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Is Alyona Kovalyova "Zvezda" material ??


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I was thinking primarily about recent Vaganova top -of-their-class graduates who opt to go straight to the Bolshoi, Stanislavsky or Mikhailovsky upon graduation. Even Shapran began elsewhere (Stanislavsky), although she's now at the Mariinsky. 

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12 hours ago, Birdsall said:

If Fateyev does not offer a contract or spot to graduating Vaganova students, some good ones have no other choice than to accept other offers.

Yes - that is the sad truth.  That's why I said he cannot spot talent.  

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15 hours ago, Birdsall said:

If Fateyev does not offer a contract or spot to graduating Vaganova students, some good ones have no other choice than to accept other offers.

 

So Fateev could not spot Olga Smirnova, Kristina Shapran, Viktor Lebedev, Ksenia Zhiganshina, or Alyona Kovalyova? Does he need eye glasses?

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21 minutes ago, Natalia said:

 

So Fateev could not spot Olga Smirnova, Kristina Shapran, Viktor Lebedev, Ksenia Zhiganshina, or Alyona Kovalyova? Does he need eye glasses?

"Once is chance, twice is coincidence, three times is a pattern."  Or, as Goldfinger said, "Once is an accident, twice is coincidence, three times is an enemy action." 

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45 minutes ago, MadameP said:

"Once is chance, twice is coincidence, three times is a pattern."  Or, as Goldfinger said, "Once is an accident, twice is coincidence, three times is an enemy action." 

 

Oh dear. So shall we begin to take bets on whether or not this year's top female grad, Eleonora Sevenard, will be going to a company other than the Mariinsky?

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I didn't know that Eleonora Sevenard is graduating this year and is regarded so highly. Great news !  I think that she's a beautiful and lovely dancer (from video glimpses) with a great deal of artistic maturity. Definitely from the same qualitative grouping as Alyona Kovalyova in my opinion.  I'd hope to see her at the Mariinsky, but the Bolshoi would be fine also. 

 

Added:

Since this topic got into some Russian/English linguistics earlier, I thought that this might be fun.

 

Alyona might look a bit more familiar to us if spelled letter correct rather than phonetically....Alena.

(In Russian two dots over the "e" (often omitted) becomes "yo" phonetically. Thus Kovaleva=Kovalyova.)

 

Also I just discovered that Svet (свет), as in Svetlana Zakharova, means "Light" and that Svetila (Светилa), as in Svetlana Zakharova, means Luminary, as in "Zvezda", "Etoile", "Principal", "Baleriny", "Premiery", etc.  Seems quite appropriate. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Buddy
"Added" added to
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4 hours ago, Natalia said:

 

Oh dear. So shall we begin to take bets on whether or not this year's top female grad, Eleonora Sevenard, will be going to a company other than the Mariinsky?

 

Indeed!  I hope Eleanora does not turn out to be another should-have-been Mariinsky ballerina.  Vaziev must be rubbing his hands with glee at the prospect of trying to snap her up if Fateev does not offer her a contract.  After all, he now has so many Vaganova graduates - she will feel quite at home at Bolshoi.  How depressing...  

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3 hours ago, Buddy said:

Alyona might look a bit more familiar to us if spelled letter correct rather than phonetically....Alena.

(In Russian two dots over the "e" (often omitted) becomes "yo" phonetically. Thus Kovaleva=Kovalyova.)

 

Also I just discovered that Svet (свет), as in Svetlana Zakharova, means "Light" and that Svetila (Светилa),

as in Svetlana Zakharova, means Luminary, as in "Zvezda", "Etoile", "Principal", "Baleriny", "Premiery", etc.

 

While on the subject : "e" and "yo" (e with two dots) both exist in Cyrillic and are separate sounds.

Westerners know her as Diana "Vishneva" but in Russia she is "Vishnyova"

Свет = Light     "Светлый Ручей" = Bright Stream  (excuse my showing off - just passed my second

stage exam this evening :D)

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8 hours ago, Natalia said:

 

So Fateev could not spot Olga Smirnova, Kristina Shapran, Viktor Lebedev, Ksenia Zhiganshina, or Alyona Kovalyova? Does he need eye glasses?

 

Apparently not. I don't know all the details of each person and whether they had multiple offers. But Vaganova grads, I believe, dream of dancing at the Mariinsky. That is why they want to go to Vaganova. In my opinion, the whole situation is a complete tragedy.

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19 hours ago, mnacenani said:

Свет = Light     "Светлый Ручей" = Bright Stream  (excuse my showing off - just passed my second

stage exam this evening :D)

 

Your second stage exam in what, mnacenani? In any case, congratulations!

 

I would say that you really started something here. Again, congratulations! 

 

I'm really taken, along with everyone else here, by "Алёна Ковалёва". As I watch the video clips, I'm more and more impressed. I actually look at this extremely young, remarkable, novice artist, and say, "Don't change a thing." Yes, the artistry and refinement can grow, but the current 'Freshness' ("Свежесть" in Russian (back to the "Cве...."s, "Светлый Ручей" (Clear ("Limpid") Stream), Светлана (Svetlana) :))   totally compensates.  If I could suspend her in this moment, as an admiring spectator, I might well do so, although her future prospects are also fascinating.

 

Another fascination from my ongoing viewing is how much the Vaganova's Eleonora Sevenard resembles her. Totally a younger sister in artistry.  (She hasn't graduated yet, has she, Natalia?) I do hope that the Mariinsky takes her. Then we'll have one in each company.  

 

I do have to join the chorus here in wondering how the Mariinsky let Olga Smirnova and Alyona Kovalyova get away. And I must remind folks that Valery Gergiev is also involved in such matters.

 

So generations may come in 2 to 5 year cycles these days! -- Eleonora Sevenard, Alyona Kovalyova, Olga Smirnova/

Oxsana Skorik....Quite exciting!

 

Added:

 

Since I'm kind of giddy at the moment, I may as well throw this in.

 

If the Bolshoi is considering adding a Star (Etoile) level to its "Principal" ranking, how about making it a.... 

 

*Svetlana* (although a *Galina* is also quite compelling, if not literally a "Svet" (Star) word  :)).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Buddy
"Added" added and one (no, two) typo corrections
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3 hours ago, Buddy said:

 

Your second stage exam in what, mnacenani? In any case, congratulations!

I would say that you really started something here. Again, congratulations! 

I'm really taken, along with everyone else here, by "Алёна Ковалёва".

Many thanks dear Buddy ! I am four months into a Russian language course and I passed my second

stage exam and will start the third stage next week, at the end of which (2 months) it is said I will be able

to speak extremely basic Russian when I fly over to see ballet. God knows it's quite hard at my ripe old

age with a porous brain ! :crying:

Now : I have seriously taken up Russian classical ballet since this time 3 years ago, and am trying to

catch up by seeing as many classics as I can in Moscow and Peterburg. You cannot imagine how

elated such a person can be and what a boost it gives his self-confidence when he thinks he has

discovered something and posts it and it gains the acceptance of senior membership. First time I

saw Kovalyova on the videos I posted I immediately thought of the young Zaharova but did not dare

say so until you seconded my thought. Thanks to everyone who participated and best wishes.

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Mnacenani, we all see these artists differently and enjoy them differently. Ultimately, I believe, it's what moves us personally that counts the most. Group agreement, as seems to be the case with the  artistic beauty of Alyona Kovalyova, is always wonderful, but the believing in and relating of what moves us personally is always something to be greatly valued.   

 

I'm beginning to notice a definite expressiveness in Alyona Kovalyova and to a similar degree in the younger Eleonora Sevenard. It's a sort of contained sweetness of awareness that defines the mood of their beautiful dancing. I sometimes wonder if they had the same instructors. Still, it's their ability, not the instructions for doing it, that makes them so special.

 

I often use Olga Smirnova as the reference point for expression among the younger dancers. Her expression is gripping. It reaches out and embraces us. Alyona Kovalyova and Eleonora Sevenard have a more subtle power. Expression in all these dancers is most noticeable in their faces and is carried through to their beautiful sense of motion.

 

Alyona Kovalyova (I'll not continue to use Eleonora Sevenard's name, but the similarities are still implied) in the posted videos, seems to establish a mood, not necessarily a message or compelling statement, as is perhaps the case with Olga Smirnova. She seems immersed in the dance and her face expresses the connection of this with her heart. She's relating the beauty of being there and doing what she's doing. She's also presenting and defining her own self as a part of this.

 

I mentioned in my above post that I wouldn't have her change a thing. One reason for this is that she's already mastered beautiful fundamentals. She's already a 'ballerina'. Her youthful, perhaps less refined aspects, for me, add to her beauty. As she matures this will probably change. Refinement, development and perfection will be noticeable. Yet, I'm totally taken by the way that she is right now. 

 

She has some lovely technical qualities. She has a beautiful flow combined with outstanding highlights. Some of this is accomplished by the lovely and compelling timing of motion and positioning of her upper body and head. It's both elegant and engaging. In contrast to Oxana Skorik, who has a wonderful, outward articulation, Alyona Kovalyova uses a more contained space with a fine sense of character, aliveness and charm.

 

She's really a lovely and accomplished artist at a very young age.      

Edited by Buddy
first paragraph added
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Flow is a word that was introduced at the beginning of this discussion and it is certainly one of her most beautiful features. I mentioned her highlighting. To be more specific, it's often the way that her lovely flow is followed by an upward arching of her back and head with her eyes focussed forward, a moment of suspension. It's a culminating statement of elegance and enchantment. The way that she controls the timing of these transitions and the subsequent highlight positioning can be compelling.

 

Perhaps the best example is in the posted video from the Lausanne competition. There are a lot of related positionings, some working better than others, but there are several brief instances in the first half (around 0:40 for example) where this occurrence is breathtaking.

 

 

(posted by the Vaganova Academy)

 

I guess the reason that I continue to be so enchanted by Alyona Kovalyova is the combination of such beautiful refinement and and the lovely freeness of her youthful manner.

Edited by Buddy
specific detail clarified
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1 hour ago, Buddy said:

I guess the reason that I continue to be so enchanted by Alyona Kovalyova is the combination of such beautiful refinement and and the lovely freeness of her youthful manner.

 

That makes quite a few of us then thinking we have witnessed Рождается звезда ..... birth of a star !

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Alyona Kovalyova danced the lead in Etudes tonight.

 

If I recall correctly from several years ago this works starts out slowly beautiful and ends in quite a show of high energy bravura. I congratulate her on being able and being chosen to do this.

Edited by Buddy
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4 hours ago, Buddy said:

Alyona Kovalyova danced the lead in Etudes tonight.

 

If I recall correctly from several years ago this works starts out slowly beautiful and ends in quite a show of high energy bravura. I congratulate her on being able and being chosen to do this.

 

Saw the Bolshoi in Cinema broadcast last weekend, which closed with Etudes -- such a technical tour de force all around.

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Appalling. I normally try to pass over things I dislike in silence, but these wobbly, spaghetti-limbed dancers are going to be the death of the art form. The Bolshoi’s Etudes is weak, shockingly so, but it doesn’t help that Vaziev casts wholly unsuitable soloists. He’s so enamored of hyper-extension and extreme flexibility that he somehow fails to notice that these dancers can’t execute the steps, or if they do, it’s with grotesque distortion.

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I viewed these clips when they were released and I thought that Alyona Kovalyova had a beautiful and impressive, airy jump. For me, it showed that she could handle tough, technical demands very well with loveliness.  I found the whole thing to be rather charming, actually. 

 

I remember from an older clip that she jumped from a standing still position and was very impressed by its elevation and airiness.

Edited by Buddy
last sentence added
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I've been doing a lot of comparative viewing today and I'm somewhat wowed by what a beautiful Mariinsky dream Alyona Kovalyova is. I hope with Makhar Vaziev, formerly Mariinsky, in charge that she never loses this. The closest I've seen recently at the Bolshoi is Anna Nikulina. Yekaterina Krysanova is also capable of this when she's at her delicate best -- an absolute dream. 

 

Alyona Kovalyova just floats like a cloud. That's until she does a jump that resembles a missile composed of a cloud. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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