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Mariinsky's Raymonda To the KC in Feb 2016

abatt

By abatt
in Kirov-Mariinsky Ballet

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California

California

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Great news. Kennedy Center announced its offerings for next season. The Mariinsky is bringing Raymonda (Feb 23-28, 2016).

I can't find this on the Kennedy Center site. Do you have a link? (I'm a little annoyed -- I'm a Friend of the Kennedy Center -- albeit at a pretty low level -- and we haven't gotten an e-mail about this yet.)

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Birdsall

Birdsall

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Terrific news! I love Raymonda! Chances are that the casting should be decent most performances, because very few dance it. Lopatkina, Tereshkina, Kondaurova, Kolegova, Novikova, and recently Skorik have been the only ones who have danced it in recent seasons at the Mariinsky. Most of those will be very good in it, although it does depend on your tastes. I am hoping Novikova gets to dance it, because she has danced it the least.

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Natalia

Natalia

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Terrific news! I love Raymonda! Chances are that the casting should be decent most performances, because very few dance it. Lopatkina, Tereshkina, Kondaurova, Kolegova, Novikova, and recently Skorik have been the only ones who have danced it in recent seasons at the Mariinsky. Most of those will be very good in it, although it does depend on your tastes. I am hoping Novikova gets to dance it, because she has danced it the least.

You forgot Maria Shirinkina, Birdsall, lol.
Tatyana Tkachenko too, although she hasn't toured to the US in a while. Vishneva danced Ray once, around the year 2000. Not her best role.

Somova does not dance Raymonda, by the way...no-fly zone remains in effect.

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Birdsall

Birdsall

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Yes, I forgot Shirinkina even though I actually saw her in Raymonda. However, she only danced it that one time, I believe. The ones I named above, in my opinion, are the most likely candidates to dance (although Novikova hasn't been given the role at the Mariinsky very much). Outside of Novikova the others I named have danced it the most in recent seasons. Also, I think that Esina was mentioned in the Mariinsky's press conference as debuting as Raymonda this season (I suspect the May 9 Raymonda scheduled at the Mariinsky will be hers), so she might be on the tour even though she continues to be a guest soloist (she was on the DC Swan Lake tour). So hypothetically we could get three alternating casts of Skorik, Esina, and Kondaurova.....

Personally, I vote for Lopatkina, Novikova, and Kolegova. Tereshkina would be fine too. She always gives her all....strikes me as one of the hardest working dancers at the Mariinsky. She has won me over in roles I did not think she was suited for, because she is totally committed everytime you see her. She is apparently unable to phone anything in and simply coast.

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Birdsall

Birdsall

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In what role has Somova done 180 degree extensions recently? I know she used to do that in the past, but in recent times (I suspect due to Terekhova being her coach now) she hasn't done that in classical ballets, so it surprises me that "they're back." What role is she doing 180 degree extensions in currently?

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MadameP

MadameP

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OK, I will have to chime in here! I do love Raymonda! Actually, the role Raymonda is probably the hardest role in the ballerina's repertoire with all those widely different variations so it is a real judge of a ballerina's quality. Some can bring off the youthful, spontaneous Raymonda but do not have the regal quality for the final grand pas, while others do not succeed in the early parts of the ballet. Some just don't have the lyrical quality for the vision scene. For me, Lopatkina of all dancers has the sheer quality of movement that is just breathtaking in the vision scene and that final grand pas is wonderful. Raymonda is a great role for her. I loved Maria Shirinkina's Raymonda, a great testament to her hard work and that of her coach, Terekhova. She danced the early variations particularly well and especially the blue variation. Not many do the entrechat quatre en pointe sequence, but she did it perfectly. She has exceptionally beautiful arms. Tereshkina personally I do not like in the role of Raymonda. I find her always a hard, bright ballerina, with insufficient lyrical qualities for the role. Kondaurova was miscast as Raymonda in my opinion as she truly does not ever resemble a young, happy girl - I just think it is not her role. I like Kolegova very much in the role, but she would not be my favourite. I don't find her very convincing as a young girl. Oxama Skorik also for me was just not suitable for Raymonda mainly because she cannot act. Novikova is an absolutely wonderful Raymonda - she has that crystalline strength of technique and quality and can dance all the variations equally credibly. I hope she gets to dance Raymonda and that America can see her.

Personally, I think of the dancers currently in Mariinsky who have not danced Raymonda, Somova is a GLARING omission, and I cannot understand why she does not dance it. She would be perfect. She has the great technique, beautiful jump, some of the most beautiful arms in the company and she would be perfect in all the variations. I really hope Mariinsky will choose wisely. We all have different tastes, but if I could choose, I would like to see, in alphabetical order(!) - Lopatkina, Novikova, Shirinkina and Somova.

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MadameP

MadameP

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I've seen clips of Shirinkina's Raymonda on youtube. She's certainly not as strong technically as the other Raymonda's on the roster. She's a lovely lyrical dancer but terre a terre footwork isn't her strength.

Yet she did the entrechat quatre sequence...she danced a lovely blue variation.

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Birdsall

Birdsall

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It would be a great improvement on the reconstruction if all the roles could be filled with Mariinsky dancers including the corps, since I find the La Scala dancers very stiff especially in arm movements. The only things I like about the reconstruction dvd are the sets and Novikova and the chance to see the original, but other than that, the actual dancing (except for Novikova) for me personally is a total waste of time (for me) to view. Meanwhile I have seen Raymonda live in person at the Mariinsky and many times with all the dancers mentioned on video in the full role (not clips), and I absolutely adore the Sergeyev version and the style of the Vaganova trained dancers in this ballet. For me Shirinkina was impressive in what she accomplished but she seems like a soubrette. To me it is comparable to watching Kathleen Battle sing Bellini's Norma.

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Lidewij

Lidewij

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(I suspect the May 9 Raymonda scheduled at the Mariinsky will be hers)

I hope not. I will be attending that performance, and would much prefer to see Lopatkina or Kolegova in the role.

I guess we'll have to wait and see (and pray to the casting gods).

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MadameP

MadameP

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(I suspect the May 9 Raymonda scheduled at the Mariinsky will be hers)

I hope not. I will be attending that performance, and would much prefer to see Lopatkina or Kolegova in the role.

I guess we'll have to wait and see (and pray to the casting gods).

There are no casting gods.

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Natalia

Natalia

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Bessmertnova was pathetically weak when her RAYMONDA was filmed but the filming itself was sharper (early HD) than the one with Semenyaka a year earlier. Kolpakova very strong but showed age in her face. Pontois one of the most beautiful faces and strong technique in the 1983/84 POB telecast with already-weak Nureyev. To me, the finest on commercially-available film is, no doubt, Olesya Novikova in that glorious La Scala recon by the undisputed master of Stepanov notes staging, Sergei Vikharev.

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