Mariinsky at the Kennedy Center 2013-2014

[abatt]

I was just listening to the live stream season announcement for the Kennedy Center for 2013-2014. Mariinsky is bringing a week of Swan Lake. (The Bolshoi is also coming, but no mention in the conference of what ballet they will be doing.)

I'm clearing my schedule.

[California]

I was just listening to the live stream season announcement for the Kennedy Center for 2013-2014. Mariinsky is bringing a week of Swan Lake. (The Bolshoi is also coming, but no mention in the conference of what ballet they will be doing.)

I'm clearing my schedule.

I found the page listing the companies. Has anyone found more information, most especially, dates?

http://www.kennedy-center.org/programs/newseason/#DBC

[abatt]

Mariinsky is at the KC Jan 28-Feb 2, 2014

(Bolshoi dates are May 20-25, 2014)

[Waelsung]

Wonderful, wonderful news! All we need now is the right casting.

[California]

(The Bolshoi is also coming, but no mention in the conference of what ballet they will be doing.)

A word of caution on the Bolshoi: when they came to the Orange County Performing Arts Center (now Segerstrom) in spring 2010, they announced they would be doing La Bayadere for the entire week. Late in the game (although before single tickets went on sale), they switched that to Don Quixote - probably a better choice for that audience, although they never gave any explanation for the change.

[ksk04]

Hope they bring a better batch than what we got in October. Though seeing Big Red was worth it all, I guess!

[Natalia]

Wonderful, wonderful news! All we need now is the right casting.

Finally, once again, a full-length Petipa-era classic!

Best-case scenario: Terioshkina and Kondaurova as Odette-Odiles...and - if we're really lucky - 'miraculous' appearances by Lopatkina and Pavlenko as O/O.

Worst case: (your guess!)

[abatt]

Given that the Olympics in Russia will take place starting Feb 7, would it be fair to conclude that some of the Mariinsky's top stars may be taking part in special events and may therefore skip a trip to the US around the same time?

I hope that the Mariinsky will rent the Koch during Jan 2014 and swing by NYC (when NYCB is on hiatus), but I'm not holding my breath.

[angelica]

Mariinsky is at the KC Jan 28-Feb 2, 2014

(Bolshoi dates are May 20-25, 2014)

Do we know whether either or both of these companies are coming to New York as well?

Do we know whether a foreign ballet company is coming to the Lincoln Center Festival this summer (2013?)

[Natalia]

Given that the Olympics in Russia will take place starting Feb 7, would it be fair to conclude that some of the Mariinsky's top stars may be taking part in special events and may therefore skip a trip to the US around the same time?

....

Good point, abatt. Well, there goes Lopatkina, who is part of the official 'VIP crew' that regularly promotes the Sochi Olympics. She has been interviewed about participation in the opening ceremonies. Even though the KennCenter run ends Feb 2 and the Oly Opening Cerems are five days later, there are many days of rehearsals and prep for the ceremonies.

It will be interesting to see if Bolshoi AD Sergei Filin will be well enough to attend by then. Speaking of Bolshoi, they will be in Paris sometime in Jan/Feb 2014 timeframe (in Ratmansky's Lost Illusions), possibly overlapping with the Olympics. I'm betting that they will also tour Lost Illusions to DC, based on past 'touring patterns' - what goes to Paris or London, later goes to DC.

[Cygnet]

Natalia wrote:

...Terioshkina and Kondaurova as Odette-Odiles...and - if we're really lucky - 'miraculous' appearances by Lopatkina and Pavlenko as O/O.

I'm ITA with you.

Worst case: 'The SSK' - Somova, Skorik and/or Kampa. I wouldn't be surprised if, by the time January 2014 rolls around, Fateev will have given Kampa the role...so prepare yourselves. Heck, I'll even bet that Skorik and Kampa may be gifted 'principal' status before the tour, not necessarily due to talent and abilities.

Re Skoryk, IMO there's an 80 - 100% chance this could happen - to her and Timur Askerov.

[abatt]

The problem is that SL sells really well regardless of who is performing, so these performances will sell very well even if we get mostly second tier (or worse) dancers in the lead roles.

[YID]

we may need to start a petion to both Kennedy and Mariinsky management, kindly asking them to bring the cast we like ;-)) Lopatkina, Tereshkina, Kondaurova - PLEASE

[Natalia]

YID, one of your wishes might come true. I received the season-subscription brochure a couple of days ago. The photo in the Mariinsky-Swan Lake section is of Lopatkina (with Korsuntsev). I realize that this is not a scientific fool-proof indication but, in the past, the p.r. materials have shown photos of the correct ballerinas who eventually were among those featured, e.g., Somova as Aurora in 2010, Lopatkina in Scheherazade 2011/12, Osmolkina Cinderella 2012/13, Vishneva as Giselle three yrs ago.

[YID]

Let's do somehing. Gergiev (sounds like) conducting openning Eugene Onegin at Met Opera next week. Only Gergiev can make Fateev place Lopatkina (or others Fateev didn't place). Otherwise, Kennedy will see the heavy load of Ms. Skorik (who's not a Mariinsky level swan - i suffered thorugh my performances in CA), and WILL BY NO MEANS pay to see another Swan lake with her. Should we write a group letter and try to pass it to Gergiev? He aslo conducts at Carnegie Hall in October. There's still time for visas and travel arrangements.

[nysusan]

I'll sign a letter to Gergiev, but lets add Pavlenko as well as Lopatkina!

My wishlist for DC casting (not going to happen, I know) would be Lopatkina, Pavlenko, Vishneva (does she even still tour with Mariinsky?), Tereshkina & Kondaurova. Osmolkina & Novikova would be fine, too - but thats not going to happen. I wouldn't even mind seeing Skorik again once to see how/if she's developed in the role. I'd go to see Olga Esina. I saw her O/O with the Vienna Opera Ballet 7 or 8 years ago & she was very good. Not Lopatkina/Pavelenko level back then, but I'd be curious to see what she looks like now. But my fear is that we're going to get Skorik, Somova, Kolegova, Matvienko with either Tereshkina or Kondaurova thrown into the mix.

And what about our Siegfrieds? Schlyarov, of course, but I'd much rather see Korsuntsev, Kolb, Yermakov or Sergeev instead of Ivanchenko & Askerov who we are probably going to get.

[California]

I'm not sure a petition from a public discussion board is the most effective way to proceed. It might be helpful to simply post the full name and mailing address + e-mail of Mariinsky management so individuals reading this can make contact individually, as they wish. (Public addresses and e-mails only, of course.)

I also wonder how much say the Kennedy Center management has on casting, although they probably assume it will sell out no matter what. Is it worth contacting Michael Kaiser? If so, individuals might send letters or e-mail, using the address on the Kennedy Center site.

[Drew]

[. . . ]

I also wonder how much say the Kennedy Center management has on casting, although they probably assume it will sell out no matter what. Is it worth contacting Michael Kaiser? If so, individuals might send letters or e-mail, using the address on the Kennedy Center site.

I agree that Kennedy Center is probably confident they can sell out Swan Lake with the Mariinsky (or close to it) no matter who is dancing. They may also feel it's not up to them to dictate casting for a company of the Mariinsky's prestige--even if they had the power to do so. And yet I do think the Kennedy Center cares about being treated and perceived as a top-level international venue--not the "provinces"--and must want the same dancers, say, New York or London or Beijing would get. That is, there is a prestige consideration as well as a business one when it comes to casting.

Whatever our opinions I doubt it's a matter of vetoing anyone--they can hardly say to any company, 'well xyz is good enough for you but not for us'--but perhaps requesting/requiring certain dancers. In that sense, I assume pressure on Kennedy Center might be meaningful if (a big "if") they have any say in what the Mariinsky does (especially since this tour is a done deal anyway).

Of course, they also probably don't take fans, even apparently well-informed fans, seriously especially when they can sell out in any case. What they might take seriously is the fact that Kondaurova was featured in the company's recent film broadcast; Lopatkina is...well, Lopatkina etc.

(A fan boycott? with a chance to see the Mariinsky corps in Swan Lake and other soloists in small parts even fans who despair of the lead casting may break down and buy tickets. If I were in D.C. I would...)

[meunier fan]

As relates to the above .... The Hochhausers did, in fact, say that Osipova and Vailiev would appear with the Bolshoi or else no deal in London this past summer. .... Guess it depends on the producers ... and, of course, they did ONLY appear once together during that three week season in FLAMES OF PARIS (the production of which had been done FOR them after all ... and they lost out on the Paris opening of the same) .... although Vasiliev did do a second 'replacement' performance.

[Jayne]

I think honey will get you further than vinegar. Better to request specific performers - rather than to criticize others.

[Ballet Foot]

I am not certain that The Kennedy Center has much control over either the repetoire or the cast. I remember several years ago when Bolshoi was scheduled to perform a certain ballet, & then changed their schedule at last moment. This caused much consternation, especially among the season ticket holders. Of course, recent contract negotiations might have taken this unfortunate situation into consideration.

[sandik]

Last minute changes often have to do with injuries and the domino effect that can have on casting -- touring contracts often have an emergency clause for such events.

[Birdsall]

I know the local ballet company in my city has a list of shows it advertises on its website that it is willing to take on tour, and I assume that means venues can request particular shows. Of course, that does not mean a big company like the Mariinsky or the Bolshoi would let venues choose (more prestige probably means the venue has less say and vice versa), but it means that it sometimes does happen. I am sure there is a contract and it is all hashed out in the contract what the venue and what the company does or does not do. It probably varies. Some venues might want more control and others simply want to book the act and do not care what shows.

[California]

Casting is posted for the Kennedy Center visit in January 2014: http://www.kennedy-center.org/events/?event=BOBSG

PRINCIPAL CASTING (subject to change)
Tue., Jan. 28, Fri., Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m. & Sun., Feb. 2 at 1:30 p.m.
Viktoria Tereshkina, Vladimir Shklyarov

Wed., Jan 29 at 7:30 p.m. & Sat., Feb. 1 at 1:30 p.m.
Anastasia Kolegova, Maxim Zyuzin

Thu., Jan. 30, Sat., Feb. 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Alina Somova, Timur Askerov

[abatt]

How is Kolegova?

Yes! Tereshkina! Happiness