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Svetlana Zakharova


verdura

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Interesting that she's been named an Etoile. I understand better the Royal Ballet's title of "Principal Guest Artist." How much time does Zakharova spend at La Scala, dancerboy?

Svetlana has been coming many many times as guest dancer at La Scala.It was supposed to happen.In the last two years she went for Swan Lake,Sleeping Beauty,Don Chisciotte,Giselle and every gala.We saw her many many times.Something had to happen.The real question is whether she will stay and accept the contract or gets back to Russia and refuse the opportunity.She can't be at the same time principal dancer at Bolshoj and at Scala....

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Interesting that she's been named an Etoile. I understand better the Royal Ballet's title of "Principal Guest Artist." How much time does Zakharova spend at La Scala, dancerboy?

Svetlana has been coming many many times as guest dancer at La Scala.It was supposed to happen.In the last two years she went for Swan Lake,Sleeping Beauty,Don Chisciotte,Giselle and every gala.We saw her many many times.Something had to happen.The real question is whether she will stay and accept the contract or gets back to Russia and refuse the opportunity.She can't be at the same time principal dancer at Bolshoj and at Scala....

I think it all depends on the wording of the position. A lot of dancers have multiple positions in different companies. I'm most familiar with the ABT arrangements.

Ferri was both a Principal Dancer at ABT as well as the title she held with La Scala. Nina Ananiashvili holds the same ABT slot as well as slots in Georgia and at the Bolshoi. Diana Vishneva is also PD at ABT as well as whatever her title at the MT

And so it goes with the men. Malakhov, Corella, Acosta have multiple "homes"

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The real question is whether she will stay and accept the contract or gets back to Russia and refuse the opportunity.She can't be at the same time principal dancer at Bolshoj and at Scala....

Is there a contractual reason that this can't be the case? I thought that Ferri had been a Principal at both ABT and La Scala. Vishneva and Malakhov are/have been Principal Dancers at more than one major company.

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The real question is whether she will stay and accept the contract or gets back to Russia and refuse the opportunity.She can't be at the same time principal dancer at Bolshoj and at Scala....

Is there a contractual reason that this can't be the case? I thought that Ferri had been a Principal at both ABT and La Scala. Vishneva and Malakhov are/have been Principal Dancers at more than one major company.

They tell me she's coming for some ballets and does others in Russia or anywhere.Until next Swan Lake in april with Matvienko,i think she's in Russia.

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Zakharova and Politics?

Why does that seem wrong?

I'm sorry, she might have wonderful views on what there is to "change in the world", but all the time she spends rehearsing and performing and being famous, I reckon she lacks the needed amount of time to really know the things going on in the world.

When I saw her perform Giselle with the Bolshoi in April '06, the lady sitting next to me told me that I was very lucky to catch her with her 'original' company. She barely performs at home anymore, or so the lady said, and she's abroad a lot of times. She only dances as much in her hometown as her contract demands of her. I don't know what to think of it, though - on one hand an artist needs to get around, breathe the air of different theaters and cities to broaden their horizon, on the other hand - what do too many trips do to one's ego? And isn't this the general debate with Zakharova, or am I wrong?

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Zakharova and Politics?

Why does that seem wrong?

I'm sorry, she might have wonderful views on what there is to "change in the world", but all the time she spends rehearsing and performing and being famous, I reckon she lacks the needed amount of time to really know the things going on in the world.

Figure Skater Anton Sikharulidze is member of the Russian Duma, and he is now the chairman of the State Duma Sports Committee. The Russian government sees fit to put experts in its government to oversee funding and direction. I don't see why a ballet dancer couldn't provide similar expertise in the arts. She certainly would have more experience than a random friend, donor, bureautcrat, or lobbyist appointed by a government.

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Our beloved Sveta has updated her schedule for the end of the year.

I'll be on NYC and Tokyo on a trip at July, 2013 so I'm always checking her site to see if there is a chance to see her in Tokyo beg.gif

Anyway for the NYC citzens, she will be starring on october at the Lincoln Centre, on a Gala (Oh my god, i wish i could be there...)

check it on http://www.svetlana-...m/Calendar.html

24,26 December Don Quixote Paris Opera Ballet, Théâtre Bastille

16 December Gala of Svetlana Zakharova and Friends National Opera, Kiev

8 December Giselle Sava Center, Belgrade, Serbia

2 December Gala of Svetlana Zakharova and Friends Kremlin Palace, Moscow

22-25 November The Pharaoh's Daughter Bolshoi Theatre

16 November Giselle Bolshoi Theatre

26 October Swan Lake Bolshoi Theatre

18 October Gala Stars of the 21st Century Lincoln Centre, New York

5,13 October La Bayadère Bavarian State Ballet Munich

22 September Gala Etoiles du 21e Siècle Théâtre des Champs Elysées Paris

15 September Don Quixote Bolshoi Theatre

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There's much discussion here about Olga Smirnova's recent Sleeping  Beauty cinema broadcast. Svetlana Zakharova's name inevitably appears. She actually performed the same work the night before, which prompted a lot of discussion and comparison at Ballet Friends, the largest internet ballet forum in Russia that I know of. There's also a cinema broadcast planned in a week or so of Swan Lake that I believe will be a repeat of her performance from about a year ago (?).

 

Olga Smirnova is new, fresh, exciting and immensely talented. She gets a great deal of my internet attention. One reason is probably just as I mentioned. She's new, fresh.... In addition, she comes over very well on video.

 

Svetlana Zakharova, when I've seen her on stage, has been immensely impressive. The video performance that I've greatly appreciated is her wonderfully enjoyable Pharaoh's Daughter. (I haven't seen the second recording).

 

I saw her perform La Bayadere live at the Bolshoi about a year ago and the audience response somewhat said it all. Everyone seemed to embrace her, know her intimately and took it for granted that they were going to see greatness. She was their performing queen and the highly enthusiastic response throughout was a totally assumed, intelligent, unwavering and heartfelt acknowledgement. There seemed to be no question that she was very special and perhaps, above all, she was one of them. I thought it was an exceptional performance. They assumed it would be.

 

Perhaps the major quality that has impressed me in her stage appearances is her command. She seems to naturally belong to be front and center.

 

When I became of huge fan was when she returned to the stage almost immediately after giving birth to her little girl. It was a gala in London in honor of Galina Ulanova and I could almost not believe what I was seeing. She was more fit than I'd ever seen her and her expressive ability had hugely matured, something not uncommon in ballerinas that I've seen after maternity leave. Interesting enough this was the first time that I saw Olga Smirnova, still a Vaganova student, and it was evident that she was a great talent.

 

Svetlana Zakharova, for me, now represents a striving for perfection. But you have to have sensitivity and soul as well. This she has, although perhaps in a more subtle manner. Her dance is graceful loveliness at its finest and her presence is indeed compelling. Many consider her the finest ballerina today. I would probably have to place Ulyana Lopatkina as at least her equal, with such younger ballerinas  as Olga Smirnova and Oxana Skorik commanding a great deal of attention. They are all tall, linear, statuesque beauties with amazing art and dreamlike enchantment.

 

Overall, I have to come back to one major feeling. Svetlana Zakharova, in her assumingly non-assuming way, simply commands the stage like no other.

 

I don't like to say who's best. I don't really think that it matters. In so many ways, I love them all. Svetlana Zakharova is certainly one that I enjoy immensely and hope that we see much more of. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Buddy
a few descriptive words added
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A Russian colleague of mine told me that Svetlana Zakharova, answering a question in a recent interview why she was absent from social media, said that when the social media appeared this was interesting, it provided an opportunity to the artist to communicate directly with all. However, social media gave also an opportunity to certain individuals to write bad things.

Myself I can add, that it really doesn't matter whether there is any reason or not, the most sublime performance can be reviled, few people are competent to understand whether there is any truth in it.

https://ru.calameo.com/read/005666085c46995869b79

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Laurent,

      This is true. I am just a fan of both ballet and opera, although I have much more experience with opera.

      I do think the performing arts have always had "experts" and simple fans giving opinions. Sometimes experts can be so caught up in the technical aspects they miss other aspects. Fans can sometimes see things with a different perspective that is fresh compared to an older, experienced critic. Both can be dismissive of great artists as well.

      Even critics and/or experts disagree on some dancers and singers and fight like cats and dogs. Even today people argue over Maria Callas and Dame Joan Sutherland and probably always will. People hear and see things differently no matter what their background is. Art is very subjective. But I do try to stay positive when I see an artist give her all. I just saw Svetlana Zakharova in the Bolshoi's La Bayadere in Milan, and I think it is a shame that many on BA dismiss her due to her high extensions. She has given very good and some great performances over the years and, in my opinion, she deserves respect as an artist.

 

 

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15 minutes ago, Birdsall said:

Even today people argue over Maria Callas and Dame Joan Sutherland

That's very true, it's Sutherland all the way for me.  You may be interested to hear I've just been given a ticket for a singing hologram of Callas, future for performing arts?  Mind you if they could create a hologram of Fonteyn and Nureyev.....

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Hello, friends....

I have been training in Russian ballet since I was five, under the pedagogy of several Vaganova Ballet Academy graduates. Svetlana Zakharova is, in my opinion, the most exquisite, moving, elegantly ethereal (sorry...I am very passionate about her dancing 😊...) ballerina as to ever grace the earth. The world of ballet would not be the same as it is without her...this I truly believe. To any other Zakharova followers---what piece that she has performed is your favorite? I love "Revelation," "Rain Before it Falls," and her performance "Lady of the Camellias," especially the pas de deux of Marguerite (then wearing a black gown) and Armand.  

Добрый вечер!

Veya

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