Buddy

Thanks, Helene and Everyone. Like many, I haven't been to a performance in over two years. Wanting to visit my family in Philadelphia, I've arranged it so that I can see some stuff in NYC as well. I've got a ton of ABT Swan Lakes and an ABT Ratmansky the night before. With only Sunday, June 26, left, Voila! Dancing on the Front Porch of Heaven (Odes to Love and Loss) – by Uysses Dove Plot Point – by Crystal Pite Waiting at the Station – by Twyla Tharp I've never seen PNB so I'm greatly looking forward to this.

Yes, absolutely, Drew. Thank you. How could I have overlooked this. The czar, Peter I, who instituted the construction of Saint Petersburg, secretly studied canal design in Amsterdam and later, I believe, imported Dutch engineers to help build it. My reference to Rembrandt was about a more artistic and romantic connection. I do hope that she gets a chance to perform at the Paris Opera Ballet and anywhere else that she choses.

I'm drawn back to Maxim Petrov's new work "Afternoon of A Faun," mentioned above. Two things hold my attention. For me, his strength has been to combine Mariinsky fineness with a more relaxed contemporary point of view, often with a sense of joyful abandon. Even in this more serious and abstract sort of work, he continues to successfully combine traditional Mariinsky beauty with different forms of dance expression. The second, is his use of an older female and male dancer.* They aren't that much older and they are directly related to the appeal of the normal Mariinsky dancer. What they add is a more mature artistry. This has been discussed elsewhere at Ballet Alert!. I think that they're a good example of how a ballet dancer's career could be prolonged by maybe another ten years. With some exceptionally artistic Mariinsky dancers now well into their careers this sort of thing could hopefully be helpful in extending some of their years on stage. *Does anyone know who these two older dancers are ?

This year's Stars of The White Nights' Festival https://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/festivals/fest2021_2022/zbn239/ (Thanks to Kolena at Balletfriends/Большой - Балет и Опера)

This is an interview in french given from the Dutch National Ballet. https://www.francetvinfo.fr/culture/spectacles/danse/installee-a-amsterdam-l-ex-star-du-bolchoi-olga-smirnova-craint-un-isolement-durable-des-danseurs-russes_5146948.html (Thanks to Sophia at Dansomanie) Google translator french to english: https://translate.google.com There's not that much new, except for her feeling that dancers in Russia are sadly being isolated from the world stages and that she hears little from folks she used to know in Russia. She says that the press in Russia at this time treats her as if she doesn't exist, but her internet site, on the other hand, which now states that she's a Principal at the Dutch National Ballet, is still posted in russian along with english (which she seems to speak quite well). She does add that she's feeling more and more at home in Amsterdam. From a personal reflection, Rembrandt is largely associated with Amsterdam, which has a noteworthy collection of his paintings. Yet, I've actually felt at times that his work seems more related to the 'soulful side' of being Russian than to being Dutch, and indeed the Hermitage Museum in her hometown of Saint Petersburg, Russia, has a very large and impressive collection of his works. The world seems to move in interesting circles sometimes. Here's one translated paragraph: "Before the war, Smirnova was tempted by the idea of being principal dancer at the Bolshoi and guest artist at the Dutch National Ballet, in particular to discover the work of Hans van Manen, soon to be 90 years old, which will be celebrated in June at the National Opera of the Netherlands. What stage does she dream of dancing on? "The Paris Opera! I've never danced at the Palais Garnier," she smiles." I noted in my April 29 post that she was taking class at the Paris Opera Ballet. It's interesting that she's attracted to the POB. I was expecting her to concentrate as much as possible on contemporary style for now. Mikhail Baryshnikov once said that the ideal ballet dancer would have Russian upper body perfection and the footwork of the Paris Opera Ballet. So, is she trying to improve the purity of her style, which she seemed to be moving slightly away from at the Bolshoi in developing a more expressive manner ? I'm hoping that she'll gravitate towards a dual residency with the Dutch National Ballet and ABT because it seems like a good fit and we in the US can see much more of her. But, who knows ? Most likely she'd like to try and to improve at -- everything -- and be everywhere.

I've liked Maxim Petrov's choreographic work at the Mariinsky very much over his earlier years when he had a definite openness, sense of delight and impressive ability to convey this with his dance structuring. Then he became more 'serious' and more 'contemporary.' This involves a more 'modernish' body sculpturing and staccato sort of motion. In contrast to the lengthy explanations offered for these works, for me, it generally works or it doesn't. With the complexities of this moment in time there's something to be said for successful abstraction, something with no simple explanation or answers, but something that still touches our inner feelings of human value and warmth. Wanting to take these very brief glimpses from his new work (or version?), "Afternoon of a Faun," simply at face value, I do tend to like it and see a place for it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtO87hXFm6E&t=21s

I join those here who haven't seen ABT for quite awhile, even before the virus. I don't live near NYC so I can't see the company often like many here. But -- I've just bought tickets to a bunch of Swan Lakes. I'm one who considers the Mariinsky and Bolshoi to be perhaps the best in the world. ABT is the company that I like most along with these two. Also, Miami City Ballet, quite different from all these, has, at least during the Edward Villella days when I saw it the most, captivated me. So for what it's worth from someone who usually has to travel great distances, no complaints, to see the company.... Ballerinawise.... I used to go to ABT performances anywhere, NYC, London, Washington DC, Detroit and California, primarily to see Veronika Part, perhaps my favorite ballerina in the world. The one other ABT ballerina who held her own alongside Veronika Part, for me, was Gillian Murphy. I saw them both about six times in Swan Lake and often compared their performances in almost a score card manner. Gillian was more than bravura at these, she was convincingly on top of the role. If she's slowed down technically she could still be compelling, as she was as Gamzatti (La Bayadere) a few years ago in Los Angeles. Other ballerinas that I hope to see in Swan Lake are.... Isabella Boylston, whom I've seen do an excellent Swan Lake. Christine Shevchenko, who can be wonderful, both as a beautifully refined dancer and excellent dramatist. Skylar Brandt, whom I've not seen, but seems to leave little doubt about excellence based on what I'm reading here. Devon Teuscher, whom I've seen do just fine. I was definitely hoping to see Hee Seo, whom I've watched doing wonderfully at the Mariinsky Festival (twice), as did Isabella Boylston, but she's scheduled too late. I'd recommend any or all of these fine artists.

Thanks, Naomikage, for this information. I feel that I sort of know her from discussion videos that her sister, Maria, posted awhile ago. It's nice to see Xander Parish and Isabella Boylston joining in the congratulations. I hope that she does well and has a fine life at the theater. A few recent debuts. Her sister as Shirin and Nadezhda Batoeva as Mekhmene Banu in The Legend of Love. https://youtu.be/NxnNm34n5b4 And Renata Shakirova and Philip Stepin in La Bayadère. https://youtu.be/mmARahGRPuA (Thanks to Sophia at Dansomanie)

No news yet from her site as to what she'll perform next. https://www.olgasmirnovaballet.com Possibly the best example of how much I like a ballet artist is whether I would get on a plane just to see this person. For years Veronika Part (formerly Mariinsky and ABT) was that person. Since I first saw her at a gala maybe ten years ago, Olga Smirnova also became that person. Why ? She's brilliant. In terms of pure dance, she's one of the the best. In terms of imagery and expression, she's perhaps the best. Her performances are almost guaranteed to be excellent and fascinating. The Bolshoi's very young Eva Sergeyenkova is following closely in her footsteps. Having never seen her on stage, I'd certainly grab the chance. Another artist that I've not seen on stage and would like to very much is the Bolshoi's Alyona Kovalyova. I consider her closer to the Mariinsky's Oksana Skorik, both most noteworthy for the pure beauty of their dance. I think that Olga Smirnova will continue to grow and expand artistically for her entire life.

Maria Koshkaryova, a young student at the Vaganova, who graduates either this summer or next, has been admitted to the Mariinsky as a Ballet Troupe Trainee, the only one at the moment. The only video that I could find of her is from six years ago, when she was of course precious along with the two other child dancers, charming the judges. She is the little girl on the right. What I notice already is her relaxed lyrical manner and beautiful use of the hands. Noting the success of the very young Eva Sergeyenkova at the Bolshoi, I hope that Maria Koshkaryova has a lovely future at the Mariinsky. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T58HOHB6AU (posted by Всероссийский конкурс юных талантов, All-Russian competition of young talents) Google translation of the Mariinsky announcement: "Maria was born in Novosibirsk and entered the Academy of Russian Ballet. Vaganova in 2015. Now she is studying in the class of Professor Lyudmila Valentinovna Kovaleva, among whose graduates are Diana Vishneva, Sofya Gumerova, Olga Smirnova, Kristina Shapran, Maria Khoreva, Maria Bulanova and others. "Maria Koshkareva is in her second year and graduates only next summer, but this winter she has already danced the part of Masha in the Nutcracker series presented by the Academy of Russian Ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre. And about. Yuri Fateev, artistic director of the ballet troupe, believes that the young artist has wonderful data, and an internship at the Mariinsky Theater will be an additional incentive for creativity." https://vk.com/wall-130074765_137844 (Thanks to Lysyen at Balletfriends/Большой - Балет и Опера)

I think that most everyone here would agree with that, Pherank. Thank you.

I've felt this way since it was known that she left Russia, FauxPas. It just seemed right to me. I even saw a post of her being part of ABT, and thought, "Already!," but it was only for one old performance. However, let's try this out. Doesn't look too bad, does it ? 🙂 https://www.abt.org/people/olga-smirnova/ It could be a very good mix of classical and 'progressive' for her. If she were to take up some dual residence between the Dutch National Ballet, where out of gratitude at least she would remain attached, and ABT this would be great. I think that she will always be a sort of free agent, as she was already somewhat at the Bolshoi. If either the Dutch National Ballet or ABT became artistically stimulating to her, she might put down more permanent roots. I also look forward to the day when she is welcomed back to the Bolshoi. It's a lot of ground to cover, but she seems to be that kind of person.

Abatt, interesting question about performers. I have mixed feelings. It's good to see fine 'home nurtured' talent, which is much more the face of the company today than it was a few years ago, but Veronika Part from the Mariinsky, for instance, was the one whom I would travel long distances to see. Good quality, no matter where it's from, is worth considering. On another note, I also look forward to seeing ABT's interpretations of the Classics, which are a 'known quantity' and I consider among the finest performances in today's ballet world. But, as I've mentioned enthusiastically before, there is one contemporary work from 2021 that did stand out for me because I thought that it was genuinely 'Cool.' If they could filter out more like this I'd be impressed. INDESTRUCTIBLE LIGHT Choreography by Darrell Grand Moultrie -- Music by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Neal Hefti, and Billy Strayhorn Songs: “Battle Royal,” “Little Pony,” “Tricky’s Licks,” and “The Star-Crossed Lovers” -- Dancers: Betsy McBride, Jacob Clerico, Anabel Katsnelson, Melvin Lawovi, Hannah Marshall, Duncan McIlwaine, Scout Forsythe, Joseph Markey And my congratulations as well to Susan Jaffe.

I remember years ago seeing the entire series of Bolshoi performances of La Bayadere in Berkeley, California. I wrote about it beginning with the thought that with a performing arts company of such quality as this, once the curtain goes up your daily concerns are pushed aside immediately. Concerns were different then, certainly not as focused on the realities of this particular artistic entity as they are now. Yet, the ’spell’ and the elevating power remain — a display of what human beauty is capable of. So, as often is the case, a breath of fresh air. This time it’s the ‘Dream Scene’ from Don Quixote. I came across a video clip from two weeks ago featuring Elizaveta Kokoreva (Kitri) and Yulia Stepanova. It's filmed from what appears to be the top of the top balcony with no closeups. It's an unusual sight line for this kind of film, but still very effective and interesting. And once again -- Hands. If you're sitting at the top of the theater with dancers' arms high in the air, what are you most likely to notice ? Yep. And here once again is a reminder of how beautiful ballet hands from Russia are, perhaps even slightly more so with the Vaganova trained Yulia Stepanova. On the other hand, Elizaveta Kokoreva's charming animation is highly noticeable, whereas Yulia Stepanova's linear perfection is somewhat lessened by the foreshortening camera angle. It's an interesting and beautiful visual experience, especially in viewing the entire cast and all their groupings so distinctly. And for me, once again, the children's dancing, and more important, their heartwarming presence, are so clearly visible -- Yes, a breath of fresh air.

To get back to the artistry for a moment, there was a performance of Jewels, April 21, from which I was able to view a video clip of Eva Sergeyenkova and Semyon Chudin dancing the duet from Diamonds, which so impresses me that I just wrote about it under her topic at Dancers. While looking at the casting I noticed a few other things that were interesting. For those fans of Victoria Brilyova, like myself, from the Mariinsky, she was one of the Soloists in this same performance. I hope that she's able to get even more attention. The lead couple in Rubies was Kristina Kretova and Artem Ovcharenko. She's a vibrant personality who should fit this role very well. Emeralds featured Anastasia Goryacheva, with Ana Turazashvili, whom you might remember as the charming moderator from the Bolshoi's World Ballet Day broadcasts, being the second ballerina. I long ago focussed on a video of her doing this and continue to find it a very respectable interpretation. She also appeared as one of the Soloists in Diamonds. And once again my feelings that art and artistry such as this must thrive as a beacon for human values.

About two weeks ago she performed Diamonds with Semyon Chudin. I've watched a video clip quite a few times. What continues to be most impressive is her outstanding maturity and her dramatic nuancing, both emotionally and physically. That she can create such developed characters and imagery at her very young age is almost amazing. Her emotional expression is more contained than that of the closely related Olga Smirnova, whom I consider to be a reference point and standard for this kind of excellence. They also both come for very similar artistic backgrounds. Emotion is perhaps most noticeable in facial expression, but also in the subtleties of other physical gestures. It's more outwardly shown by Olga Smirnova in her facial expression. With Eva Sergeyenkova the physical gesturing is much more animated, but, very interestingly, the overall effect is more contained and subtle because of her dominant and, I would say brilliant, use of nuancing. It's also impressive to observe her effect on her partners. Again I've not seen Semyon Chudin more committed. It's probably his artistic and poetic growth as well as her effect, but he seems so intuned to what she does and so committed to reinforcing, complimenting, responding to and highlighting her every gesture.

There were still lots of Pierre Lacotte's "La Fille du Pharaon" ("The Pharaoh's Daughter") last week, five actually. This is normal with the Bolshoi, whereas the Mariinsky seldom performs two of the same works in a row, or so it seems. I already mentioned Alyona Kovalyova and Artemy Belyakov . There are also video clips showing Yulia Stepanova/Artem Ovcharenko and Ekaterina Krysanova/Vladislav Lantratov/ Elizaveta Kokoreva(Ramze). Of the ballerinas, they are all lovely. My memories of Ekaterina Krysanova go way back. Two other Aspicias were Evgenia Obraztsova and Anna Nikulina, both of whom I've seen dance beautifully. At the end of this work, the daughter and father are able to 'reconcile.' A nice thought.

Instagram of Olga Smirnova recently taking a class from Andrey Klemm at the Paris Opera Ballet. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc3bkmAIJDz/ (Thanks to Sophia at Dansomanie)

Two days ago she performed The Pharaoh's Daughter with Artemy Belyakov. In a video clip from this performance -- she looks radiantly beautiful. I've mentioned at other topics that I consider the Mariinsky's Oxana Skorik to be perhaps the most beautiful ballerina today in terms of lyrical loveliness. Alyona Kovalyova, who also comes from a Mariinsky background, having graduated it's school, the Vaganova, before joining the Bolshoi, is possibly my second choice. In the video clip, the first thing that I noticed was her hands. While never being a feature that stood out before, in this performance they look absolutely lovely. It would seem that she's been paying much attention to this as always seems to be the case with Oxana Skorik, whose hands I consider to be perhaps the most beautiful in all of ballet. Alyona Kovalyova's remarkable linear grace is also as fine as I've seen in any of her performances. Her tallness can be somewhat of a challenge for her partner, but it also creates an opportunity for very impressive highlighting and it certainly adds emphasis to her wonderfully statuesque aura.

Maria Iliushkina performed another Fokine’s “The Swan” which I believe she just recently debuted. There’s a video clip. It’s filmed from a distance with no closeups so that I couldn’t see her facial expression, but her dancing seemed more lovely than ever. Interestingly, I found a video clip of Oxana Skorik from about a year-and-a-half ago performing this at a Mariinsky gala. It’s perhaps as good a performance in regard to facial expression as I’ve ever seen her give. Her unequaled quality, for me, is her beautiful dancing. Here she made a dramatic statement as well that was totally convincing and totally committed. When she combines these two qualities, she becomes, for me, perhaps my favorite ballet artist. I consider Maria Iliushkina the closest to Oxana Skorik at the Mariinsky for pure dance beauty. Alyona Kovalyova, a Vaganova (Mariinsky school) graduate, who’s at the Bolshoi is the other dancer that I like very much for the same reason.

Thanks, Volcanohunter, for this information. I’ve often admired Igor Kolb as an artist and highly competent dancing partner. On another note, I’ve been watching a video clip of Maria Bulanova debuting as Gamzatti in La Bayadere. Certain ballerinas can radiate sunshine, somehow, no matter what. Maria Bulanova is one of them. What always stands apart for me in the Gamzatti presentation is the lovely duet. It’s quite a contrast. Maria Bulanova goes beyond and, for me, gives it a life affirming vibrance.

This Raymonda has a significant change in plot. Raymonda falls in love with Abderakhman. This was done once before in a production from Russia. Olga Smirnova in her performance was apparently very well received as was Victor Caixeta. Here's a quick preview featuring Principal Dancer, Maia Makhateli, who debuted the work and can be seen with the complete work in May on an internet broadcast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdgNplp8JQM (Thanks to Sophia at Dansomanie) Here's a look back from the Mariinsky archives. https://www.mariinsky.ru/about/exhibitions/petipa200/raimonda/ Google translator: https://translate.google.com

"I went to Amsterdam to meet her [Olga Smirnova] and found someone still far from finding a home." (Alex Marshall quote posted by Volcanohunter) Just totally my personal sort of musing. Solely from an artistic point of view, not a cultural one which may also be very important to this quote, she's a remarkably talented individual who seems to need to find a voice of her own, like many artists. For me, she made a very impressive change from her Mariinsky background to her Bolshoi one. I'm hopeful that she can continue to do this.

Taking a more timeless point of view, which seems to be the way to go for the moment, I notice that Maria Iliushkina performed another "The Swan" last Friday (and by the way, will be doing another "Swan Lake" tomorrow). A video clip of her "The Swan" debut from several weeks ago shows her to be quite lovely as usual. So thinking about "The Swan," which to my mind is one of the most beautiful and heart-searching of all ballets, even if it's only about four minutes long, some names come to mind. One that I've not seen mentioned in awhile is Oxana Skorik. I've seen a video of her 'Swan' from several years ago and it's another reminder of how lyrically wonderful her dancing is. And I'll continue to maintain that she has perhaps the most beautiful hands in ballet, perhaps ever. Alina Somova, who at times, for me, is comparable to Oxana Skorik in fineness and grace, performed a 'Swan' that I saw at a Mariinsky Festival. I've written here several times that it was one of the best ballet performances that I've ever seen. This all falls into the category of 'ethereal' gracefulness that I generally associate with the Mariinsky. In slight contrast to this is the Bolshoi's somewhat more dramatic but still extremely beautiful manner. If the Mariinsky ballerinas mentioned above represent perhaps the finest of lyrical grace, and I might include the Bolshoi's Alyona Kovalyova (Vaganova graduate), two other ballerinas come to mind for dramatic prowess. They would be Olga Smirnova (formerly Vaganova and Bolshoi, now Dutch National Ballet) and the Bolshoi's very young Eva Sergeyenkova. It's art and artists performing like these, that are universal and show the frontierless and timeless beauty of what humanity is capable of.

Dates of her performances. https://www.olgasmirnovaballet.com/dates She appeared yesterday in Naples, Italy in "Ballet for Peace: Ukrainian and Russian dancers unite in special performance"