Buddy

This afternoon Alyona Kovalyova with Artemy Belyakov made her debut as Raymonda. Among three other very fine fine casts, Olga Smirnova appeared last night with Jacopo Tissi. I would have liked very much to have seen these. Although I don't believe that I'm allowed to post them I would like to check Ballet Friends from Russia for comments. The two other casts are Ekaterina Krysanova with Semyon Chudin and Anna Nikulina with Artemy Belyakov

Wonderful news that Renata Shakirova has received this recognition and that there are other possibilities this season. Advancing the young, promising dancers is fine and totally understandable. I try not to places an over-amount of importance on these things, but, for me, it would be equally fine if someone like Yekaterina Osmolkina was also included.

Not to be forgotten. Based on several video clips that I'm still watching -- What a lovely young dancer !

Thanks, Cobweb. I agree about the transcendence of her performances. I have not tried such an interpretation with the "Midsummer NIght's Dream" duet because it's more of an aura for me. Again, I have to say that Jacques d'Amboise's 'background' performance is exceptional. He reinforces both her and the mood wonderfully. If I call this a "compilation" of Shakespeare, I'm referring to the finest imagery and beauty that he was capable of.

I've been traveling for about two months and the few chances that I've had to watch the internet have been mainly to see her and Jacques d'Amboise in "A Midsummer's Night's Dream" (Act II Divertissement Pas De Deux). The video is very blurry but has been a wonderful traveling companion. I'm in London for a week and this seems more appropriate than ever. They are both wonderful. Each of her moves has meaning and enchantment. Her character is all encompassing. From interviews she seems to know the background of every work very well. In this case each inflection seems to be an embracing compilation of Shakespearian imagery. It's one of the finest ballet statements that I've ever seen.

Here's how they do it where I am.

Had a chance to view Maria Khoreva from Namibia. She seems to be coming along just fine.

Thanks, MadameP. Had hoped to see her at the Bolshoi but join you in wishing her " a happy and healthy career."

She has a lot of heart and a great deal of talent. I have to love her for this. The entire evening had ‘class.’ She and David Hallberg are as fine as it gets. Jonathan Goddard and Jason Kittelberger fit in perfectly as her two other partners. Many elements of almost all the works were excellent. I was able to enjoy it more than in any of her previous attempts. There were six works — “The Leaves are Fading” (Anthony Tudor), “Flutter” (Ivan Perez), “In Absentia” (Kim Brandstrup), “Six Years Later” (Roy Assaf), “Valse Triste” (Alexei Ratmansky) and “Ave Maria” (Yuka Oishi). The evening lasted about an hour and a half with an approximately twenty minute intermission. The work that I perhaps liked the most was Alexei Ratmansky’s “Valse Triste.” I didn’t find it particularly “triste” (sad) at all. It was a very brief work that I wish had been much longer. It was an elegantly expressive Spanish theme dance with Natalia Osipova and David Hallberg. Where in thin air he got it from and how he playfully and brilliantly presented it showed Alexei Ratmansky at his best. David Hallberg danced with her twice, “The Leave are Fading” and “Valse Triste”, and did a solo, “In Absentia.” The solo may have actually been my favorite performance of the evening because it was very well accomplished, soulful and meaningful. Having read about both these artists and their desires over the years this seemed to be a very sympathetic expression of where he’s at and where he wants to be. It was presented in the way that he’s famous for, high art dancing, and I could sympathize with it and him completely. He should perhaps try more of this. Natalia Osipova may have attempted the same thing in her solo, the lyrically modern, “Ave Maria.” I’m not sure how she was relating to the obvious religious implications, but she made it so personal, remarkably expressive and extremely well performed that you had to embrace her. Sometimes it felt like she was reaching out to the audience, rather than heaven, and this I appreciated very much. At the very end as the lights faded and I’m sure not meant to be seen, she quickly wiped her forehead and pushed her hair back. This was the most real moment and the most telling. She had done her performance and now she was once again herself, as noble and lovable as can be.

Great to hear, Birdsall. I do have to say that I thought that the Olga Smirnova Nikiya that I saw two years ago was magnificent. Hope that you had a very fine trip.

Here's a brief descriptive broadcast in French and a video with some interesting views. https://information.tv5monde.com/culture/picasso-un-amoureux-de-la-danse-251681 ".... 130 œuvres [works], documents, photos, costumes et éléments de décors de ballets, rarement montrés en France, issus des collections de l'opéra et de la BnF, pour évoquer "Picasso et la danse"." https://culturebox.francetvinfo.fr/arts/expos/picasso-et-la-danse-ballets-russes-et-corps-en-mouvement-au-palais-garnier-275425 Here's the book. https://livre.fnac.com/a11717924/Collectif-Picasso-et-la-danse Added: Google "Pablo Picasso Dance images" and you might find a whole bunch of interesting things. I did.

Pablo Picasso and Dance — Exhibition until Sept.16 Although he could be the greatest genius in the history of art and I love some of his work immensely I can still be pretty selective based on his subject matter. But….in regard to his works about dance, I might be able to embrace him like a long lost brother. Anyone based in Paris might be interested. If you do go please tell us about it, but please don’t make it sound too good because I’ll probably miss my chance by a few days. "An exploration of Picasso’s work in relation to the art of dance is on display until mid-September at the Bibliothèque-Musée de l'Opéra National de Paris. Sketches converse with photographs and extracts from ballets, delving into Picasso’s representation of movement." https://en.vogue.fr/fashion-culture/fashion-exhibitions/story/paris-exhibition-picasso-and-dance-palais-garnier-bibliotheque-musee-opera-national-de-paris-ballet-movement-art-culture/3632#3-1 (Thanks to Jan McNulty at BalletcoForum)

Thanks once again, Jack, for this very fine description. When I get wound up in something I tend to do just that. This Divertissement duet from George Balanchine’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with Allegra Kent and Jacques d’Amboise continues to enchant me more than ever. All I have to go on is a video clip in ‘blur-vision.’ Maybe it’s just as well. Hopefully this performance really did happen as it seems. I mentioned before, that at least the motion is clear if not the facial expression. So what does this have to do with the Mariinsky? I’ll get to that. Here’s some more about how George Balanchine created identity as related by Edward Villella in a recent interview posted at Ballet Alert. Thank you, Canbelto. It’s a point of view shared by other Balanchine dancers that I’ve read quotes from. “The first time I worked with Balanchine he was choreographing Square Dance. So I'm looking, and I'm like where do I get this from? Then I start to watch him, because in demonstrating a single gesture Balanchine gave you what he was interested in. He wasn't articulating and verbalizing them. He was physicalizing them. All I did was watch him. And every once in a while he said one or two words and I mixed those words with the visual. And it was perfect. “Now there are four dancers in charge. You can imagine the responsibility that was thrown at them. They never knew Balanchine, they don't know what he was like, what he was about, how in one or two words he gave you a concise understanding of an entire role.” https://www.pointemagazine.com/peter-frame-death-2600748699.html?utm_campaign=RebelMouse&socialux=facebook&share_id=3898074&utm_medium=social&utm_content=Pointe&utm_source=facebook For me, someone had a remarkable feel for Shakespeare or the world that he created from. If it wasn’t George Balanchine then perhaps Allegra Kent or Jacques d’Amboise encountered some of this in school. I can see how George Balanchine could have transmitted the initial mood or imagery. I can also see how Allegra Kent and Jacques d’Amboise could have carried the ball from there or George Balanchine could have been monitoring every motion. In any case someone handled it brilliantly. A primary image that I have is that each dancer is capsulizing the best in characters from Shakespeare. An ‘exalted’ level of Shakespeare. Allegra Kent is central but Jacques d’Amboise frames her beautifully adding context, imagery and feeling. And this is only one layer. Invention and beauty of pure motion is perhaps one of many more. It’s a magnificent dreamworld. One of the most compelling and beautiful that I’ve seen on a stage. The Mariinsky? Can it recreate this? It’s so special that I’m not sure that anyone can. What the Mariinsky can do is make it remarkably beautiful, in its own way, like no other.

I’d like to pursue this somewhat further because this Midsummer Night’s Dream duet performance with Allegra Kent and Jacques d'Amboise fascinates and enchants me. If someone were asked to summarize the most elevated and best feelings that exist in Shakespeare (and his art form) and create a dance, this would be a result. On top of that, Allegra Kent and Jacques d'Amboise's performance is amazing ! I’m not a real Shakespeare fan, but I do feel the genius and sensitivity. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is my favorite. And yet, interestingly, for me, this duet transcends this particular work and encompasses the most elevated of all of Shakespeare. I believe that George Balanchine memorized this work as a child. In this duet, for me, it seems that he did not interpret the work, but rather created a summary of a lifetime of reflection on all of Shakespeare. In any case, I’m Wowed ! Could the Mariinsky, or anyone else, again truly touch on this moment in time? I’d be surprised. But an art group such as the Mariinsky could touch the spirit. Added: This Work, This Performance -- A Remarkable Statement of Love, Ideal Beauty and Transcending.

Helene, thanks for your response. All I can say is that sometimes the artists are brilliant. It’s that simple. Jack, in regard to Balanchine performances when he was there and your 100s of NYCB viewings compared to my maybe twenty I feel humbled, but I’ll preserver for a moment. The subtleties, nuances, invention, constant progression of expressive and meaningful moments….of this particular work back then are extraordinary. Based on nothing but a very out of focus video, which fortunately does show body expression well enough if not facial, I would simply say that George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream Divertissement duet with Allegra Kent and Jacques d'Amboise succeeds in carrying Shakespeare into the cosmos.

Very well put, Jack. I look at Allegra Kent and although the video quality can get pretty fuzzy, she overflows with personal, non-acting expression. I would think that George Balanchine might have said to another dancer, 'cool it down somewhat,' but he knew what a gem he had in her and left her alone, even created for this side of her. He said at the end of her career when she was only occasionally around, that he 'kept her on the payroll because if she only danced once a year that would justify it.' This is one instance that I've noticed when he let personal expression go the limit. No 'just the steps' here. As for the Mariinsky, I prefer not to post unofficial video clips, but I think that I could find some beauties. In some instances the direct Balanchine references might not be what they could be, but the Mariinsky 'magic' totally compensates for this. I would cite video performances by Oxana Skorik and by two of the 'Mariinsky transplants,' Olga Smirnova and Alyona Kovalyova for starters. I would also go back to Ulyana Lopatkina and Zhanna Ayupova. I believe that I may have read comments criticizing them for not understanding or acceptably interpreting George Balanchine and I've seen instances where I've felt some of that also, but in the same performance by Ulyana Lopatkina where I felt this might be the case I also noticed her one of a kind 'magic' and this was more than enough. When I mention Zhanna Ayupova's exceptional performing I'm referring to her Calliope (Apollo) rather than her Emeralds. Usually I love a smile, but she seems to enter into the sublime with a more serious facial expression. Not Balanchinesque, perhaps, in Apollo, but poetically exceptional.

Equally good news 😊

The best news that I've heard all day 😊

Helene, would you say that when you saw these that they resembled my description, 'a remarkable combinations of 'abstract' motion/expression and flowing grace,' at all ? Or what did most impress you ? The more recent performances that I've seen seem to be pure flow, which is wonderful but not quite the same. I'd also like to take this chance to add the Dream Scene duet from Don Quixote to my list of George Balanchine's lyrically beautiful 'adagios,' once again noting that this is the sort of thing that has the potential for being Mariinsky dream material. Added: In the Allegra Kent/ Jacques d'Amboise Divertissement duet, the tableau background of ballerinas in tutus, legs slightly crossed or feet just touching, especially on the staircase, all attention riveted to the Divertissement couple, is one of the most beautiful that I’ve ever seen.

Back to the “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” Divertissement duet. At the Mariinsky I’ve seen it performed beautifully twice by Oxana Skorik. I’ve also had a chance to see a video of it performed by Allegra Kent partnered by Jacques d'Amboise. What a revelation this was. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. It perhaps shows them and George Balanchine at their finest. The poetry and vocabulary of motion are remarkable. The way that strong, hard edge geometric lines, shapes and motion are combined with dreamlike flow and expression is poetically masterful. This is particularly noticeable in Allegra Kent. It’s ‘pure’ dance and invention at its most expressively beautiful. Edward Villella (founder of the Miami City Ballet) said that the highpoint of his career was his appearance at the Mariinsky (Tarantella??) during George Balanchine’s return to Russia when the audience went crazy with applause and curtains calls (and encore performing??). This is one reason why I’ve mentioned that I’d really like to see the MCB perform at the Mariinsky, certainly true when Edward was the Director and perhaps still. I’ve had little chance to see it since. I did see several of it’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and I have to say that in addition to its high energy prowess the young Jennifer Lauren was absolutely lovely in the Divertissement duet. So what about the Mariinsky? Well once again I’ll say that it can take such graceful and dreamlike things as the Divertissement duet to places of otherworldly beauty that they’ve never been before. Not pure Balanchine intent, perhaps, but Remarkable.

Just for a contrasting look here is a very quick glimpse of the Miami City Ballet (founded by Edward Villella) in Ballet Imperial. No adagio here, almost wild at times, and yet surprisingly for an adagio lover (me), a company that I’ve always liked very much. Quite different from the Mariinsky or in fact probably the New York City Ballet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1BLVi7T5pU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDGyknVVzLI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6r3CO1v_Lc (posted by MCB)

I would love to see Yekaterina Osmolkina in this, MadameP. I’ve seen Oxana Skorik twice and liked her very much. Since you mentioned Puck, I always have to say that ABT’s Herman Cornejo was probably untouchable. I believe that it’s Viktoria Tereshkina that I’ve seen in Symphony in C and she did just fine. The Mariinsky performed Jewels at the 2017 Festival and I wrote that I’d never seen George Balanchine performed more beautifully. Even Rubies along with its high energy had a lovely quality that I thought worked very well. In Diamonds Yekaterina Chebykina was perhaps the best that I’ve seen her partnered very well by Xander Parish. Interestingly, she danced the most purely classical that I’ve seen her do and it worked very well. I’ll digress for a moment from my adagio-centric self and ask what can the Mariinsky do with the more high energy stuff? They could possibly give it all to Yekaterina Kondaurova, but I don’t know how many dancers she can be at one time. Someone like Alexander Sergeev has shown fine ability, Xander Parish could do well and every now and then one of the other men shows unexpectedly fine adaptability. Back to Adagio. Two ‘Mariinsky transplants’ have shown remarkable ability. Olga Smirnova is already famous for her Diamonds and the very young Alyona Kovalyova is right behind her. And as I mentioned, Svetlana Zakharova, whom I’ll always consider at least part Mariinsky, danced the most beautiful Symphony in C duet that I’ve seen on video.

Edward Villella in an interview said that he felt that "just the steps, dear" was aimed at a particularly loved dancer who may have been overdoing it at the time and should not be taken too seriously. Nanushka, I'm glad that you added "meaning, emotion, drama, individual expression" to describe dance. I mainly mentioned the music, but I think that you are right in adding what you did. It seems that the music was very important, but not everything. Situations, identities and stories can be implied if not stated. Room can be left for personal interpretation. This is maybe something else of importance -- room left for interpretation. I think that he did this. And all the things that you mentioned can be found in 'pure' dance simply because human beings are creating and performing it. And famously stated by George Balanchine: "Music is often adjectived as being too abstract. This is a vague and dangerous use of words and as unclear to me as when my ballets are described this way. Neither a symphony nor a fugue nor a sonata ever strikes me as being abstract. It is very real to me, very concrete, though ‘storyless.’ But storyless is not abstract. Two dancers on stage are enough for a story; for me, they are already a story in themselves." (Thanks for finding this -- http://www.princeton.edu/~artspol/WP46-Steichen.pdf) I would add, so is the dance 'already a story in itself.'

Yes, I agree with you completely, ABT Fan. As I mentioned, I consider it to be on a level with Swan Lake. It can be seen on dvd beautifully performed by Louise Nadeau of the Pacific Northwest Ballet. If anyone knows of any more George Balanchine adagio sections that they really like, I'd be glad to hear about them and look at them if possible.

I think of the Mariinsky as being possibly the most lyrically ethereal dance company in the world. I think of George Balanchine as one who translated this tradition into a more ‘modern’ realm — more high energy, intellectual content, etc. Yet alongside the Swan Lake duet adagio (slow, graceful, lyrical, dreamlike) which for me expresses the essence of ballet, I sometimes think of the Divertissement duet from George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. For me, it’s perhaps the most beautiful and dreamlike of the Balanchine ‘adagios.’ A brief glimpse can be seen here as posted by the Vail Dance Festival. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyNwEg4EwKQ Of interest is the connection between the works and George Balanchine and the Mariinsky. George Balanchine was educated as a dancer in its school. He then became ‘modern.’ Yet much of the timeless sensitivity that I love in the Mariinsky can also be found in the Balanchine ‘adagios.’ Some examples: A Midsummer Night’s Dream — Divertissement duet Symphony in C — duet Diamonds Serenade — adagio and duet Theme and Variations — duet Concerto Barocco — duet Emeralds Apollo — duet Another that I find completely charming is the Sylvia Pas de Deux (duet). Here George Balanchine beautifully and brilliantly combines dreaminess with high energy virtuosity. At a related topic, that can be seen here (starting July 29), some thoughts about the two July Mariinsky Apollos can be found interspersed with other discussion. https://balletalert.invisionzone.com/topic/42914-2017-2018-season/?page=4&tab=comments#comment-404401 What, for me, the Mariinsky can and does bring to the Balanchine adagios is a sublime beauty. It can be different from literal Balanchine interpretations, but the spirit can be equally compelling. Two of the most beautiful duets from Symphony in C that I’ve seen on video were performed by Svetlana Zakharova (no longer available) and Oxana Skorik. Allegra Kent’s was perhaps the definitive one. Folks sometimes say that George Balanchine didn’t care about personal expression, which is one of the key points in Russian ballet, most evident with the Bolshoi. Yet when someone like Allegra Kent performed, personal expression was very evident. She didn’t ‘act’ but you could see her soulful depth in her face and in her dance. Suzanne Farrell transmitted an inner loveliness without any need for theatrical expression. George Balanchine may not have used much theatrical expression, but he certainly used his connection with the soulfulness of the music, which is a language of deepest expression. Because of this, to say that he only cared about the steps would not seem fair at all. The ’steps,’ the motions all try to capture the enchantment of the music, which comes from the human heart. As for sensitivity of the steps and motion, he apparently had a great concern. In this video, Maria Tallchief, in discussing Symphony in C, gives some fine insight (starting around 7:00, but interesting throughout). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWUqVSceakw Related to the Mariinsky’s Apollo performances, Maria Tallchief gives some nice insights into this work, starting at the beginning of this video (both posted by the George Balanchine Foundation). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYIYAHmR-2A Another thing that is interesting to me is how George Balanchine might be able to carry adagio loveliness into apparently high energy allegro (fast motion). I would like to watch for this more carefully. I’ve seen the Mariinsky perform several Balanchine works. The ones that I love for their dreamlike beauty are Symphony in C (duet), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Divertissement duet) and Diamonds. I’ll continue to watch with great interest how these and similar works are taken on and developed at the Mariinsky. I’ll say once again that I think that the Mariinsky can take the lovely adagio aspects of George Balanchine and carry them into the area of sublime beauty.