BREGVADZE

[rg]

because i have now discovered, thanks to balletalert, at least two readers who know somethings about a dancer i only 'discovered' as i collected russian and soviet ballet postcards, i'm posting here an 'album' where i've scanned and posted all the cards i've found so far of this visually compelling dancer.

here's the link then, to add to those already posted for this month, and many thanks to sylphide and andrei for their insights:

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p...624&uid=1471587

[Thalictum]

What do you want to know about Bregvadze?

[rg]

i don't know about other balletalert readers, but i don't have any particular questions about this 'unknown' dancer. first-hand recollections like andrei's, however, make lively reading.

i wonder, off-hand, if this photogenic dancer was filmed for television and if so, if these performances are still being circulated.

as i said, until i fixed on him as a subject of several ballet postcards, i was unfamilar with him, no doubt my loss and/or poor grasp of his period on soviet ballet stages.

[Marc Haegeman]

Robert, there is at least one short clip of Bregvadze which is easily accessible, on the "Glory of the Kirov" DVD, featuring him and Kurgapkina in the "Viennese Waltz" by Yakobson.

[Alexandra]

Thank you for that, Marc -- I thought I had all the "Glory of," "History of" etc. collections but this one I've missed.

From the photos in rg's collection, Bregvadze is fascinating -- a very wide range, indeed.

[Marc Haegeman]

This "Glory of the Kirov" DVD easily surpasses all other issues in the genre, and is a must have because of the quality and rarity of the material compiled there, as well as for the excellent tranfers. There is a similar "Glory of the Bolshoi" release, although slightly less interesting.

[Brioche]

I would also love to know more about Bregvadze. The video clip of him and Kurgapkina in the "Viennese Waltz" by Jakobson is incredibly charming. I've watched it a number of times and discover wonderful little nuances that both dancers bring to a seemingly "fluffy" pas. Bregvadze reminds me a little of Robert Helpman in the way that he appears to be a man of the theatre. I did a Google search and it appears he has taught in a number of places as well as at the Vaganova School. Is that correct?

Best,

B

[rg]

for anyone interested in photos of bregvadze, i've now moved a few more postcards into his 'album' - these are all duets, which were mixed among the cards in other albums and which weren't moved to the bregvadze album before today. the link above will take you to the updated selection.

[Thalictum]

He teaches a senior men's class at the Vaganova Academy. In the last ten years he has had a number of distinguished graduates, including Vasili Scherbakov, Mikhail Lobukhin, Ivan Popov, and Vladimir Shishov. He is married to former Kirov-ballerina Emma Menchyonok, a very talented dancer who never received all the opportunities she deserved. Nor was Bregvadze allowed on the company's major tours to Europe. But prior to Nureyev's advent, it was Bregvadze whose eroticism and charisma was considered heir to Chabukiani.

[Alexandra]

One thing I wondered when looking at rg's photographs is about the Chabukiani, and Nureyev, roles he did. I'd always read (and not just from Nureyev) that Chabukiani's roles had been retired because there wasn't an adequate successor. That's why he was partnered with Dudinskaya, then in her 40s, when he was 19 -- because she wanted to dance those roles again. Yet, here we have evidence that there was someone dancing those roles.

[Brioche]

Great information all!

Sometimes information is right under our noses and we (or I ) don't even realize it. I asked our Co-artistic Director here at Diablo Ballet - Nikolai Kabaniaev (a Vaganova Grad and former Kirov member) if he knew of Bragvadze. Not only did he know of him but he knows him!!! Nikolai (and his twin brother) are from the same city in Russia (which I never can remember the name) as Bragvadze and Bragvadze would return on a regular basis to teach and coach. Nikolai learned many roles from him and described him as very tough and demanding, but intelligent, talented and very, very nice. Nikolai will be happy to know that Bragvadze is teaching again at the Vaganova school.

Does anyone know the best way to contact the staff at the school?

Best,

Brioche

[rg]

as it seems to complement some of the discussion on this thread, i'm posting here an album of other soviet male dancers.

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p...319&uid=1471587

[Brioche]

RG -

Those are fantastic.

Many thanks,

B

[rg]

Brioche: if you're more adept than i may you'll see that i've sent you a PM.

i hope you can eventually find it; i only recently learned i had a few Private Messages back-logged and was totally unaware of their having been sent.

[Alexandra]

Thanks, rg. It is best to handle such thing through private messages, I think.

I will say this, though, generally. I'm very grateful that rg has posted these photos and let us look at them. As we've said in the video forum, people can't possibly send out photos or scans or videos, etc. to everyone who might want them, so please, don't ask

[Thalictum]

I believe Bregvadze is from Saratof.

[Thalictum]

Bregvadze had a very vociferous following. One night he entered in Don Q and a woman in a box screamed, "I've never seen such a beautiful man!"

So it is said. . .

However, after Nureyev appeared, Bregvadze, by now thirty-five, realized the passing of the torch had come and began to retire himself from roles like Solor.

[jose manuel]

to RG

I love your postcards! thank you so much for sharing them! please more!

only in the first postcard,could you change the spelling? it´s not fea balabina but Feya Balabina. not that this is terribly but "fea" sounds terrible to a spanish speaker!

by the way the surname "bregvadze" indicates Georgian origin like "tsiskaridze"

"nioradze",etc

jose manuel

[carbro]

by the way the surname "bregvadze" indicates Georgian origin like "tsiskaridze" "nioradze",etc

. . . And BALANCHIVADZE!

Transliteration can be a very tricky business, and if the Anglo-American translit of La Balabina's given name means "ugly" in Spanish :speechless: , perhaps it does warrant some emending.

[rg]

my transliteration for balabina's first name was my own hasty work of the cyrillic, i see the n.y.p.lib. for the perf. arts makes it FEIA while the international encyclopedia of dance goes w/ FEYA, which i think is what i should have done in the first place, so i've gone with FEYA.

[rg]

FYI: yesterday i was able to add a few scans to the 'bregvadze' group of ballet cards. the most recently scanned ones are all duets.

[Mireille]

Thank you for putting Mr. Bregvadze's postcards on the web. I was looking for pictures of him and information, at he was my teacher's teacher at the Vaganova's school.