Bolshoi La Bayadere in Cinema January 2018

[DanielBenton]

It will be very interesting to see how Smirnova "ages".  As she discussed somewhere (DanceWorld interview?), [paraphrased] she has to rethink and adapt her various iconic roles (Tatiana, Aurora, Nikiya, Giselle, Swan Lake) as she gets older.  I have not seen anyone else who commands the stage as she does,  (along with Allegra Kent in her "modern" roles, e.g., Agon, Episodes, which are storyless music and dance).   I'd love to see Smirnova in Anna Karenina and La Dame Aux Camellias.  As her coach says in the Bolshoi "biopic" on YouTube, you can't help but be moved when you watch her.

 

[Buddy]

5 hours ago, DanielBenton said:

 I have not seen anyone else who commands the stage as she does....

Daniel, I certainly agree with this. For me, Veronika Part has a similarly compelling stage presence but in a more dreamy and less easy to define manner.

Olga Smirnova will be performing Giselle at the Mariinsky Festival in March which I hope to be at. This will require a somewhat more delicate touch and I look forward to seeing how she approaches it. The closest I’ve seen in style was Svetlana Zakharova’s Giselle, also at the Festival years ago, where her young maiden had a much more worldly manner, similar to Olga Smirnova’s current direction. It might seem somewhat different from the normal young Giselle, but I felt at the time that it was possibly ‘the best performance of ‘Anything!’ that I’d ever seen.’

As a quick aside, this production seemed to have a slightly more animated and  ‘featuristic’ touch than I’ve felt in other Bolshoi La Bayaderes, reminiscent of Legend of Love. I rather enjoyed it.

My imagination can run somewhat wild as to how Olga Smirnova could deal with her Giselle. I guess that’s just part of her fascination.

Added comment:

I've found a video clip of her dancing the famous Willis scene duet from about two years ago and it's really quite lovely.

Edited January 22 by Buddy
"Added" added

[DD6948]

On 12/27/2018 at 5:10 AM, volcanohunter said:

The Bolshoi's cinema trailers are filmed toward the end of the preceding season, long before casting decisions are made, and don't reflect actual casting more often than not. The trailer for the repeat broadcast of Don Quixote featured Margarita Shrainer, even though the performance starred Ekaterina Krysanova. And the original trailer for the live broadcast featured Maria Alexandrova, not Krysanova. The promotional material for the forthcoming repeat of Sleeping Beauty features Evgenia Obraztsova, despite the fact that Aurora was danced by Olga Smirnova in that broadcast. The trailer for this season's La Sylphide featured Daria Khokhlova and Artemy Belyakov, while the actual performance did not include Belyakov, and Khokhlova danced the first sylph, not the lead. This has been the pattern for years. The trailers are totally unreliable indicators of who will actually dance and probably reflect who was available and/or fit to film them at the time they were shot.

I'd say this is a pretty accurate assessment. These trailers and videos with interviews are shot almost a year in advance of any kind of casting decisions made by the Bolshoi. Many times, the casting of the shoots is done according to who is available, and who knows the choreography. Same with interviews - some dancers are just more comfortable than others speaking about their roles. 

[MadameP]

Olga Smirnova and Yulia Stepanova are very different ballerinas!  I love watching them both, and have seen both their Bayaderes.  For me, personally, Yulia Stepanova is my preferred Nikiya, because of that wonderful cantilena, exquisite arms and expression she has.  However, I also very much Olga Smirnova's spiritual Nikiya and her command of the stage.  Bolshoi Theatre is extremely lucky to have two such wonderful Nikiyas, as well as Zakharova!  Of course, personally I would love to have seen Yulia Stepanova featured in Bayadere, but I do think Olga Smirnova was completely valid and worthy to be cast for the broadcast.  She has produced outstanding work for the Bolshoi for many years!  We can all surmise and listen to gossip and conjecture, but in the end, unless we are inside the minds of the Bolshoi management, we cannot KNOW anything for certain.  I think it is a big mistake to adversely compare and contrast Stepanova with Smirnova and also a mistake to try to claim political advantages for one as, personally, all I think it will do is cause difficulties for Yulia Stepanova inside the theatre.    Let both ballerinas flourish - they are both wonderful (although personally I prefer Stepanova!)  

[Buddy]

1 hour ago, MadameP said:

Olga Smirnova and Yulia Stepanova are very different ballerinas!  I love watching them both, and have seen both their Bayaderes.  For me, personally, Yulia Stepanova is my preferred Nikiya, because of that wonderful cantilena, exquisite arms and expression she has.  However, I also very much Olga Smirnova's spiritual Nikiya and her command of the stage.  Bolshoi Theatre is extremely lucky to have two such wonderful Nikiyas, as well as Zakharova!  Of course, personally I would love to have seen Yulia Stepanova featured in Bayadere, but I do think Olga Smirnova was completely valid and worthy to be cast for the broadcast.  She has produced outstanding work for the Bolshoi for many years!  We can all surmise and listen to gossip and conjecture, but in the end, unless we are inside the minds of the Bolshoi management, we cannot KNOW anything for certain.  I think it is a big mistake to adversely compare and contrast Stepanova with Smirnova and also a mistake to try to claim political advantages for one as, personally, all I think it will do is cause difficulties for Yulia Stepanova inside the theatre.    Let both ballerinas flourish - they are both wonderful (although personally I prefer Stepanova!)  

I being a great supporter of Olga Smirnova, still think that this is being very fair to both these fine artists. Thank you. I also agree that certain opinions could have repercussions, and this should be considered when expressing them, but everyone does have a right to express them if done in a generally acceptable manner.

Edited January 23 by Buddy