Egle Spokaite

[glebb]

I've copied the following information from the internet and I know she is a Prima Ballerina with the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre. Has anyone actually seen Egle Spokaite dance live?

Personal data

Egle Spokaite,

born: 15 January 1971, Vilnius, Lithuania,

height: 175 cm

Education

Vilnius Ballet School, graduated 1989

Ballet Companies

Principal Artist with Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre

Guest Principal Artist with Georgian Opera and Ballet Theatre

Guest Principal Artist with Latvian National Opera and Ballet Theatre

Repertoire:

Swanilda in "Coppelia",

Giselle in "Giselle",

Aurora in "Sleeping Beauty",

Odette-Odile in "Swan Lake",

Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet",

Carmen in "Carmen",

"A Midsummer Night's Dream",

"Yellow Tango",

"Bolero",

"Zorba the Greek",

"The rite of Spring" (Le Sacre du Printemps),

"The Silver Veil",

Desdemona in "Othello" (acting in a drama produced by Eimuntas Nekrosius)

Awards

1st Prize and Special Prize for the best pas-de deux at the Open Russian Ballet Theatre Competition in (Perm, Rusia, 1994);

3rd Prize at the International Ballet competition "Maya 94" (St. Petersburg, Rusia, 1994);

Best Dancer of the Year in Lithuania, 1994 and 1995;

1st prize at the International Ballet Competition in Helsinki,(Finland, 1995);

1st Prize at the International Ballet Competition in Nagoya, (Japan, 1996);

Order of Gediminas, level 4, Lithuania, 1996;

Lithuanian National Prize, 1997

Lithuanian Government Prize, 1997

Tours abroad:

Germany, Netherlands, France, USA, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Georgia, Latvia, England with Gidon Kremer quartet, Italy, Japan, Egypt, Greece, Spain.

[Paul Parish]

If she's the dancer I THINK she is, I've seen a videotape of something -- A Lithuanian friend/critic V. Mozuraitis showed me something , quite soulful, bird-like, strange... They think of her a little like the Soviets thought of Mezentseva....

[Marianna]

I would love to see photographs of this ballerina!!! Any links one could recommend?

And that video mentioned by Paul Parish - was that one of those privately owned tapes or can it be ordered from somewhere?

THANK YOU!

[Alexandra]

Not a photograph, alas, but mere words. George Jackson reviewed the Lithuanian Ballet's "Romeo and Juliet" for DanceView, and Egle Spokaite was the ballerina. Here's a link to that review:

Romeo and Juliet

[Paul Parish]

I'm sorry, Marianna, but I saw the tape when Ms Mozuraitis showed it in connection with lectures on criticism at the Silesian Dance Festival in Bytom, Poland --

On hte other hand the Lithuanians are eager for peole to know about their dancers, and Ms Mozuraitis is attached to the library in Vilnius, and also to he Dance Information Institute there -- inquiries might get you somewhere, if you really want to know. I found them wonderful people. We are still in touch.

[GabbyN]

http://www.classicalmusic.lt/eglephoto.htm

I love Egle!

I’ve seen her in all ballets at Lithuanian Opera and Ballet theatre.

She's the most beautiful Juliet I have ever seen, as well as Giselle. Her expression and sensitivity is so natural (never too much), and she has the most beautiful feet.

[GabbyN]

More on Lithuanian dancers:

Neli Beliakaite she’s principal at the Sacramento Ballet.

Mindaugas Bauzys &Vilija Putriute (husband and wife) both at Ballet Arlington.

Ruta Jezerskyte at HNB.

[Joanna]

I did non see her live or on video. I just saw some photos - and I can say they are beatiful, I don't know how she dance, but I think she has very strong stage character, she seems to be charismatic.

[glebb]

Egle will make her debut in Gerald Arpino's SECRET PLACES May 7.

[mohnurka]

Spokaite danced in Maya Plisetskaya's concert, when she was 70 years old. She danced Carmen. I am not sure whether the tape is commercially available, but you could try to find it. I believe it was around 1995.

[Paul Parish]

HOw was her debut? were there reviews? DId the critics have insight? How did hte audience respond? Please, I'd love to know how it went...

[GabbyN]

For now here's a link with a picture from the Evening of American Choreography :

http://www.omni.lt/?i$9359_16017_79349$z_169125

Please give me some time to work on translating the article.

[mohnurka]

GabbyN, please tell us when you finish the difficult job of translating It'd be very interesting to read the article.

[Marga]

Mindaugas Bauzys &Vilija Putriute (husband and wife) both at Ballet Arlington.

Actually, Mindaugas has been a soloist at Boston Ballet since January.

[vrsfanatic]

The photos in the links are just incredible. Glebb, how was the debut? This dancer looks incredible!

[Leigh Witchel]

I just saw Jezerskyte at DNB and found her very interesting (she is a second soloist and performed Titania in Ashton's The Dream)

Can anyone tell us a bit more about her and her training?

[Marga]

There's a short bio of Ruta at the Lithuanian National Opera Ballet's website:

http://www.opera.lt/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=367

There are pictures of both her and Egle as you scroll down the long page.

She is a very lovely dancer who trained and danced in many different schools and companies around the world, including Lithuania (where she got her start), the U.S., Germany, and Het Nationale Ballet.

Ruta Jezerskyte has won first, second and third prizes in Lausanne, Jackson (1998, as I remember), and Nagoya.

She danced Nutcracker (with Mindaugas Bauzys) with my children's ballet school many years ago (Christmas 1996, I think) and I remember watching her in rehearsal and being amazed at the turnout of her heel. She had it so in front, even when just standing, making her the image of the perfect ballerina. She danced the role so beautifully, as if in a fairy tale.

[GabbyN]

Here I have the part translated where the critic talks about Egle Spokaite .I’m sorry for any spelling mistakes.

Eglė Špokaitė and Nerijus Juška who know well the stylistics of the choreographer danced Gerald Arpino’s Reflections. They delighted with a sense of partnership, meditative duo facility. Interesting choreographic form with temperate turn-ups enabled the E. Spokaite's lines be revealed in all its beauty and the dance. In the background of jet-black curtains, augmented by minimalist scenography lines and Petras Geniushas, who was playing piano on the very stage, the dancers created a truly mysterious mood, which after having repaired the floor of the stage shall become severe force.

______________________________________________________________________

In general , reviews were very good, and all of my friends truly enjoyed the evening.

[Paul Parish]

My friends in Lithuania tell me that hte American evening went over really well, and htat Spokaite was sensationally beautiful in Arpino's Secret Places.... "like a tall pliant flower, weightless...."

[Martyna]

I live in Lithuania (though not in Vilnius), so I've heard about Egle a lot (I've also seen her dancing).

She IS an amazing dancer, though actually she's more classical - I mean, she can create a wonderful Juliette or Giselle, but she's too "soft" for Carmen she's really praised here and claimed to be the best dancer in Lithuania :yes:

[GabbyN]

I don’t exactly agree with you about Egle Spokaite being more of a classical dancer.

I know she did dance Odette –Odille, Giselle, Kitri, but she was never a strong technician (if I can say it this way) I much prefer seeing her in B. Eifman’s, K. Pastor’s work.

Of course she’s the most popular dancer and the biggest box office draw at the moment in LT, but I think she’s being loved for her personality, for her acting skills and unfortunately her repertoire these days is very limited.

[Martyna]

At last there's someone that says that she's not that strong technically!

I definitely agree that she has very good acting skills and dances with lots passion, but what do you not like about her technic? Maybe she's getting old? And i think that injuries she had affects her dancing.