Catherine

Stanislav Belyayevsky, a teacher at the Vaganova who has published some lovely coffee table books of the Academy, has put out a strong statement on his public Facebook page:

DEAR GRADUATES of the ACADEMY of RUSSIAN BALLET! DEAR TEACHERS!

I think that among you there is no one who would agree with the opinion on the appointment of the Rector of Nikolay Tsiskaridze (in other words "experienced Manager") of the Academy of Russian Ballet!

Tell you a short anecdote, which I was a witness, describing the attitude of this beautiful Russian artist (in the past) to our St. Petersburg alma mater: "once upon a time, a beautiful November morning, the Bolshoi Theatre, I visited the lesson of classical dance, which gave the Artist and educator Nikolay Maksimovich. Except for me, of our famous schools named after a. Vaganova, this lesson was attended by Yevgenia Obraztsova, Mikhail Lobuhin, Philip Stepin, Elena evseeva, as well as wonderful performers of the Bolshoi Theatre, including his student (at the time), Denis Rodkin. His pedagogical talent n.m. sent his apprentice, with sharp, witty phrases. One very bright crashed into my memory. Nicholas didn't like how demi plié, as Denis and pointing at us, he said: "If you are not correct, it will be similar to those with" vagankovo cemetery ".

A joke? A year passes and he our walls will take on raising kids.

Dear graduates, dear teachers! write, if you are of another opinion. If there are any among you who support this nomination, I will be truly surprised

His page has also been filled with his own personal photos of Asylmuratova teaching students.

Correction: that statement was not made by Belyaevsky. He was reposting Yuri Smekalov's post. Yuri was the one who witnessed that event.

Further confirmation with nice photos:

http://ria.ru/spb/20131028/973130254.html

Aaaand the latest news that Tsiskaridze and Lopatkina will be running the Vaganova Academy:

http://www.gazeta.ru/culture/news/2013/10/28/n_3285237.shtml

The Vaganova School has produced many beautifully trained dancers over the last decade. If there's any aesthetic basis to Gergiev's power play -- talk about political -- it could be that the school has not produced enough contortionists. Kolpakova certainly wouldn't be more successful in this area. She would understand the coaching and training necessary to dance the rep into which the Bolshoi and Mariinsky have been trending.

Plenty of musicians, teachers, dancers, and figure skating coaches went abroad in the early '90's, and many were politically connected to the Soviet system. Many have returned, some to great resentment that they are not flogged publicly for leaving, but to target Kolpakova would mean targeting many who've been welcomed back by the public. (Alexei Yagudin, who wore a Canada team jacket as a spectator at the SLC Olympics, draws crowds whenever he appears, replaced hip and all.) Kolpakova would face similar resentment within the School; however, part of Gergiev's strategy might be to clean house, which would solve that issue.

Also, if Kolpakova has a fully oufitted free apartment in St. Petersburg, and got to pocket any cash she made, however low the salary, moving to NYC on salary for ABT in what is one of the most expensive cities in the world (then and now) far from family and friends in a place where ballet isn't nearly as respected, where there isn't fully subsidized institutional training, where she had to work in another language, and where she went from being a household name and cultural hero to being known and respected in a very small niche, is not exactly living high on the hog.

A great opportunity that she's made the most of, surely.

I don't think that Kolpakova's move to the West diminished her name per se, at least not anymore than it has diminished other former ballerinas or male dancers who move West to teach/coach or open schools. People in the ballet world know who she is, regardless of where she's located. Also there is no fully subsidized institutional training in Russia anymore if you are speaking of government subsidies. Neither the MT nor the Vaganova Academy are funded fully by the government, and that is as of years ago. They depend highly on private donors or corporate sponsorships, just as ABT or NYCB or SFB do. The difference is there is *some* government support, unlike in the USA.

Further, we do not know the terms of her agreement with ABT, the salary, the package offered. But I am 100% sure it is financially more beneficial than staying in Russia would have been.

Even if they were to change Asylmuratova, the teachers within the Academy would remain and they are, as a collective, the ones responsible for training and continuing the style.

Not that the person at the top does not have influence, but they also have administrative duties; all of the history and style does not rest on Asylmuratova's shoulders, nor should it rest on hers or any single person. Seems a bit of a cop out to me for Gergiev to say he is dissatisfied with the company and put it all on the Academy - especially when it is widely commented that many are unhappy with the *acting* Artistic Director of the MT (which is another topic that has been debated a lot on here and elsewhere, I realize, so I won't beat the dead horse, as it were).

All of this is a bit bizarre, to say the least.

Just a side note, Elena, I am not sure that is 100% true. The AD and rector can hire/fire pedagogues. It is quite possible that if one of their positions were replaced, that the staff of the Academy would in turn change. It is not a fact that all pedagogues would remain. That too becomes a political issue, as to who prefers which teachers or teaching methods. The competition for pedagogical positions at the Academy is very fierce as they are highly coveted and well paid. It would not be difficult to dismiss older (or younger) teachers based on personal preference.

Anyway about being a cop out = yes... and bizarre, very much so.

This is the latest update (article dated Oct 28) which states --I believe legally and correctly -- that Gergiev does not have the right to hire/fire within the Vaganova Academy.

http://www.svoboda.org/content/article/25149160.html

Interfax, with a link from Gergiev's press secretary, stated that Maestro is not carrying out any discussions regarding appointing a new *rector* of the Academy. (But note: the previous articles spoke not of Dorofeeva's position but of Altynai's as AD).

And that Gergiev is at present time not in NYC but in Vienna for the second day of orchestral concerts. The press sec added that he doesn't have the right to address hiring issues that are under the purview the Ministry of Culture. And that the issue of appointing a director of the Academy can ONLY be managed by the Ministry of Culture, and therefore the comments/articles that Maestro was holding discussions to this effect was just a fantasy.

***

If *that* article is true then there's a lot of speculation in the press going around.

I too have experience with her. Her political background should be acknowledged, then and now.

She's been in New York for a long time.

For this reason as well I'm not sure bringing her back is even a practical decision. She's spent over 26 yrs in NYC...she's in tune with that dance climate and not the one in Russia at present time. She is not in touch with what has gone on locally (unless via phonecalls with friends in Russia), and unlike the pedagogues locally who remained devoted to their company/school and did not leave when the going got tough, so to speak, she has chosen to go after the easy money in the West, and return only when a cushy position is offered her (if she were to be offered and accept, that is). I think that would speak volumes about what kind of person she is. Her maneouvering during the Soviet period was highly political. This too would be political.

So let me get this straight: Mariinsky Theatre Ballet has come under considerable criticism for its performances under the acting artistic direction of Yuri Fateyev. The General Director decides the reason for the drop in quality is due to the Vaganova Academy? All this seems very convenient at a time when the Ballet Company needs additional pratice space, and a certain well connected former Bolshoi dancer with ambitions needs a bright lights job. But Gergiev wants someone who he can control, so he goes after a different bright lights name.

This will not cure the ills of the Mariinsky. Keep Asylmuratova at the Academy and put Kolpatkova in charge of the Mariinsky Ballet company.

Jayne - yes. Gergiev needs "support" and if he were to "appoint" (again, by what legal means?) the AD of the Vaganova Academy it would give him utter control over that institution as well. Due to her political connections during the Soviet era, I do not feel Kolp as head of the MT is a good idea.

She already has a fully outfitted apartment in Saint Petersburg that is hers, given to her in return for her service to the KGB an to the Communist Party and it is in very nice condition, well decorated. So she can stay for free, no rent, no mortgage payments. I do not know if she rents or owns in NYC/DC.

If you dont have to pay for rent/mortgage and your entire salary is pocketed...that's a lot of free cash to have each month.

http://m.interfax.ru/news/?id=337190

Although it is far from clear to me by what legal means or power Maestro Valery Gergiev is in a position to replace the Artistic Director of the Vaganova Academy, Altynai Asylmuratova, with another individual on no grounds whatsoever, today's news had a flurry of articles (on Ria Novosti and other sites) stating first that Nikolai Tsiskaridze would be appointed to that position. The statement came from the Ministry of Culture initially. The subsequent murmurings and mumblings caused quite a stir locally in ballet circles.

The article link above in turn subsequently states that Gergiev intends to hire Irina Kolpakova, former member of the Soviet Duma, to replace Asylmuratova. And that he has flown to New York City to try to persuade her.

This is following her recent visit to St Petersburg in September, in which she claimed that the Academy was "a mess." Kolpakova has been living and working in the USA since the 1980s. She is a former Soviet ballerina who climbed the political ranks within the Communist Party in order to become a member of the State Duma and secure her position in the USSR; she then fled when it was convenient to do so. Numerous propaganda articles on her can be found in the State Archives. There is a recent "rose colored glasses" Russian language documentary created on her that provides glimpses of the truth.

Those of us who have followed the Academy for years hope that this does not come to pass. Asylmuratova has dedicated the second half of her life and career to cultivating the dancers we now see on stage. Gergiev has no official link with the Vaganova Academy, but the "umbrella project" mentioned previously would explain how he could then officially fill in that gap by obtaining the power and links necessary to hire and fire at will within not just the Academy but the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory, the Mariinsky, and likely even the Mikhailovsky Theatres, were that project to come to fruition. Whatever one's preferences are in terms of Mariinsky dancers on stage, I do not think anyone will disagree that the Academy continues to produce top-notch graduates who are currently dancing on the best stages across the world. I think that is testimony enough that the Academy is not a mess and we do not need to fix what is not broken.

A note to say Strebko didin't do the Babochka pas; Zhiganshina repeated her Hermitage performance of it instead.
the June 22 performance included:

Fresco from Little Humpbacked Horse (LHH)
Evgeniya Artunian
Adema Omarova
Alina Krasovskaya
Elizaveta Antonova
(pedagogues Ludmila Kovaleva and Veronika Ivanova)

Solace (K. Goleizovsky to music by Liszt)
Nelli Smirnova
Vitaly Amelishko (8th class)
(pedagogues V. Ivanova and Sheglov)

Duet from Scheherezade
Anastasia Zaklinskaya
Roman Belyakov
(Ludmila Kovaleva and A. Ilin, respectively, pedagogues)

Pas de deux from Babochka (the "Butterfly")
Ksenia Zhiganshina
Andrey Arseniev
(Marina Vasilieva and A. Ilin)

Variation from the ballet "Poultry Yard"
Choreography Dima Pimonov to music by L. Bernstein
Evgenia Artunian

Adagio (Igor Chernishov)
Alexandra Romanova (Kovaleva)
Yuri Baryshnikov (Ilin)

Diana and Acteon pdd
Miko Naosuki
Takaya Ryo (both from Japan)
(pedagogues L. Kovaleva and A. Ilin)

Vivat Academia! (video presentation followed by large ensemble work using students from all other levels - about a 10 minute piece)

--NA FLORESTA--

Suite from Gayane
Nune - Yulia Karimova
Gayane - Renata Shakirova (7th year)
male dance - (seems to be a typo?)
Aisha - Ekaterina Yalinskaya
Armen - Takaya Ryo
Izmael - Nail Enikeyev
________

Of Saturday's performance the Adagio by Igor Chernishov was a modern-looking piece done in unitards - Romashova is a wisp of a tiny skinny girl with beautiful lines. She was stunning, the piece was highly emotive, ranging from grief to control to passion. It was on the longer side and left a strong impression.
Evgeniya Artunian stood out in the Fresco, as we'd seen her previously in the Dying Swan.
Of course Zhiganshaya but everyone has already commented on her.

Saturday June 15:
Fresco from Little Humpbacked Horse (LHH)
Rufina Afanasenkova
Alina Krasovskaya
Isii Kumiko (Japan)
Marina Teterina
(pedagogues Ludmila Kovaleva and Veronika Ivanova)

Duet from Illusive/Ghostly Ball (D. Briantsev) to Chopin
Elizaveta Antonova (Ludmila Kovaleva)
Artenii Ibryanov (pedagogue Aleksey Ilin)

The trio of the Ocean and Two Pearls from LHH
Renata Shakirova
Olga Makarova (both girls in 7th year)
Kirill Simonenkov
(pedagogues Tatiana Udalenkova and A. Ilin)

The Faun (Goleizovsky to music by Debussy)
Andrey Arseniev
(pedagogue A. Ilin)

Duet from Scheherezade
Anastasia Zaklinskaya
Roman Belyakov
(Ludmila Kovaleva and A. Ilin, respectively, pedagogues)

The Dying Swan (Dolgushin's version)
Evgenia Artunian
(pedagogue L. Kovaleva)

Pas de deux from Viennese Carnaval
Sofia Ivanova-Skoblikova and Daler Zaparov
(V. Ivanova and A. Ilin)

Vivat Academia! (video presentation followed by large ensemble work using students from all other levels - about a 10 minute piece)

--NA FLORESTA--

Suite from Gayane
Nune - Alina Krasovskaya
Gayane - Renata Shakirova (7th year)
male dance - Ramanbek Beishenaliev (8th class - Sheglov)
Aisha - A. Zaklinskaya
Armen - Takaya Ryo
Izmael - Nail Enikeyev
____________________________

Of all of those the highlights were Kumiko, the Japanese girl in the Fresco; Zhenya Artyunian who has a beautiful fluidity and physique, and Takaya Ryo in Gayane (he repeated it on June 22 to audience cheers).
In Scheherezade, Roman Beliyakov was very seductive, pantherlike and sultry - rather a mature presentation given his age.

As a brief update, I attended the first two graduation performances and will attend the last one tomorrow. Initially there was a fourth planned for Sunday the 23rd but that has been cancelled.
Surprisingly, Zaklinskaya is not quite following in her mothers' footsteps in terms of classical ballet. She was featured only in a character role in Gayane, and the soft-slippered Scheherezade pas de deux. No pointe work. It is clear she is character material...should she choose to have a performing career.

...Kondaurova et al will perform on the main Mariinsky stage and the 3-D broadcast will be presented inside the Mariinsky II Theatre next door, on screen, at the same time ...

Quite a luxurious 'spill-over space.' I hope that the audience buying tickets to see Swan Lake 'live' at the Mariinsky II realize that they'll just be looking at a screen.

That was my thought too... I am sure some people won't realize it (tourists)...Actually what I think they wont realize is that what they see on screen is taking place, ahem, NEXT DOOR.

We have more casting:

Kondaurova as Odette-Odile, Timur Askerov (rather than the trailer's Ivanchenko) as Prince Siegfried, Andrei Yermakov as Rothbart, Maria Shirinkina, Nadezhda Batoeva and Xander Parish in the pas de trois and Vasily Tkachenko as the Jester. The same cast will also be performing the afternoon before, and presumably this performance will also be filmed as a backup.

http://www.mariinsky...013/6/6/1_2130/

9:30 is a late start time for a show that runs 3 hours, but that's what you get when you're aiming primarily for audiences in Central European Summer Time on a weeknight.

Just as an FYI, during the White Nights Festival, they often have performances starting at 8, 9, 10 or even 11 p.m. to maximize stage space. The plan here - as of today's press release just issued seconds ago-- is that Kondaurova et al will perform on the main Mariinsky stage and the 3-D broadcast will be presented inside the Mariinsky II Theatre next door, on screen, at the same time ...

The answer to both isn't yes for all of the dancers who are cast and performing, either.

exactly ...

These are people receiving salary past retirement age and not performing. These are who the new law is directed at. The creme at the top...

Then the proposed solution makes little sense: if Zelensky is performing for his own company and was supposed to perform in England with Polunin, why wouldn't he be able to pass an exam? I'm sure many dancers who've fallen out of favor with management and haven't been cast could pass an exam.

If they want to address dancers who don't live in the same city and perform, and, like Zelensky, have full-time jobs elsewhere during the season, they'd create their rules based on these conditions.

He will likely pass, since he is still dancing and "in shape". But others are not dancing and just receiving money...they will likely not pass, although who is to say? It sounds like it will be very subjective. "Can you do a double pirouette?" A lot of non professional dancers can... so what their measuring/mark will be is not clear. "Can you carry all of the 3-Act Swan Lake, have the stamina for it, and sell tickets? Do people WANT to see you on stage?" That's another question.

Another thought - it could have to do with standards. ie Zelensky, for all his wonder, is not the same dancer he was at age 25. Same goes for *most* principals, but not all. They may be looking to see who are injured, whose technique (or physique) is fading... Again I think it's mostly a question of dead weight> I personally dont see the point of keeping someone on roster when they NEVER perform with the company (for whatever reason: out of shape, living elsewhere, running a company, whatever). Why are they being paid? Pensions are another issue bc dancers do receive pensions after their requisite 20 yrs in the theatre.

Will there be a backlash from the dancers? Will the examinations be judged by the likes of Fateyev? Or will the dancers try to exert some political muscle - and the exams are judged by other dancers (see POB)?

There's no way the exams will be judged by peers...that won't work in this system. Yes I think Fateyev and/or appointed pedagogues will take on the task. I dont think corps members will be able to exert much political muscle at all, and I"m sure the assessments at that level may be subjective. That said, Fateyev has had huge problems lately finding enough dancers to cast given that he's out so many on maternity leave. So we are seeing the same group over and over again. I dont therefore see this affecting corps or coryphee level as much as it is truly aimed at principals who are listed on the roster but haven't showed up on the (in this case I refer to the Mariinsky only) stage in years (Nioradze).

Zelensky is not performing at the Mariinsky and hasn't in years. He's not even in St Petersburg. Same for Nioradze. With the exception of a 5 -minute walk-on acting role *last* year (or was that two years ago) Makhalina is also not performing. These are people receiving salary past retirement age and not performing. These are who the new law is directed at. The creme at the top...

Was that common back in the Soviet era? I do notice differences between historical footage and today's style. It seems also that things are taken slower in general, although not usually as slow as Skorik's Kitri. But when you watch historical footage of something like Sleeping Beauty it almost seems comically fast because I am not used to such speed. I guess speed was valued more during that period and slower movement is more valued in our time. Maybe it goes in waves.

I know in opera there have been times when less vibrato in baroque opera, for example, was the norm. Nowadays most singers use more vibrato in baroque, because it is what we want (sounds warmer and fuller). In fact most people can't stand straight/white tone singing nowadays.

I'll share my opinion - I dont know that there's a definitive answer to your question Birdsall, but I think it was more common then, yes. I have noticed it in Kurgapkina's dancing and maybe to a lesser extent, Maximova? There is no technical explanation for this though, and in watching the video above, I was dying to see here just straighten up her back and not tilt forward...it started to bother me visually. Of course maybe it was the camera angle but I dont think so, as it was evident in all of her clips. It could be too that our eyes (at least mine) are trained on 21st century (or I should say, post-1960s) dancers. So when we see shorter, faster, our eyes are not used to it? I know what you mean by the sheer *speed* in some Soviet ballet films *especially* in chaine turns, it actually looks humanly impossible that the dancer would turn so fast, as if the film was artificially sped up at that point. But I am told that is really they way they did it. Note however: releves were lower and so were retire passes. So you can't take 21st century positioning (retire-passe above the knee on a high releve) and put it at Soviet-era speed. At least I can't say I've ever seen that live, or on film.

Tempi are slower now bc dancers are taller. Kurgapkina was 5 feet tall if that (looked more like 4'8" to me when I met her). I read Makarova is about 5'3". Skorik is about 5'8 and Lopatkina is 5'10. Kondaurova is also around 5'8". The taller the person - male or female -- the faster the limbs have to move in order to keep up to the same tempo that someone 6 or 12 inches shorter is dancing. The result is the muscles have to work harder to get the same result. It's easier for long-limbed dancers, male or female, to dance at slower tempi because the fast-twitch muscle fibers do not function in the same way-- there is more length for synapses to travel. Height differential affects speed. A taller dancer also has to start a phrase (movement) sooner in order to finish on time, while a shorter dancer can start the same phrase "with the music." It may be a matter of milliseconds but the difference is felt strongly in class during petit allegro or adagio. I've often seen shorter dancers during adagio wait one count and then lift their leg in one count, whereas the taller one will start one long slowwww motion and fill out the entire phrase of music. They are different movement qualities, and timing plays into it (I hope I'm making sense as it's hard to describe w/o a visual).

But that is a separate issue to the spine-forward stance. And my guess is that this is also done to give greater speed. If you're "over" your legs, as they say, it's easier to move fast without fumbling. You're not pulling your torso forward, your torso is pulling you forward -- it makes the dance easier on the dancer...

I only found this and put a partial translation using google:

http://vppress.ru/st...-ne-verte-16311

"- Actually, Oksana scold ...

- And who scold? Oksana, like any dancer can like and do not like it. But it has a unique texture, and do not use it would be a crime. These legs like hers, it is difficult to find. In addition, it has depth, there is an inner peace. She just needs time to open up. She is a born Odetta - not going anywhere."

I just wanted to offer a more accurate translation of that here bc (as a professional translator) I cannot stand Google Translate, and also I think the actual words will be more easy to understand:

"Actually people criticize Oksana..."

-"Who criticizes her? You may or may not like Oksana, just like any ballerina. But her appearance is unique, and to not use her would be a crime. Legs like hers are hard to find. In addition, she has depth, she has an internal world. We have to just give her time to develop. She is a born Odette - you can't escape that."

One thing strikes me about Malika Sabirova - her torso is WAY forward, tilted forward from the hips almost throughout the variation. Today's dancers are far more "upright"...

p.s. yes confirming the questions above, in Etudes it was Filippe Stepin with Kim Kimin as the two male soloists.

The reaction to Diamonds was lukewarm bc 80% of the people in the hall do not follow the Mariinsky, much less ballet, and were there by invitation not by paid ticket and only 1000 seats were filled (on purpose) instead of the 2000, presumably for security purposes.