Lidewij

Sounds great! You will recognise me as a young lady in black trousers, dark green top and a black blazer; I'll be there on my own. My usual ballet buddy couldn't make it on a weekday, but I just didn't want to miss this!

I would love to meet up. Unfortunately I'm not familiar enough with the theatre to suggest a place to meet.

I am going to attend and will report back. Paquita casting for the other evenings is listed on the website, but not for the 20th. Will it be Lezhnina? We'll have to wait and see...

She already danced it at the Bolshoi. Type "Obraztsova Nutcracker" into Youtube and you will find some clips.

The Grand Pas from this ballet was reconstructed by Vasily Medvedev and performed at Dance Open; a rehearsal video has turned up on youtube: Does anyone know anything more about this ballet? What is the context of this Grand Pas? I'm wondering what the doors with 'past', 'present' and 'future' above them in the backdrop signify. Edit: another video of what appears to be the coda. Filming quality is not very good, but it gives an idea.

Larissa Lezhnina will retire at the end of this season. Her farewell performance will be on May 20. This was announced on the Dutch version of HNB's website. http://operaballet.nl/nl/doublebill/2013-2014/voorstelling/ballerina

In another photo (but taken in the same setting), the man is identified as Laurent Novikoff. See: http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/CN00023535/anna-pavlova-and-laurent-novikoff-in-don

I'm very much hoping (and actually expecting) it will be vastly superior. Kondaurova's Odile was exciting, but Odette was empty. Now I only hope that casting won't be changed. I would accept (but still be disappointed) to see Somova, Kolegova or Lopatkina; I just would't want to make the trip (and spend the €€) to London for you-know-who.

Thanks for the heads up! Since my birthday is on August 4th, I think I might treat myself a trip to London.. I also saw Kondaurova's second performance of Swan Lake back in 2009, will be interesting to compare.

Can anyone tell me when exactly this is going to start? Or isn't that known yet? I would like to visit the theatre before the renovations, don't know if this will be possible, but I hope so.

I didn't know his story, but he is currently AD of the Antwerp Royal Ballet School in Belgium.

Oh how I wish we could see Ulanova's Odile on film.. I already was so curious about it, and after reading this even more! Thank you for sharing!

My brother told me there was footage of Anna Pavlova, probably that's what you're referring to? I have not seen the production myself. And I do not know where he got that information, but I will ask. Edit: Apparently William Kentridge said this in an interview my brother saw on Youtube.

Ulanova and Kschessinskaya. And the more recent greatest stars like Vasiliev & Maximova, Sizova, Soloviev, Terekhova, Asylmuratova, I could go on for some time..

There's a video of Strebko in her 7th year; at that time at least they were in a different class, I don't know if that is still the case. Part 1 and part 2 (She's the blonde girl in front with the pretty feet) Was Strebko featured in any of the performances?

Some videos of this year's performances have popped up. Here's Anastasia Zaklinskaya in Sheherazade: More videos are on this channel, including the performance by Ksenia Zhiganshina and the 'Venice Carnival' pdd mentioned by Natalia.

Yes, I see it now! Thank you so much!

Unfortunately no. Is it still in the same place as it used to? I was thinking I maybe overlooked it but I really can't see it..

I use Chrome on a Windows computer, I don't see a "more" option either..

I miss the link to BT4D at the top of the page.. Will it return? And of course, thank you for all the hard work of managing this amazing website..

It still is, from 2009 with Igor Kolb. And here from last year with Korsuntsev:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCI7u8eKYkc

There is another short one I'd like to share:

It seems like they did play the complete 'Kingdom of the Shades' music, but for some reason they decided to just continue the choreography from the beginning of the piece over the whole music. I really wonder why, I love the Shades the way they are, this got a little boring towards the end..

I believe that Terekhova did dance Giselle, near the end of her career. I'm not sure if she's too strong for Giselle, the video of her Sleeping Beauty on YT is one of the very best interpretations I have seen, even though she is not the 'type' to dance Aurora..

In fact, she already debuted the role on April 3rd, and bits of it ended up on youtube: On the channels of these two posters there is more. (The 4 gorgeous sylphs are Ostreikovskaya, Batoeva, Tiliguzova and Ivannikova, according to the video descriptions)