Mashinka

I have a video off Russian TV of a gala performance in honour of Inna Zubkovskaya from about 1993/4 which includes the pas de deux pictured above. It was a very well structured piece.

Lopatkina is both tall and long limbed. My guess is that she is five foot eight or nine. She stood next to me watching a performance from the wings recently and that is what I judge her height to be compared to my own. When young, she was painfully thin but since experiencing motherhood her physique has improved noticeably. I am sorry that she now dyes her fair hair dark though, as it gives her a somewhat hard look at times.

Actually, she's rather tall.

I was under the impression that ABT obtained this production from the Bolshoi. If so it's a Constantine Sergeyev version with more links to the original story than the Vinogradov Kirov one. By the original story I mean the storyline set out in Beaumont's book of ballets. I only know the ABT production from the video I'm afraid, but if it is the old Bolshoi/Sergeyev then a lot of changes have been made since ABT got hold of it. Which production is the better I'm not sure, the Kirov one makes better dramatic sense, but I prefer the score that ABT uses. The acting appeared better in the ABT version, but whether that was down to the production or the abilities of the dancers I don't know. By the way there is little to connect the Byron poem with the ballet, basically it's just the names. Conrad is the corsaire in both, but Gulnare is the main female character, saved from the burning seraglio by Conrad after a raid, she rescues him from prison and kills the Pasha. Medora is referred to only as Conrad's grieving wife who is dead on his return to his island lair. It's still a good read I would say.

Natalia, last night Yana Selina danced the Neapolitan Dance with Maxim Khrebtov. I was delighted to see Islom Baimuradov in the Spanish Dance and also spotted Nikolai Zubkovsky (uncredited) in the Hungarian Dance - I'm hoping he'll be cast in the drum Dance in Bayaderka next week. The performance was wonderful with Lopatkina appearing as scheduled with Korsuntsev, who partnered her well. Tonight is another good cast: Tereshkina and Kolb. Tomorrow evening it's Somova as Odette/Odile and I shall be going to the Coliseum to take a look at a new radical Swan Lake being danced by the Australians.

Exactly one month on from the 'would they? Or would they?' speculation, Somova will dance the lead in Swan Lake at Covent Garden. I had heard from a reliable source that she would be dancing the matinee on the 20th, but from the official casting now available it seems she will now dance the evening performance instead. An interesting choice of date as most reviewers and dance fans will be over at the Coliseum that evening for the first night of the Australian Ballet, so comment on her performance will be minimal.

Well, to begin with originality helps. My criticism of Forsythe is based on his own attitudes towards the world of ballet, he considers classicism outmoded but nevertheless eagerly seeks out classical companies that are misguidedly eager to follow trends, thinking Forsythe a 'fashionable' choreographer, and happily mounts works and accepts royalties from the very people he claims to despise. Almost certainly. His works simply don't stand up to repeated viewings and are unlikely to stand the test of time. With many of his works its a case of 'seen one, seen them all'. They won't stand the test of time because unlike Balanchine Forsythe isn't a true innovator, nor do his works possess the emotional content that draws in an audience. The concept of PR was unknown in Mozart's day. Mozart was a genius, not just a great artist, in fact it could be argued that Salieri was a great artist as his work is actually very good, but it pales into insignificance when compared to Mozart's. Last week I saw Mozart's Mitridate performed at Covent Garden: it was breathtaking and it was composed by a boy of thirteen. Get what I mean about genius? As a footnote it's worth remembering that Salieri enjoyed a successful career whereas Mozart died in poverty.

Thanks for that information, now I have to discover which out of the four he will/may appear in. I think looking at the list of dancers they're bringing this year; I'll be concentrating on catching the talented ones stuck at middle level, rather than the favoured members of the Kirov crèche.

Too many companies are turning to Forsythe in the absence of any classical choreographic talent It amazes me that someone who has made clear his contempt for classical dance in televised interviews is taken seriously by so many ballet AD's. Perhaps his agenda is to undermine ballet companies until they all resemble one another, all performing his meaningless pretentious choreography ad nauseum. Apparently Mr Vaziev becomes very agitated and defensive when challenged on the introduction of Forsythe works into the Kirov rep.

I'm praying that Ayupova returns after maternity leave, but there is still one other ballerina in the Kirov who dances with integrity and that is Irina Zhelonkina: her leading roles are few and far between and in all the years I've been watching her I've seen her take the lead only once. A sorry state of affairs, particularly in view of being told by a member of the Maryinsky staff that after Ayupova, Zhelonkina is the only one possessing true Kirov style. The much vaunted Pavlenko does have something her contemporise do not, and that is dramatic ability. In certain roles she is impressive, but after seeing her Swan Lake, I can only say that nothing would induce me to watch it again. I think the photo of her says it all. My local osteopath is rather famous in the dance world and when I go to her for treatment we talk non-stop about ballet while she is working on me. "What", I once asked her, "do you think of 6 o'clock extensions?" She replied dryly: "well, they do provide me with a great deal of work....." So you see they aren't just hideous to look at, they're actually potentially harmful to perform.

When she danced this role in Germany last December, I thought she was perfectly adequate, not inspired, but far, far from being "dreadful" Having seen Ms Dumchenko dance The Firebird in Cardiff last April, I feel her return to the stage has been premature; she needs a lot more time to get back to the kind of form necessary for leading roles. Will Scherbakov appear as Mercutio? I'm told he's wonderful in the role. Also will Baimuradov and Zubkovsky be included among the character dancers? Alina Somova should notbe dancing the lead in Swan Lake, in fact she shouldn't be allowed near any type of leading role at all.

A British production would have to include a Chav Fairy in a tutu of Burberry check.

Komleva and Soloviev in the Auber Grand pas Classique.

I work in the Bloomsbury area of London which has been badly hit, the Tavistock Square bombing was just a couple of streets away. Very few of my colleagues turned up as the transport system is completely down and people walking have been turned back by the police. I've spent my entire morning speaking to worried relatives of staff members anxious to know if their loved ones are safe. At first we were told the explosions on the underground were caused by a power surge, but now it's clear it's a terroist attack. The only sound outside is of sirens and helicoptors, the latter taking the injured to nearby University College Hospital. The usually near grid-locked London streets are eerily empty and without buses and tubes, every one is forced to walk, so huge numbers of peolpe are on the street. Getting home may be a problem and I shall leave the office early as I may have a very, very long walk. Thanks for thinking of us.

Based on what I saw in London last year, I'd want to see Alexandrova in Don Q. She is the jewel in the crown as far as the Bolshoi is concerned. The company doesn't have an outstanding Spartacus at present, but I liked Klevtsov in the role as he has very much his own interpretation. Vorobiev is a new name for me though, so can't comment on his abilities.

It certainly does exist as I saw it danced at the Bournonville Festival in Copenhagen last month. The story concerns the directer of the conservatoire who advertises for a wife even though he has promised to marry his housekeeper. The more familiar version of the ballet which consists of the ballet class, forms most of the first act. Harold Lander cut it down to just the class about 60 years ago and I don't think it's now danced in two acts anywhere other than in Denmark. My personal preference is for the one act ballet without the operetta style story attached.

The Dowell production of Swan Lake is an abomination. The sooner it's dumped and the former version brought back the better.

It doesn't say much for the abilities of dancers only able to dance in shoes so reinforced that when en pointe the noise distracts the audience. Yes, the Kirov company is the worst offender, for some reason the rival Bolshoi isn't half as bad, but even within the Kirov I can think of one dancer who dances silently. Having just returned from the Bournonville Festival I can confirm that silent dancing is the norm with the Danes - and no thuds from the men there when they jump either.

A great pity there is no record of him dancing Daphnis. He was definitive in the role.

[Editing to add: I've moved a few posts from the Moscow International Ballet Competition in the Bolshoi forum here for continued discussion. (The discussion was sparked by a passing comment Natalia made in describing Somova as "one [or two] of the younger Kirov-Mariinsky stars.") -- Alexandra] Please don't think I'm being rude Natalia, but having seen Alina Somova dance in Cardiff recently, I feel that to call her a star is very much an oxymoron.

In the past the claque would be happy to accept tickets which they could then sell on the black market, but I don't know if that is still the case Yes some do: there are a couple of female dancers with lovers/family with mafia connections. Very good question: extortion is illegal in the rest of the world. According to a UK newsarticle I've kept from 1993, Gediminas Taranda once "poleaxed" a claque member who set off an alarm clock while he was dancing. No idea. But I doubt if it would be tolerated outside of Russia. Never come accross any.

Whoever wrote that obituary in the Telegraph doesn't even have the guts to put their name to the piece. Yes, I agree it's disgraceful. As a Londoner I had mixed feelings about Ross Stretton as I wasn't too happy about some of his rep decisions, though it was a stroke of genius on his part to acquire "Eugene Onegin" for the company. On the other hand he was quick to note the company's shortcomings and start to tackle the serious drop in dancing standards which are sadly still all too prevalent today. To say that he didn't have the backing of the dancers is only true in part, as he did win support from a number of them. The allegations of improper behaviour with female dancers were probably not true, and the anonymous obit. writer is way out of line repeating these calumnies. From what I have heard from an RB insider, Ross Stretton was more sinned against than sinning and it will be interesting to know if now that he has sadly passed away, more information about what was the ugliest period in the Royal Ballet's history will come to light.

What it adds up to is blackmail: if the dancers don't pay up their performances are seriously disrupted. I find their 'manifesto' disgusting. The writer’s hatred of Alexandrova is intriguing, but when she recalls the fact that Grigorovitch turned down Alexandrova in favour of Volochkova in his Swan Lake (lol) all it signifies is that the elderly Grigorovitch must be losing the plot. Strange things happen in the Russian dance world these days and many dancers in leading roles probably wouldn't be dancing them elsewhere. Interesting that outside her native country Alexandrova has the critics (professional ones) searching for fresh superlatives to describe her whilst back home all she gets is this undeserved ****. MB

I've a question too, just how many jockey dances did Bournonville actually create? There was another (solo) jockey dance in the second act of Le Conservatoire.

Many thanks for the prompt reply. The clincher as to whether we have the same video is this: does your copy also include Beryl Grey going on stage at the curtain calls and curtseying to Bessmertnova? If it does we have the same copy. I didn't begin watching the Bolshoi until 1974; so many of the faces of dancers below principal level are unfamiliar to me. I notice the troubadour and his lady weren't listed on your box, so if any one more sharp-eyed than myself can recognize this couple, I'd be very grateful for some names.