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mariinskyfan

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  • Connection to/interest in ballet** (Please describe. Examples: fan, teacher, dancer, writer, avid balletgoer)
    teacher
  • City**
    philadelphia
  • State (US only)**, Country (Outside US only)**
    pa
  1. Skorik dancing Raymonda, let alone first cast of a major tour, is an insult to this great company. Her dancing is completely without soul. There is nothing of artistic value in her. She is forced and robotically unnatural. Just appalling.
  2. While I think Somova is too thin, Bouder seems to be quite bulky and almost masculine in her build, which could contribute to her limited extensions. Somova has the ability to go too far in the other direction. I don't think Bouder is restraining her arabesque; I think that is just the height of her arabesque. Also, I know wasn't there to see Obraztsova or Bouder live, but I find it impossible to believe that Obraztsova didn't outclass Bouder in every way. Yes, Genia has danced the role before, but her Giselle was something special even from her debut several years ago. I hope someone who was there can report. Sorry to get off the Somova topic.
  3. Thanks for sharing these links! I agree that she looks better here than in the videos I saw of her earlier. I wish the video wasn't shot from so far and high.
  4. Hello all, i will write more once i am back in NYC, and hopefully over my cold. BUT some quick notes. I had managed to see ALL 5 casting sets. And to Mariinskyfan - Did you skip watching act 2? Matvienko was constantly falling off turns and balancies (once totally jamming into Zuzin). I found it to be her fall, but the older experts told me that it takes "two to tango". After Tereshkina, Vishneva, Somova (yes Terehova IMPROVED her a lot), i would place Kolegova with Matvienko (listed in order of my fondness). Matvienko style of hyperextensions reminded me Somova (pre-Terehova), and as Somova - some steps were off music. Noise of point shoes- only one of perrormances i watched from Tier 1 and DID notice a much LOUDER points, i guess it's the sound resonating in the hall. more later - bravo to Tereshkina & Shklyarov - they reminded me what ballet & love should be. PS; Terehkina and Vishneva did raise their (2nd) hand slowly in balances between suitors in Act 1. I did see the near fall in act 2. I assumed it was Zuzin to blame. She seemed more balanced during the Rose Adagio. I wish I could have seen all 5 casts to compare. Lucky you!
  5. I just returned from a wonderful Sunday matinee with Anastasia Matvienko and Maksim Zyuzin. Matvienko really won me over with her confident and crystalline technique. She did fully raise her arms in between each suitor in the Rose Adagio, FYI. I thought she danced with great clarity throughout the performance (although, she could have had more articulate Rond de Jambe Sautes in the first act coda). She certainly has beautiful extensions as well as nice pirouettes. She was just slightly lacking in the acting department. If she can improve in that area of her performance, she would really have the complete package. Alexandra Iosifidi substituted as Lilac Fairy. Her dancing was unfortunately forgettable. I would have much preferred Kondaurova, Skoryk, or Kolegova in this role. Now, for the stars of the performance: Yana Selina and Valeria Martynyuk!!!!!!!! They BOTH stood out in their prologue fairy's variations, which made me all the more excited to see them again in the third act. As noted by others, Yana Selina's White Cat is very very special. So entertaining, funny, musical and expressive. Wow! And Valeria Martynyuk's Diamond Fairy was AMAZING! She just looked like she was having the time of her life. She is so petite but takes command of the whole stage. I really want to see her in a leading role now. The corps was fabulous, too! My favorite moment was in the vision scene when they do all the Ballonnés in perfect synchronization in crossing lines. It was stunning. I wish I could have attended more SB's this week, but I have many memories to hold me over until next year.
  6. That is good news! I hope you can post a report.
  7. Enjoy the Olympics, Natalia! I will miss your reviews, as I always look forward to them. Thanks to the other reviewers. I am getting pumped for Sunday! Hopefully the conductor will be "up to tempo" by then.
  8. I've heard so many rave reviews about Ashley Bouder on this website, and I have never seen her dance live. So I searched for some videos of her on YT and this is what I found I am not sure if we are holding Alina Somova to a higher standard than we are for American dancers, but I would rather see Somova over Bouder any day. Am I insane????
  9. Thanks for the heads up. I am soooo bummed! I was so excited to see Zakharova dance live for the first time. As long as I still get to see Vasiliev, I won't totally freak out just yet. I knew the dream cast was too good to be true :-(
  10. I'm definitely bummed. I was really looking forward to seeing Kolegova in the Sunday matinee. Honestly, Matvienko was the one I least wanted to see. Oh, well, maybe she will win me over....
  11. I agree with all of the other mentioned performances, and I would like to add one more. The new DQ with the lovely Olesya Novikova and dazzling Leonid Sarafanov is fabulous, IMO, though it's received some less than great reviews here. I think it's one of the best films of the current generation of Mariinsky dancers, and I've watched it multiple times since buying it. Although it does contain Alina Somova's controversial Dryad Queen, it also has Evgenia Obraztsova dancing the most perfect Amour. The corps is glorious as well.
  12. Has anyone from BT actually attended any of the performances yet? It seems as though only links to newspaper reviews have been posted so far (please correct me if wrong). Thanks to all of those who have posted those links, but I'm dying to hear about Obraztsova's performance from a BT'er, especially considering the rave review from the newspaper!
  13. I'm also ready for some good news. Any reports from Obraztsova's performance?
  14. I understand that I am in the minority by not completely disliking Somova's dancing. But, like I said, she also isn't my favorite. For instance, if I was expecting to see Evgenia Obraztsova but Alina Somova appeared on stage, I would be very disappointed. Having said that, I would still rather see Somova over Shipulina. When I saw Alina Somova dance in Don Quixote this past winter, she gave one of the most secure yet technically dazzling 3rd act Kitri's I've seen. I left the theatre excited and inspired. After Shipulina's Medora, I wouldn't say I "seethed with rage", but I was extremely let down and uninspired. I hope this doesn't sound biased. I will try not too talk too much more about Somova bc I know that is not the purpose of this thread.
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