volcanohunter
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Posts posted by volcanohunter
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Bolshoi casting is a bit like old-fashioned Kremlinology. And meteoric rises are a double-edged sword. When fears emerged that Zakharova might not appear in the ballet you would not believe how much venom was directed at Smirnova in the RUnet. I never really expected Alexandrova or Shipulina to be cast in the ballet, but the exclusion of Krysanova is more surprising. Nikulina hasn't been getting much love from the Bolshoi lately. She recently danced a couple of Swan Lakes at the Mariinsky, but her own company has not cast her in the ballet for more than a year. For me it's a crying shame that Svetlana Lunkina is not around to dance in this production. I still hope this can be rectified in the future.
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Every theater has more employees than bigwigs. There are worse ways to build up your party base.
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His intervention appears to indicate a government nudge to get both the Bolshoi Theatre’s management and employees to address the problems that have drawn opprobrium worldwide.
I'm not sure this conclusion is warranted. Pochinok has not been a government minister for nine years, and as the original article states, he represents the Civic Platform party, not Vladimir Putin's United Russia party. Mikhail Prokhorov, founder and leader of Civic Platform, ran against Putin in the 2012 presidential elections. I wouldn't really expect the government to side with the employees of any Russian theater. I would naturally expect it to back theater administrations, which serve at the government's pleasure.
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False alarm. There was chatter that Zakharova had threatened to walk because she was not given opening night, but the casts have now been posted with Zakharova in place.
Smirnova / Lantratov / Tikhomirova / Chudin / Biktimirov
Zakharova / Hallberg / Kretova / Ovcharenko / Biktimirov
Obraztsova / Volchkov / Stashkevich / Gudanov / Vodopetov
Kaptsova / Skvortsov / Khokhlova / Alexeyev / Khromushin
Vishneva / Gomes / Kretova / Ovcharenko / Khromushin
Amatriain / McKie / Osadcenko / Vogel / Godunov - in other words, all Stuttgart
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Just because she hasn't been gravely injured doesn't make Vorontsova's life less important, and that her career is relatively young doesn't make it disposable either.
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Ismene Brown is characterizing Vorontsova's departure this way:
Angelina Vorontsova, gf of Filin suspect Dmitrichenko joins Tsiskaridze & Pronin in having contract un-renewed at #Bolshoi. Int trns follows
https://twitter.com/ismeneb/status/350773069465403392
Until the translation comes out, we won't know what her source is, but it might not be contradictory to a resignation: either being forced to resign somehow or having there be an advantage to resigning vs. the lapse.
The Bolshoi says it had not intended to terminate Vorontsova's contract, and that the resignation was her own initiative.
http://www.itar-tass.com/c1/789193.html
Tsiskaridze says she was pushed.
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The premiere is now two weeks away and casting has still not been announced, but Russian ballet fans have noticed that the ballet has been removed from the calendar on Svetlana Zakharova's official site.
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There has been some contradictory information about this in recent weeks, but it appears that Anzhelina Vorontsova will, in fact, be leaving the Bolshoi. She submitted her resignation on June 25 and will leave with Tsiskaridze on June 30. She has not revealed where she'll be going, only that she's received several offers.
http://lenta.ru/news/2013/06/28/wife/
The Bolshoi hasn't wasted any time and has removed her headshot from its web site already.
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I have no idea. But when Johan Kobborg came to the Bolshoi in 2008 to stage La Sylphide, Zagrebin danced in his first-act pas de six. Perhaps it was on the basis of that experience that Kobborg believed Zagrebin would be suitable for a virtuosic trio for Zakharova and two short men.
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Aw shucks.
Yes, if Zagrebin is coming from the Stanislavsky, SFB should say so. And they can add that previously he'd been a soloist of the Bolshoi. In Igor Zelensky's shoes I'd be a little ticked off. He loses a dancer, and his company doesn't get any acknowledgement in exchange.
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I didn't say they were dropped entirely, as Allash was, but their Sleeping Beauties were taken away from them.
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I am very surprised that Maria Alexandrova and Maria Allash have been removed from London roles. Both have been featured on the cinematic broadcasts, the tour to Australia, etc.
There's a wrinkle to the cinema broadcasts, which is that choreographers or a ballet's producers have a lot of say about who gets filmed. If you're familiar with the Paris Opera Ballet film of John Neumeier's The Lady of the Camellias, you may remember that Agnès Letestu was to have been paired with Hervé Moreau. But he was injured at the beginning of the run, right on stage, if I recall correctly. A tall replacement had to be found, so the part went to Stéphane Bullion, who had learned the role but not yet performed it. The bonus feature on the DVD relates how Letestu and Bullion flew to Hamburg for intensive coaching before going before the cameras. Obviously it would have been easier to film a different pair with prior experience of performing the ballet together, but Neumeier insisted that the filmed Marguerite had to be Letestu and no one else.
We know that Pavel Dmitrichenko does not like Sergei Filin, and that the feeling is mutual. But Dmitrichenko was cast as Abderakhman in the broadcast of Raymonda because that decision was Yuri Grigorovich's to make. Dancers' participation in the Bolshoi's broadcasts indicates that they are liked by Grigorovich, Burkala or Ratmansky, not necessarily that they are favored by the Bolshoi management. That's why Alexandrova, Allash and Skvortsov can be featured prominently on film while also being dropped from their London roles.
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Dmitriy Zagrebin will come from the Bolshoi Ballet, where he's not listed on the website.
This past season Zagrebin actually danced at the Stanislavsky Theater.
http://www.stanmus.com/person.html?id=928
But a few months ago he, Steven McRae and Svetlana Zakharova performed a piece by Johan Kobborg at a gala marking Zakharova's 10th anniversary with the Bolshoi.
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Ratmansky's word was "cesspool" wasn't it?
No, this was a mistranslation. His criticism was directed at a "disgusting claque," but I can see how "claque" and "cloaque" may have gotten confused in French. The subordinate clause that followed said "cultivating friendships with artists," which is certainly consistent with a claque, but not a cesspool.
As for dancer retirements, I think the feeling was that Uvarov, Belogolovtsev and Tsiskaridze were being pushed out prematurely and against their will.
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She probably believed she needed to speak because Bolshoi dancers are prohibited from talking to reporters without the theater's permission, and if they were to say anything critical, they would risk being slapped with a formal reprimand à la Tsiskaridze. I'm sure she didn't do it lightly. She has family members within the company to consider.
After reading this, I get the feeling that the Bolshoi is a very hostile place for "outsiders'' and extremely resistant to change.
You know, I can understand why they feel threatened. Since Sergei Filin took over in March 2011, the Bolshoi has lost an excessively large number of principal dancers: Vladimir Neporozhny, Yuri Klevtsov, Andrei Uvarov, Natalia Osipova, Ivan Vasiliev, Dmitry Belogolovtsev, Svetlana Lunkina (de facto), Galina Stepanenko and Nikolai Tsiskaridze. If the departures of Neporozhny, Klevtsov, Uvarov, Belogolovtsev, Stepanenko and even Tsiskaridze can be attributed to age, the others cannot. To lose one or two principals may be regarded as a misfortune, but to lose that many looks like something quite different. I couldn't really blame the "native" Bolshoi dancers for feeling like they're under siege, their own being hounded out of their home theater and ready to be replaced by outsiders.
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There's a good chance that the dancer "blackmailed" by Filin could be Marianna Ryzhkina, whose son Klim Yefimov dances in the Bolshoi's corps.
The Bolshoi Theater site does not give any background on Dilyara Timergazina, but apparently she was not a dancer. Rather, she holds an MBA from NYU and previously worked for Ernst & Young. So I can understand why dancers would take umbrage at her expressing opinions about the quality of their dancing. I thought the newfangled artistic council was supposed to be Filin's eyes and ears.
No, the interview does not give a specific reason for dropping Alexandrova from Sleeping Beauty, but she was for some reason. It's not as though she's technically incapable of dancing Princess Aurora or that she would be a drag on the box office. However, Alexandrova, along with Denis Savin, Elena Andrienko and a couple of others, are official dancer representatives in the union that elected Dmitrichenko to replace Filin and then selected Filin's ex-buddy Ruslan Pronin to fill in for Dmitrichenko. The union is not exactly pro-Filin, and that's why I'm suspicious.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xdp5zXcX3-M
Although the interview appears in tomorrow's edition of "Izvestia," its contents are not that new. Lunkina speaks of learning about Alexandrova's casting changes a few days earlier, when in fact they were announced several weeks ago. I'm sure lots of stuff has happened since then. But I agree that Lunkina would probably especially careful about saying things that could make life more difficult for her sister or her sister's mate. Incidentally, Skvortsov is not exactly a weak Prince Désiré either.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spdsaZZDlJo
As for business practices, if Filin resorts to abusive language, I think that crosses the line. Among recent information leaked from police interrogations of Pavel Dmitrichenko is a description of how Filin drove Svetlana Adyrkhaeva to tears by screaming at her. http://izvestia.ru/news/552018
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Sometimes the second-string infielders are almost as valuable to the team as the star who's out with an injury, and they can sometimes be better players. If Hallberg is being cast -- and we don't know if the dancers previously on the roster were told in advance that they'd be replaced if he recovered or that they were placeholders because the company needed to give advanced casting -- then the Bolshoi thinks he's more valuable on tour than not, just like the Royal Ballet decided that giving the premiere of Macmillan's "Romeo and Juliet" to Fonteyn and Nureyev was more valuable to the company. That doesn't mean it was good to be either Seymour or Gable in that situationIn this
In this case it may be more sinister than that. It is possible that Ruslan Skvortsov in particular is being victimized because of his familial connections to Svetlana Lunkina, just as Maria Alexandrova may have been relieved of her Beauties for her trade unionism, and Maria Allash appears to have been scratched from the tour entirely for signing the letter in support of Pavel Dmitrichenko.
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Svetlana Lunkina unleashes on Sergei Filin. It's a quick and dirty translation, so my apologies.
In July the 237th season of the Bolshoi Theater will come to an end, during which the ballet troupe suffered a record loss of personnel at the highest level. Ballet artistic director Sergei Filin, the victim of an acid attack in January, is fighting for every percent of his vision. Leading soloist Pavel Dmitrichenko, accused of organizing the attack on the artistic director, is in detention center #2, known as "Butyrka," awaiting trial. On June 30 the contracts of troupe manager Ruslan Pronin and principal dancer and the teacher Nikolai Tsiskaridze will expire, and the administration has decided to go without their services in the next season. And prima ballerina Svetlana Lunkina, owing to fears for herself and her family, is forced to stay far away from Russia. An "Izvestia" correspondent called the Honored Artist of Russia in Canada to ask what she thinks about the situation in the theater, where she has worked since 1997.
- Do you keep in touch with the artists of the Bolshoi?
- I communicate with my sister Yulia (Yulia Lunkina, Bolshoi soloist. - "Izvestia"), with Ruslan Skvortsov, with my coach Nadezhda Gracheva. Some artists who see my pictures on the internet wish me luck. We worked together for many years, so we sympathize with and support each other.
- Has anyone from the Bolshoi administration called you?
- No one has called even once during the year of my absence from the theater. I am on leave until the start of the season. Then I have to write an application to extend my leave or submit my resignation. It’s already the end of June, the season is ending. But no one has asked about my decision. This is an indicator of civil relations towards artists. More precisely, their complete absence at the Bolshoi Theater.
- That the dismissed Nikolai Tsiskaridze is a wonderful dancer is known to many viewers. And what is he like as a teacher? Did you attend his class?
- I cannot say that I attended regularly as some did, but I did attend. I have a wonderful relationship with Nikolai. We talked on the phone after I left, shared our problems, talked a lot about the Bolshoi. Unfortunately, our theater does not like people who have a mind and an opinion. He's the sort who can come at a time when a dancer is much admired and say, "I do not think it's wonderful. Sorry, such dancing has no place at the Bolshoi Theater." Artists and teachers who speak this way are squeezed out of the Bolshoi. Because some people have great difficulty dealing with such criticism.- The situation of employees, in general, is dependent on the position of leadership. Judging from the situation in the Bolshoi Ballet, this position is highly flawed. For example, is it true that certain dancers selected by the administration are imposed on visiting choreographers?
- This has been said by many who’ve worked at the Bolshoi. Work on productions takes place in several stages. The choreographer first arrives 2-3 months, sometimes six months before the premiere. He looks over the troupe and makes a list of dancers with whom he will continue during his next visit. If it is an existing production, after the casting is in place assistants will come and work with the artists selected by the choreographer. But when the assistants arrive at the Bolshoi they are confronted with a virtually new list, where twenty percent of the people were not approved by the choreographer. But in order to accommodate these dancers, others with whom the choreographer had wanted to work, but whom the artistic director or someone else did not want to see in the production, have to be eliminated.
- How do the choreographers themselves react to these changes?
- Some protested. That happened most recently with Mats Ek (the illustrious Swedish choreographer who staged his ballet “Apartment” at the Bolshoi Theater. - "Izvestia"). His wife and assistant Ana Laguna accompanied him to the audition. They approved cast lists. But when Laguna arrived later without Mats Ek and saw who came to the rehearsal, she said, "Who are these people and where have they come from?" Then she was asked to look at these new dancers. She agreed, but then said: "Don’t bring these people back again: the ballet does not suit them." But not all the assistants can put the leadership in its place and say, my work requires this particular artist. No one knows better than the choreographer how well a dancer is suited to his work. The artistic director cannot see it. But, unfortunately, at our theater it is considered normal to impose views on choreographers. This shows a lack of respect for the masters who come to work at the Bolshoi.- Did Wayne McGregor, who was to stage "The Rite of Spring," refuse to work because of such administrative missteps?
- For visiting choreographers working at the Bolshoi is stressful. Because of this there are refusals. The attitude of the managers and all those involved in organization creates huge problems for their work in the theater. The dancers were weeping when they found out that Wayne would not be doing "The Rite of Spring" with them. And Mr. McGregor told me himself in Toronto that artists such as those at the Bolshoi are to be found nowhere else. This could have been a step into the future for the Bolshoi. For me it was a shock that we are so careless and do not value such projects.
- Recently, the list of participants for the London tour was finalized. Is it very different from the initial list, which had also included you?
- Artists told me a few days ago that Maria Alexandrova (prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater. - "Izvestia”) found out that she will not be dancing in "The Sleeping Beauty." Although it was announced in the posters. And those who have signed a letter in support of Pavel Dmitrichenko were removed from the lists. Maria Allash (prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater. - "Izvestia”), as I understand, was removed entirely. All this shows that for artistic director Sergei Filin it is not important how well the troupe will perform in London. He needs to impose his position. He has no right to splatter his emotions on the troupe and the artists. He must first of all look after the interests of the troupe, and not his own, and think about the quality of the performances. This is London, after all.
- Do you know anything about cases of improper behavior by the company management toward artists and employees of the theater?
- After meetings with Sergei Filin artists told me that he uses horrible expressions, can blackmail relatives working in the theater. For example, he said, "If you will not do what I want, I will not give work to your son," etc. He behaved this way as a matter of course. But I myself was not placed in such a situation.- At his last interrogation Pavel Dmitrichenko spoke about the conflict between Sergei Filin and head of the ballet office Veronika Sanadze. Do you know anything about this?
- Sergei Filin brought his team to the Bolshoi and was looking for positions for these people. So he wanted to remove Veronika Sanadze. She worked at the theater for many years. When three choreographers came at once to stage productions, she told Filin, this could break the troupe, and the choreographers will be in a panic because they won’t have artists with whom to rehearse. For these observations he ordered her to write a letter of resignation. She was crying, she didn’t know what to do. She loves the Bolshoi, she cares about the fate of the theater and the ballet. Of course the company stood up for her. Everyone understood that if Filin put his person in that position, then everything would be done in his own interests. Artists will be forced to work as much as he wants. The team persuaded Veronika not to submit her resignation. We sent the appropriate letter to Iksanov, so she stayed in the theater. Sergei Filin retreated. But I think he stepped back in order to take another step forward, more forcefully: if Filin has decided to do something, it will accomplished by any means necessary.
- Did artists also have problems with the artistic director?
- Sergei brought to the Bolshoi dancers with whom wanted to work, in whom he was interested and for whom he had plans. He began to pressure artists with whom he had worked previously, ballerinas, with whom he had once danced: put pressure on them, deprived them of performances, of the classical repertoire. Some ballerinas went without a ballet for 2-3 months. Although it is stipulated that we should have at least one ballet a month. Filin would promise to give them roles. But it turned out that his words were meaningless. It is good to give work to new dancers. But this should not be the top priority. An artist with experience of working with different ballet masters has much to offer when working with new choreographers.- Sergei Filin’s advisor Dilyara Timergazina participates in the life of the troupe?
- She’s everywhere. I am told that she is present at all rehearsals, expresses her opinion that this person is dancing well, another - badly, discusses this with Filin. Many of these are genuine artists, who have been at the theater for many years, worked with great teachers such as Ekaterina Maximova and Tatyana Golikova, and they do not understand how this can be. Filin's adviser can come to a rehearsal of the ballet "Diamonds" and decide whose sleeves should be cut off, because they “don’t suit.” For me, Masha Alexandrova, Maria Allash, Elena Andrienko, Nadya Gracheva this provincial bad taste was a great shock. It's the Bolshoi Theater! She has no right to interfere in artistic matters; she has her own job. How can this person decide whether she likes a ballerina or not? She is not Ulanova or Semionova and has no right to tell the artistic director which artist is dancing better and which is dancing worse.- Let's return to your art. What are your immediate plans?
- They are very extensive. In the first place to work with choreographers – with some whom I met earlier, and with new names for me. For example, there should be interesting work with a very young choreographer, I won’t name him yet; I was introduced to him by Wayne McGregor. There are interesting projects related not only to ballet: New York is close by, creative life is bustling there. I just returned from there; I went to exhibitions, talked to photographers, architects, visual artists. My life is now different: not sitting between four walls from morning to night, as usually happens in the theater. I meet new people, with some we find common interests and begin working on joint projects. What is happening now is much closer to me in character and to my inner relation to creativity.- Are you planning to settle down with any ballet company?
- For now I cannot say exactly what my next step will be. I still need time to decide on the announcement of my plans. But I think it will be soon. I will definitely work in a troupe. Because you need a home - a place that is close to your heart, which you will remember all your life. I have always worked in the Bolshoi. I have very dear memories of working with choreographers, with Ekaterina Sergeevna Maximova, the troupe. Today I also want to have a place, a troupe, people dear to me, interaction with whom I would cherish and for whose sake I would keep working. I'm not a person who can be in four theaters at once. I think it is impossible to completely surrender one’s soul to several teams. -
They're not second-string infielders. They're Bolshoi principals. Real Bolshoi principals.
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Not the same ones.
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Will other dancers now be bumped to make room for him in Swan Lake, La Bayadère and "Diamonds"? I realize it's not Hallberg's fault that he was injured for a long time, but it's not fair to those who have been toiling away in his absence. Every day they've been dealing with the hell that's embroiled the Bolshoi for the last five months, and he swoops in for the glamour job.
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I recall when last November she failed to win promotion or even rank in the top six among the sujets she expressed crushing disappointment on her Twitter feed. Scroll down and you'll find FoFs trying hard to console her. https://twitter.com/MFroustey Despite her early success on the competition circuit, for whatever reason she seemed to hit a wall at the POB promotion exam.
Bolshoi premiere of Cranko's "Onegin"
in Bolshoi Ballet
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The Cranko estate makes the Balanchine Trust look downright lenient. And of course Messrs. Graefe and Anderson are notorious for preventing companies from filming Cranko ballets, too. That has never made much sense to me. I don't see how Cranko's legacy is served by making it nearly impossible to acquire DVDs of his ballets.