Kristina Shapran

[Buddy]

Awhile ago someone at the Mariinsky topic suggested that Kristina Shapran and Nadezhda Batoeva might be receiving significant consideration for promotion to Principal. No, it hasn’t happened yet to alleviate any element of suspense. But I have asked myself why them over several others in their grouping?

Both have overall fineness and can cover many areas with total competence. The most impressive quality that I’ve noticed in Nadezhda Batoeva is surety. As I’ve mentioned several times, I was extremely impressed with her ability to debut Swan Lake as if she’d been doing it her entire life.

Sometimes a performing artist has a particularly fine quality not possessed by anyone else. For me, Kristina Shapran has this — the use of her hands.

Oksana Skorik has probably the most beautiful. Kristina Shapran has perhaps the most interesting. I feel that they are ‘calligraphic.’ They have message and symbol.

In Eastern dance the hands are given much prominence and meaning. In contrast Maya Plisetskaya, who had beautifully interesting hands, said that in ballet the hands should be expressive but not too expressive.

So where does this leave Kristina Shapran?  It seems at times that her’s have a mind of their own. They add dimension, interest and beauty — certainly. They also seem to be beyond the normal range of a typical ballet performance. They have a fascination.

I’m also noticing expression throughout her entire body. Yet it’s her hand that dominate.

So it could be quite interesting to see where this all goes. Could she actually show the way to a new dimension in ballet style dancing, similar to Eastern dance? In her hands especially, she possesses a certain remarkable and intriguing sense of extended meaning and expression that makes her performances very much her own and very much worth our attention and appreciation.

 

  

Edited March 6, 2019 by Buddy
gramar correction

[Buddy]

I’ve suggested the dominance of her hands. Interestingly, in my latest viewing I didn’t watch the hands at all. It’s not that they don’t remain as important and compelling as before, it’s just that I’ve noticed more that is extremely beautiful and encompassing.

I’ve been enjoying her Cinderella with Igor Kolb (the Ratmansky version). This work, for me, is almost totally dependent on one person, Cinderella. I’ve seen some excellent and highly contrasting interpretations by Diana Vishneva, Alina Somova and Renata Shakirova. Kristina Shapran’s is the most personally poetic.

Several videos have made a great impression on me recently. One is the Divertissement duet from George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, performed by  Allegra Kent and  Jacques d’Amboise. Another is the adagio duet and ballerina solo from Jerome Robbins’ Other Dances performed by several artists. Now I might include this performance of Cinderella.

What they have in common is poetic exploration. They are exploring and expressing us.

Kristina Shapran is not a young innocent falling for a magic prince. She is someone reflecting every second on the entirety of life's beauty.

It’s heartfelt and realistic.  It touches the essence of what we search and hope for.

By the way, take a glance at the few seconds of the little girl leaving the stage at the beginning if you want another take on life’s beauty.

(I’m hoping that this clip is officially sanctioned. The emblem looks impressive enough.)

 

Edited March 9, 2019 by Buddy

[vagansmom]

She certainly has extremely "broken" wrists! Not my cup of tea because I don't like the way they break the line from shoulder to finger tips,  but I know others like this look.

[FireDancer]

Watching the video linked above, she reminds me so much of Alexandra Koltun. It makes me wonder if they had the same teachers...