Anastasia Volochkova

[bart]

Thanks, Louise, for reviving this thread, for mentioning the video clips, and for your analysis. Here are a couple of brief views of ms. Volochkova dancing:

[Helene]

She is a passionate person who wishes to express herself through a glamorous lifestyle rather than a classical art. But i cant help but think they made her. She is therefore given to a dramatic lifestyle and personality but she cant translate this onto the stage. As she is not really interested in taking the nuances of the art seriously.

And i do doubt it was because of her weight that she was fired like what has been said above there seem to be many factors involved.

I thing it is a pity that none of them have anything to do with ballet but everything to do with the dancer herself and perhaps the kind of artistic or lack or artistic atmosphere that sometimes happens unfortunately in ballet. She seems to have come from a period when it was all about the next big thing , they kind of set her up for it really, there seems to be the idea in her head that if you have a good extension then you dont need anything else and that is what she thinks ballet is.

There were a lot of articles about her in the Russian tabloids, most of it unsubstantiated or based on rumors and hearsay.

There are a number of dancers whose extensions have been valued more than other qualities, and there have been many, many dancers who managed to lead a glamourous life and dance brilliantly (Kschessinska, for one).

I think it is a slippery slope to assume the inner thoughts and motivations of dancers from such limited exposure.

[Marga]

I have seen Volochkova dance (after the brouhaha). I thought her performance in two solo pieces was wonderful, both technically and in interpretation. She also spoke onstage together with two other dancers as the 3 offered messages in English, French, and Russian. She was hardly taller than Patricia Barker, whom she was standing next to. They were in evening dress, so I don't know the height of the heels on their shoes, but, really, what difference does an inch or two one way or another make? Oh, and she had a beautiful slender, dancer's body which she used artistically and impressively.

[Louise*]

I have seen Volochkova dance (after the brouhaha). I thought her performance in two solo pieces was wonderful, both technically and in interpretation. She also spoke onstage together with two other dancers as the 3 offered messages in English, French, and Russian. She was hardly taller than Patricia Barker, whom she was standing next to. They were in evening dress, so I don't know the height of the heels on their shoes, but, really, what difference does an inch or two one way or another make? Oh, and she had a beautiful slender, dancer's body which she used artistically and impressively.

Hmmmm Well i still have to say i saw what i saw! I dont think she is too tall or anything but in the clip i saw she did look a little out of shape and as i said there were technical faults and artistically i would have complaints but artistry is a very personal thing!

I tried to watch the other clips but i couldnt i will try again though:-)!

[CharlieH]

On 9/17/2003 at 9:34 PM, Arak said:

Coming out of a limo? Oh, give me a break...

Well, Volochkova came out of a limo on stage during her “Stairway to the Sky” show in 2003!

Resurrecting this thread, as Russian friends inform me that Volochkova is preparing a 25th Anniversary show, as 2019 will mark 25 years since graduating from Dudinskaya’s class of 1994 at the АРБ.

I remember when Anastasia Volochkova was a natural brunette and lovely budding ballerina, debuting O/O in Swan Lake one year before her graduation. One would never have guessed that she’d morph into the diva gangster-mol persona with grotesque tattooed eyebrows. She’s a regular on Russian TV talk shows and is probably Russia’s most recognized (former) ballerina  but I can’t help but lament what might have been had her original promise been fulfilled.

Now she’s known for her extension poses, even now in her 40s. Ouch! A few examples here.

https://www.cosmo.ru/stars/news/07-04-2017/anastasiya-volochkova-pokazala-effektivnye-uprazhneniya-dlya-stalnogo-pressa/

Really?  

Edited August 28, 2018 by CharlieH