Buddy

As a followup to The Legend of Love live broadcast of April 5, discussed here, this was the next day. It has a lot of lovely dancing by Maria Shirinkina and a very brief but excellent section with Oxana Skorik (17:00) Andrey Ermakov is featured. Added comment: Andrey Ermakov's characterization is so different here from the day before, that I hardly recognize him. This one is fine, but the day before I thought was exceptional. (posted by Andrey Ermakov)

Here’s some very nice footage of her about a month ago, at 17:00 — Legend of Love. (Very nice footage of Maria Shirinkina as well) (posted by Lead Male Dancer, First Soloist, Andrey Ermakov) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIy4ud9GAFU

How did you find out about her, if I can ask ? 😊 She seems to have some video recognition which is how I found her about two years ago. I've not seen her on stage.

Maria Iliushkina debuted her Variation Act I in Raymonda's Dream about a week ago. From video clips she looks like someone to keep an eye on. She's quite lovely.

Yes, Rhys. I might also include the last act of Swan Lake in this general category. The love connection is primary, although her/their 'transcendence' does't occur until the very end. And yes, these are the video clips that I've been referring to.

But still tied to them by love, otherwise why would they be there ?

Thanks, Quinten, for your thoughts. I guess that we definitely don't agree on this one. Alyona Kovalyova -- La Bayadere She’s certainly my dream come true for the day. Within her embraceable youthfulness is a most remarkable maturity of artistry and understanding. Added: One really good thing about videos is that you can watch them over and over. The person who posted must have noticed this because it occurs at the very end of one video segment of the Shades act. She is being turned on point in arabesque by her partner who then releases her. She comes down off point in arabesque, one leg straight back, in lovely balance and realigns herself. All done so harmoniously. Absolutely gorgeous ! Another thing that I notice is what a floating, yet humanly touching, airiness she has.

Some very brief video clips of her La Bayadere have been posted on Instagram. The first are of her final dance at the court. It’s very hard to see facial expression because of the video quality, but her motion has a lovely dramatic quality. Again, as in her second Swan Lake, she seems remarkably mature in character and dance. Her warmth of expression comes from deep within. Her lines and positioning are very beautiful. Her phrasing — when she highlights, when she moves into something — is subtly breathtaking. She has lovely flow and softness. All this is perhaps equal to what is normally expected of the ethereally beautiful last act — The Land of the Shades. In her beautiful Land of the Shades she radiates some of the heart, soul and warmth of a young girl, which is a lovely thing. I’ve not seen anything quite like it from other ballerinas. And once again I’ll say that this is a quality that I hope she holds onto as long as possible. Her series of cross stage spins and backward hops (posted last) are secure, airy and beautifully constructed. Here her arms are noticeably airy and lovely. Then several clips of her initial court dancing follow. Here she’s lyrically composed in her dancing and poetic in presence. I could go on and on. These are just my first viewings. If I see anything else that really makes an impression, I’ll try to post it, maybe here. So check back for “Added:” comments if you like. For now I just want to quietly enjoy it.

Thank you, Rhys, for zeroing in on things. I'll provide some character dancing while waiting for the leads to reappear. My best of the "bad girls," as Cristian once put it, have always interested me by not necessarily being bad. They have at least been dimensional. Simone Messmer, whom I seem to move from one topic to another with the greatest of ease and admiration, was perhaps the most fascinating Gamzatti that I've ever seen, perhaps even one of the most fascinating of all women that I've ever seen. She was dimension on top of dimension and if I can be allowed to say so -- darn sexy. As far as Odiles are concerned, Mnacenani, Maria Alexandrova was probably the most 'delightful!' one that I've ever seen. Whoops, this is the Alyona Kovalyova topic -- She's so Wonderful ! 😉

Questions, Definitions, Degrees and The Heart Speaking Fleurdelis, I agree with almost all your list. I don’t have enough knowledge about ‘technique’ to really respond to that and I don’t totally agree with some other things, but I do appreciate your comprehensiveness and your explaining why. I would also propose the names of Veronika Part, Myriam Ould-Braham, Simone Messmer and for an all time, Eva Evdokimova. But because of a lesser range or much less exposer they may not be considered ’The Greatest.’ I’ve already written that if there is a ‘Greatest’ today it would probably be Olga Smirnova. Yet whenever I say this I always think of the one that I consider her contrast, Oxana Skorik. I would now add the emerging Alyona Kovalyova. I used the word “impact” to illustrate what might make someone great. Olga Smirnova has that. But what about someone who doesn’t knock us over, but is absolutely beautiful. Oxana Skorik and Alyona Kovalyova have this effect on me. Olga Smirnova wows me with her greatness, but Oxana Skorik and Alyona Kovalyova seem to me to be so beautiful, but so quietly and subtly so that it could go unnoticed and be taken for less than greatness. Ulyana Lopatkina had the same beauty, but it was so apparent that it couldn’t pass unnoticed. Oxana Skorik and Alyona Kovalyova maybe less apparent. So who’s the greatest? Maybe Olga Smirnova. She covers more bases like no other, for one thing. Yet who does one ‘major essential’ perhaps more beautifully than anyone else? Oxana Skorik. Alyona Kovalyova. Added: I continue to be fascinated with what Olga Smirnova might have become if she had stayed at the Mariinsky. Probably much closer to Oxana Skorik and Alyona Kovalyova. She has become a great 'expressionist' with the foundation of Vaganova fineness and refinement. It might have been the other way around and she might have been just as great, but more subtly so. For me, Diana Vishneva became a great expressionist. Olga Smirnova may have become a standard bearer of pure beauty with great expression -- a more subtle but immensely beautiful greatness.

Thanks, Mnacenani, for this review. I’m very glad that you enjoyed the evening and that Alyona Kovalyova did so well. The presence of her and Olga Smirnova at the Bolshoi is indeed an incentive to travel to Moscow from St. Petersburg. I would have done it this year, or in past years, if such performances had coincided with the Mariinsky Festival. I did for the first time several years ago and certainly hope to again as often as possible. She also seems to be a youthfully level headed and lovely person who I’m sure will develop artistically and behaviorally just fine. I haven’t found any video clips yet, but I’ll keep searching. I’m sure that she was beautiful based on what I’ve seen before on the internet and what you’ve written. Depth and perfection she’ll develop in time. For now she has her youthful loveliness which I hope she’ll hold onto as long as possible. Svetlana Zakharova opened Saturday and Olga Smirnova followed Monday. Would certainly liked to have been there. If only for Alyona Kovalyova, lucky you.

Not having ever seen her do contemporary I would award the prize for the best classicist at contemporary unequivocally to the Mariinsky's Yekaterina Kondaurova who can probably dance anything. The Miami City Ballet leans more to Balanchine and then contemporary, both of which I think that they do exceptionally well. I've never seen them do classical, but I would guess that their strength is in the two mentioned. I really appreciate your concern for Maria's busy schedule. There are other ballerinas that I wish would ease up somewhat also.

Hi Pherank. I get the impression from several posts that Maria is more appreciated for her contemporary ability. Yet the several times that I saw her she did classics. Two of them were the complete Swan Lake with ABT in NYC, both excellent and one being one the finest that I've ever seen.

I was thinking the exact same thing, Quinten, in regard to George Balanchine and what he prized so highly — the music — and “….the incredible beauty of a human moving through space along with music.” Thanks, MadameP and Quinten, for your responses. I think that this discussion is worth continuing here because it touches on ‘stylistic’ differences. For me, Alyona Kovalyova represents the best of a particular style, the one that we love most, I believe. In fairness to what Mnacenani has mentioned I tend to find George Balanchine’s works generally slightly more on the intellectual and structured side that what I truly love, that being the dreamlike flow of the Mariinsky. But that’s only a personal thing. I’m sure if I knew and penetrated more I would like his work even more. But in the world that I do love, he has produced some masterpieces, the Midsummer Night's Dream duet being perhaps my favorite. I would also include the one from Symphony in C, which, for me, interestingly enough was most beautifully danced (video, now gone) by Svetlana Zakharova. There are different ways to do the same thing and they all can be beautiful. I find what Tyler Peck and Jared Angle do so remarkably well here is totally different from what Oxana Skorik did so remarkably well, in my opinion, at the Mariinsky Festival and what Alyona Kovalyova, in a similar manner, would do. From what I’ve read George Balanchine was quite aware of this and would change works to suit the artists performing them. I also think that he was much more of a sentimentalist and romantic than he would want folks to ever know. I believe that he even said so. And I think that if I were to watch his works more carefully I would feel and appreciate this even more from my standpoint. So with Alyona Kovalyova being the possible standard bearer, along with Oxana Skorik, of the dance beauty that I perhaps love most, there are certainly other ways that are just as beautiful. It’s just a matter of preference. In our discussions here they are all valuable in helping to contrast and appreciate what someone like Alyona Kovalyova is doing. I’d like to add one more video that was ‘officially’ released on the internet. It’s what I might call post Balanchine and it’s beauty is not that far removed from the ‘dreaminess’ that I love at the Mariinsky. It features Wendy Whelan. (She was unfortunately as thin as I’ve ever seen her, because of her operation perhaps, but something that I personally can’t feel comfortable with.) Dance-wise she was possibly at her most beautiful. It’s makes a very interesting and lovely comparison to what Alyona Kovalyova is doing and the style that she’s doing it in. Her dancing can be seen at 1:50 and 14:10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D316-KMBU8

She's such an amazing talent. I wish her all the best.

I guess my only response to that, Mnacenani, is this brief excerpt from the work that you saw at the Mariinsky ‘Festival’ in March. It’s the only ‘official’ release of a George Balanchine duet that I can find on the internet. Tiler Peck & Jared Angle in A Midsummer Night's Dream (excerpt) Divertissement pas de deux Added: I also had a video that included George Balanchine coaching Mikhail Baryshnikov in the Prodigal Son. The emotion that he tried to convey was about as soulful as you can get.

Is Florida near California? And what's a Chicago? Rabid enough, yes. Rich enough, no. Chicago is indeed a textbook of 'modern' architecture. One of the most interesting examples is the early 16 floor Monadnock Building with *six feet deep* masonry walls at ground level. The suburb of Oak Park is a Frank Lloyd Wright museum. Florida, but the way, boasts Miami’s Zaha Hadid's One Thousand Museum skyscraper. Photo top left. the last time that I checked. Much of the other stuff shown is yet unbuilt or unbuildable. All this is probably quite fine in Miami but especially where I live, Southern California where reality doesn't exist. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/297659856603642800 Uhr, uhm, and yes -- back to Topic. Added thought: All this comes back, maybe, to a Simone Messmer, who can slip out there somewhere and with her mental and physical agility create something compelling and beautiful.

May 2 -- “La Bayadere” (Debut) https://www.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/1/roles/#20180502190000 May 9 -- "Diamonds" https://www.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/456/roles/#20180509190000

I think that the more freedom that she's given the more she shines. This is where that could show. When she's through with all her activities, Jack, could you please send her out to California for the rest of the summer.

I would guess that this is the case but I can't really help you. Was Makhar Vaziev among them? I know little about his style, except that he apparently can get quite involved. Yuri Fateyev, on the other hand, I've read, just hands out little pieces of paper with comments. I try to sit where I only see the stage because that's where the magic is for me. And I really appreciate it when the dancers going off stage keep their stage presence together until well out of sight. From broadcasts when the camera catches the wings I've seen warmups and the like casually going on. The on stage artists have to have considerable focus. What I like the most is when there's a sense of family in the wings. Dancers and their children, especially the children, are just sitting there enjoying the performance. There's a sense of camaraderie and support from this as well.

And for those of us who don't drink, we have to rely totally on the performance. No problem. I've done it many times with the Bolshoi.

Yes, I agree. I'll try to take a look. I do like the lovely duets very much. I've seen or at least heard of this being done once before, but don't remember what it was. On the other hand, Yekaterina Kodaurova performed all three leads in Jewels at her Festival gala evening. There's actually two 'leads' in the Rubies part. She did the second one a night or two later. Legend can still be seen on the internet as well, featuring, for me anyway -- Yep -- Yekaterina Kondaurova.

She does? Then please don't tell me. 😊 Quinten, I believe that we each have our idea about what is most important. For me, it's the effect. Mnacenani has said the same thing but from a different emphasis. If a ballerina looks beautiful to me I don't necessarily care why. Technique is a way of producing such beauty, but for me it's only a part and I don't think that there's real agreement anyway about what the best way is. I think that I know what epaulement is and appreciate it as I see it. If you find a certain manner to be most pleasing to you then I'm glad.

No I'll stand by this one. I've seen her do lovely, lovely dreamlike dancing.

😊 Saw a brief video clip of Ekaterina Krysanova's final act. Hands -- Lovely ! Her Pd'One -- Lovely ! She's at her Mariinsky best and I love her that way. Now back to drama. Glad that you enjoyed it all so much.