Jump to content
This Site Uses Cookies. If You Want to Disable Cookies, Please See Your Browser Documentation. ×

Bolshoi 2022//2023 Season


Buddy

Recommended Posts

The new season began in the middle of the month. It opened with several Swan Lakes featuring :: Kovalyova (Lovely), Arina Denisova, whom I’m not familiar with, and Anna Nikulina (Lovely). There were also some more of Grigorovich’s Spartacus along with Ratmansky’s Romeo and Juliet and Balanchine’s Jewels. Grigorovich’s A Legend of Love will be performed next.

Of personal interest, Victoria Brilyeva, whom I always liked at the Mariinsky, is one of the eight background soloists in Diamonds. I continue to wish her much success at the Bolshoi. There isn’t a lot in the way of video, but one of Eleonora Sevenard (formerly Mariinsky) and Artem Ovcharenko in Diamonds was just posted. I followed her more until Alyona Kovalyova’s (Mariinsky school) remarkable grace pretty much eclipsed everything. Eleonora Sevenard does have a nice edge here that works well with Balanchine. Also the charming Anna Tikhomirova is cast as usual in the couples from Emeralds. From an old video she is lovely in this.

Ekaterina Shipulina (now “Working Under Contract”) is still hanging in there, Deflope, with one Mekhmene Banu and one Aegina.

May this season offer a ray of light in the world news landscape and a touch of warmth and beauty.

 

Correction:  Eleonora Sevenard graduated the Mariinsky school (the Vaganova) but then went directly to the Bolshoi as pointed out in Volcanohunter's following post.

Edited by Buddy
Link to comment

I've removed all of the discussion that started from unofficial news via a fan post on sociall media.

If there is official news by an official source, ie, a ballet professional, the dicussion can be resurrected, and not by the original poster.

 

Link to comment

I don't think Spicer's geopolitical explanation stands up to scrutiny. Denis Matsuev, who is closely aligned with the Kremlin (and is also Shipulina's husband), is scheduled to appear in Tashkent on October 19th.
https://www.instagram.com/p/ChcU_p0DrfH/

The Moiseyev company has performances scheduled there on November 12 & 13, and the poster features the logo of the Russian ministry of culture.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CjXn8Kntp3C/

There was a "scandal" the week before involving Polunin for a controversial and unsanctioned change to his program.
https://www.reuters.com/world/russian-ballet-dancer-censured-pro-war-performance-uzbekistan-2022-09-28/
He posted a video stating that the presenters were threatening to sue him and demanded that the Russian ministry of foreign affairs "do something" about it, but I don't think Russia is going to downgrade diplomatic relations with Uzbekistan over Polunin. In any case, Uzbekistan has never been an especially close ally to Russia, having abandoned the Collective Security Treaty in 1999.

The tour could not have been a secret, since it was announced in mid-August. According to the second slide, the group should also have included Anna Nikulina, but there is no photo or video evidence that she participated.
https://www.instagram.com/p/ChXVVbjNFID/

Despite reports of a month-long "suspension," the Bolshoi principals who performed in Tashkent have not all had their performances canceled. In particular, the workloads of Stashkevich and Lopatin are as heavy as ever. On October 5 Chudin was replaced in Jewels, but Stashkevich and Lopatin were not.
https://2011.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/456/roles/#20221005190000

On October 6 Obraztsova and Lantratov were replaced in "Emeralds."
https://2011.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/456/roles/#20221006190000

On October 8, Shipulina and Lobukhin were replaced in Legend of Love (he immediately, she the day before the performance).
https://2011.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/71/roles/#20221008120000

The following day Krysanova and Lantratov were replaced.
https://2011.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/71/roles/#20221009140000

I'm not sure what the grounds would be for suspending Shipulina, since she's no longer a full-time employee of the Bolshoi, it no longer pays her a salary, and she is employed on a per-show basis, so unless she fails to fulfill the conditions of a specific show contract, I don't see how the Bolshoi can tell her how to spend her time. At worst she might have borrowed a costume without proper permission. Unless she's being punished as the tour's ringleader. (Some Russian reports claim that the tour was arranged and transportation paid for by Matsuev.)

Krysanova and Chudin have been replaced in Dancemania on October 12, but Stashkevich and Lopatin have not.
https://2011.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/7100/roles/#20221012190000

As of today, Krysanova and Lantratov have not been replaced in Made in Bolshoi on October 13
https://2011.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/7102/roles/#20221013190000
and Lantratov and Stashkevich have not been replaced in The Seasons.
https://2011.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/7101/roles/#20221013190000

As of today, Volchkov is still cast in the October 15 matinee of Onegin.
https://2011.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/655/roles/#20221015120000

Chudin has been replaced in the evening performance, a change that was made a couple of days ago.
https://2011.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/655/roles/#20221015190000

Skvortsov, Stashkevich and Lopatin are still cast on October 16, but Obraztsova has been replaced.
https://2011.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/655/roles/#20221016140000

Krysanova and Chudin have been replaced in The Pharaoh’s Daughter on October 21, but Stashkevich has not.
https://2011.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/181818/roles/#20221021190000

Obraztsova has been replaced on October 23.
https://2011.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/181818/roles/#20221023140000

Yesterday casting for Anyuta was posted, and the performance on October 25 includes Stashkevich, Lopatin and Lobukhin.
https://2011.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/11111/roles/#20221025190000

Lobukhin will dance a different part on the 26th.
https://2011.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/11111/roles/#20221026190000

The casting for October 27 is perhaps interesting because it includes Lobukhin and Lantratov’s debut as the Student. But while Krysanova and Obraztsova have danced the title role in the past, there will be a debut for Vinogradova instead. (It can't be a question of age, since Stashkevich and Kretova are 37 and 38 respectively, just like Krysanova and Obraztsova.)
https://2011.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/11111/roles/#20221027190000

Alexandrova had no performances scheduled for October.

P.S. Sevenard has spent her entire career at the Bolshoi. She was supposed to dance Raymonda in Astrakhan on October 15, and presumably had permission, but Obraztsova is going instead, now that her schedule is free. 🧐
https://www.astoperahouse.ru/affiche/1548

Edited by volcanohunter
formatting
Link to comment

Thanks for all you detail here, Volcanohunter. I was wondering what would actually happen.

I knew that Eleonora Sevenard graduated the Mariinsky school (the Vaganova), but the Bolshoi site does confirm that she did go directly to the Bolshoi afterwards as you stated.

Link to comment

This is a video of Dansomania by Vyacheslav Samodurov. 

It could be called abstract ballet and I’ve seen a lot of these over the years at the Mariinsky. I tend to leave the success of this sort of thing to a few Western ballet companies. I also tend to generally skip the explanations and just go with what I see.

Having watched almost all 20 minutes of this video I do tend to like it. The moves are interesting, well designed and well performed. It’s probably a good step towards ‘contemporary’ in ballet from Russia. I could actually find it believable if the names Tharp or Forsythe were attached to the credits. (‘Derivative’? Not sure. Still like it.) See what you think. I prefer starting at about 4:50.

 

(Posted by one of the artists)

Link to comment

I’d like to continue discussing Chinara Alizade (formerly Bolshoi) here for a moment because I think that it might go unnoticed posted at the Polish National Ballet topic, because she really does deserve the attention and because her Bolshoi fineness does remain very apparent.

From the video I’d like to highlight her lovely and airy dancing at 9:00 and 35:30.

The iconic duet dancing can be found at 1:35:00.

Although physical prowess can lessen somewhat with maturity, artistry can grow noticeably. The elegance and refinement of her dancing is very evident, probably improved. Her expressiveness, almost always emanating in ballet from the facial expression, is truly embracing throughout — light and vibrant in the Act I village scenes, dramatic and transcendent in the Act II other-worldly setting. Although she’s dramatically compelling and artistically masterful throughout Act II, I’m most touched by her mixture of dreamy loveliness and deepest emotion at the very end (1:48:20 —)   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4HIbwU7YzE&t=4s

I would say that she’s grown remarkably in artistic fineness.

 

Link to comment

Again, I’d like to say what a remarkable performance Chinara Alizade has given. I’d now like to continue this at the Polish National Ballet topic, because I think that it gives some added perspective into what she’s accomplished and also gives due recognition to that company and how it contributes to her artistic fineness.

https://balletalert.invisionzone.com/topic/40326-polish-national-ballet/#comment-443921

 

Link to comment

Eva Sergeyenkova debuted tonight as Giselle and a group of video clips have been posted. From what I’ve been able to see she did Wonderfully !  Also of interest, and somewhat of a surprise, is the little that I can see of Alyona Kovalyova who danced as Myrtha two performances in a row. It may have been a debut for her as well. She surprises me with her very effective drama. Eva Sergeyenkova surprises me with the extent of her sensitivity and gracefulness. Both artists seem to very impressively enter the other’s area of artistic fineness. Seen together they make a remarkable combination and a fascinating comparison.

 

Edited by Buddy
Link to comment
2 hours ago, Buddy said:

Eva Sergeyenkova debuted tonight as Giselle and a group of video clips have been posted. From what I’ve been able to see she did Wonderfully !  Also of interest, and somewhat of a surprise, is the little that I can see of Alyona Kovalyova who danced as Myrtha two performances in a row. It may have been a debut for her as well. She surprises me with her very effective drama. Eva Sergeyenkova surprises me with the extent of her sensitivity and gracefulness. Both artists seem to very impressively enter the other’s area of artistic fineness. Seen together they make a remarkable combination and a fascinating comparison.

 

Is the Bolshoi using the Ratmansky reconstruction we saw in the movie theaters in January 2020? That's the version the United Ukrainian Ballet showed in London in September 2022 and presumably will show again at the Kennedy Center February 1-5. It's interesting to think through the rights to this and we don't know what was in Ratmansky's contract with Bolshoi for this. In the publicity for London, they said he was developing a special version for the Ukrainians, but to my untrained eye, it looked like the January 2020 reconstruction. Key give-aways: the inclusion of the Wilis Fugue, the expansive mime, the return of Bathilde at the end, the earth swallowing Giselle at the end.

Link to comment
39 minutes ago, California said:

Is the Bolshoi using the Ratmansky reconstruction we saw in the movie theaters in January 2020? That's the version the United Ukrainian Ballet showed in London in September 2022 and presumably will show again at the Kennedy Center February 1-5. It's interesting to think through the rights to this and we don't know what was in Ratmansky's contract with Bolshoi for this. In the publicity for London, they said he was developing a special version for the Ukrainians, but to my untrained eye, it looked like the January 2020 reconstruction. Key give-aways: the inclusion of the Wilis Fugue, the expansive mime, the return of Bathilde at the end, the earth swallowing Giselle at the end.

The excerpts I've seen all look to me as if they come from Grigorovich's production. 

Kokoreva and Sevenard also made debuts as well as Sergeyenkova.  I'm trying to pace myself watching video excerpts that have been posted of all these debuts.  At this point, I've only watched video bits of Sergeyenkova and a few seconds of Kokoreva (Giselle's Act II opening) but not enough of either to say much. Though anyone can see Sergeyenkova is a "no-go" zone for people who dislike extremely high extensions in Giselle.

I did watch and very much enjoyed  video of Sevenard's dancing throughout Act I and a bit of Act II.  Her classical simplicity gives her Act I a very natural quality.  I thought she was lovely and would be more than delighted to see her Giselle in the theater.

Link to comment
22 minutes ago, Drew said:

The excerpts I've seen all look to me as if they come from Grigorovich's production. 

Recently on this site, people noticed that the choreographer's name for some of Ratmansky's work had been omitted in Bolshoi performances.

Looks like he is being obliterated for Giselle, too!

Link to comment

Ratmansky's name has been removed from all his ballets at the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky. Most of those works aren't being performed, but Ratmansky expressed his anger about the Bolshoi's most recent run of Flames of Paris. 

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid027BJ9svmzjocokBKEAvGTR44Mh5uebFaZrwj8waCoHznjKxWFx35rjZLwp64RmPcvl&id=1377723438&mibextid=Nif5oz

The Bolshoi hasn't performed the Ratmansky production of Giselle since February 2021. On a couple occasions during the past year the company put his Giselle on its schedule, but before tickets went on sale, it was switched to the Grigorovich production. In the case of the most recent run, I even suspected it may have had something to do with the United Ukrainian Ballet's upcoming engagement in Washington, as if to say: but our production has real horses!

In the end the Bolshoi decided otherwise. It would not have made sense to teach debutantes a version for which the Bolshoi's performing rights will expire sooner rather than later. 

Edited by volcanohunter
added link
Link to comment
5 hours ago, California said:

Recently on this site, people noticed that the choreographer's name for some of Ratmansky's work had been omitted in Bolshoi performances.

Looks like he is being obliterated for Giselle, too!

Yes, Ratmansky’s name has been removed from certain ballets, but that is not what I was basing my comment on. I was basing it on the video I saw. They are dancing Grigorovich’s production of Giselle.

 

Edited to add: it is far from Grigorovich's worst production.

Edited by Drew
Link to comment

I don’t want to minimise the importance and interest of the current discussion, but I would like to get back to Eva Sergeyenkova for a moment. I’m watching the videos of her performance and I continue to feel that she’s Remarkable !  I’ll probably discuss this further at her own “Dancers” topic, but what I’d really like to suggest is that you take a look at her duet. It’s the longest of the videos posted and can be easily found on the internet. I deeply feel that it speaks for itself.

 

Link to comment
On 1/23/2023 at 10:46 AM, Drew said:

I did watch and very much enjoyed  video of Sevenard's dancing throughout Act I and a bit of Act II.  Her classical simplicity gives her Act I a very natural quality.  I thought she was lovely and would be more than delighted to see her Giselle in the theater.

I' very pleased to hear she's progressing, classical simplicity is in short supply at the Bolshoi.  I feared it was now longer in fashion there.

Link to comment
1 hour ago, Mashinka said:

I' very pleased to hear she's progressing, classical simplicity is in short supply at the Bolshoi.  I feared it was now longer in fashion there.

It probably isn't but at least on video, to my eyes, Sevenard's Act I dancing had that quality.

Link to comment
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...