Buddy

I've been going back and forth with a lot of video clips of current Mariinsky oriented ballerinas. Mainly I've been returning to the video clip that I posted here of Oxana Skorik's Act IV "Swan Lake" (starting at 22:00 minutes). I'm just more and more impressed. I've written several times that Anna Pavlova may be Woman's answer to Michelangelo. More now than before, I think of Mozart as I watch Oxana Skorik develop. I focus on her hands and the remarkable beauty in the 'simplicity and economy' and the brilliant articulation of how she uses them. I can see those hands and his notes as being so much of the same fabric. Also she seems to be more refined generally each new time that I see her, the last live performances being in Naples, Italy, a few weeks ago. Another factor that continues to set her apart is how deeply and beautifully she goes inside herself. Added: And technically -- now consistent and flawless single, double, single fouette spins, lengthy balances....

You've made very good points, sidwich. As for more songs though, why has the "workshop" casted two ballet dancers? Your response probably might be, "they can recast." So we'll see. Also, I guess I'm just liking very much the possibility of a dance oriented production. That idea for this dance lover is exciting and this is what Chris Wheeldon is, and Gene Kelly was, brilliant at, although Chris Wheeldon may turn out to be a fine musical director as well.

Thanks very much, dirac and sandik, for your comments. Alternating casts and would seem possible, along with divertissement dancing, to lighten the load of a lot of dancing as is done with full length ballets. The comment in the article that "the stage version is relatively faithful to the film" (note the word "relatively") still intrigues me, although that may only refer to "the show's producers described two differences", a younger age for the leads and a few years earlier for the setting.

I just haven't had the time to follow the MCB recently. Under Edward Villella it was one of my favorite companies in the world, and I'm pretty much a Mariinsky lover, which is quite different. Could I possibly ask what may have been covered already. How does the company compare so far to its Villella days? Added: For instance Nathalia Arja from Jordan Levin's review yesterday is a completely new name to me. http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/10/19/3698802/miami-city-ballet-opens-season.html

Thanks very much for your thoughts, sidwich. The fact that two ballet dancers are being used for the "workshop" still makes me wonder if this might not be a more dance oriented interpretation. Christopher Wheeldon remains the Director as well as the choreographer. Added: Two quotes from the article do make me wonder somewhat about my supposition. "….the stage version is relatively faithful to the film…." "(Casting for the musical itself has not been made.)" Added added: Also, as mentioned here, the bringing in of Bartlett Sher "as creative consultant to provide guidance and feedback on the musical" is interesting. To what extent will he be involved? "He [bartlett Sher] received both the 2008 Tony Award and the Drama Desk Award for his direction of the Broadway revival of South Pacific. The New York Times has described him as "one of the most original and exciting directors, not only in the American theater but also in the international world of opera". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bartlett_Sher Still, for the acting and singing, could this be finessed somewhat, like Rex Harrison's 'talked-singing' in "My Fair Lady" in favor of more dancing? Both Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire may have been greatest as 'dancers' and 'personality performers,' rather than as actors and singers. Also: ( yes, ) I don't recall Leslie Caron singing at all in this, but I could be wrong. [changed wording in paragraph just above the smiley from "personalities" to "personality performers."]

Very nice comments. The immediate announcement of her replacing the cancelled Alina Cojocaru in ABT's June "Swan Lake" brightened my day considerably. I had a ticket to see Alina, but a chance to see Maria really compensated. She was Excellent ! Thanks also for listing Simone Messmer's performances. Abatt wrote: "A few notes. Kochetkova fills a need for ABT insofar as giving Herman Cornejo an appropriately sized partner." Conversely, I think that it helps the appearance of Maria Kochetkova's performances considerbly to have "an appropriately sized partner." She looked just fine with Herman Cornejo. and "Anyway, back to SFB. Messmer was gorgeous in the German section on Friday evening of the Ratmansky ballet. She danced with beautiful lyricism." Great to hear !

The original cast list says Messmer on Friday and Sunday, but nothing about Wednesday night. Can you tell us what she danced and will be dancing, pherank ?

Thanks, Natalia. Rereading her tweet from Wednesday, she probably didn't perform. "What an inspiring night at Lincoln Center with @sfballet! Can't wait to preform on Friday."

A nice article and some insight into Leanne Cope from Point Magazine. "Thanks to Liam Scarlett, The Royal’s Leanne Cope alternates nights in the corps with leading roles. "Her rank hasn’t stopped Scarlett from casting Cope in nearly every work he has created on the company. “Leanne is the type of dancer who makes choreographers do what they do,” he explains. “What draws me to her is the one thing I can never explain. She has a presence like no other on stage. Her face and eyes are just captivating.” "In the studio, Scarlett constantly pushes her to do more, explaining: “There are many roles waiting to be created for her, in my eyes; she will always be the first considered for any part.
" http://www.pointemagazine.com/issues/december-2012january-2013/dancer-spotlight-part-time-muse Added: Abatt, I didn't see any mention of Jonathan Cope in the article. Added, added: And the kind of remark that makes you like a person from Leanne, 9 years in the corps. "Many dancers in her situation would find the daily corps work a grind, but Cope relishes it. “I don’t think I’ll ever be frustrated in the corps de ballet, simply because I never thought I’d be here,” she explains."

Simone Messmer, according to her Twitter site, performed Wednesday and last night (Ratmansky?). Any news about this remarkable artist will be very greatly appreciated. As for Maria Kochetkova. Glad to read the good news about her.

Please allow me a little poetic distance on this one. In the second video above, I've stood in front of the Winter Palace several dozen times and the lovely mint tinted color, at least on my screen, would be the ideal for the beautiful color that is actually there. As a backdrop for Anastasia Kolegova (or any other Mariinsky 'angel') the interior would be artistically splendid. The sky above, on the other hand, would be dreamlike perfect. The first video of the two, the Russian dance, is one of the finest visual experiences that I've enjoyed in a long time. I sometimes focus on the flow of the arms and hands, which, along with the shape and motion of the ballet skirt and the airy shawl, all together -- an ethereal cluster -- float magically through a center of support. This center of support is the earthy poetry of a russian folk dance with a brilliantly phrased juxtapositioning of the head, further enhanced by the sculptural loveliness of the legs and the vibrance of the steps. An ethereal mass rotates around and through a structural excitement of rhythm and articulation.

Thanks, abatt. So they are using ballet dancers. Should be very interesting to see. I still have Marcelo Gomes front and center in my brain, but it looks fascinating in any case. Perhaps this is going to be a lot more about dance than acting and singing. Added quote from article: "Among the film’s standout scenes is a roughly 16-minute ballet by Kelly’s character and his love interest, played by Leslie Caron, set to George Gershwin’s 1928 orchestral composition “An American in Paris.” The musical will have its own lengthy ballet sequence, completely reconceived by the show’s director and choreographer, Christopher Wheeldon...." Correction: I wrote (since deleted), "I've only seen Leanne Cope once, but she could be excellent for the Leslie Caron part." It was probably retired Principal, Leanne Benjamin that I saw.

kbarber wrote this here: "At Covent Garden, raking is definitely better row L back in the orchestra ("stalls", they call them). Stalls Circle is usually good. "Anything on the side will have an obstructed view necessarily because it's the side of the horseshoe so you can't see anything upstage on the side that you're sitting." http://balletalert.invisionzone.com/index.php?/topic/36801-bolshoi-london-2013-29-july-17-aug-royal-opera-house/page-7#entry325200 I've wondered about the 'friends' benefits also. If you have trouble getting seats on the internet I would advise telephoning. This has always worked well for me. If you are in London for a few days you can buy an Oyster Card in an Underground station and save loads of money getting around and London is a great place for sites. Have a wonderful visit, Paris !

I just found this and think that it's absolutely charming. And this with a glimpse of another rather magical creature at the end.

For those who've never seen Anastasia Kolegova, this video clip gives at least a hint of the loveliness and talent that I saw her display at her two Costa Mesa, California "Swan Lake"s last October. As Birdsall has written, her expression can be a subtle and quiet one, but as I posted elsewhere after Costa Mesa, " How can so much amazing talent be compressed into such a lovable little package ? " http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=WHzYBpS_UcA&feature=endscreen (posted by the Latvian National Opera in HD, where she appeared at a gala) Added: In Costa Mesa, one thing that I was particularly impressed with was the fineness and articulation of her hands, which I think can be seen here. She also got a great audience response, receiving a standing ovation from some front seat viewers after her White Swan duet, a first in my viewing experience.

YID, I don't know if this is the right place to discuss this, but I'm curious as to what Valery Gergiev feels about and how he relates to the ballet company. If you can offer some insights into this, either here or at another topic, I'd be very glad to read what you have to say.

There's an internet video series of Olga Esina's "Swan Lake" from this year's Mariinsky Festival. From the "Act I" (White Swan segment) I do get glimpses of one thing that I recall so vividly, and value so highly, from the actual performance. It's when she becomes, what I call, 'a dancer within a dancer.' In her adagios (slow and graceful) she seems to stop time with one motion and then continues to move through it, but the feeling of stillness remains. There is also a Purity to this sense of suspension that's very special.

Anastasia Kolegova is a Sweetheart. You'll fall in love with her immediately ! She's also a very fine dancer and she's not tall making her all the more special for a Mariinsky Odette-Odile. Added Beseechment: I'm putting her in your hands, Abatt. Please see that she is given a wonderful reception and very well cared for.

For the moment, this is the video clip that I'm Enjoying the most. I have a lot more that I could say about this work, but I would rather wait. I would have to call the entire two acts an Artistic Masterpiece. Then I would have to add this, because in my mind it is -- * Greatness * I think that it works best when seen in the context of this entire ballet performance.

For about a month there's been a series of internet video clips of Oxana Skorik's and Yevgeny Ivanchenko's July 9th "Giselle." I've just started to really get into these and would highly recommend them. I would also suggest starting right from the beginning, rather than skipping to the Act II duet and staying there, which is what I have a tendency to do. There is little more that I can say about this Remarkable young artist, except for my ongoing -- Wow !!!!

The Audiences Seem To Love Her ! Even though we don't agree, tamicute, you seem to have a great interest in the art and I hope it brings you as much pleasure as it brings me. Added comment: In Naples, for instance, Olga Esina received a very enthusiastic response, probably the most enthusiastic of the series for her last performance, only equaled possibly by that for Oxana Skorik the night before.

What also interests me very much and I love very much is that after being away from the Mariinsky for about seven years, she still looks like a beautiful and unchanged Mariinsky Principal Dancer. Added thought: I've seen qualities in her that put her Above and Beyond. It's fairly unusual, I would think, to invite someone back who has left the Mariinsky and offer the artist almost instant recognition, let alone immediate Principal status. Has it ever happened before? To some extent I would say that she is still feeling her way back into the company and there is the possibility of her exhibiting a remarkable level of Absolute Beauty in the near future. Some of what I saw her do at this year's Mariinsky Festival, where artists strive to show their very best, supports this. Hopefully folks who are lucky enough to be at the DC "Swan Lake"s will get a chance to see this happening. Added added thought: One thing that was noteworthy at the recent Naples performances is that she has a range, a large vocabulary of fine qualities. I've mentioned some of them in my initial post. They don't necessarily 'hit you in the face,' but they're there and they're consistently fine. I think that she is an artist who can always be counted on for, at least, a uniformly fine, lovable and inspiring performance and hopefully even more.

Hopefully you'll be able to judge for yourself when the Mariinsky comes to DC this January, Cristian. I think that you like solidity and competence and this she has. Besides being 'A Beautiful Dream'.... She's A Darn Good Dancer ! (in my unpoetic but sincere opinion)

A major difference between theater and dance is that theater generally uses words. Words can be seen as an 'artificial' construction, 'once-removed' from our natural selves. Perhaps it is here that dance becomes more 'real', more basic, even more "vital". 'Original' man did not use words as far as we know from a scientific viewpoint. Somewhat unrelated to the topic, but still fascinating to me, is how quickly children rely on words to express themselves and fulfill their needs and desires. Also: As Oxana Skorik points out, "Body language is universal".

At first thought, I would say yes to all the performing arts. The degree of human representation is probably the important factor. In a sense the 'non-living' arts can be less restrained. The artist's representation is only limited by imagination and the medium being used. When actual human beings are the 'medium', then it becomes "vital", as close to the real thing as possible, and to us humans, perhaps the most compelling because it's us, living and breathing.