cubanmiamiboy

But in changement there is always a change in position. Not in entrechat deux. Entrechats are deceiving to the eye, due to the fast way they are performed. But is easy to see a simple changement on pointe. No crossing on air...only change of position. At the second Koundarova performance she neither crossed nor changed her position in the diagonal, which is why I think there were simple sautees-(which can be confused as tried entrechat deux...she might even tried to perform some before going for simple sautees). I still think Kolegova's are entreechat deux.

In the slow mo. video of Kolegova, she barely crosses two-("deux")-times her foot on air, which is why it looks like simple sautees, landing in the same position. When they do changements-("cambio", "change")- is easy to recognize because the position of the foot at landing is the opposite as when they start the jump. I say Kolegova's are entrechat deux because she "crosses"-(just a few times maybe in the beginning of the diagonal)-her foot two times before landing. She obviously does not perform four-('quatre")-crosses before landing.

Yes, the whole raw of metal clings hang only from the top. Very noisy. And about my "Bravo!", I channeled my inner CubanHavanaBoy!.. ;-)

Those are basically entrechat deux. And yes, without the slow motion they look like simple sautees. In thus video, Kolegova's would go to sample #1

Giselle...!!!

I sat in row O, and I had wonderful views at all times. By the way...I invite you all, with your eyes and minds fresh from the DC performances, to re visit the recon. I did this morning, and I definitely can say that it gave me a way better view on how greater this original scenario is compared to the Kirov/Mariinsky version. Countess Sybil, in the opening scene, looks and acts with much more command on the whole situation, and looks way more human-like than the frozen smiled one of the Russian production. She has much mime, and in general her character is more colorful and important than the mainly walker "queen-like" from K. Sergueev. Then, the fact that Abdherrakhman doesn't appear until the dream scene makes much sense to me. I find awkward than the the chief enemy was so well received at the de Doris household, even with a smiling Sybil while he is making unwanted advancements toward her niece. Finally, the White Lady. Her deletion also weakness the story, as the supra natural element is absent. Only during the dream do we see non real characters in the Mariinsky version, so the whole thing tries to have a "realistic" touch that fails to be. Raymonda looks and shows better with the mysterious, fairy tale element on. And about the costumes and backdrops, well....there's not even comparison. La Scala's is a sumptuous production.

Here are my picks from last night's Oscars: Best dressed: Julianne Moore in Chanel. Sofia Vergara in Marchesa. Jennifer Garner in Versace. Worst Dressed. Olivia Wilde in...(?) Heidi Klum in..(?) Jennifer Lawrence in..(?)

Hello Nastasia, and welcome to BA! Very glad to have you here, and take a time to browse our forums. Lots of interesting information there! ;-)

This version with the saracen introduction in act I and the non WL element, can be somewhat confusing. Sometimes you wonder why is that the enemy (he is a muslim chief during the times of the crusades...the same ones that de Brienne is fighting on)- is received with smiles and courtsies in the de Doris celebration. The original libretto is way more substantial and clear. BTW, Natasha...the metal things hanging in Abderrhakman's costume were there for all performances. They are indeed noisy, particularly during his pdd with Raymonda.

I was seated very closed to the stage, and I don't remember very well Katya's diagonal on her first night, but I went to scrutinize her second performance, particularly said diagonal. Only sautees were done, with no changements. In the recon. clip Novikova does what appears (to me) entrechat trois, no quatres. The absence of the White Lady is certainly a miss in K. Sergueev production, and yes..she shows up in Bessmertnova's video, although maybe she is gone by now at the Bolshoi. If we count her appearance in Grigorovitch (Bolshoi), POB (Rudy), ABT (Holmes) and La Scala (Vikharev), she is definitely a presence to miss in the Mariinsky. The White Lady is, just as most of the original Lilac, a non-dancing role. She presides over Raymonda's castle and family, and the love story, so forgettable in most versions, benefits from the scale and rhythm of Acts I and II. I really think that for being probably the first time many ballet goers watch this ballet live, the absence of this character is a faux pas.

Sometimes the eye can be deceiving. I would swear that Skorik onky did changements on pointe, not entrechats, while Katya only did sautees. Entrechat sixes are indeed quite impossible to do on pointe. In any case, maybe entrechat trois. On the other side, there is this anecdote of Nureyev i read in one of his biographies, in whicg he was watching a rehearsal at POB, and the danseur was to execute entrechat sixes, and thinking that Rudy was dozing off, he just went easy without putting much effort. Well, Rudy suddenly stomped off his chair, threw something on the floor, interrupted the music and scream at the dancer.."Entrechat six..?!?!...THAT'S ENTRECHAT PISS!!!" ;-)

Yes, Natasha. That was me! I rarely get so transfixed as I was by Katya and Danila's artistry in this pdd. This is, along with the Sugar Plum pdd and Diamonds, one of my all time favorite adagios from the whole ballet repertoire. The Cuban company presents it often in gala performances, and it had been quite a long time since I saw it for last time live. I absolutely ADORED their performance, so I just had to shout it out loud.

Flash, flash!! Katya/Danila pas de deux during the dream svene was EXQUISITE

Skorik showed a HUGE improvement tonight from opening night. I noticed she wore less makeup, so her face was less harsh and relaxed. She also smiled more both to the audience and to Askerov, and in general they showed much more chemistry than on Tuesday. She still looked pretty scared when she was lifted, looking down nervously, AND she still struggled to do the sautees on pointe-(she didn't fell off pointe, but did them on the same spot, or maybe advancing just a tiny bit..) A couple of impressions on some performers from various performances. Shapran. Less than perfect technique and stage projection. Unsteady during landings and with a face that look as if she is condemned to the guillotine. A WONDERFUL Kirill Leontiev leading the czarda. Such great spirit and character! Sofia Ivanova-Skoblikova and her wonderful technique and powerful calves. Brava! I'm skipping Kolegova's matinee tomorrow-(didn't impress me that much..)-but back at Big Red's evening performance. Hell... she IS Raymonda!!

There must be "the curse of the sautees in pointe" against the Russian ballerinas. Kolegova fell off pointe during her series of sautees tonight.

I saw a Mariinsky bailarin today glancing at the National Gallery Degas ballerinas paintings. I approached and congratulated him for the performance. He was very courteous and smily-(even though I don't think he quite understood my words, he graciously responded to my hand shake..)

Oh my... May the spirit of Fonteyn miraculously descends upon her...

If the picture for the poster we see in the outside of the theater with Skorik would had been of Kundaurova, what we would had seen, instead of the wacky working leg pointing to the sky, would had been a beautifully executed arabesque a la seconde, as she did last night. Just saying...

Natalia...I VERY MUCH enjoyed tonight's performance with Katya and Danila. It was a completely different animal from last night's.

Big Red Koundarova was FANTASTIC!! This was a completely different ballet tonight. The orchestra sounded better, and the tempi faster. Katya and Danila looked lovely, and in general the whole atmosphere was totally the opposite from last night. Koundarova had a wonderful aristocratic presence during the whole ballet that reminded me much of my favorite in the role, Mme. Bessmertnova. And her limbs were down to normal highs from last night's distorted ones from Skorik. All her 8 variations went without any problem, smooth and precise-(well, she sort of lost her balance once, but it was barely noticeable). Her segment of ronde de jambes was wonderfully executed, whereas Skorik eventually ceased to perform them, barely doing a developpe/kick of the working leg. By the way...this ought to be, from the classical repertoire, one of the less dancing roles for the male -(after poor Prince Coqueluche in the Nutcracker, who dances even less). But...there are lots of lifts, for God's sake! So kudos to both Koruntsev and Smekalov for handling Katya so well. Katya and Danila had a solo curtain call tonight, another difference from last night's sad ending. Edited to add: Tonight, during the scarf variation, I remembered a fragment from Kirkland's book in which she recounts preparing herself for this section. She said that she had read that this scarf had been a previous gift given to Raymonda by de Brienne as a memento before going to the crusades, and that this dance should express the longing of the bride to be for her lover. Lovely, right..? Oh, and it was again A PLEASURE to see you all guys at the theater!! See you all tomorrow for Kolegova! :flowers: :flowers:

Thankfully, I'm very close to the KC, but I was just rushed out of the Holocaust Museum, for which at 5:45 they would issue a temp. shelter there if conditions worsen.

I particularly disliked the shredded numbers of the nymphs in the Dream Scene...

I didn't see any problems with the Scala recon.

I am disappointed. With the cast AND the production itself. This version simply needs to go asap. The medieval tale of love intertwined with religion gets completely lost here. Key elements of the ballet are much chopped off or completely excised-(like the White Lady). This ballet sans the crusades atmosphere, sans the WHite Lady, and of course, sans the original opulent costumes and décor becomes merely a bare backbone of what is supposed to be. I know it is hard to present it in its original bad-Muslim-guy/good-Christian-couple, but the tale simply looses much of its appeal without all of that. I was sitting a few rows from stage, and geez, Skorik looked like a mask. Her heavily made up face expresses NOTHING whatsoever. She and Koruntsev had NO chemistry onstage at all. There was never a moment when we could tell that this was a loving couple. Skorik looked livid with fear most of the time, and she started the ballet with an early mishap..(she lost her balance). We also had our fare amount of over extended limbs, which at many times feels awkwardly and plainly vulgar. Her tutu goes way higher than her hips...up at waist level, so from orchestra all you see at all times from this type of tall ballerinas who love to open themselves to no limits is only one thing: CROTCH, CROTCH AND MORE CROTCH. Generally speaking, the whole ballet looked dry and gloomy. Raymonda's friends had an expression most of the times as if they were going to the electric chair at any moment. The ballet came alive a little bit more during the last act. The Grand pas, along with the czarda and mazurka were beautiful to watch. At the end, and after a very tepid couple of curtain calls, they tried to milk the applauses a bit more with a solo curtain, but the applauses dried off. They kept the curtain ready for the dancers to go and bow, but it never happened. People had simply stopped applauding altogether. That was sort of sad though... On a side note, it was great to see you all guys there.!!

I am next to the big head!! Is anybody around?? Please report!! ;-)