Buddy

Maria Petukhova I’ve had some time this morning to watch video clips of some of the ‘ballerinas’ that currently most captivate me because of their lyrical loveliness. This is the quality that I probably prize most. They are Oxana Skorik, Olga Smirnova (based on her recent Pharaoh’s Daughter), Zhanna Ayupova (from an old Apollo performance), Alyona Kovalyova, Maria Iliushkina and Maria Horeva (Khoreva). And I just finished watching Maria Petukhova. I mentioned in my previous post that I thought that she was perhaps the loveliest dancer of the recent Vaganova graduates. Based on what I’ve just been watching I think that she’s as lovely as all the dancers mentioned above. One quality that sets her apart is extremely lovely flow of motion. She floats like a velvet cloud. I’ll say once again that I hope that the Bolshoi takes her. It had the very commendable insight to welcome and quickly feature Olga Smirnova and Alyona Kovalyova. I do think that she could probably lose just a little weight. Laurent has mentioned that there might be other physical issues. Whatever the Mariinsky’s reservations were about Maria Petukhova I would hope that the Bolshoi could find a way to succeed with her. They’re certainly doing it with Alyona Kovalyova. In any case, if she can maintain this beauty, I think that she would be a gem wherever she goes.

Hi Pherank, I really have no idea. Could well be Venus or a womb, etc. Looks like a life cycle, maybe, referring to Henry Segerstrom. I always have the feeling that if the Mariinsky wants something done out of the ordinary they just give it to Yekaterina Kondaurova, no collaboration required. In my opinion she can make anything work, especially outside the Mariinsky norm. I guess my post was meant to highlight the two different theatrical approaches and views about life that revolved around Sergei Danilian, Henry Segerstrom (his life and in this instance his theater) and Vladimir Varnava. "Dreamers" being the much more uplifting and perhaps successful.

Another possible interesting footnote. In memory of the passing away of Henry Segerstrom in 2015 Sergei Danilian was commissioned to produce and direct “Dreamers” which was performed at the Young Choreographers evening at the 2017 Mariinsky Festival. This was a rather upbeat work which Sergei Danilian explained was to commemorate all the cultural good that Henry Segerstrom had done and to focus on the joy in his life. I liked it very much. Vladmlir Varnava choreographed one of the segments, “Within.” It featured Yekaterina Kondaurova and I rather liked it. Folks who saw Isadora might be interested in comparing the two. The entire work can seen starting at 1:28:50. Vladmlir Varnava’s “Within” starts at 1:36:30. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXILEnsBSrY (posted by the Mariinsky)

This will explain the Lenin appearance. "Many of the people in Isadora’s life, both famous and obscure, will be represented too, Danilian said. “You will meet her family – her father, mother, sister, brother, and her child, which she lost. She even encounters Lenin as an angel.” An angel? “Yes, because for her he was an angel. He created a country where everyone was equal, at least ideally.” " "As a committed leftist and an atheist, Duncan fit in well in the Soviet Union." https://www.presstelegram.com/2018/08/02/russian-ballet-star-brings-dance-pioneer-isadora-duncan-to-life-in-world-premiere/ An interesting footnote. When I was in Moscow for the first and only time a few years ago I walked by Lenin's tomb. There was a time when visiting this was like going to Mecca. The lines to get in were huge. When I saw it, there was no one there. It was well maintained but I think that it was closed. How times change.

Here’s the only Isadora review that I’ve found, Mnacenani. http://dancetabs.com/2018/08/natalia-osipova-isadora-a-tribute-to-isadora-duncan-in-two-acts-costa-mesa/ Mashinka, here’s an interview from the Financial Times. As I mentioned, I hope to be at her Pure Dance program. ”All that being said, Osipova is playing slightly safer this time by anchoring the evening with classical works featuring two of her closest collaborators. One of them, Hallberg, will join her for three of the pieces, including a pas de deux from Antony Tudor’s The Leaves Are Fading; the other, Alexei Ratmansky, former director of the Bolshoi Ballet, has written a new commission for the pair.” https://www.ft.com/content/8b1f9946-9a50-11e8-88de-49c908b1f264 If this doesn’t work try googling 'FT Natalia Osipova'. (Thanks to BalletcoForum for both these)

Because of the very long drive, the preview descriptions and one review I’ve decided not to attend today’s performance, which I was hoping to comment on. It could be brilliant and I do like the apparent final scene of transcendence idea, but the rest sounds just a bit too heavy/gloomy once again and it's a lovely sunny day. I still have a ticket to see her Pure Dance program at the Saddlers Wells in London next month. I look forward to it.

I’m really more and more impressed with Maria Horeva (Khoreva) with each video viewing. Not only does she have all the fineness that you would expect from a prominent Vaganova graduate, but she also has range, part of which is her remarkable portrayal ability. But I still don’t want to lose slight of Maria Petukhova, whom I think might be the loveliest dancer of the recent graduates. I do really hope that the Bolshoi takes her. It got Olga Smirnova and the very young Alyona Kovalyova, whom I consider to be perhaps the finest ballerinas today, especially in regard to their young ages. If anyone knows anymore about Maria Petukhova please post about it.

Thanks, Charlie. This is all news to me. I’m glad to know that it’s not my fantasy perception. Do you have any idea who introduced this interpretation? But yes, with her anyway, for me, it works just fine. I think that it might be less noticeable in her duet than in her solo. And at the last few moments of the duet, and earlier, she has a facial expression that suggests almost sublime reverie. These moments, for me, are almost magical, and show a prowess of expression, that I find quite remarkable for someone so young.

I mentioned that I thought that Maria Horeva (Mariinsky site spelling) did a very fine job with her Terpsichore solo, but perhaps will understand the character better in time. I still feel that this is true, but I’m not sure that understanding the character better would actually improve the performance. She’s chosen a delightfully playful approach, her own, and I think that it works just fine. I have no idea if she’ll appear in New York, but I sort of wish that she would. Added: In her duet, which someone at Ballet Alert! sent me, thanks again so much, I feel that she’s very charming and her dance is absolutely fine and lovely. Also she has a more developed facial approach, which I think is very impressive.

Thanks, Jack. I’m glad too that she’s happy at MCB and also wish that I could see her a lot more than I have. I’ve only had glimpses of what she’s capable of, which is pretty amazing, and look forward to the day when I can see a completely developed performance. Many actually.

I would think that Xander is a good choice because of his cultural familiarity. He also looks like a young Apollo. With time he can make it even better. Yekaterina Kondaurova is always my choice for anything outside familiar Mariinsky waters. She would probably be the best in interpreting Terpsichore. Yet for the high point duet (in my opinion), because of its beautiful loveliness, there are many who could give it a shot. Kristina Shapran was cast for one night at the Mariinsky and she could be a very good choice. Maria Horeva, who just graduated from the Vaganova, did the second night. Part of this can be seen on video. Of the three young graduates who performed that night, I’m becoming more fond of what she did. She had a lovely, delightful and creative sense of dance in her solo. The duet isn’t on the internet, but I’d love to see it. She may have a ways to go in grasping the character, but I somehow think that she would have brought a smile to George Balanchine’s face. She does to mine.

And back to Balanchine. And again, why? How his work can fit into the Mariinsky framework continues to fascinate me with each new viewing of his Apollo and of unrelated ballet dancers from Russia. Why not go to the Balanchine forums? Because my perspective is from a Mariinsky orientation. I love its style and it sets a standard and reference for all my ballet viewing. I’ve written how Zhanna Ayupova’s Calliope shows what a wonderful way the Mariinsky could approach the entire Apollo and perhaps Balanchine in general. My focus is also on the ballerina. Apollo is supposedly focussed on the dancer of Apollo. Yet I’m very much drawn to Suzanne Farrell’s Terpsichore Duet. I see a lot of resemblance between her and Zhanna Ayupova in her lovely lyricism. I find this more interesting in that George Balanchine has made this 1968 video version more hard edge and abstract than the 1960 one featuring Jacques d’Amboise. I think that he simply let Suzanne Farrell’s natural lyricism take precedent in the Duet which for me is the highlight of this work as it is in all my ballet viewing. It’s where the ballerina is presented the most beautifully. He could have had her dancing much more ‘hard edge’ but he didn’t. So where does this take us? I suppose that I’m looking for the lyricism and poetry in George Balanchine that would bring him closer to the Mariinsky sense of beauty. It’s apparent in his ‘Mariinsky tributes’ such as Symphony in C or Diamonds. Yet the 1968 Apollo (and continued I assume) is a venture into abstraction. Thus Suzanne Farrell’s lovely lyricism in the Duet and even Peter Martin’s underlying sensitivity throughout, shows a more poetic sort of ‘Balanchine.’ It’s something that I would like to search more for in my Balanchine viewing as I would in how the Mariinsky deals with it and which works it choses. One more quick comment about Zhanna Ayupova’s Calliope. It’s a very fine poetic statement. It’s very Mariinsky, it’s directly related to the 1960 version, and it also shows her exceptional interpretive ability. She doesn’t carry on a mime discussion but she uses remarkable mime expression throughout her dancing. This may be the first time that I’ve noticed such a thing in ‘classically oriented,’ non-Character dance. Of course, the Balanchine choreography is responsible, but how she carries it into the realm of the ‘classical, lyrical’ is her own doing. In this respect she made her performance a one of a kind masterpiece and perhaps even a new form of dance beauty.

Hi Mnacenani. I'm personally delighted with the pure entertainment aspect of this work. I'm glad that different things work for you. I've seen the Bolshoi numerous times, but the finest was several performances in their actual theater. I'm not sure if this is always the case but the response was both knowing and electric. By the way, I mentioned that I was charmed by the children in the underwater scene. At a closer look they seem to be regular 'chorus' members but with amazingly childlike expression at times. I normally have theater glasses glued to the lead ballerina. That's why I like the idea of more interaction, so I that I can appreciate the entirety. Added: Mister Rogers of the children’s show was in Russia years ago. He said that one of the things that he liked very much was, that with all the apparent hardship that they’ve historically endured, they still had a sense of whimsy. He saw this most in the historic buildings. I tend to notice this also in the ballets. Wigs and props are examples. It all combines naturally into wonderful, human cultural expression and artistry.

Just some musing aloud. In ballet in general and in this work, especially the ultracharming underwater scenes, I wish there were a way to capture more of the precious background activity. This would include the reclining children, their slightly older counterparts, the two delightful nymphs(?) sitting on either side of Neptune in their absolutely silly looking (and absolutely charming) wigs casting a spell like no other without moving for a second (only Russian ballet, perhaps the Bolshoi in particular, can do this). I’m normally glued to the lead ballerina. That’s about all I can effectively take in. Yet I wish she might ‘relax’ for a moment and let the background take over for a few seconds. George Balanchine seemed to understand this as he would have his leads threading through the other dancers and even becoming part of them. I’m not complaining and I wouldn’t change a thing in the wonderful works that I see, but it might be something interesting to consider in some yet to be created works.

I just viewed a video clip of Ksenia Zhiganshina in the Congo River solo. She has an airy delightfulness and beauty that I really enjoy and appreciate. (thanks to Sophia at Dansomanie for finding it) Mashinka, I’ve not seen Nina Ananiashvili or Nadezhda Gracheva in this, but I imagine that they’d be excellent. I have seen several other ballerinas and for me Svetlana Zakharova was ideal. Svetlana Lunkina, as her performance progressed, showed remarkable beauty. I now feel that Olga Smirnova may have inherited the crown or is certainly in the process of doing so. Added: Looking back at an older video clip it seems that Ksenia Zhiganshina may have slightly lost weight since then and is also reaching out more with her arm gestures which give her a new linear fineness.

Could I please return this post with reference to the other discussion removed? I'd like to do this to reemphasize my extreme admiration for how much, I feel, Olga Smirnova does so well. Just another revelation, for me, in her ongoing amazement. "I don't normally pay a lot of attention to steps but the ones that I see in the brief video clip (Smirnova/Chudin) posted by MadameP are interesting, more complex than I'm used to and delightfully performed. Because of their demand, I read that Pierre Lacotte offered to simplify them for Svetlana Zakharova, but she said that it wouldn't be necessary. She went on to set the standard for this work. "Added: I guess I am grateful to videos in that I can focus on the steps in one viewing and upper body expression, etc. in another. This would be quite difficult for me to do at an actual performance."

The inclusion of Veronika Part still greatly interests me. Does she think that it’s really worthy of herself, which would be a high recommendation, or is her preference to share with/give support to a fellow great artist, try something different, etc. Natalia Osipova has remarkable talent both as a pure dancer and as an emerging dance actress/expressionist/artist. Her choice of material has always been the critical issue from my standpoint. I’d like to hope for the best on this one.

Here's a brief look at Natalia Osipova in rehearsal. It won't be any literal storytelling from this glance. https://www.facebook.com/SCFTA/videos/10156433653200890/?utm_source=Email_marketing&utm_campaign=Eblast_1819_IsadoraOnSale4&cmp=1&utm_medium=HTMLEmail

Can I get back to George Balanchine's Apollo once again. Why? Because it's a masterpiece and it's 'stylistic' place at the Mariinsky fascinates me. Probably the two most famous interpretations were by Jacques d'Amboise and Peter Martins. After several essentially first time video viewings I see Jacques d'Amboise's interpretation as being more about gestures. And athleticism is noticeable. He once said that George Balanchine used him to represent himself, a dancing Balanchine. I sense this. Peter Martins may have changed it. His presentation does have a certain subtlety. One of the main things, for me, about the Mariinsky is subtlety. So how do you bring George Balanchine's often more animated abstract/expressionism and the Mariinsky's quiet lyricism together? Here are some quotes from the Balanchine side. George Balanchine "I saw that gestures, the basic material of the choreographer, have family relations, like different shades in painting and different tones in music.” “Mr. B. says that dancers are poets of gesture,” Mr. Villella said, “and watching him move through ‘Apollo’ made understand that.” (He performed it himself to show Edward Villella) " Mr. Martins, who became a permanent member of the New York City Ballet in 1970, commented particularly on the athletic aspect of “Apollo” and then mused about the ultimate challenge to the interpreter of the hero. Finally, he said, “You have to try to project sense of character development in very subdued way.” " https://www.nytimes.com/1979/04/29/archives/the-life-and-times-of-balanchines-apollo-the-life-and-times-of.html “You have to try to project sense of character development in very subdued way.” Peter Martins' Apollo has a Michelangelo quality. He is godlike, giantesquely powerful, yet totally sensitive. Interestingly related to this, I see the touching of his and Terpsichore's fingers as a literal take from Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam (Mankind)). So enter here the Mariinsky -- Zhanna Ayupova and now Xander Parish and the very young Maria Khoreva. What do they have in common? Mariinsky style. Quiet poetry, lyricism and fineness. But there's something else -- Character. As abstract as George Balanchine is supposed to be, there's remarkable expression here. Suzanne Farrell exudes it without any drama. So within the 'abstract motion' of George Balanchine there can be remarkably compelling expression in the form of emotional shading. And there's also the face. A face that's not emphasized, perhaps, but still the key to unspoken emotion and meaning. Xander Parish does a commendable job with his very personal, Mariinsky shaded and understated interpretation. Maria Khoreva and Suzanne Farrell? Worlds apart, perhaps. Suzanne Farrell had a wonderful understanding of George Balanchine's intent plus she radiated her own inner light and warmth. And she was only 22 (at the time of this video, 1968). Maria Khoreva shows her fine Mariinsky dance and personal range with some insights into what she could someday make of this role. Zhanna Ayupova, for me, showed what a wonder the Mariinsky could make of it all.

I’ve continued to be very interested in the Mariinsky approach to George Balanchine’s Apollo. There’s a video of parts of Apollo with Zhanna Ayupova as Calliope, Patricia Barker as Polyhymnia, Isabelle Guérin as Terpsichore and Nilas Martins as Apollo. They all give very fine performances showing their respective styles. The comparison that interests me the most is that of Patricia Barker and Zhanna Ayupova. Patricia Barker seems so right on in understanding and displaying George Balanchine’s intent. Yet Zhanna Ayupova really touches me. I admit that my bias is towards the Mariinsky style throughout all my ballet viewing and here I think that Zhanna Ayupova has done a wonderful Mariinsky style rendering. Of all the video viewing that I mentioned in my above post, it’s still her appearance that I come back to the most. It has a Mariinsky ‘enchantment’ and for me it works just fine here. In regard to the recent Mariinsky performance with the young Vaganova graduates, my main feeling is that they are still quite young. Sometimes this is an advantage because they are more open to different approaches. Maria Khoreva may have a lot of promise in this regard. She seems to have range as well as very fine talent. With such ‘more flexible’ artists (perhaps led by Yekaterina Kondaurova and including other younger ones such as Renata Shakirova and Yekaterina Chebukina) the Mariinsky could produce some impressive results. Yet Zhanna Ayupova, in my mind, is pure Mariinsky and she dazzles in Apollo. She also adds her own very special poetry, but with a Mariinsky sensitivity. So again I look forward to seeing what kind of ‘magic’ the Mariinsky can do with works such as Apollo. Added thought: Maybe 'fate' has placed her where she is at the Vaganova.

I don't want to negate your feelings about whether Daria Pavlenko and Ulyana Lopatkina should have received more in house recognition. I've often stated that I would have liked to have seen a lot more of Daria Pavlenko. But there might also be a cultural issue here. Altnai Asylmuratova, when she was to retire from the Mariinsky (not the Vaganova), stated that there would be no big display. She said that Russians simply don't make a big deal out of saying goodby. I've experienced this personally.

I’ve just watched an eight minute (approx.) video clip of the three young Vaganova graduates Maria Khoreva, Anastasia Nuikina, Daria Ionova and Xander Parish performing George Balanchine’s Apollo. I also watched the first twenty minutes or so, through Apollo’s solo, of a 1968 performance of George Balanchine’s own company — Suzanne Farrell, Peter Martins, Marnee Morris and Karin Von Aroldingen. I’m sure that this video or something very similar is required viewing for anyone attempting this work. I’m not that familiar with George Balanchine’s works and I’ve only seen this on video, maybe once or twice before. These two performances are, not unexpectedly, so different. This is a work that I feel you would have to have George Balanchine sitting there directing to come close to the intent or impact of the original. The thing that stands out most for me in the NYC Ballet performance is the impact and interest of motion. This is what I also appreciate most in the performances of Maria Khoreva and Anastasia Nuikina. Totally different from the NYC Ballet, but the interest is there as well as an excitement and quality. Xander Parish is once again totally different from Peter Martins, but I enjoy his interpretation. First of all, he’s culturally closest to the source and it shows. He’s more comfortable and familiar with it. Secondly, it’s the first time that I’ve seen him display this much of his own imagination. As I’ve mentioned before I think that he has a fine sense of theater, perhaps again because of his cultural background. The Mariinsky’s strength with works by George Balanchine, or anything else, for me, is in it’s lyrical interpretations. This work is perhaps the most demanding. Parts of this performance do click for me. I’ll be very interested to see how the Mariinsky develops it. Added: I just finished watching the NYC Ballet video. What a remarkably fine work this is. What comes after what I wrote about is some lovely and powerful emotion, lyrically beautiful dancing and much more. I’d really like to see how Maria Khoreva and Xander Parish handled the poetically lovely, sculpturally encompassing and physically demanding duet. They both seem quite capable of a very fine interpretation. Added added: Just watched the Calliope variation (solo) performed by Zhanna Ayupova. Her’s is a very lovely and poetic ‘Mariinsky style’ interpretation that gives a fine idea of how beautifully the Mariinsky could do with the entire work. And one more: Having just viewed most of the version featuring Jacques d'Amboise, I would say the Mariinsky performance is closer to this in its looser manner.

I saw her once in a secondary role years ago and thought that she had some of the best theatrical presence that I've seen on the NYC ballet stage. She was also vibrantly alive. There might well be a future for her on the stage.

I’ve written about Daria Pavlenko from time to time. The first time that I met her at a reception I thought her to be one of the most beautiful women that I’ve ever seen. She was always lovely, as well, which showed in her performances. The two Giselles that she performed in Washington DC over ten years ago were perhaps among the top ten best ballet performances that I’ve ever seen. I was always hoping that she would be given more. Her very talented and nice husband, Alexander Sergeev, is still going strong as far as I know. Always wanted to see more of him as well. They have a daughter, I believe. Maybe she’d like to spend more time with her now. I wish her all the best.

A video has been posted with the 2017-2018 debuts of Renata Shakirova. Shirin (Legend of Love), Shurale, Gulnare (Le Corsaire), Grand pas variation (Raymonda), Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Allegro Vivace (Symphony in C), Cinderella (by Ratmansky) and Gold Bells Dance (Legend of Love). She’s a remarkably fine dancer. She’s also a bundle of sunshine in each one. In real life (from personal and video clip glances) she seems unable to hold back a smile.So what happens when she has to enter more 'serious' dramatic waters? I’ve seen her do it and she’s quite capable. What I personally would love to see her do, like the young and delightfully smiling Maria Iliushkina and the more veteran Anastasia Kolegova, is navigate these waters with a continued sunny radiance. A personal thing, perhaps, but something that I prize. I’ve seen interpretations of some of the heaviest character parts that have still brought a feeling of warmth, understanding, love and a smile to my face. I think that she can do this if she wishes.