Natalia Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 I'm opening this thread for all post-performance reports, as the run commences tonight. I hope that some of our DC 'regulars' & visitors who attend may be able to share their impressions. Link to comment
Natalia Posted July 6, 2005 Author Share Posted July 6, 2005 So am I the only one who went last night? It's way too busy in the office so I won't be able to write much today. It was a GREAT night last night. What a way to end the 2004/2005 Kennedy Center Ballet Season! Thoughts on opening night (July 5): Let the record show: Leonid Sarafanov as Ali was THE HIT of the evening, garnering the greatest applause of the night, by far, for his solo and coda in Act II's Pas de Deux-a-Trois. Hey, he even lifted his Medora high & proudly in a secure -- repeat, a SECURE -- presage lift, with nary a wobble in sight! BRAVO, LEONID! The auditorium went crazy for him & he, in turn, was quite visibly moved by our accolades. The other men were also superb: as Conrad - Ilya Kuznetsov, a magical presence & powerful jumper for whom the Kenn Center stage appears to be too small; Birbanto - Dmitri Pukhachev, a wonderful dancer who is rarely featured on tours; and Lankadem - Andrian Fadeev, one of the Kirov's most noble princes, tonight a crafty slave trader displaying fantastic jumps into deep plies, in his Pas d'Esclave variation. [Neat coincidence: All three of these men were classmates at the 1995 Vaganova Academy graduation!] Come to think about it, the male soloists made the greatest impact last night, not that the ladies were shabby. Viktoria Terioshkina's Medora was a technical wonder with picture-perfect, unexaggerated positions & spot-on fouettes. Terioshkina easily recovered from a tiny slip at the outset, as she made her Act I entrace, making all of us gasp. Ekaterina Osmolkina was the most aloof aristocrat of a Gulnare I've ever seen, dancing very well but perhaps a bit miscast in this normally-bubbly soubrette role. [Osmolkina's haughty airs work in her favor when she portrays Gamzatti in Bayadere.] The three odalisques were all refreshingly charming, each with a strong point: Irina Golub displaying the best musicality & strongest technique overall (first variation); Daria Sukhorukova with the longest, leanest line (second variation); and Tatyana Tkachenko with the most explosive leaps in the entree, yet spinning off-axis in pirouettes and displaying general instability in the very difficult 3rd variation. The corps of dancing pirates and animated flowers seemed a bit tired but displayed the trademark Kirov uniformity and grace most of the time. Many wonderful Kirov soloists took part in the Jardin Anime; for example, Alexandra Iosifidi and Ekaterina Kondaurova, the two tallest girls at front-center, dance principal roles back home from time to time. Here in DC they're anonymous members of the corps de ballet. Senior character principals/soloists, such as Galina Rakhmanova (as the lead pirate girl) and Vladimir Ponomaryev (as the sultan), are here listed as corps de ballet. Can't the Kirov provide the Kennedy Center with the proper titles of dancers? The full sets from St. Petersburg have been brought over for this tour, including three bubbling fountains during the Jardin Anime scene. [i've seen Kirov tours that omit the fountains.] On the other hand, DC was deprived of the full impact of the Jardin Anime ensemble, as the Vaganova Academy's boys & girls did not make the trip. However, I prefer "no kids" to "local kids" who can't be expected to blend into a "Pure Vaganova Style" ensemble with one or two days of coaching. Major Negatives? Not too many to report. Worst offender was the flimsy-sounding 'banda' masquerading as an orchestra. What was that all about? For example, the music for the 'Forbane' character dance in Act II seemed to be played by a palm-court band at a the-dansant, the poor dancers stomping extra hard as they tried to provide energy & the right tempo. Kudos to Galina Rakhmanova/Dimitri Pukhachev and the two other couples for keeping the dance alive while the music fizzled. Was the conductor really Mikhail Agrest, one of the Kirov's regular ballet conductors? Did he have time to rehearse with the local musicians? I'll let others elaborate on all of this & more. Natalia Nabatova Link to comment
Mike Gunther Posted July 6, 2005 Share Posted July 6, 2005 Thanks for starting us off, Natalia, in such fine fashion! I attended last night's opener but this is the first chance I've had to sit down at the computer. Things started off a bit raggedly, I thought - the corps was unsynchronized in their opening number (not that it's easy, with all those grandes jambes en rond.) Even the seriously talented and gorgeous Viktoria Tereshkina had a minor slip in the background, as you mentioned - I think possibly due to stage clutter. Things got better after that, although the dancing wasn't as stable as I would have liked... wobbly spins, dancers skipping off their balance-on-pointe, instead of holding it, at the end of their combinations... . Even the explosively bravura elements made me nervous rather than exalted - it felt like they were just too close to the edge, most of the time. Not that most other companies would even dare to attempt some of those combinations, much less bring them off successfully! Yes, Leonid Sarafanov as Ali was surely the star of the evening. Everybody went "oooh" when he nailed The Lift, not to mention his spectacular evolutions. He is like the "Spider Man" of ballet, all tensile strength and extension! (By the way, can someone please tell me where that costume comes from - the turquoise pantaloons, feather, etc. - one sees it in so many ballets but I've never traced it back to its origin - there must be a FAQ somewhere). Ilya Kuznetsov, as Conrad, was quite the contrast to Sarafanov. Muscled and charismatic onstage (someone near me mumbled, "Baryshnikov" when he came on), I wish he had more to do besides just striding around looking handsome, but dancers have to work with what the choreography gives them. Natalia has sufficiently praised Viktoria Tereshkina as Medora and Ekaterina Osmolkina as Gulnara, so I don't need to add anything there! Among the Odalisques, Tatyana Tkachenko was the one who cought my eye, no mean feat opposite the likes of Irina Golub and Daria Sukhorukova. In Tkachenko's first variation, I thought, "wow, this is a really great dancer." Her second variation, although competently executed, seemed to lack the panache of her first. In a way the most interesting men's role is Lankedem, danced last night by Andrian Fadeyev. Lankedem is not given the "wow"-choreography of Ali or the "noblesse"-choreography of Conrad, but I feel that his role is actually what stitches the production together. Fadeyev did everything needed and more, developing a consistent and unusual character (a happy slave-trader!) while dancing with sensitivity and vigor. Impressions of the physical production: (1) *great* scenic design for the pirate ship in the opening and closing vignettes, (2) alarmingly modernist scenic design in the other acts, (3) costumes seemed a bit worn, need spiffing up. I have to admit that this isn't one of my favorite ballets. I am all in favor of vulgar excess if tastefully done <:smile>, but Le Corsaire is nothing but a bunch of dance cliches (the Corps! the Grand Pas! the Rose Garden!) strung together on the flimsiest possible excuse for a plot (girls get captured; girls get rescued; girls get recaptured; girls get re-rescued). It's like the Olympics without the Gold, "Abduction from the Seraglio" without Mozart. It lacks emotional connection and character development. And you hardly need a dictionary to understand the mime, when Seid Pasha makes the "hourglass figure" with his hands to express his appreciation for the ladies of his harem. No, if you're going to this one, it's just for spectacular technical dance. The production was well-received by an enthusiastic audience, stopping just short of a standing ovation at the end. (An embarassing moment, when the ushers went onstage with bouquets but obviously had no idea about who to give them to!) It was a typical Kennedy Center summer audience, consisting of young and old, tourists and subscribers, luminaries (Septime Webre, others) and first-timers, dancers, mavens and enthusiasts. I think the Kirov made new friends for dance last night, and I did (honest!) enjoy the performance! Link to comment
Natalia Posted July 7, 2005 Author Share Posted July 7, 2005 Belated thanks for that wonderful report, Mike. With the horrible news from London this morning, the last thing on my mind is Kirov. If anyone has the energy & spirit to write about last night's second performance (Somova's Medora...I did not attend), please feel free to do so here. NN Link to comment
Mireille Posted July 7, 2005 Share Posted July 7, 2005 Thank you both for posting such detailed and well-informed reviews of the performance, I can almost see it. I wished we could read such reviews in newspapers, I bet it would attract more people to ballet. Link to comment
Natalia Posted July 8, 2005 Author Share Posted July 8, 2005 Thanks, Mireille. Did any among us see the 2nd (Somova/Shishov) & 3rd (Gumerova/Ivanchenko)performances? I know that we have Hans going tonight (essentially the opening night cast, except that Korsakov replaces Sarafanov as Ali). I'm going to tomorrow's matinee (Tkachenko/Ivanchenko) & I know a couple of folks who'll be at the Sunday matinee. Link to comment
koshka Posted July 8, 2005 Share Posted July 8, 2005 I was there last night (Thursday) and will put my (limited!) powers of observation to work. The production is very DonQ-ish in the sense of bouncy music and plenty of mime and cheesiness. The oft-mentioned fountains, however, were at the back of the stage behind a scrim, so I was not particularly impressed. The dancing was generally very good, though neither Gumerova nor Ivanchenko much appealed to me. Gumerova had a bit of scary turning in the second or third act--can't remember which. Golub was wonderful. Sarafanov and Korsakov danced spectacularly. They both look like they're about 15. Sarafanov still has this goofy-puppy look about him, and Korsakov was wearing makeup on his torso, presumably to make him look less pasty. The makeup did not ultimately hide what appears to be a tattoo between his shoulderblades. The conductor was mercifully short (my seat is right behind him), and I can report that he must be related to Monica Seles--there was lots of grunting and sighing from him. The corps work was lovely, esp. in the first act. In the last act, there was a huge blooper: one of the front-row corps members appeared on stage still wearing her black warmup shorts under her tutu. Alas, she was stuck on stage for quite somem time. Oooops. Link to comment
Natalia Posted July 8, 2005 Author Share Posted July 8, 2005 Thanks for this fun report, koshka! My goodness...poor corps member. She earns the "Kevin McKenzie Trophy" of 2005 for most conspicuous warm-up clothing on stage. We all remember what happened to Kevin during a 1980s live telecast of the ABT 'Romeo & Juliet,' don't we? Did Golub dance Gulnare last night or 1st Odalisque, as in the opening night? How were last night's odalisques? Link to comment
koshka Posted July 8, 2005 Share Posted July 8, 2005 Golub was Gulnara. The Odalisques were terrific. I don't know the Mckenzie story--would you like to share? Link to comment
Hans Posted July 8, 2005 Share Posted July 8, 2005 I didn't see it, but I've heard the story--Kevin McKenzie went onstage during a live telecast of the balcony scene pas de deux (is that correct?) from Romeo & Juliet wearing some type of sweatpants/warm-up pants. I think he somehow managed to slip offstage for a moment to take them off--he must have been mortified! Link to comment
carbro Posted July 8, 2005 Share Posted July 8, 2005 Actually, it was a Live From Lincoln Center telecast, and in the crypt scene, he entered swathed in a cape. Finding Juliet's corpse, he threw off the cape, and . . . voila! I think that was the last time ABT broadcast live. It was the last scene, of course, and there was no opportunity to repair backstage for -- uh -- repairs. :blush: I was very impressed by Makarova's complete composure. While she must have been thinking, "You #%@#! You ruined my tv show!!!" she never broke character. I can excuse the dancer's being nervous and therefore distracted, but what about the wardrobe person??? Link to comment
Thalictum Posted July 8, 2005 Share Posted July 8, 2005 But the wardrobe person isn't always in the wings with the dancer. Link to comment
LazerCanary Posted July 9, 2005 Share Posted July 9, 2005 to Kirov for dancing! O my gosh. After 4 months of no live ballet, I was dying for my fix. It does make an evening at the ballet that much more treasured, remembered, and special. I did attend the July 5 performance. Then had to run up NYC and only just recovered. O The Dancing! The rest of you who attended July 5 covered the evening well. That small slip in the beginning actually *sounded* much worse that a small slip, pointe shoe lost contact and ballerina fell flat on her side. Having done this before in skating, I spent the next five minutes amazed that she could pick right up. Bones of steel...and ice doesn't give. The men completely outshined. Konrad could go right on strolling magnificently around the stage looking handsome for two more hours, and that would not have bothered me I agree, fountains didn't quite have the effect. It was the background "white noise" of the fountains that I found detracting. That and at two points during the performance when major set changes occurred without intermission, the audience was left hanging on a very awkward pause. Certainly, most was forgotten the moment a gloriously glamorous scene was revealed. Yes, go for the dancing in Le Corsaire and not the story. It's really bad. I wanted to take my boyfriend to this one as it is his first time to see a ballet. It would have been perfect for him had his schedule not turned over like a turtle. Lots of action. Great dancing by a wonderful company. We can worry about the story line when he graduates to Ballet 201 :rolleyes: Is it my imagination or does the Kirov have a stronger corp these days than Bolshoi? I haven't crazy about the Bolshoi corp in a couple of years. Kirov just looks stronger. And my gosh those MEN I loved the Kevin MacKenzie story. Hysterical. Poor guy. Link to comment
AG Posted July 9, 2005 Share Posted July 9, 2005 Not to get too off track from the real topic of discussion...I wouldn't blame the wardrobe person either--Romeo is dressed in the same monk's (floor-length and hooded) garb as more than a dozen others and enters in near-darkness with that procession; it is also quite dark and crowded backstage as the scene begins. Come to think of it, I'm not sure I've ever seen a dresser tell a dancer when to remove warm-up gear. Indeed, it was an unfortunate oversight but not hard to understand how it happened. (In the present instance, however, it does stike me that black wool with a pink tutu and tights ought to have caught someone's eye--perhaps the girl next to her?--much more so than grey sweatpants on neutral-toned tights might.) Then again, there's nothing like live theatre, missteps and wardrobe malfunctions and all! Link to comment
MichelleW Posted July 9, 2005 Share Posted July 9, 2005 I saw the July 8 performance. The sets were fun and set the mood. Everyone's right. Corsaire, at its root, has no compelling plot to speak of and truly encapsulates all of (to quote another poster) the "vulgar excess" of ballet. But it was a great show nonetheless. It had been awhile since I'd seen a Russian company. Having cut my teeth on SFB, ABT and NYCB, I forgot how differently the Russians do things, with bows and reverances in the middle of scenes, curtain calls at the end of Acts, etc. It's a tribute to their culture, in a sense, that they value their dancers so highly. Viktoria Terioshkina was dancing Medora and she visibly lost her footing in the Jardin Anime scene. I noticed a couple of shaky balances during the night -- not only on her part either -- and instances when the women leaned on their partners just a little too hard. I don't know what was up, but the show was glorious in spite of it all. I think Anton Korsakov stole the show as the Slave; his dancing was brilliant and alive. Link to comment
Hans Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Tereshkina had an extremely unpleasant evening--I felt really bad for her. After missing a pirouette a la seconde during her Act II variation, she did a pas de bourree to 4th and tried to do a triple pirouette en dehors, which she fell out of. In her Act III variation, she had a huge slip and very nearly fell, and she also missed the pirouette at the end of the Act III adagio in the Jardin Anime. This was one of the few times I broke my rule of "no applause while the music is playing" and started applauding before she finished her ballonnées--I felt she needed the support. Everything the dancers did was extremely clean, and Ekaterina Osmolkina was nearly ideal as Gulnara. She has beautiful strong technique; what a pleasure it would be to see her as Medora! The corps was, as always, an absolute joy. I just cannot say enough in praise of them. Always in perfect harmony and sparkling. The three Odalisques danced very well; everything was neat and energetic, but I did miss the entrechat-six de volés during the last variation (Zhelonkina substituted regular assemblés). However, she performed her double pirouettes with zest, giving the impression that she could easily have done triples had she been so inclined. I'd love to write a very detailed post, but this weekend is exhausting! Essentially my main impressions were: More Osmolkina! More Fadeyev! More Korsakov! They are all wonderful...I wonder what Daria Pavlenko would do as Medora. Also, I missed seeing Danila Korsuntsev; I suppose he's dancing in St. Petersburg for now. Link to comment
richard53dog Posted July 10, 2005 Share Posted July 10, 2005 Tereshkina had an extremely unpleasant evening--I felt really bad for her. This was one of the few times I broke my rule of "no applause while the music is playing" and started applauding before she finished her ballonnées--I felt she needed the support. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hans, What a generous gesture! It sounds like those in DC are having a fine time with the Kirov Le Corsair. I find it really neat that a piece like this, not exactly common currency in the US, just finished a very successful run in NYC with ABT and almost immediately the Kirov run in DC began. Richard Link to comment
Hans Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Ok, now that I've had some time to think, I'll go ahead and expand on my review. I liked the prologue. It was nice to have an actual person atop the mast instead of ABT's mannequin. The water was also quite well-done, but that leads to a question: If the Kirov can fill the stage with "water" for Le Corsair, why can't it produce a flood for Act IV of Swan Lake? I was very excited by the beginning of Act I--it had coherent mime! Often these days, ballet mime speeches go something like this: "You them no. Please." "I you" (double pirouette) Not easy to decipher! But the Kirov still knows how to do it properly. One only wishes they would allow the dancers to employ their beautiful mime skills in more ballets. I found Tereshkina spastic in her first little solo rather than graceful--she expended too much effort in trying to raise her legs and not enough effort acting. For comparison, see the Kirov's Corsair video with Asylmuratova, who appears quite frantic in the slave market. Osmolkina as Gulnara was appropriately unhappy in the pas d'esclave and clearly repulsed by both Lankedem and the Seid Pasha. She was proof that one can both act and display impressive technique. In the coda, she began with a double pirouette, did a sautillé while moving her working leg from front to side, and then did a double pirouette. She repeated this combination five times, finishing with a clean triple pirouette--beautiful. Andrian Fadeyev as Lankedem acted very well IMO--clear mime and dancing that was clean and exciting without being over the top. During the intermission, I overheard this priceless comment from a fellow audience-member: "I didn't love Frou-frou Skirt Girl." In the Act II pas de trois between Medora, Conrad, and Ali, Tereshkina was relatively understated in terms of extension, and she made good use of her port de bras. Korsakov's variation was duly impressive, and Tereshkina's variation was really quite good in spite of the mishaps I mentioned above. Her opening en dedans pirouettes finished in arabesque en pointe, and she balanced nicely several times during the sissones simples sur les pointes. However, dancers are perfectionists, and I'm sure her confidence was quite shaken, so she deserves to be praised for her solid fouettés. Korsakov received a huge (deserved) roar from the audience for his manège during the coda, but the only signs of stress that Tereshkina showed were some minor travelling forward and tension in her arms. In the "bedroom" pas de deux (which is obviously not Petipa--Doug, has this scene been notated?) the main objective was clearly to contort as much as possible. During some supported cabrioles, Tereshkina split her legs to about 190 degrees, which drew some gasps. In Act III, the Odalisques were good as I said before (although there were some brisés that could have been more turned out). The corps was perfect. Looking back, what really impresses me about the Kirov corps is that while I know they must have rehearsed it to death, the dancing never looks over-rehearsed. The corps dancers move together naturally in the way that comes from all having the same training, so they can relax a little and allow their dancing to look more natural. Contrast this to ABT's recent Swan Lake, in which the corps was clearly quite nervous, each dancer paying obsessive attention to exactly where her head and arms were. The Kirov corps doesn't have to think so much--they just do it. I loved the fountains in this act. The sound of rushing water helps give the impression that the action is taking place outside. I only wish they had left them on through the entire Jardin Animé scene instead of turning them off after the adagio. Speaking of the adagio, Tereshkina balanced very competently. Her missed pirouette at the end therefore came as a surprise, as she had just held an attitude derrière croisée for several seconds. Osmolkina danced her variation charmingly and with great precision, especially the complicated turning combination at the end. Tereshkina again danced her variation beautifully until she slipped while running to the corner in preparation for a series of turns--I don't how how she pulled herself back onto her feet without hitting the floor, but she did, and the rest of her variation went well. I don't wish to cast a negative light on the performance or the individual dancers, so I may start another thread for an issue I've noticed regarding the types of bodies the Kirov has lately been promoting--the hypermobile type. Actually, it's not so much that the dancers are flexible as that they have been encouraged to develop their flexibility to the detriment of almost everything else. The wonderful light Kirov grand allegro is no longer there--the dancers are too busy trying to see which one of them can split their legs the most beyond 180 degrees to bother with actually jumping, and their excessive flexibility interferes very seriously with petit allegro. The petit allegro in this performance wasn't bad, exactly, but it wasn't of the sharp, brilliant quality that I've come to expect from them. There's nothing wrong with a dancer being naturally flexible (Asylmuratova clearly had the potential to become a pretzel); it's the development of such flexibility rather than strength that is a problem. When a dancer is naturally flexible, it is advisable to for them to work more on allegro than on contorting during adagio (for an unflexible dancer, the reverse is true, at least in the classroom). Such training will promote a balanced technique. Vaganova wrote that while adagio is important, the entire ballet class is but a preparation for allegro. Unfortunately, the Kirov seems to have changed its priorities. Link to comment
Natalia Posted July 11, 2005 Author Share Posted July 11, 2005 (edited) Tereshkina had an extremely unpleasant evening.....The three Odalisques danced very well;.....Zhelonkina substituted regular assemblés). ...... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I ended up going to the Friday performance after all & completely agree about poor Viktoria Tereshkina. She encountered troubles (off balances & slips) throughout the night. Tuesday was much, much better for her, even with the opening fall. Zhelonkina did not come to DC; that was Olesya Novikova as the 3rd odalisque on Friday night. It's a shame that the Kirov did not bother to inform the Kennedy Center playbill people about numerous changes throughout the weekend performances. To name a few, off the top of my head: * Novikova danced 3rd odalisque a couple of times this weekend (Friday night, for sure) * Daria Sukhorukova danced 3rd odalique at the Sat matinee...slipping in the middle...she was thrown into this role at the 11th hour, as she normally dances 2nd odalisque * the amazing Islom Baimuradov danced Birbanto on Friday night. This is one of his great roles back at the Mariinsky & it's an absolute disgrace that (a) he was not originally cast as Birbanto in any of the DC performances and (b) once he got his chance to dance his signature role in DC, there was no programme casting correction. With all due respect to the fine dancer Dmitri Pukhachev -- who was cast as Birbanto for the entire run -- Baimuratov is a true character dancer. Pukhachev is a classical dancer & somehow was cast in a character role here (a miracle, as he is rarely cast in meaty roles back home!). Also, the programme did not make note of the several role-debuts at the Sat matinee -- most notably Tatyana Tkachenko as Medora, shaky in the first two acts but recovering with a splendid Jardin Anime solo, particularly the 'floating, easy' quality of her middle diagonal of pirouettes in attitude. The HUGE surprise, for me, was the spectacular Gulnare of Olesya Novikova in the same Sat matinee performance; Novikova just debuted in the role last month, back home. The Kirov has found its new Vishneva in Novikova, IMO. [Wait til London sees the powerful 'Tkachenko - Novikova' combination in Ballet Imperial! I think...I hope...that one of the two London BIs goes to them.] Gorgeous Evgenia Obraztsova -- fresh off the plane with her 2005 Moscow IBC gold medal -- did not disappoint as the 1st odalisque at all of the weekend performances. What a smile! What a Beauty with a capital 'B'! I'm so looking forward to finally seeing her celebrated Juliet in London, two weeks from now. It was nice to see Dmitri Semionov -- older brother of the famous Berlin Ballet ballerina Polina Semionova, by the way -- back in action as Ali, on Sat afternoon. His Solor in Bayadere 'Shades' during the Mariinsky Festival, last March, was my very first look at him since his 3-4 year recovery period following an injury in 2001. He is now a blonde with a Friar Tuck haircut! [He sported his natural dark-brown locks in 2000/2001.] Semionov remains a very strong & powerful dancer, although his bland demeanor made his the coolest of Alis during the DC run. [unless Semionov learns to open-up his personality, he is in danger of earning the next "Viktor Baranov Trophy" for reliability and not much else.] Oh...and let it be noted that Leonid Sarafanov remained the King of the Kirov during this run. Kuznetsov, Fadeev, Korsakov, Semionov, Pukhachev, Baimuratov...all wonderful princes and dukes. But there was one undeniable King in the hearts of the DC public and his name is Leonid Sarafanov. Let's deal with it. And I take back everything negative that I may have written about this artists's partnerning problems in the past; as a soloist, he more than makes up for it! Natalia Edited July 11, 2005 by Natalia Link to comment
Hans Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 Natalia, thank you for the program corrections. You reminded me that I forgot to praise Baimuradov for a spectacular Birbanto--it was very well done! Link to comment
koshka Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 A few quick notes on Sunday. > Oh...and let it be noted that Leonid Sarafanov remained the King of the Kirov > during this run. He was spectacular as Ali. He has the puppy look and needs to work on his "Prince" demeanor, but he was definitely the scene-stealer. Once again on Sunday Medora was danced by Somova and didn't really do much for me. Good thing there are so many other juicy principal roles to watch in Le Corsaire! Gulnara (Obraztsova, I think) was lovely and amazing. They really ought to get the casting info right--I completely agree. Heck, I'd settle for a spoken announcement! A few choreographic notes: what are those hoppy fouettes in the first act, done by either Medora or Gulnara (can't remember)? I have never seen them before. Ditto for the turns a la seconde for Medora--I have seen them in class (yuck!) but never in performance by a woman--do they appear in any other works? Link to comment
Natalia Posted July 11, 2005 Author Share Posted July 11, 2005 (edited) A few quick notes on Sunday.Once again on Sunday Medora was danced by Somova and didn't really do much for me. .... Gulnara (Obraztsova, I think) was lovely and amazing. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Who gave you that info, koshka? Those were Sofia Gumerova as Medora and Ekaterina Osmolkina as Gulnare yesterday. [i could only stay through Act II as I had a wedding anniversary to attend at 4pm. ] But it was definitely La Gumerova & Osmolkina on Sunday...so the playbill was right on those two women. I agree on Gumerova's lackluster Medora. Maybe she's not my cup of tea but it's been ten years since her Vaganova Academy graduation & I'm *still* waiting to see some luster from Sofia Gumerova. Osmolkina's best Gulnare was on Friday night....QUADRUPLE pirouette at the end of her coda sequence of 'hoppy fouettes' in the Pas d'Esclave. She was less secure but OK on Tuesday & Sunday. Best overall Gulnare, though, was Novikova, at the Sat matinee, not for any one 'trick' but for overall beauty, charm & technique. [Osmolkina's look is aloof although she opened up at later performances, compared to opening night.] Like I wrote earlier -- Novikova is the Mariinsky's new Vishneva -- and she, in fact, is quickly taking on the Vishneva repertoire at the Mariinsky, including a splendid debut in Rubies, in May. Remember the name: Olesya Novikova. Natalia Nabatova Edited July 11, 2005 by Natalia Link to comment
Hans Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 The hoppy fouettés are called sautillés (little jumps...?) en tournant. I suppose the full name might be something like rond de jambe fouetté sautillé en tournant, if that makes any sense in French. Regarding pirouettes à la seconde en dedans, Aurora does one during the Rose Adagio, and I'm pretty sure that there's a variation from Don Quixote in which they occur (see the DVD with Ruzimatov and Terekhova, specifically the flower girl variation during the grand pas de deux in the last act). Sometimes they are inserted instead of pirouettes in attitude derrière during Odile's variation. Link to comment
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