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2012/2013 Mariinsky Ballet Season: General News, etc.


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The opportunity was there to take a risk, a big one, and Esina's choice worked out well. There are no guarantees, either at the Mariinsky or elsewhere.

I think it's a bit early to write Esina off after a single "Corsaire."

I haven't heard that people are not buying tickets to Somova's or Skorik's performances, to note two of the most recent lightening-rod dancers, which suggests that some people are being "wowwed," regardless of what any of us might think, some people don't expect to be "wowwed," or they are not "wowwed" but continue to go to see the same dancers expecting a different result from the same behavior. I know how I would vote if I were in St. Petersburg, i.e., with my feet if I saw some dancers cast, but that and $4 will get me a latte at Starbucks.

If Fateev is unhappy with Esina, he won't continue to invite her as a guest artist.

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I think by pushing an admittedly nervous dancer as hard and prominently as he has Skorik, without giving her a chance to grow into the rep and to feel confident at each stage, but, instead, asking her to carry the company, Fateev has not only done as disservice to her, but also to the other dancers whom he could have grown concurrently by giving them similar opportunities.

I think a lot of people feel this way. Skorik has become the bete noire for many people, and so Fateyev's actions seem almost sadistic and cruel.

Just yesterday I saw a clip of Ivanchenko's Ali. Before I ever saw the clip and read on the Mariinsky website that he was listed for Ali I thought it must be a misprint and that he was going to dance Conrad (like he did in one of the Corsaires I saw recently), not Ali. I thought it had to be a cast listing mistake on the site. I thought Ali was all wrong for him. It plays to his weaknesses, not his strengths. I actually like Ivanchenko more than the majority of people on this forum, because I see the Vaganova style in his dancing, although I admit that I do think he needs to guzzle 10 espressos before going on stage. So I am more apt to give Ivanchenko credit than most. I think he partners well. But he is totally miscast as Ali, and only his enemy would have given him that role. I am still fairly new to all this, and even I could tell he was not right for Ali. How can Fateyev with all his experience in ballet give that role to him?

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I've mentioned Oxana Skorik's facial expression in Act IV of a Swan Lake video clip at the Dancer topic. It shows that she seems to enter an inner world where she's totally in charge and totally comfortable. She seems to have a powerful 'resource' there that is one the reasons that I think that she can handle any of the challenges that she's being offered. Also she seems more settled in, more confident and is displaying a beautiful subtlety.

Added:

It seems to be a poetically beautiful inner world as well.

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I haven't heard that people are not buying tickets to Somova's or Skorik's performances, to note two of the most recent lightening-rod dancers, which suggests that some people are being "wowwed," regardless of what any of us might think, some people don't expect to be "wowwed," or they are not "wowwed" but continue to go to see the same dancers expecting a different result from the same behavior. I know how I would vote if I were in St. Petersburg, i.e., with my feet if I saw some dancers cast, but that and $4 will get me a latte at Starbucks.

I believe I'm more of the third type, but apart from expecting more from those "in the center", I expect to see excellent dancers cast in minor roles, which is the only way to see and appreciate them because they are not the ones the management promotes. And I tend to appreciate them more when the highly promoted few do not meet my expectation.

The way the current management promotes the dancers leaves the audience few choice: either to leave ballet completely, or to watch the stars they promote and the some other excellent dancers in minor roles. And the sense of unfairness easily come when many of the "minor" dancers are doing well whereas those in center not quite so.

I wish the management could cast the dancers more properly and promote them more calmly, so that those in big roles could consistently give excellent and convincing performances, proving their superior quality polished by their luckiness. But of course, I'm also biased by my own taste and my experience.

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"....those in big roles could consistently give excellent and convincing performances, proving their superior quality polished by their luckiness."

Their "luckiness", elianam, is perhaps that they were born able to do something slightly better than the rest of us. We all have something special to contribute and their's is balletic beauty. Still they are just extensions of all of us. I would love to see the name of every member of the company somehow displayed in bright lights on top of the theater.

Added: (for a change) happy.png

I do tend to find that 'Principal' dancers are 'Principals' for a good reason and they usually command all my attention during a performance. I wouldn't mind seeing more works where the entire cast is more prominent. This is possibly more of a Balanchine point of view.

Added added:

"Paquita" or "Etudes" come to mind immediately.

[major spelling correction made]

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