/print/1986.html NYC http://www.nycitycenter.org/events/event_d...vent_code=KOD06

Diana Vishneva plans to perform at festival according to her website. http://www.vishneva.ru/eng/interview.php There is news about four of the performances on the internet, but nothing official yet from the Mariinsky website. It will be held in St. Petersburg at the Mariinsky I assume. Later in the year the theater is supposed to be closed for renovation.

According to Diana Vishneva's website the Kirov-Mariinski will be performing again in London next July-August 2006 and she will probably be there. http://www.vishneva.ru/eng/interview.php?nopage=31

Diana Vishneva will perform Swan Lake in Paris according to her website. This will be January 9 & 11 with the Opera de Paris. Her site says that she will perform Swan Lake in St. Petersburg January 26 instead of January 10 as listed on the Mariinsky site.

En plus. Balanchine and Swan Lake. Same feelings about the Balanchine program. The only complaint is that is was a bit long, almost four hours of performance. One could believe that we had returned to the days of the Grand Ballets of the Marquis de Cuevas. (They were long too?) We recognise however that the four ballets were chosen with great care, very different one from the other. Austerity and rigor with "The Four Temperaments". Theater and drama with "The Prodigal Son". Journey into modern and vaporous romanticism with "La Valse". Demonstration of pure classicism with "Ballet Imperial". The dancers have dreamlike physiques: long and fine with of course exceptional arms. The men are less similar to each other physically, but one notices, all the same, their solid technique in jumps and batterie. It's difficult to recite their names because there remains a "certaine fantaisie" (see, French isn't so difficult!) in regard to the names listed in the program and the dancers actually appearing on the stage. They don't always correspond. A particular mention however for Mikhail Loboukhine, Prodigal Son, who is very theatrical despite his somewhat unusual costume not comforming to the sketches of Rouault. As for "Swan Lake" there is a double reference to consider. One regarding the Russian version. The other regarding Ouliana Lopatkina. Both anticipated as being really special. Both being a little disappointing. The company once again showed itself to be magnificient in it's ensemble dancing. The pas de trois benefited from a refined and intelligent interpretation. Mademoiselle Lopatkina seemed distant and too sophisticated in her White Swan and too human and ambiguous (Sounds ok to me) in her Black Swan. Certainly her technique is superb, the same as in her line and the quality of her dance. We are at a very high level here, but we must not forget the performances of Makarova, Tchentchikova, or in our country, Nanon Thibon, Guerin and Platel. ( I would like to mention again that general internet response to Ouliana Lopatkina's dancing has been quite favorable and that reports indicate that audience response to all the performances has often been extremely enthusiastic.) The Constantin Sergeyev version adapted in 1950 is a bit weak, with the constant presence of the Jester and giving only one solo to the Prince, the Black Swan solo. The happy ending is totally contradictory to Tchaikovski's music. This version is almost caricatural of the Burnmeister version that preceeded the Nureyev version in Paris. The latter version being much more interesting, deeper, developed and musical despite some mistakes as well. A very beautiful company, however, in significant evolution and in significant ascent to the summits that it will certainly attain in the near future if it continues in this direction. ("Merci beaucoup , Monsieur Mannoni " )

Here we go. This article is written by Gerard Mannoni for "altamusica.com", which covers news related to classical music. This article covers four nights, including two nights of "Swan Lake", used as a point of reference. Actually it was the 20th century programing that proved to be the most surprising.This abundant programing marks the renaissance of this illustrious company. With four programs the Mariinsky Ballet is the masterpiece of this "saison russe" at the Chatelet Theatre. (It appears that there are other performances, Mariinsky Opera and more(?), of a Russian theme, planned this year in Paris.) Already viewed (not yet seen in Paris this year) Simonov and Chemiakin's "The Nutcracker" ("Casse Noisette") should be a success as usual. Much more interesting were the three other presentations. In reality it is a real novelty for a great Russian company to be able to have entire evenings devoted to 20th century American choreography, such as that of William Forsythe and George Balanchine. Both required a real learning period and one can only admire, from the noteworthy result, the effort provided by this company to resume it's rightful position in the world of dance. From the Forsythe program, it is "Steptext" that stood out with Diana Vishneva shining. She was accompanied by excellent partners, Igor Kolb, Andrei Murkuriev and Maxim Khrebtov. "The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude" was less interesting. On the other hand "In the Middle Somewhat Elevated", created for the Opera de Paris and featuring the glory of Sylvie Guillem, Isabelle Platin and other stars of the Nureyev generation, is a real challenge for the Russian dancers, who delivered with "panache." Their technique is superb. Their athletic ability is astounding. Their approach to style is almost perfect. There's no doubt that the energy they display is different from our dancers or those of Forsythe. They appeared a little "laxe"(?), a bit more distant and less rigorous, but once again, this remains a very impressive effort. ( "Impressionant" ) Please stay tuned for "Balanchine" and "Swan Lake". Just walked into the other room to see Elinore Powell (40s(?) Hollywood) do one of her amazing tap dance routines. At least as amazing was Fred Astaire appearing before her. Great movie also on TV, if you want to be totally charmed this holiday season, is "Pollyanna" with Georgina Terry.

Will try to translate later. An article describing the perfomances. There are a few nice pictures if you want to take a look. If someone wants to translate, please do. http://www.altamusica.com/danse/document.p...DossierRef=2464

Getting back to the article. Ballerina recounts Bertrand Norman's quest to pass through the veil that separtes the spectator from the performing artist and also the one that still somewhat conceals this land, Russia. This quest leads to the Mariinsky Theater, which has witnessed over the centuries the emergence of choreographers and performers "hors de commun" (exceptional). He meets Alina (Somova), Ulyana (Lopatkina), Evgenia (Obraztsova), Svetlana (Zakharova) and Diana (Vishneva), who are the principal characters of the film. These are women of radically different personalities. They include women beginning their careers and world famous stars. Together they illustrate the range of steps and chances taken that are fundamental to the life of a ballerina. The "author" follows them all at regular intervals for several months. He films them performing, practicing and at home. He has already identified a "defie" (chalange, transition made?) for each of them relating to their futures. There is the beginner entering the troup directly out of school. ("Alina"?) Another is an injured star making her return. ("Uliana"?) A rising star quits her company to better express herself elsewhere. ("Svetlana"?) A companion artist assumes a worldwide career. ("Diana"?) Finally a young "quadrille"(?) is becoming a movie actress. ("Evgenia"?) Together they challenge definitions by the dynamism of their destiny. The author has thus established a principal idea around which he constructs the architecture of his film. "The Story Of The Ballerina Is One Of Permanent Metamorphosis". It's different moments in her career or different instances in her overall journey. It's the changing of a young girl, studying, into a woman who lights up the stage with her grace. It could be a new life outside of the theater. The ballerina is constantly transforming herself and it's during this process of constant metamorphosis that her beauty becomes completely apparent. A ballerina's art seems simple and light to the spectator. It represents however much effort on the part of the dancers. The film shows both the effort required of the artist and the grace and beauty that results. In light of such artists, the ballet becomes more than an aesthetic entity. The ballet elicits a profound emotion in the spectator. This Experience Sometimes Attains A Summit Where The Artist Transcends The Performance To Create Something Completely New. Something Never Seen Before. This 'Something' happens when the star dancers Diana Vishneva and Svetlana Zakharova perform. It happens when Uliana Lopatkina performs, possibly more so than with any other dancer. But it's through regarding the evolution and maturing of a young dancer such as Alina Somova or Evgenia Obraztsova that the author of the film can make clear to the spectator the mystery of the flowering of such a woman. Here he can clearly illustate the metamorphosis of her life and of her art. This is the metamorphosis of the artist of the real and of the imaginary that one calls a "ballerina."

This is an intriguing comment by the 'filmstamarin' writer. I've heard it said by many Westerners in Russia (especially American men) but have never seen it so bluntly stated. Do others agree with this statement? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Natalia, you obviously know Russia very well and I have only been there for a week, but I do have some opinions. I may be wrong, but from observing the audiences in the 50's and 60's ballet videos , and these probably represent the more affluent citizens, there is a certain drabness. Perhaps this relates to the old dictatorial days. In Budapest and Prague as well as in St. Petersburg I have seen what seems to be a real desire by women to make themselves noticed for their physical beauty. Perhaps this was a right denied them in previous decades. Access to Western fashions designed to acentuate beauty was possibly not encouraged. I hope I am not engaged in cultural propaganda. I do have a friend from the Ukraine who said that in the 80's under the "old system" she would sacrifice food money sometimes to buy a nice dress and to look attractive. This somewhat counters my perception that this may be a more recent social phenomenon. In anycase many of the women in St. Petersburg, that I saw were very attractive, and many who weren't naturally beautiful seemed to go the extra mile to make themselves as attractive as possible. My reference to the teens in the Hermitage is interesting in regard to the boys. This was not femininity, but they didn't seem to be pushing the macho image. They had a sort of graceful appearance "like ballet dancers". The popularity of ballet is an interesting case. When you hear some men cheering with such enthusiasm an art form that really emphasizes an almost spiritual level of female beauty, it does support a more enduring idea of a "land of forgotten femininity".

Thanks sylphide and chiapuris for your comments. Thanks, Helene. chiapuris, I read your fine reports from the Moscow International Ballet Competition and I believe you were quite impressed with Evgeny Obraztsova as was Natalia. Her inclusion in this movie supports your good opinion of her. I look forward to seeing her someday. In regard to the movie there are several obvious questions. Do I want to see this movie? Will it be a DVD or something else that I can see at home? When will it be available? Will there be an edition with English subtitles? How do I get it? In regard to the second question, if the DVD is issued in the French system, I have found that it should be viewable on your computer, which can be hooked up to your TV. An "international version" might be viewable anywhere and have English subtitles. I will try to follow the news and relay any answers to the other questions. "Do I want to see this Video?" From what the announcement says this is a definite Yes! I will try to paraphrase much of this article, as it is informative and makes for very pleasant reading. For those of you who speak French, if my translation is off, please feel free to make corrections. To begin with the movie is being made for French television by a French director, Bertrand Normand, who as chiapuris mentioned, is a lover of ballet. The movie will be 90 minutes long. The article starts by saying that the ballerina fascinates. She practices an art that is becoming rare. (I'm not so sure about this.) There is however a land where this art is not becoming rare but in fact is flourishing. That land is Russia. Land of the research for the absolute(?). Land of the cult of beauty, of immensity and of nostalgia. It is also a land of forgotten femininity. Russia is "par excellence" the land of the ballerina. (I (Buddy) was in St. Petersburg for the first time last March to see the Mariinsky Festival. I saw about half. It was excellent! While there I went to the Hermitage Art Museum (it's wonderful) several times. There were large groups of school children there. Among the teens and pre-teens, they often carried themselves and in fact looked like young ballet dancers. Boys and girls. It was different from what I'm used to seeing and was a very enjoyable sight.) Back to the article. Bertrand Normand (director) is a lover of ballet, who for a long time has been impressed by the "singularity" of performing Russian ballerinas. He departed for St. Petetersburg to discover what makes the "unicite"(?) of these dancers and to engage in an immense film project. Through his personal research he has developed an approach to perceiving ballet, it's universe and it's power to move audiences, which he now wants to convey to the general public. There's much more to this article that I would like to continue relating, maybe later today.

Hopefully coming to your living room soon! A documentary of sorts in Russian with French subtitles, but also in an international edition (?), available in DVD among other things. It features Uliana Lopatkina, Diana Vishneva, Svetlana Zakharova, Alina Somova and Yevgeny Obraztsova. This information is from an article that seems to be a press release from the company that is making the movie. The article is in French. I will make an attempt at translating it after I get some sleep. If someone else wants to give it a try before then, it can be found at... http://www.filmstamarin.fr/filmstamarin/pa...re000101c0.html

Un "Mariage royal." Two brief reviews of the Balanchine programs. The first review is from the French language internet service mentioned several times before. Only one sentence actually pertains to the dancing. It say in effect that in "Ballet Imperial" the dancers of the Mariinsky have no difficulty in showing how the clarity and elegance of their school of dance is in harmony with this piece where women and men alternate between solos and dancing together, ending in a dizzying finale. http://www.wanadoo.fr/bin/frame2.cgi?u=htt...5.qn00gr1j.html "Mariage royal" is a review by Rene Sirvin, the well-known dance critic of the newspaper Le Figaro (mentioned above). This brief but informative review of the Balanchine program will hopefully be followed by a lengthy review of the entire visit at a later date. But as M. Sirvin says, it would be impossible to pass by this evening of Balanchine, the high point of this "saison russe", without saying something. I will do some paraphrasing. The "Mariage royal", only recently celebrated (1989 ?), is the natural affinity between the choreography of these four pieces and the dancing of the Mariinsky Theater. Fine lineage doesn't lie as the choreography of "Ballet Imperial", in memory of the Mariinsky of Balanchine's childhood, shows. In the "Four Temperments" the men, notably Anton Korsakov and Andrei Merkouriev, exhibit a remarkable flexibility. The women are ravishing. The finale requires admiration, because of a dynamism and a discipline, which is worthy of both the school of the Mariinsky and the musicals of Broadway. With his exceptional talents as an actor, Mikhail Loboukhine, presents a " Prodigal Son" that doesn't rely on effects, but instead captivates the audience, in the presence of the charming siren, Yekaterina Kondaurova. Almost unknown in France is "La Valse" (as mentioned above by Estelle). This features a very moving interpretation by the star, Ouliana Lopatkina, torn from the arms of her seductive partner, Vladimir Chichov, by a portrayal of death by the impressive Soslan Koulaev. Ouliana Lopatkina conveys an unforgettable magic. Finally, "Ballet Imperial". This reunites an ideal garland of girls in rose. The devine Diana Vishneva shines alongside the mellowness of Igor Zelensky. The lively Yekaterina Osmolkina is also a lovely success. For this evening of Balanchine the Mariinsky has presented its most beautiful stars. http://www.lefigaro.fr/culture/20051201.FIG0163.html?065815 For anyone who wants to view this article in French, you should do so in a day or so, as Le Figaro removes it's articles from general internet access at that time.

Thank you, Natalia, for this information. I would like to say that I think your reports on the internet have been great and I really look forward to reading them. There is no Mariinsky in Paris news at the moment so maybe I could digress a little. The Opera de Paris will be putting on it's Nureyev version of Swan Lake after the Mariinsky finishes it's performances. There will be 23 presentations. As Odette-Odile will be the excellent Aurelie Dupont, Laetitia Pujol, Emilie Cozette and.......Svetlana Zakharova. http://fr.news.yahoo.com/29112005/202/le-b...-cygnes-et.html Under the heading of "former Mariinsky dancers" I would like to mention that Svetlana Zakharova is on a new Swan Lake video with Robert Bolle and the La Scalla Ballet. This is the Burnmeister version. To me she is unnervingly thin in this video (a sensitive area for me in dance), but her Odette is wonderful. I saw her in New York in the Pharoah's Daughter, which had to have been after she made this video and she had put the weight back on. She was beautiful as usual and she looked much healthier. I am a White Swan-omane. I have watched this segment on various videos more times than I can count, almost to the exclusion of the rest of the ballet. Svetlana has extensions through the ceiling in this video, which might be interesting conversation on a new topic. For me they work. Her arms and hands I find to be mesmerizing. Only Ouliana Lopatkina has equaled or surpassed this in my viewings. One last Mariinsky video item. Diana Vishneva apparently has made a video of Giselle in Japan. It cannot be sold outside of that country. Someone in Japan is trying to get me a copy. If it arrives I will try to comment on another topic. Will report more Mariinsky-Paris news when I find it.

Brief review of Friday night's performance of Swan Lake from an internet news service. This performance greatly pleased the audience, which responded very enthusiastically. It illustated clearly the grand tradition of the Mariinsky and the unquestionably fine technique and virtuosity of it's dancers. All first rate. Ouliana Lopatkina immediately won over the audience with her Odette-Odile performance. Danila Korsountsev (Prince), Vladimir Chichov (Rothbart) and Andrei Ivanov (Jester) all did very well. The music of Tchaikovski flows naturally through the veins of this orchestra conducted by Boris Grouzine. (By the way, it is the Konstantin Sergeev (1950) version that is being performed.) http://actu.wanadoo.fr/Imprimer/ext--franc...5.s85ysis2.html

I haven't found anything new from the internet that I can relate within the guidelines of this forum. Perhaps I might be allowed to say that the general response from the French language internet has been quite favorable. There has been a great deal of discussion about Ouliana Lopatkina, mostly praising her. The Sensitivity, Knowledge and general Warmth of some of the commentators compels me to make this posting. bart, I believe this is a partial confirmation of what you have said. Estelle, thank you for letting us know that it was Nureyev who commissioned the Forsythe program. For yourself and others in this forum, who I have discovered speak French, I would like to mention a recent article in the newspaper L'Express. It discusses the general aspects of any Swan Lake production. I haven't had time to read it completely. Since it doesn't talk about the current Mariinsky performances I haven't mentioned it. If I find something particularly interesting I will try to relate it. Mes voeux les meilleurs (best wishes). http://www.lexpress.fr/formatimp/default.a...ctu.asp?id=1318

Two brief but 'grand' reports. First, the Kirov-Mariinsky has brought a group of 440 (dancers, singers, musicians and technicians) to Paris. (AFP Nov. 19) Secondly, the audience response to the Forsythe programs has been Wildly Enthusiastic!! The second article also mentions that "In The Middle Somewhat Elevated" was actually created for the Paris Opera in 1987. (It may have been commissioned by Nureyev, who was company director at that time.) The article goes on to say how great it is that the Kirov, so proficient in pure classical technique, can perform something so different, so well. More remarkable in that the Kirov has only been performing Forsythe since 2004. "In The Middle Somewhat Elevated" for example is an excellent place for dancers to exhibit their formidable virtuosity in solos, pas de deux and trois. (ASP Nov. 23 (http://actu.wanadoo.fr/Imprimer/ext--francais--ftmms--loisirs/051123223903.gaepx8hd.html) ) Of interest is that according to the Theatre du Chatelet website all tickets for the three performances of Swan Lake were/are sold out. There is no casting information for the Balanchine evenings ( "Four Temperments", "Prodigal Son"," La Valse" and "Ballet Imperial" ). Some seats are still available. I found an interesting review of the Kirov-Mariinsky's 2002 visit to Paris by Rene Sirvin, dance critic for Le Figaro, and one of the best know dance critics in France. He recalls the Kirov's visit to Paris in 1990, when it danced at the beautiful Opera de Paris. In 2002 it returned. He greatly praises their appearances. In 2002 as in 2005 it performed at the Theatre du Chatelet. He relates that the Mariinsky Ballet (part of it, anyway) made it's Paris debut at this theater in 1909. Serge Diaghilev introduced to an enthusiastic public Nijinski, Pavlova, Karsavina, Folkine and many other great artists, mostly from St. Petersburg. To see this article with some very pretty pictures go to http://www.imagidanse.com/francais/presse/critiques.html and scroll down to "Le Ballet du Theatre Mariinski au Chatelet" (Saison 2002-2003). Also there are very nice Bolshoi (Bolchoi) in Paris photos (Saison 2004). For a look at the Theatre du Chatelet go to http://www.insecula.com/oeuvre/O0012858.html

Thanks, Helene. Although there are complete preliminary cast listing on some European forums I will only post the most recent information from the Theatre de Chatelet, where the performances are occuring. Swan Lake November 25-27 Odette/Odile Ouliana Lopatkina, Alina Somova Prince Danila Korsuntsev, Igor Zelensky Rothbart Ilya Kouznetsov

I will not be in Paris for these performances, but as I have mentioned, I do speak some French. I will be following everything on the French language internet. I will try to make some brief comments, remaining within the guidelines of this forum as I understand them. Please feel free to 'guide' my discussion if necessary (moderators, anyone). If there is anything that anyone would like to know (casting, etc.) I will try and find out. There was a very nice photo of Uliana Lopatkina on the cover of Le Figaro Scope, Nov. 23. Le Figaro is one of the country's leading newspapers and Scope is apparently it's weekly events magazine. There is also a lengthy interview with Uliana and another with Mikhar Vaziev, the director. I cannot find any access to these articles except for two very brief responses. Uliana asks the spectators not only to observe her technique, but also to focus on the feeling that she is trying to convey. She is scheduled to perform Swan Lake. Mikhar comments that the teachers at the company are extremely important to it's success. The Kirov did two performances of Swan Lake in Cannes, France before going to Paris. The Paris performances started Wednesday with a Forsythe program. Tonight Diana Vishneva replaced Daria Pavlenko in Steptext. A brief aside. There has also been some nice coverage on the French language internet of Maya Plisetskaya's 80th Birthday Gala in Moscow. It appears that she performed a five minute ballet by Bejart and received so much applause that she did it again. She also did a tap dance with one of the world's most famous Flamenco dancers.