The Primorsky Theatre is Taken Over by the Mariinsky

[Amour]

After several weeks of speculation, the Primorsky has become an arm for the Mariinsky. The announcement from the company is here:

The Primorsky State Opera and Ballet Theatre opened on 18 October 2013. Its opening marked seventy-five years since the formation of the Primorsky Region. The company, created for the start of the first theatre season, is one of the newest in Russia. The opera and ballet companies, chorus and orchestra of the Primorsky Theatre feature performers from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Bulgaria, Romania, the USA, Brazil, South Korea and Japan.

The theatres opera company was formed following competitive auditions and consists of prize-winners at All-Russian and international competitions who have significant experience of performing at the most prestigious concert venues in Russia, the CIS and abroad. The theatres repertoire includes productions of Eugene Onegin, Aleko, I pagliacci, Carmen, Boris Godunov, The Tale of Tsar Saltan and Thaïs.

It is unclear how much influence the Mariinsky will have, other than in guiding the rep. With the opening of the second Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg they've had their hand full, looking for extra dancers.

BTW, just wanted to remind people that Joseph Phillips, late of ABT, is now at the Primorsky.

[Paul Parish]

Those of us in SanFrancisco will remeber the thrilling Joseph Phillips, who danced here before going to ABT.

Where exactly is Primorsky?

[Amour]

The Primorsky region of Russia is a southern coastal region that also shares a border with China and North Korea. I believe the Primorsky Theatre is located in Vladivostok. The thinking is the Mariinsky wanted an Asian outpost.

[naomikage]

Yes, it is in the far east region of Russia, Vladiostok as Amour wrote. In fact it is quite close to Japan, only 2 hours 40 minutes flight from Tokyo.

So there are currently 4 Japanese soloists in the company.

One thing I noticed was that the current director of the company is Andrei Ivanov, former first soloist of the Mariinsky, and he was a brilliant character dancer specializing in the role of the Jester in Swan Lake. It seems he has been appointed very recently.

[volcanohunter]

That's interesting because previously the ballet director was Aidar Akhmetov, a Moscow-trained dancer who spent a good chunk of his performing career in Canada; I remember his Prodigal Son, for example. As far as I can remember, he had no connection to the Mariinsky.

I wonder whether former Bolshoi principal Vladimir Neporozhny is still general director of the theater. A news search pulls up nothing recent.

[mussel]

One famous native of Vladiostok is Ivan Vasiliev.

The details are very lacking. Is Mariinsky going to send dancers, coaches, productions there. Japan is a huge ballet market and Vladiostok is only a short hop away.