Guest Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 We on the West Coast are going to miss her, but at least we can still follow her on Instagram. I was looking through her instagram for a particular fashion photo and discovered there's a whole subgenre of Maria selfies where's she's in full performance regalia, tutu and all, but flaked out on the floor or couch. I love how down-to-earth these photos are. I saw her in Theme and Variations a few days after she posted this photo and had a greater appreciation for the enormous amount of energy required to dance that piece. I finally found the photo I was looking for of her wearing impossibly huge unballerina shoes -- great street style! And then, a recent fashion photo of her in Moscow: Link to comment
pherank Posted June 9, 2018 Share Posted June 9, 2018 (edited) On 6/9/2018 at 2:15 PM, Quinten said: We on the West Coast are going to miss her, but at least we can still follow her on Instagram. I was looking through her instagram for a particular fashion photo and discovered there's a whole subgenre of Maria selfies where's she's in full performance regalia, tutu and all, but flaked out on the floor or couch. I love how down-to-earth these photos are. I saw her in Theme and Variations a few days after she posted this photo and had a greater appreciation for the enormous amount of energy required to dance that piece. The best 'diary of a ballet dancer' in existence. You're right that there are various sub-genres/themes that come up from time to time. The "slumped on couch or floor" images are very numerous. Here's the "floating in midair" theme: There's the neon green coat that appears in many photos. She also wears her Golden State Warriors basketball outfit (or just the shorts) in a number of photos. And of course, the crazy shoes and eye glasses: As far as people are concerned, there are many photos with Sebastien Kloborg, Paul Lightfoot, Daniil Simkin, Joaquin De Luz and Polina Semionova. There are a number of photos of Masha "with funny look on her face" while sitting beside someone else: A few of my all-time favorites - 'Masha Meets the Alps' Masha at Joshua Tree Winter - Skodsborg, Denmark Masha dressing as Yayoi Kusama with Henry the Lion The Academy New York Masha at Alcatraz Island for Ai Weiwei art exhibit Edited June 11, 2018 by pherank Link to comment
diane Posted June 10, 2018 Share Posted June 10, 2018 Wonderful, thanks for those! -d- Link to comment
pherank Posted June 11, 2018 Share Posted June 11, 2018 I added a few more favorites in above. Another theme (that I appreciate) are her snapshots with a skewed orientation, a la Aleksandr Rodchenko: Link to comment
Fosca Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 Press release from THE NORWEGIAN NATIONAL OPERA & BALLET Maria Kochetkova to star with the The Norwegian National Ballet One of the world’s leading ballerinas will be dancing with The Norwegian National Ballet from next season. – There is no doubt that Maria Kochetkova is one of the world’s leading ballerinas and she is a unique artist with a distinctive style. It is really a feather in our cap that she has chosen to dance with our company, says Ballet Director Ingrid Lorentzen. Maria Kochetkova was awarded with the Positano Prize as “Ballerina of the Year” in 2017. She will now become principal guest artist with The Norwegian National Ballet and will this autumn dance the leading roles in Manon and Swan Lake in Oslo. – I’m looking forward to be performing with The Norwegian National Ballet in some of their productions next season including Manon which has always been a dream of mine, says Kochetkova. The Russian Maria Kochetkova has danced with some of the biggest and most renowned companies including: The Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and most recently she was a principal with San Francisco Ballet. She has also guested companies and stages around the world. She is known for taking on the big classical roles as well as working with choreographers on new pieces. She is a major profile known also for her sense of style and has been involved in both music- and design videos. Just last week she was awarded the Positano Benois-Massine Prize, her most recent of a long line of international awards. Link to comment
Buddy Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 She certainly choses beautiful places. Link to comment
pherank Posted June 15, 2018 Share Posted June 15, 2018 6 hours ago, Fosca said: One of the world’s leading ballerinas will be dancing with The Norwegian National Ballet from next season. I wouldn't have guessed this one. But she will be close to her relatives in Russia. Link to comment
pherank Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 Masha finally posted a reference to her new arrangement: Season 2018/19 "I’m looking forward to be performing with Norwegian National Ballet @operaen_ in some of their productions next season including Manon which has always been a dream of mine."https://www.instagram.com/p/BkOlxbYh0wX/?taken-by=balletrusse "Some of" makes it sound like this is a special arrangement - she may get to be choosy about what she participates in. I also wonder if in 2020 she'll spend the season with a different company… Link to comment
vipa Posted June 24, 2018 Share Posted June 24, 2018 It's still mystifying to me why she left SFB. She was able to be a principal with ABT & SFB and amazingly enough do guesting, so it seems she was able to do lots of other things while at SFB. I guess I'll never know. I only saw her at ABT and liked her - didn't love her, but she is an exceptionally accomplished dancer. I hope she finds what she is looking for at this stage i her career. Link to comment
pherank Posted June 24, 2018 Share Posted June 24, 2018 6 hours ago, vipa said: It's still mystifying to me why she left SFB. She was able to be a principal with ABT & SFB and amazingly enough do guesting, so it seems she was able to do lots of other things while at SFB. I guess I'll never know. I only saw her at ABT and liked her - didn't love her, but she is an exceptionally accomplished dancer. I hope she finds what she is looking for at this stage i her career. If you think about it, this is the perfect time to make a major change: Physically she's at her peak, and she's developed an international reputation. She's 34 years old. Her favorite partners at SFB and ABT have retired or moved on. Her marriage seems to have ended. Her best friends and new favored dance partners seem to be located in Europe. Her close family in Russia are not young, and I think she wants to be able to spend more time with them. I don't think there were any hard feelings about leaving SFB - it was just something she needed to do. However, I'm pretty sure it wasn't her idea to leave ABT. The New York audience just didn't care enough, her good friend Daniil Simkin was leaving for Berlin, and the ABT senior staff has been under a lot of pressure to promote in-house dancers (for good reason). I think they wanted that principal position back. It's a hard business. I've followed her career long enough to know a couple of things about Masha: she's not one to keep banging her head against the wall if something isn't working - she just moves on to something that does work. And, she never forgets the people who helped her along the way - she's very loyal to them. Masha won't forget how Tomasson helped to develop her career. But it's been 11 years and now is the best time to make a move as she's not getting any younger. I wish her good fortune. Link to comment
vipa Posted June 24, 2018 Share Posted June 24, 2018 16 hours ago, pherank said: If you think about it, this is the perfect time to make a major change: Physically she's at her peak, and she's developed an international reputation. She's 34 years old. Her favorite partners at SFB and ABT have retired or moved on. Her marriage seems to have ended. Her best friends and new favored dance partners seem to be located in Europe. Her close family in Russia are not young, and I think she wants to be able to spend more time with them. I don't think there were any hard feelings about leaving SFB - it was just something she needed to do. However, I'm pretty sure it wasn't her idea to leave ABT. The New York audience just didn't care enough, her good friend Daniil Simkin was leaving for Berlin, and the ABT senior staff has been under a lot of pressure to promote in-house dancers (for good reason). I think they wanted that principal position back. It's a hard business. I've followed her career long enough to know a couple of things about Masha: she's not one to keep banging her head against the wall if something isn't working - she just moves on to something that does work. And, she never forgets the people who helped her along the way - she's very loyal to them. Masha won't forget how Tomasson helped to develop her career. But it's been 11 years and now is the best time to make a move as she's not getting any younger. I wish her good fortune. That all make sense, and she certainly has an international reputation to draw upon. I am one of those New Yorkers who never really warmed to her, but I admired her dancing and am sure she will be very successful. Link to comment
pherank Posted July 14, 2018 Share Posted July 14, 2018 (edited) Masha dancing Flames of Paris with her SFB-mate Angelo Greco (Roberto Bolle and Friends show at the Teatro Carlo Felice)https://www.instagram.com/p/BlOlTgkhsNe/?taken-by=balletrusse Angelo was supposed to be back in class at SFB as of last Tuesday...hurry back! Edited July 14, 2018 by pherank Link to comment
pherank Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 (edited) Masha dancing the "Lolita" portion of Possokhov's Swimmer with Sebastien Kloborg - music by Tom Waits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTwPr5FpF8Q Edited July 17, 2018 by pherank Link to comment
pherank Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 This video from the recent Tokyo Festival gala is pretty cute:https://www.instagram.com/p/BmwctrrB6Fr/?taken-by=balletrusse Test run:https://www.instagram.com/p/BmhihcYhTEk/?taken-by=balletrusse Link to comment
Fleurfairy Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 On 6/24/2018 at 2:31 AM, pherank said: I don't think there were any hard feelings about leaving SFB - it was just something she needed to do. However, I'm pretty sure it wasn't her idea to leave ABT. The New York audience just didn't care enough, her good friend Daniil Simkin was leaving for Berlin, and the ABT senior staff has been under a lot of pressure to promote in-house dancers (for good reason). I think they wanted that principal position back. It's a hard business. Yeah she came to ABT at the wrong time. Audiences were growing extremely frustrated by the revolving door of Russian guest artist imports at that point, especially because so many of them had cancelled performances (ie Semionova). Then Kochetkova missed two big performances at the Met: Giselle and Swan Lake (both of which Sarah Lane subbed in last minute and excelled). So ABT realized they didn't need her. Rightly so. Link to comment
pherank Posted August 22, 2018 Share Posted August 22, 2018 7 hours ago, Fleurfairy said: Yeah she came to ABT at the wrong time. Audiences were growing extremely frustrated by the revolving door of Russian guest artist imports at that point, especially because so many of them had cancelled performances (ie Semionova). Then Kochetkova missed two big performances at the Met: Giselle and Swan Lake (both of which Sarah Lane subbed in last minute and excelled). So ABT realized they didn't need her. Rightly so. ABT's lack of faith in their home-grown performers is the stuff of legends. I was never interested in the 'star system', myself. I'm more drawn to companies that have developed their own sort of community. Link to comment
Katia Kapustin Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 The Royal Ballet in London is a superb and excellent example of how to! I was in London for a while during the last months of their 2017-18Season. Impressive how the Director Mr Kevin O'Hare develops/has developed his home-grown talent! So many of their fabulous dancers have come straight out of the Company School, and the audience go crazy about them. Now there is a fabulous Company which flourishes through great career development of their home-grown/RBSchool trained talent. Barely any Guest dancer is coming in (unless totally necessary). I have the greatest admiration for UK's top ballet company. Link to comment
Mashinka Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 52 minutes ago, Katia Kapustin said: The Royal Ballet in London is a superb and excellent example of how to! I was in London for a while during the last months of their 2017-18Season. Impressive how the Director Mr Kevin O'Hare develops/has developed his home-grown talent! So many of their fabulous dancers have come straight out of the Company School, and the audience go crazy about them. Now there is a fabulous Company which flourishes through great career development of their home-grown/RBSchool trained talent. Barely any Guest dancer is coming in (unless totally necessary). I have the greatest admiration for UK's top ballet company. Except Kochetkova was ignored in the company when she was there, though that may have been before O'Hare arrived. Link to comment
Katia Kapustin Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 WHEN was Kochetkova at the RB? Did she train at the Company School? Was she a home-grown talent? (as that is what I am talking about here above) Certainly not since Mr Kevin O'Hare is Director. Link to comment
California Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 40 minutes ago, Katia Kapustin said: WHEN was Kochetkova at the RB? Did she train at the Company School? Was she a home-grown talent? (as that is what I am talking about here above) Certainly not since Mr Kevin O'Hare is Director. A long time ago...she was at both Royal Ballet and ENB. I remember some comments she made about the time she wasted in the ENB corps: http://mariakochetkova.com/biography/ Link to comment
Helene Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 The difference between dancers chatting, and the rest of us chatting: This also means they'll be dancing in Mexico this weekend in Isaac Hernandez' show. Link to comment
pherank Posted August 24, 2018 Share Posted August 24, 2018 25 minutes ago, Helene said: This also means they'll be dancing in Mexico this weekend in Isaac Hernandez' show. Life after Tokyo - means life in Mexico: My guess regarding Kochetkova's RB and ENB experiences - they didn't feel she was a good fit as a Corps dancer, and it may well have been her "look" and size. The big ballet companies expect a certain uniformity and style from their Corps dancers, and I can believe Ms. K did not have a Royal Ballet look. But if she hadn't gone to RB, she would never have met Christopher Wheeldon, (and others) who helped shape her career... Link to comment
pherank Posted September 1, 2018 Share Posted September 1, 2018 "Me after 21 shows in 43 days" Masha on the performing life (with excerpt from Lou Reed interview) - https://www.instagram.com/p/BnLEAEKBQjw/?taken-by=balletrusse Link to comment
pherank Posted September 11, 2018 Share Posted September 11, 2018 The Norwegian National Ballet has posted Maria Kochetkova's "Principal Guest Artist" page to their website (listing her many accomplishments): https://operaen.no/en/about-dnob/norwegian-national-ballet/maria-kochetkova/ Link to comment
pherank Posted September 29, 2018 Share Posted September 29, 2018 Masha dancing with Danill Simkin (Don Quixote pas) in Moscow today at the Kremlin Theater: https://www.instagram.com/p/BoSUAgchUtC/?taken-by=balletrusse Her dancing seems very confident these days. Link to comment
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