Yuri Fateyev Interview in Dancing Times

[Helene]

At the moment, "Moscow" seems to mean the wives of oligarchs. Where are the top-ranking generals when we need them?

[alexaa1a]

At the moment, "Moscow" seems to mean the wives of oligarchs. Where are the top-ranking generals when we need them?

You are 100% correct.

[MadameP]

As stated further up this thread, apparently certain Vaganova students were considered worthy of dancing soloist roles with the company until quite recently (Zhiganshina, Shakirova, Tsvitaria.) In the statement issued on the website at the start of the season, it actually says:

he ballet company will also be engaged in a key activity for the Mariinsky Theatre – the training of the next generation; there will be debuts by talented students of the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in repertoire productions alongside members of the company in addition to the academy’s traditional graduation performances.

What happened indeed? Mdnagement/Yuri Fateyev says in one breath they are going to use talented students in productions, and then says in the next that they are only fit for the corps? I would like to know what some of the Mariinsky coaches think about all this - they are the ones who see and coach these supposedly feeble graduates in their roles.

[alexaa1a]

As stated further up this thread, apparently certain Vaganova students were considered worthy of dancing soloist roles with the company until quite recently (Zhiganshina, Shakirova, Tsvitaria.) In the statement issued on the website at the start of the season, it actually says:

he ballet company will also be engaged in a key activity for the Mariinsky Theatre – the training of the next generation; there will be debuts by talented students of the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in repertoire productions alongside members of the company in addition to the academy’s traditional graduation performances.

What happened indeed? Mdnagement/Yuri Fateyev says in one breath they are going to use talented students in productions, and then says in the next that they are only fit for the corps? I would like to know what some of the Mariinsky coaches think about all this - they are the ones who see and coach these supposedly feeble graduates in their roles.

Since the new season started in Spetember, not one Vaganoav student has danced in a Mariinsky Ballet, inlcuding Shakirova, who danced in the past two seasons with the Mariinsky Ballet, as Amour in Don Quixote, Juliet's friend in Romeo & Juliet, a small swan in the the lake scene with that famous dance of 4 small swans, as Odalisque in the Jardin Animee dance of 3 odalisques, a soloist in Ramansky's Concerto DSCH (she even danced this in London with Mariinsky), one of the 3 muses in Apollo (also danced in London), Florine in Sleeping Beauty plus the star of Rubies. Last season, Nika Tskhvitaria danced Florine in Sleeping Beauty. This season is the season where the statement of using Vaganova students was made and no Vaganova students have danced, including the 2015 graduates, Shakirova and Tskhvitaria. An extra year of Vaganova training has deteriorated their talent.

Regarding coaches, most coaches do not watch company class and due to the time factors of classes and rehearsals, most corps dancers leave class after the barre or early in the center and that is obvious in every class video that I have seen , where corps dancers rarely take a full class because they need to go to a rehearsal. Regarding what big roles, coaches get to rehearse these graduates, is obvious. They coach them in no big roles. The important coaches do not rehearse minor roles, except in rare instances.

Being a Vaganova graduate entitles you to dance many corps roles, many character roles and if you are lucky,a few minor roles. Do not even consider dreaming about good solo roles like Queen of Dryads or Lilac Fairy or Myrtha or Gamzatti. You are not getting them if you have the Vaganova brand to your name.

[Amour]

So - is he saying that no Vaganova student is good enough for soloist/principal status and that all they are good for is the corps? That is a terrible thing to say.

That is exactly how I interpreted his answer to the question. I wanted to know if others felt he said that.

I felt that he said that as well. The list that MadameP compiled on dancers who have left says it all. Olga Smirnova told Dance Magazine she danced for 1 month without a contract at the Mariinsky before leaving for the Bolshoi. She felt neglected and unseen. Yet within 1 year at the Bolshoi she became a star. So how can he say Vaganova grads are only good for the corps.

I wonder how much this has to do with Fateyev never having been a principal dancer himself. He wasn't nurtured along and so doesn't know how to nurture other dancers. I believe Vahziev was also never a principal but he could at least spot talent (Zakharova). Fateyev is just a disaster. It's a wonder more dancers don't leave for the West, where they could both dance and earn more.