Kirov in Cardiff, Wales - April 19-30, 2005

[Natalia]

The run begins tomorrow & includes the full-evening ballets Don Quixote and Romeo & Juliet, as well as the Diaghilev-Fokine Triple Bill (Chopininani/Scheherazade/Firebird).

Details:

http://www.worldwidedanceuk.com/events_det...sp?EventsID=319

Any & all reports welcomed!

Natalia

[Natalia]

A small note regarding the above. Casting for this run's two full-evening ballets (Don Q and R&J) has changed innumerable times, throughout the past month. Due to multiple injuries & the fact that only a few of the troupe's soloists are on the tour, we have the very odd situation of only TWO Kitris and only TWO Juliets throughout the run.

Kitris - all performances to be shared between Irma Nioradze and Olesya Novikova. The latter dancer has made Kitri her signature role; this should not be missed (if there's any way of controling who'll-dance-when).

Juliets - all performances to be shared between Maya Dumchenko and the Kirov's favored Juliet of the moment: Evgenia Obratsova. Both are magnificent in the role, IMO.

Lopatkina is on tap only for one or two Scheherazades on the Diaghilev mixed bill.

Details through this link:

http://www.worldwidedanceuk.com/events_det...sp?EventsID=319

[Thalictum]

Typical of the sadistic way the Kirov treats all dancers who are not proteges:

In Cardiff Sarafanov has three Mercutios, spread out over several days. Scherbakov is given two, BOTH ON THE SAME DAY.

Really this company has lost whatever logic or moral compass it may have possessed.

[Natalia]

Yes, that is unfortunate.

I'm sure that any links to the 'legit press' have been posted by Ari in the Links forum. There have been the usual casting changes since the above list was provided to me by the Mariinsky. For instance, Lopatkina cancelled her one scheduled appearance (in Scheherazade), this past weekend. It's a real shame for the UK public, some of whom made travel arrangements for precisely that one Lopatkina appearance. Lopatkina's image has been heavily used in the 'promos' leading up to the engagement, having been given the keys to Cardiff one year earlier & all that.