Mashinka

Prince Michael of Kent is a descendent of the Russian Royal family through his mother, Princess Marina, the late Duchess of Kent. Russian monarchists have shown an interest in Prince Michael for some time now. His resemblance to the last tsar, Nicholas II, is uncanny (do a Google image search on them both and see what I mean) Prince Michael was born and raised a privileged member of the British royal family unlike the impoverished Romanov's still living in France. He is said to be a fluent Russian speaker. I'm afraid I find it hard to summon up any sympathy for the last tsar or indeed any of his predecessors apart from Peter the Great. They kept the Russian people in abject poverty and ignorance for centuries and didn't abolish slavery until the end of the 19th century. Nicholas II was in many ways the worst of the lot, unable to make a single right decision about anything. Frankly he had it coming.

I fervently hope a retirement into happy domesticity awaits her.

I would strongly support the 16th June performance too.

The BBC has lots about Da Vinci Code on it’s website, such as the re-naming of a Eurostar train; alternative name could have been jump on any bandwagon. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4986232.stm The Louvre Museum isn’t slow to make a quick buck either, though ten Euros for an audio guide is daylight robbery as other Parisian museums hand you these for free when you pay your entry fee. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4773701.stm Here is a luke-warm review of the film version http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4989710.stm Oh, and the Muslims don’t care for The Da Vinci Code either. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4985370.stm Finally, here’s what the general public is thinking (click on readers recommended for the consensus of opinion). http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jsp...=20060518150905 Finally I'd just like to add that not everything in the book turned out to be fiction. The sinister Opus Dei organization really does exist and has now been the subject of some probing journalism in the UK. It sounds a pretty unpleasant cult and most worrying of all a British government minister, Ruth Kelly, has been exposed as being a member.

High extensions in classical/romantic ballets bother me a lot. I'll give this one a miss.

Russians are superstitious about even numbers, so if you are sending a bouquet ensure you are sending an odd number of flowers in the bunch. Apparently even numbers are only for funerals.

Heres the Bolshoi Information page: http://www.bolshoi.ru/ru/season/ballet/rep...26=info&id26=66

This company has built up quite a reputation in the UK and I feel it is very much down to the excellence of the leading couple Kolesnikova and Gloukhikh. I can understand Tahor's concern about Gloukhikh's disapearence between the posters being printed and the start of the tour. I was struck by the comment: That's something I've noticed too and it's worth pointing out that in this case both Kolesnikova and Gloukhikh were former Vaganova graduates making careers for themselves away from the Kirov and both are superior to most of the current crop of Kirov principals. I would love to see Yuri Gloukhikh back with St Petersburg Ballet Theatre and will cross my fingers in the hope that he returns. Lastly, yes I do remember that stunning poster of Nikolai Tsiskaridze outside Drury Lane Theatre in 2001, but didn't he fail to turn up due to being hit by a car or something?

I think it is fair to say that Rudolph Nureyev was probably photographed in 5th position more often than any other dancer, but the jury is out on whether this is 'beautiful' or not.

I'm grateful to drb for quoting part of Tobi Tobias's review. Having now seen Osipova dance, I agree totally that:- Osipova is so exceptional she appears to sit on the music somehow in those soaring jetés of hers and what I've seen of her dancing so far seems to indicate that intricate terre a terre steps are near perfectly performed. I'm a convert!

Natalia Osipova danced The Flames of Paris pas de deux at the Gala programmes in Nottingham. After seeing her astonishing performances I'd say she is a dead cert to win the Jackson competition.

I'll second everything Natalia has to say on the subject of Somova, but would like to add that I feel the Kirov is beginning to insult it's overseas audiences that expect certain standards from such a previously eminent company. Time and again we have these inexperienced, and in Somova's case frankly vulgar dancers, thrust on us when far more able, artistically mature dancers are continuously being sidelined.

Osipova should do well in Jackson as she has a huge jump and seemingly cast iron technique that should impress the judges; you have to admire her as she really socks it to the audience with her amazing attack. Whether she also has lyrical qualities I've yet to discover, I hope she possesses those qualities that will enable her to become a rounded performer and doesn't head down a virtuosic dead end.

I also have a strong preference for black and white when it comes to Ballet photography. I began taking ballet pictures about 15 years ago and started off in black and white but was pretty much forced to switch to colour as I don't have space at home for a darkroom and doing my own developing became time consuming. Sending my film to a studio was expensive and the results were often poor. I use colour reluctantly but some results have been good.

So far I've only managed to get to two performances of the Bolshoi's UK provincial tour, but am planning another four in the next two weeks. A remarkable aspect of this tour is that casting was announced six months ago and that almost everything has remained unchanged. The company is in tremendous shape and as Buddy points out, is playing to wildly enthusiastic audiences. I too was impressed with Osipova, but another newcomer caught my eye also: Viacheslav Lopatin who danced the jester at the Saturday matinee Swan Lake. It’s almost two years since the company was last in the UK and it’s wonderful to see them dancing to such a high standard as recent Kirov performances have been a lot less notable and I was fearing that there might be a malaise among Russian companies as a whole. I’m glad the Bolshoi is proving me wrong.

If Modern Dance is sinking like a stone in the U.S., in Europe the opposite is true. Not only is modern dance thriving but it is making such inroads into classical ballet companies that some have ceased being classical altogether and redefined themselves as modern dance companies. The Paris Opera ballet should be considered 'at risk' as a huge percentage of their performances are now given over to modern dance and even the Kirov has started to dance Forsythe. From this side of the pond it often looks like classical ballet that is "sinking like a stone".

I'd still like to know how the jury came by a video of Nicholas LeRiche dancing Caligula though.

I'm puzzled as to the nomination of Nicholas LeRiche as Caligula as I wasn't aware he actually danced the role. Jérémie Bélingard and Mathieu Ganio were the only two casts announced as far as I am aware (I saw Ganio in the role). LeRiche was actually the choreographer, or am I missing something here?

I would like to see Anton Korsakov cast in the Emeralds pas de trois.

The best I ever saw was Gediminas Taranda.

It was very interesting for me to read the reviews of Don Q. as I saw the Kirov dance this with Novikova and Somova in the female leads in Cardiff almost a year ago. Novikova was very impressive, though at the time she seemed a little too refined in the role, as I tend to like an earthier interpretation of Kitri. Refinement used to be the stock in trade of the Kirov not so long ago, so that’s not exactly a complaint when it is suddenly in such short supply. I strongly agree with Natalia’s take on M. Ganio; he has a very colourless on stage persona and I’ve yet to discover those qualities that led him to be advanced to the rank of etoile at such a young age. Pulling in a few guest artists at these festivals is a good idea but care should be taken that they are at least equal in ability to the home team. Last year I saw Ruzimatov as Novikova’s Kitri and although he’s getting a bit long in the tooth he still brings a lot to the role and I suspect he could manage the partnering in his sleep as at no time did Novikova appear insecure in the double work. Somova was a jarring presence in Cardiff too. In fact it was the first time I had seen her though her reputation had preceded her. She absolutely shattered the romantic atmosphere of the dream sequence with her acrobatics. I was sitting behind the critic Clement Crisp and unlike some critics he is generous with his applause, but his back stiffened at the sight of her and although he had applauded the other girls heartily, he ‘sat on his hands’ for Somova. Can’t say I blamed him.

That is probably true in the main, but I still think there have been a few 'natural' danseurs noble around that possess the basic temperament even when cast in other kinds of roles. Thomas Edur may be one of the few still surviving.

Meant in a jocular sense, I wouldn't object to the term as I think the words fan and groupie are now interchangeable. Over the years I've certainly come across groupies in the original sense of the word, and, more seriously, stalkers too. It cuts both ways though with some dancers taking a strong interest in fans as well. I remember one of those beautiful young women with whom Fonteyn used to surround herself being positively plagued by one very famous male dancer. He really made a nuisance of himself I recall.

On the whole I agree with Bocca about the lack of strong personalities, but I don't think we are lacking in outstanding dancers, possibly fewer around than formerly but they are out there none the less. Oddly enough, I strongly disagree with the last poster, drb, as the change in the physical appearance of female dancers, particularly during the past decade, has led me to regard a number of dancers as utterly repellent. Male dancers remain unaffected by the trend towards emaciation, presumably because they need to keep their physical strength up. I never like to talk about who is the new Dowell...etc. simply because all these were unique and I wouldn't want them replicated. Today Carlos Acosta, Thomas Lund, Emmanuel Thibault and Nikolai Tsiskaridze are all outstanding and quite unique in style and personality.

Thanks for this information; I was about to reply to Ami1436 that I wasn't aware a recording was available. Last night I replayed my video of Plisetskaya in Death of the Rose and have to say that Lopatkina danced it infinitely better on Sunday. Regarding Nioradze, she wasn't on top form I'll admit, but she wasn't that bad surely? For me the really terrible dancing of the evening came from Jose Martin in the Snow White pas de deux: In all the years I've been watching ballet I've rarely seen a professional dancer with such awful feet.