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Buddy

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Posts posted by Buddy

    Svetlana Zakharova

    in Dancers

    Posted

    leonid, I did overstate the capabilities of online translators. What I meant to say was that the Sherlock translator will it least give you a complete printout of this one, which some other services might not. These internet translators are still far from ideal, but they do give you some idea of what is being said.

    The first few sentences seem to be saying that it was Svetlana Zakharova's mother's idea that she get into ballet. That's as far as I've gone.

    Svetlana Zakharova

    in Dancers

    Posted

    Buddy, if you understand russian, please, please, summarize this!!!!

    Grissi, I speak very, very little Russian, but if I have the time I will try to give it a go with the help of an internet translator. The Sherlock translator seems to do a fairly good job if you want to try.

    Mariinsky vs. Bolshoi Opera

    in Other Performing & Fine Arts: Performances, Exhibits, Films, and Events

    Posted

    Hi Haglund's,

    I don't really follow opera, so I can't help you very much here. I have read on the internet that opera is a passion of Valery Gergiev, the director of the entire Mariinsky Theater. So perhaps as much energy as possible is being devoted to opera at the Mariinsky these days.

    If you can get a look at "The Sacred Stage" video, which is a recent documentary about the Mariinsky, you might get a bit more insight. There is an entire section devoted to the Mariinsky singer, Yevgeny Nikitin. Also Valery Gergiev makes some interesting comments about the opera.

    The video is also worth viewing for some excellent clips of Zhanna Ayupova dancing The Rose Adagio from Sleeping Beauty. Also if you look at the 'extended' part of the video at the end, you can see her dance most of the dream sequence.

    Darcey Bussell,

    in Dancers

    Posted

    Darcey Bussell also says...

    "I think children are interested in dance, partly because of Billy Elliot and partly because if you go into any school playground, loads of kids are doing street dancing."

    "Everyone Loves Music, Loves To Move. It Is Joyous To Do That."

    (I added the capital letters).

    Reviews: City Center Week 1

    in American Ballet Theatre

    Posted

    Since Veronika Part is scheduled to perform tomorrow and again Saturday, I would like to post this here for anyone who was hoping to see her. She sent four of us and e-mail today saying that she had an injury earlier in the day and will be out for the rest of the season. I wish her a very speedy recovery.

    Veronika Part

    in Dancers

    Posted

    I just received an email from Ms Part who said she sustained an injury in class this morning and would not be able to appear in the rest of the season. She did not elaborate and the email was apparently sent to all who had emailed her in the past... as it was addressedwith the salutation: "Friends".

    Never a good thing when this happens. Hope she has a speedy recovery.

    The message was apparently sent to four of us. I also join SanderO in wishing her a quick recovery. If anyone wishes to e-mail her their good wishes it can be done at...

    vpartnyc@gmail.com

    Kirov in Orange County

    in Kirov-Mariinsky Ballet

    Posted

    And finally, the white pas de deux. Lopatkina was beautiful. The word that came to mind was "fluid". Her movements were like flower petals opening, so smooth and graceful. Her supported pirouettes were the same speed...

    Her arabesques opened in a slow majestic movement. The music was very slow; reminded me of Makarova's tempi.

    This is a very lovely description, Giannina, The control of the flow of her moves is one of the many elements that for me makes her dancing so special. This is one of the elements to put on a long list to keep her alive in one's mind. Also it is the total perhaps undefinable poetry of what she does that is extra special.

    In regard to her facial expression as Odile, I saw her Swan Lake performance last March and was quite captivated by her Odile. Chiapuris described it as being an "ephemeral" look at the time. I thought that was a very good definition. I wonder if it was the same expression that you saw? What I saw was definitely a look of her own invention. It seemed to reflect a personal space that she was creating with her amazing dancing itself and not necessarily a character in a story. This is an idea that I've mentioned before and for me it can work very well.

    Bolshoi at ROH London 8-01-06 to 8-10-06

    in Bolshoi Ballet

    Posted

    Bolshoi, Swan Lake, London, 5-8-06 7:30pm

    I guess that this is another new name to keep our eyes on, along with Natalia Osipova, who got some very favorable comments on the internet for her Odette/Odile.

    A slight mega-error on my part. Natalia Osipova danced Aspicia in The Pharoah's Daughter and not Odette-Odile.

    Bolshoi at ROH London 8-01-06 to 8-10-06

    in Bolshoi Ballet

    Posted

    Hi chiapuris----standing in line for four hours to try and get Bolshoi tickets at the last minute----I would have done the same thing. Remember that exactly fifty years ago folks stood in line for Three Nights(!) in London to get their first look at the Bolshoi dancers. You are part of History!

    Bolshoi at ROH London 8-01-06 to 8-10-06

    in Bolshoi Ballet

    Posted

    Bolshoi, Swan Lake, London, 5-8-06 7:30pm

    Her face as Odette remained a mirror reflecting the textures and tensions of the dance

    This might be the same thing that I saw in Daria Pavlenko's Giselle in DC. (What a wonderful performance that was in retrospect.) Also this might be what Ulyana Lopatkina is doing with her Swan Lake. In addition when I watch Galina Ulanova's Swan Lake pdd video performance with Konstantin Sergeyev, she seems to be in her own wonderful universe. They may all be expressing the music, or the world of dance itself, or... This all refers to dancers possibly transcending the actual story and reaching for something beyond.

    Very fine review by the way.

    As I mentioned in my April review, I found Maria Alexandrova to be the Most Loveable "Odile" that I could imagine.

    Clement Crisp seems to agree with you about Chinara Alizade. I guess that this is another new name to keep our eyes on, along with Natalia Osipova, who got some very favorable comments on the internet for her Odette/Odile.

    Here is some of Clement Crisp's very nice review of the Swan Lake performance with Svetlana Zakharova. (I've also watched her new Giselle video several times. What an incredibly beautiful dancer she is!----Wow!)

    "This eighth wonder of the world first saw the light of day in Moscow in 1877...The impeccable ranks of swans move as one, and are marvellous. The soloists invest their choreography with an unfailing authority – Natalia Osipova a shining example as the Spanish Princess in the ballroom scene; a cygnet (Chinara Alizade) with ravishing feet. Its focus was the Siegfried of Ruslan Skvortsov, handsome, presenting the role and the dance through broad, weighted brushstrokes, and obsessed by Svetlana Zakharova’s Odette/Odile. Here is a ballerina of exceptional gifts. The rituals of the choreography are shown as fine-boned, exquisitely linear, drawn with an unerring and Ingres-like skill. I found her Odette wonderful in technical exposition...Her Odile...Beautiful, smiling, serene..."

    http://www.ft.com/cms/s/3083ce52-256a-11db...00779e2340.html

    [Added later by Buddy. Natalia Osipova danced Aspicia in The Pharoah's Daughter and not Odette/Odile.]

    Bolshoi at ROH London 8-01-06 to 8-10-06

    in Bolshoi Ballet

    Posted

    Bolshoi in London, The Pharaoh’s Daughter, Tue, 1 Aug 2006

    .Lunkina and Skvortsov are well-matched physically; artistically they don’t seem the types to spell out high-intensity emotional ardor in dance and mime. That is fine by me.

    I viewed the entire cast as sharing an ideal of classicism as artistic pursuit; which is to say, that all the principals and soloists and corps comprised a finely-tuned ensemble expressing ideals of classical dance.

    Hi, chiapuris. Thanks for another excellent review. I'm very glad to hear that you are 'enjoying' the performances. This could be ultimately what it's all about.

    I saw Svetlana Lunkina's Pharoah's Daughter in NYC and I felt somewhat the same way. I also saw her Swan Lake in England and interestingly, for me, she had very 'intense expression', both for Odette and Odillle. Ive seen her four times and I can't quite figure it out. It could be personal choice, coaching...? Her dancing by the way in the last two adagios, as you mentioned, is some of the finest dancing that I have ever seen!

    You also call attention to the intricate dance steps, etc. I read an interesting discussion once, reminding us, that Marius Petipa had just arrived from France when he choreographed this ballet. Pierre Lacotte may well be reflecting this. Also from what I've read there is very little of Marius Petipa's actual choreography in this ballet. This is openly acknowledged by Lacotte. Ramze's toe tapping sequence is one of the very few original step sequences used.

    I'm glad that you liked Elena Andrienko. She is a totally 'personal' favorite of mine in this ballet because of her "delightful" fairy-like lighter than air dancing. A lot of what you have described can be seen on the Pharoah's Daughter DVD featuring Svetlana Zakhavova and Segei Filin.

    I am very interested in Natalia Osipova's version this afternoon. If I can find anything quotable here I will try and pass it on.

    Mariinsky London performances 7/27-7-28-06

    in Kirov-Mariinsky Ballet

    Posted

    Hi Natalia. I certainly very much respect your opinions and that of the other well known ballet commentators who share your opinions. I also very much respect chiapuris' opinions and other similar opinions that I have read. I guess it is up to each of us to make up our own mind with due respect and reference to other's impressions.

    A few comments from John Percival.

    "...altogether a very warm audience response. We are talking about "The Golden Age"..."

    Of historical interest. "None other than Galina Ulanova who danced the lead in it, told me that the first "Golden Age" was actually rather good..."

    "Two things I especially admired about Gelber's staging--developed in conjunction with young theatre director Andrey Prikotyenko--are the skill with which he organizes many large and varied ensembles, and the clarity with which he tells a somewhat complex story."

    http://www.danceviewtimes.com/2006/Summer/...irovlondon.html

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