Buddy

One minute trailer of Olga Smirnova’s Swan Lake with the Dutch National Ballet. She performed it three times in March and will again Thursday. She looks as fine as ever. I hope to be in Europe in May and June. If she’s performing anything of this quality I may try to see it. I once saw a fine Bolshoi Swan Lake series in Amsterdam (Zakharova, Alexandrova, Gracheva) so this might be as close to that as I’ll get for awhile. And I’ve always seen outstanding performances by this remarkable artist.

41 minutes ago, Roberta said:

You're close, Buddy! It's also a favorite of mine. According to Roland John Wiley's A Century of Russian Ballet (p. 226, Scenario of the ballet), it's termed the Grand Pas d'Action finale. I've also seen it termed, in other sources, as the Finale  of the Caryatids. The various groups going in circles, in different stages/opposite directions, reminds me of the finale of Mark Morris' Sandpaper Ballet, amazingly. Little did Mark Morris know!

Thanks very much, Roberta. Since you're interested is such things as John Wiley's A Century of Russian Ballet you might have some thoughts about the charming ‘Italianese’ of this work that I mention in the following.

Aspiccia and the Nile

More and more, for me, this delightfully charming dance sequence that I’ve described in my previous post, the dance of Aspiccia with the ’Neptune of the Nile’ (simply referred to as “The Nile”), is emerging as perhaps the gem of this production. In the same way that the ‘White Swan Duet’  represents the heart and soul of Swan Lake, this very brief two-and-a-half minute dance may do the same for this work. It might also be an artistic highpoint in ballet because of its combining of mime and dance along with its overall loveliness.

Something else that’s been occurring to me is how delightfully Italian this and much more feels. I would immediately attribute it to Tony Candeloro being from Italy. You can perhaps sense it in the video that I’ve previously posted that includes him coaching the Mariinsky dancers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NDA1PDB4Hc&t=13s

This is all fine and good, but what does it have to do with historic authenticity? It can maybe be justified by the following facts. According to Tony Candeloro, “It must be said that the Petersburg ballerinas had the technique of the Italian school. Everyone knows that Preobrazhenskaya, Kshesinskaya, Pavlova studied with Cecchetti.” (from an interview with him by Anna Galayda about the “Pharaoh’s Daughter” on RG (Rassiyskaya Gazyeta) and Telegram — thanks to a friend for this). Also primas from Italy were very prominent at the ‘Mariinsky.’ This ballet was first performed by Carolina Rosatti. So why shouldn’t it feel charmingly Italian as well ?!

Of the few video clips available from the entire work, the ones of Maria Iliushkina and Viktoria Tereshkina performing this dance are possibly the most enjoyable. Both performances are very fine. Maria Iliushkina’s is soft and airy. It’s perhaps more lyrical — and more Italian 😊 . Viktoria Tereshkina’s is perhaps more linearly sculptural and subtly poetic in its self containment.

This also may bring us back to the Pierre Lacotte ballet, where I find Aspiccia’s Nile underwater dances to be the most charming of his brilliant production.

3 hours ago, Danielle said:

I never thought I'd fine mime interesting...if it happens too much in a ballet it can get really boring. But Maria Iliushkina is such a mesmerising dancer that I can watch her facial expressions and graceful arms all day long. Well, maybe not all day, but definitely in a 3 hour production with some beautiful dancing thrown in!

It appears that Oksana Skorik is going to dance Aspicia on May 1, with Alexndra Khiteeva as Ramze. I love them both, but again, wishing Masha Bulanova would get a bigger role! I feel like the Mariinsky doesn't know what to do with her.

I agree with you again, Danielle, about the very fine use of mime, especially in the interaction between Aspiccia and the ‘Neptune’ of the Nile, where it becomes part of the actual dancing. You asked me before what my favorite dance is, and I would have to say that it’s these two and a half minutes. It’s such a lyrically lovely and beautifully expressive sequence. Viktoria Tereshkina also does a very fine performance.

In addition to the mime being used as a part of the dancing, there’s also something resembling this that I’ve never really noticed before. Expressive mime type gestures, such as explaining something with real hand gestures, are also made part of the dancing. Again, this is very impressively done and could be an element that could appear in future classical ballet productions.

Several of the dancers have said that they had to learn a complete new dance vocabulary for this performance. I think that it’s very noticeable and very well accomplished. It shows that the Mariinsky dancers are highly capable of adapting to other related dance vocabularies. In fact this is the most committed and successful that I’ve seen them accomplish this.

2 hours ago, Danielle said:

Aww they took it down! I loved watching it!

Not sure what the name of the dance is, but it's the one depicted on this picture: https://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbill/2023/3/26/2_1200/

Do you happen to know what it's called?

I’m guessing from the picture that it’s the Act II Palace Dance (Grand pas d'action), Danielle.

Again in regard to the entire production, one of the most valuable things that can come from historic research would be using it to create something even better for the future. One instance that I’ve noticed here is the use of mime in the dancing. This is something that I don’t recall seeing before. It exists in Aspiccia’s interaction with the ’Neptune’ of the Nile, the underwater scene. It may exist in other parts of the  ballet as well. Especially performed by Maria Iliushkina, it is new and very beautiful. It might also be an element that will enter more classical ballet interpretations in the future and add another touch of beauty. Also the use of the differently nuanced dance style that appears here could be an incentive to add more stylistic variety and interest. It seems to be quite successful in this performance.

11 hours ago, Danielle said:

Mariinsky just announced they are going to perform the ballet in late April and May 1, maybe Oksana Skorik will be part of the new cast. I think she can also be enchanting in this role, pantomime and all. I really wish Masha will dance Aspicia, but I doubt it.

Which is your favorite dance in the ballet so far? 

This has got to be my favorite (for now). Yes so many things are happening but I can't help it, I find it so enjoyable. 

 

 

Hi Danielle,

My favorite dances are the Act II Palace Dance (Grand pas d'action) and the Underwater Dance. Also I like the Fisherman’s Wedding Dance. I may try to say why at another time. In the Pierre Lacotte version the Underwater Dance is definitely my favorite. It’s so beautiful.

The video that you posted has been removed for copyright reasons and you didn’t name it. Could you tell me what it is ?

1 hour ago, Danielle said:

I just watched a minutes-long clip of Maria Iliushkina doing pantomime for Pharaoh's Daughter. I didn't think I'd care much for it but found myself entranced with her expressions and arm/hand movements. Ended up watching the entire thing! It was absolutely mesmerising. The audience cheered, so I imagine they loved it too!

She reminds me of a young Ulyana, who also had graceful, mesmerising arms.

I just watched this myself, Danielle, and feel much the same. I believe that she’s pantomiming the rowing down the Nile to the fisherman’s village. I can’t imagine anyone making this bit of pure mime more enchanting. There’s also a clip of her dancing at the fisherman’s village that you might enjoy for all its participants.

The more I watch all the video clips, the more fascinated I become. I look forward to seeing the entire work. There’re so many different things happening. For one, there’re ‘dated looking’ pieces that you think will fall on their face because they look so ’silly’ yet manage somehow to redeem themselves brilliantly.

5 hours ago, Danielle said:

I'm not sure if it's OK to post links to videos here, but Maria Khoreva just uploaded a long video on her YouTube channel about her experience with this production! Lots of new information about the ballet and its history that I didn't know. (I'm a newbie!)

She talks about Petipa, Pavlova, Kschessinka, etc. She says that both productions are grand (the original and the new reconstruction), and that the reconstruction was based on the original choreography but updated for the modern audience due to ballet technique evolving. She mentions that she started working with Tony and Juan a few months ago. She also talks about the costumes and wig she had to wear.

There are clips of her dancing. 

Masha Bulanova also updated her Instagram, with new clips of her dancing a different part!

Thank you, Danielle. This is an interesting posting by Maria Khoreva.

The production is perhaps as Maria Iliushkina says and illustrates in her beautifully expressive performance, “….an interesting synthesis, a kind of dialogue of epochs.” To the extent that it can retrieve history, it has one value. To the extent that it can establish a “dialogue of epochs” it may have another very important value, that of creating “a synthesis” that can enrich the future look of ‘classical ballet’ by combining the best of two worlds.

1 hour ago, doug said:

I don't think the use of blackface in the current Mariinsky production of The Pharaoh's Daughter can be linked to Alexei Ratmansky, who has not been involved with the production since early 2022.

I also don't think it is appropriate to suggest that this production is in any way a collaboration between Ratmansky and the current stagers even if the result bears the stamp of both parties.

Hi Doug.

Also good to hear from you. I don't think that anyone has suggested that it's a collaboration, but I might have missed something.

Do you have any opinions that you'd like to share on the artistic merit of this production from what we've been able to see on video clips ?  I'd be glad to send you some clips if you haven't seen them. I might use this quote posted above as a point of departure ( "It turns out such an interesting synthesis, a kind of dialogue of epochs"  in particular).

Maria Ilyushkina, the first soloist, prepares the part of Aspicia:

“This is not just a classic we are used to, but a classic with an old flair: interesting positions of the hands, body, head. In this ballet we return to the origins, but in the entourage of the 21st century. It turns out such an interesting synthesis, a kind of dialogue of epochs. What we saw at school in ballet lessons in drawings and photographs is now transmitted to us at rehearsals.

23 hours ago, Danielle said:

But watching the rehearsals, Tony and his team seemed really dedicated in perfecting every detail, even the way Maria Khoreva tilted her head.

Continued admiration for Maria Iliushkina’s performance. I think that this video clip of Toni Candeloro coaching her in the manner that you described, Danielle, helps explain how she got there She has adapted to this highly expressive style remarkably well while maintaining all her inherent loveliness. This is what makes her special.

Alexei Ratmansky must have imparted a great deal in the two months that he worked with the dancers. Toni Candeloro then was brought in and as is apparent in this video clip also imparted a great deal. How much of each exists in the finished work is a highly emotional question at the moment. What might finally emerge is the realisation that both their efforts made this work a success and it might be a masterpiece.

This is from the printed description of the video. (Google translation)

Maria Ilyushkina, the first soloist, prepares the part of Aspicia:

“This is not just a classic we are used to, but a classic with an old flair: interesting positions of the hands, body, head. In this ballet we return to the origins, but in the entourage of the 21st century. It turns out such an interesting synthesis, a kind of dialogue of epochs. What we saw at school in ballet lessons in drawings and photographs is now transmitted to us at rehearsals.

Lyubov Kunakova, teacher-tutor:

“In this ballet, in the dance of the soloists, the mood plays a big role, since there is no modern technique that we are used to - big jumps, virtuoso rotations. I really like the way Tony brings out that vintage style."

8 hours ago, Danielle said:

Thanks for this! Is Juan Bockamp Tony's assistant choreographer? I saw Khoreva link him on Instagram and he has videos of the ballet on his stories. I'm just really trying to watch as many clips as I can!

 

Apparently, according to the program, Juan Bockamp, a Spanish dancer who also specialises in Stepanov Notation, was Toni Candeloro's assistant in charge of reading the notations. (Thanks again to ElenaK at Dansomanie)

Juan Bockamp “lives in Madrid dedicating himself to dance pedagogy and research.”

https://petipamarathon.com/speakers/juan-bockamp/

To somewhat qualify what I wrote, the Mariinsky does credit Robert Perdziola under "Credits."

Set and costume Designer: Robert Perdziola

https://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbill/2023/3/26/2_1200/

Here’s Robert Perdziola describing what he did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjPdzBvZWJc&t=191s

Added: Interestingly the set that I like the most, the jungle looking one, is based on the Mariinsky La Bayadere sets according to the Mariinsky designer in the video. Robert Perdziola viewed these and liked them very much, but redesigned his set with more lighter areas. The Mariinsky designer praises Robert Perdziola for the fine detail of his sketches that enabled him to easily and accurately reproduce them. Also in Russian, others working on the sets praise the beauty of Robert Perdziola’s specifically Egyptian theme designs. (This is from the auto-translate on the video)

Maria Bulanova is listed as the Fisherman’s Wife in the Maria Iliushkina performance, Danielle.

Although there’s denial by Yuri Fateev of Alexei Ratmansky’s choreography being now used, I don’t think that there can be any denial of him being a major factor in this production or of the use of Robert Perdziola’s magnificent set designs made specifically for the Alexei Ratmansky creation.

It certainly sounds like a full house, Danielle, and an enthusiastic, young one in the upper balconies.

I’m enjoying the video clips of Maria Iliushkina very much. In contrast to my original impressions there’s actually a lot of colorful animation, at least in her performance, which is quite a departure from her usual airy and graceful loveliness. The dance style seems to call for certain rigidity in the back and limbs but the motions do get exuberant. She handles it very well.

It appears for the moment that Yuri Fateev is claiming that the ballet has been completely rechoreographed. Alexei Ratmansky is saying in his recent Instagram post that he doesn’t think so, stating, “After seeing recent rehearsal footage I am suspicious that parts of my work might have been used. I won't make any statements until I see the film of the full production.” Hopefully this will all get resolved somehow. But as usually seems to be the case, this work will ultimately be appreciated and stand on its own merits.

Without minimising the moral issues, I hope that it’s possible to enjoy and prize the artistic value of this work and the fine commitment of such exceptional artists as Maria Iliushkina.

Added: I guess it's not a copyright issue to post a certain call, so here's Maria Iliushkina and Nikita Korneev's. It  seems like quite an enthusiastic response. In this sense it's the same Mariinsky that I've loved over many years. 

Hi Danielle.

I’m a fan of the beautiful and colorful Pierre Lacotte Bolshoi version, which I’ve seen five times. Video clips of the Mariinsky version have appeared and are very interesting. The difference is quite distinct. For me, it has a lovely ‘antique’ quality, especially in the costumes. I would think that this production is much closer in feel to the original. It’s more restrained and refined, although the footwork, for one thing, can get rather animated as may have been the style of the times. I also think that it’s maintained an awareness of modern sensibilities as most ‘reconstructions’ do, or have to do because of the distance in time from the original.

It’s still unclear to me from what I’m reading as to how much it’s been changed from the Alexei Ratmansky creation, perhaps more than I thought. I’m assuming that the costumes and sets for the Ratmansky production are all being used. It does seem to be a sincere and dedicated effort on the part of Alexei Ratmansky along with those, although more contriversially, who continued work on it and the Mariinsky in staging it. It’s quite beautiful, but might take some getting used to for some of us who’ve lived with the Pierre Lacotte version and are accustomed to more modern productions in general.

The clips from the first several performances feature Viktoria Tereshkina and Kimin Kim and Maria Iliushkina and Nikita Korneev. I look forward to watching these more carefully and I’m sure that I’ll discover things that I like very much, which is usually the case.

Here once again is the casting, using the French spellings. (Thanks again to ElenaK at Dansomanie, who first posted it).

24 mars (première) : Viktoria Terechkina (Aspicia) - Renata Chakirova (Ramzaya) - Kim Kimin (Ta-Hor) - Alekseï Timofeev (pas d’action)

25 mars : Maria Khoreva - Nadejda Batoeva - Philippe Stepine - Iaroslav Baïbordine

26 mars (m) : Maria Iliuchkina - Maria Chirinkina - Nikita Korneev - Evgueni Konovalov

26 mars (s) : Ekaterina Kondaourova - Elena Evseeva - Vladimir Chkliarov - Kian Mangis

https://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbill/2023/3/24/2_1900/

ABT Studio Company — Rocks !   😊

Palm Desert, California — March 22

12 Dancers, ages 16-21

The evening could be described as — Shapes and Moves — High Class and Excitement

A very fine evening of excellent artistry and talent. It started with George Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky Pas De Deux and Kenneth MacMillan’s Concerto (Pas de Deux) and then, with the exception of Raymonda (Suite), moved Contemporary with works by Daniel Ulbricht, Gemma Bond, Houston Thomas, Aleisha Walker and Hope Boykin.

Houston Thomas’ work is described as “….the expression and expansion of the classical ballet language. The ballet explores the full extent of classical ballet technique while finding new approaches to steps we already know. Movements, positions and rules are either followed or broken, steps are stretched or expanded.” Someone much more familiar with ballet technique than I am would probably have a lot of fun with this. One thing that I thought that I saw was a spin in fifth foot position. Actually there seemed to be a lot of similar excitement and interest throughout all the works (Raymonda, also very good, excepted).

An evening of very fine dance agility and prowess. A lot of new, emerging and exciting talent. I really enjoyed it. So did the rest of the audience.     

Maybe there’s something to be said for a good dose of "fairy dust” from time to time, Drew. Thanks for your heartfelt thoughts and best wishes.

It would seem that credit to Alexei Ratmansky should certainly be given, Christian, but I would also suppose that if the Mariinsky commissioned it, paid for it and and has the contractual rights to it, that it does have the legal (perhaps even moral) right (and perhaps even moral and artistic obligation) to perform it.

Here’s something that I posted elsewhere yesterday, that I hope might have some relevance.

Governments come and go. Swan Lake has been here for over a hundred and fifty years. Michelangelo’s David and Botticelli’s Venus for over 500.

This is another lyrically lovely ‘modern-classical’ work from China that I like very much, in particular the first ten minutes up to when the lights darken. It’s a nicely sensitive, artistically fine and sophisticated mixing of styles, which maintains a charming Chinese traditional feeling. I think that it’s a world class work and performance by the students of the Beijing Dance Academy that I’d like to see much more of.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPy2HZf2QKY

These are the dates and casting of the Mariinsky’s new version of The Pharaoh’s Daughter. It would appear that this remains almost completely Alexei Ratmansky’s creation although his name is no longer credited. I would think, or at least hope, that because of much of the advanced publicity and what’s been written most ballet goers inside and outside of Russia are aware that this is essentially Alexei Ratmansky’s creation. Politics aside for the moment, if this is possible, this looks like a very interesting production with very fine casting. I’ve seen pictures of Robert Perdziola’s sets, created as part of Alexei Ratmansky’s production, and I think that they’re quite beautiful.

24 mars (première) : Viktoria Terechkina (Aspicia) - Renata Chakirova (Ramzaya) - Kim Kimin (Ta-Hor) - Alekseï Timofeev (pas d’action)

25 mars : Maria Khoreva - Nadejda Batoeva - Philippe Stepine - Iaroslav Baïbordine

26 mars (m) : Maria Iliuchkina - Maria Chirinkina - Nikita Korneev - Evgueni Konovalov

26 mars (s) : Ekaterina Kondaourova - Elena Evseeva - Vladimir Chkliarov - Kian Mangis

https://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbill/2023/3/24/2_1900/

(thanks to ElenaK at Dansomanie)

6 hours ago, MadameP said:

I, too, wish her well.  I saw her dance many times over the years and loved her dancing.

 

Hi, MadameP.

Her loveliness captured me right from the beginning. Her extensions were always a topic of discussion. They didn’t really over affect me one way or the other and I think that as time went on she placed less emphasis on them. What did affect me was her remarkable gracefulness. She glided through the air like a gazelle. She can change her focus from performance to performance, but when she concentrates on pure gracefulness she can be as fine as any ballerina today.

Not only that, but she can combine this with outstanding characterisation. I saw her dance Fokine’s Swan, which requires both, and it was Exceptional. Another example is her dancing of Alexei Ratmansky’s Cinderella. For me, this is a piece that requires an excellent Cinderella to make it work. Diana Vishneva was the first. Being very hard shoes to fill, Alina Somova was the next.

As a person, I once read that she was exiting on a very rainy evening from a performance. Some children were gathered asking for autographs. All the other dancers rushed by to get on the bus. She stayed out in the pouring rain to sign their programs.

She is indeed a wonderful ballerina, one of my favorites over the years, who had a wonderful career at the Mariinsky. Everyone has to follow their convictions in their own way. I wish her well.

Fittingly, I believe, the dance video from China that I like so much is called “Qie Kan Xing Yun (且看行云), Watching the Motion of the Clouds,” which seems like a perfect title. Created in 2012, the dance is now part of the repertoire for the important Tao Li Dance Competition and for entry exams for admission into various dance conservatories in China. (Thanks to Enya from China at Dansomanie for this information) It’s essentially a lyrically beautiful piece, a quality so important in ballet as well, with a certain amount of animated, Lyrical Jazz type, dancing, which, for me, does work here in combination.

As implied by this title, much dance from China has a love of nature and the beauty that can be found in simple, day-to-day life as its theme. This gives it a more natural context which translates very well into lyrically poetic and lovely dance interpretations.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fny9canjUWE

Another debut for Eva Sergeyenkova, two Saturdays ago, as Nikiya in La Bayadere.

Her exceptional quality is her ability to Express. It’s also the Bolshoi’s hallmark. She accomplishes it both facially and through her entire physicality. It’s how she expresses her innermost feelings. She creates an aura that goes beyond just fine acting.

Several video clips have been posted. Her portrayal had a very ‘classical’ feeling. I immediately thought of classical paintings, this artist and this example of his work being about as close as I could get for the moment.

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres  - The Princesse de Broglie

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Princesse_de_Broglie#/media/File:Jean_auguste_dominique_ingres_princesse_albert_de_broglieFXD.jpg

I’ve just watched the famous duets from the ‘dream scene’ of this and from her recent Giselle debut. I consider both of them to be similar in importance, beauty and overall feeling. I did find her Giselle portrayal to be somewhat softer and more embraceable, which I liked very much.

For a young ballet artist of only nineteen years of age, her expressive abilities are remarkable. Her’s should continue to be a wonderful career to follow.

Here are a few pictures from her Instagram site:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Co-hzRuItZB/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/p/Co3CR1boePD/?hl=en  

(Her presence in the above one (hard to detect from these photos), is different from the rest, being more convincingly warm and smiling than I’m used to seeing from other ballerinas and I liked it very much)

https://www.instagram.com/p/Co79CQII5uZ/?hl=en

18 hours ago, dirac said:

Thank you for the heads-up, California. I taped the PBS presentation of the ballet but have yet to watch it. Have you seen it?

Welcome back !  😊

Interestingly, I see some very fine resemblances, between Oxana Skorik’s “The Swan” performance and a ‘Lyrical’-“Lyrical Jazz” performance from China that I’ve found. Mikhail Fokine’s “The Swan” is probably one of the most beautiful works in all of ballet, perhaps in all of dance. It’s also a somewhat transitional work. The dance from China, on the other hand, is performed by a student of the Beijing Dance Academy, to a perhaps rather unknown contemporary piece. Yet, for me, there are beautiful qualities of flow and motion in both of them that somehow connect them and make them ‘Lyrical.’ They might also illustrate how similarly beautiful elements can appear in different styles and different cultures.

“The Swan”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIOCxhEsWZk

“Chinese Classical Dance - Qie Kan Xing Yun”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fny9canjUWE

and maybe this one again from China….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwBmNPB0BxA