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St Petersburg Ballet Theatre: Her Name Was Carmen, London, August 2016


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St Petersburg Ballet Theatre London Season presented a World Premiere of Her name is Carmen with Irina Kolesnikova as Carmen. Pictures from yesterday's Dress Rehearsal. On at the Coliseum until Sunday 28th August

 

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Irina Kolesnikova - Carmen, Dmitry Akulinin - Jose
 
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Carmen - Irina Kolesnikova and refugees
 
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Yuri Kovalev - Garcia, Irina Kolesnikova - Carmen and smugglers
 
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St Petersburg Ballet Theatre London Season presented a World Premiere of Her name is Carmen with Irina Kolesnikova as Carmen. Pictures from yesterday's Dress Rehearsal. On at the Coliseum until Sunday 28th August

 

St%2BPetersburg%2BBallet%2BTheatre%2B-%2
 
Irina Kolesnikova - Carmen, Dmitry Akulinin - Jose
 
St+Petersburg+Ballet+Theatre+-+Her+Name+
 
Carmen - Irina Kolesnikova and refugees
 
St+Petersburg+Ballet+Theatre+-+Her+Name+
 
Yuri Kovalev - Garcia, Irina Kolesnikova - Carmen and smugglers
 

 

 

Those are amongst the best camera-phone pics I have ever seen, John!   :)  CONGRATULATIONS!

 

Attended amongst a largely sparse lot (the UC and B were again closed) the premiere of this work of many - and I hate to say it - largely mediocre pieces last night.  I have myself been in reception centres such as they were here attempting to encapsulate and all I can say is that the real thing is oft much more dynamic and at times certainly more dramatically choreographed.   The ENO orchestra proved a welcome oasis.  The leading ballerina was - as I have oft found her to be - far, FAR too self aware.  

Edited by Bruce Wall
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Pieces?  It was one complete work.

 

I meant to say a (i.e. one) work of many pieces.  (Reading it back I think I did ... but then I can never be certain.)  Notwithstanding, t'was a schematic affair with its circuits shooting in a variety of different directions.  As they might say in the security trade: 'fragmented'.  You sometimes hear whilst walking through those yards, a Big Brother shout over the loudspeakers:  'Do not fragment'.  His advice last night might well have been beneficial.  

Edited by Bruce Wall
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Sorry people, it was a regular photocall yesterday not the phone jobs but my trusty Nikon. But thanks for the comments. I don't think the upper circle was closed as I was booked there for the evening performance but managed to get an "upgrade" in the back of the stalls. Interesting that the lighting was better in the evening than the photocall. the young lady next to me remarked that they were a bit under rehearsed? My wife and friend enjoyed it. ( Both Ballet Rambert trained). I am sure it will be fine for the rest of the week. There seem to be some good value tickets for the rest of the run.

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Thanks as always, John, for the beautiful pictures.

 

I don't know anything about this work and I've only seen the company once, maybe ten years ago, but I was very impressed. I was in raptures about Irina Kolesnikova. I found her different than in videos. She was very natural. Her dance artistry was very poetic with a remarkable sense of motion and technical prowess.

 

I wrote a bunch of enthusiastic posts. One thing that I mentioned is that I feel that I work harder than the dancers sometimes watching them and hoping for them to succeed. With Irina Kolesnikova, this was totally unnecessary. She was in command and artistically brilliant from the first moment. The company, I thought, was youthfully alive as well as very refined, together and technically exciting.

 

It’s been a long time, but I still look forward to seeing much more of them.

Edited by Buddy
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I've just been sent a link to an article about Kolesnikova that may be of interest to her admirers:

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-3710849/Russian-ballet-dancer-Irina-Kolesnikova-reveals-heartbreaking-truth-difficult-performance-life.html

 

The story of her miscarriage reminds us that sometimes there are reasons why a performance can come across as less than perfect.

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This production sounds rather like the curate's egg from what Iittle there seems to be in the way of reviews. I won't be going to see it as frankly, much as I am an admirer of Kolesnikova, this just didn't appeal. I realise from her comments, that the refugee situation is one that has become close to her heart but I am wary of topical subjects - very often those that are contentious and involve suffering and misery, being jet washed and served up as entertainment. In this case, I suppose you would call it refugee porn.

It sounds as though there are some good elements, featuring Irina, who has always come across to me as a fine dramatic dancer. Much as I don't really want to see yet another reworking of the Carmen saga, I would love to see her again one day,in something that is worthy of her talent, rather than hitched to a cause.

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Curate's egg is exactly what I thought Jacqueline, on the whole the 'refugees' (my word they're well turned out) are a kind of back drop to the action rather than being the focus though.  My main quibble is that the back story isn't apparent, Carmen joins the migrants for safety as she's on the run from the former security chief turned people smuggler that killed her family.  Garcia is no Escamillo, he is more Baron Scarpia with a burning sexual passion for his victim.  Frankly you go to this ballet for Kolesnikova who puts everything she's got into the role going from grubby waif to beguiling siren.  The entire company looks good in this work too though and the choreography has some really inventive ideas.

 

The lost child represents the lone child Irina met in the camp and the little red plastic ring given to her on stage was the one that the child handed her in the camp.  It is the reason Carmen is in tears at the curtain calls.

 

Have to say, the audience really loved it, lots of cheering at the end.  I suspect word of mouth may do more for this ballet than any reviews. 

 

Didn't we have a thread concerning the use of contemporary themes in ballet here not so long ago?  Perhaps the lack of interest towards this ballet indicates there is little enthusiasm for that idea.

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Oh, so some of the main printed press *were* there?  From what I'd seen from the Links pages, I was starting to wonder.

 

It was noticeable on press night that the broadsheets didn't seem to be there. Critically I don't think Kolesnikova, and a new ballet by not well known creatives, is the draw that all the sales and marketing might suggest to those who don't go so often. I thought it a bad production (worse than Acosta's and that's saying something) that was marketed incredibly well.
 
My worry is that the company has morphed over the years from having its own (leading) identity to being just mentioned in the small print - almost a scratch company. So it's "Irina Kolesnikova's London Season" etc. It seems a strategy that will lead to the company folding when Kolesnikova (now aged 36) can no longer deliver the classics and be marketed as one of the greats. It would be a terrible shame if SPBT were to fold - they are great dancers.
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Interesting points Bruce. When I started going to see SPBT some years ago, when they were on the provincial theatre rounds, although Irina was clearly the star turn, other dancers were available, some of whom were very good indeed and it felt more like an all round company.

Now it is and has been for a while, heavily marketed with Irina as "the world's leading ballerina" and the company almost an afterthought. I can see why they have to make themselves stand out in a rather crowded market but there doesn't seem to be anyone waiting in the wings to take over when Irina retires or as Bruce says, can no longer deliver the classics. 

When I first heard about this latest Carmen I had doubts because it was Carmen yet again, featuring the refugee crisis as plot device and I had never heard of Irina's then collaborator on the production. I noticed his name had since dropped from sight and I gather from reviews, the pair of them had major differences of opinion over how the production should go forward. I have never heard of his replacement either.

Perhaps SPBT will return to being the much smaller troupe they were originally, before they went large with rather over excited publicity and big venues. Then again, perhaps the idea is indeed to wrap up on Irina's retirement. 

Edited to say just read your review in today's links. It all looks quite good in the photos, and so wrong somehow.

Edited by Jacqueline
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I have not seen the production, but I was becoming really sick and tired of the promotional press. The way that every tired cliche of ballet was played out...

 

'turned down because I was too fat',

'I was turned down by Bolshoi and Mariinsky but I have worked so hard determined to get back'

'I don't eat sugar and no fats, I have a chocolate biscuit every ten years'

'I want to help the world with my talent and was inspired by the plight of the refugees' ( a 1%-2% contribution isn't really charitable)

'ballet's greatest talent', 'world great' 'superstar' 'prima ballerina'

 

The reviews have been in general terrible 1-2 stars, and I even researched the global press and history, just to see what was going on. The story was always the same... 'tired underrehearsed production, with too much time and focus on 'Irina' who plays the audience rather than the role, she has some skill, and drags out the audience applause.' 1*/2*/2.5*/ 3* maximum.

 

What is the surprise, or do people still remember that one-off Swan Lake at the Royal Albert Hall that transformed her to 'stardom' or at least declaring it? I also note the 4* reviews raving about how amazing her talent is from the smaller publications....probably to be put on the posters in Edinburgh.

 

I am sorry if my post come across as cynical, or mean, but I am quite tired of dancers where hyperbole, self promotion, and mediocre talent take all the headlines, because they have the promotional capacity. There are plenty of amazing and talented dancers performing in the UK and elsewhere that could use part of the ever-diminishing column inches for ballet. Also, reading the Daily Mail story, really made me think to which depths she would sink to to get a headline.

 

I am sure I will never go to watch this company, and I feel bad for having to be so negative, but it really has annoyed me because it doesn't help ballet hearing the old clichés all the time.

Edited by SwissBalletFan
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Having worked with a Russian touring company, or to be precise having been press ganged into doing so, I perhaps have better insight into their workings and the problems such companies face. 

 

How many of these types of companies currently exist I have no idea, but there is a clear pecking order amongst them and St Petersburg Ballet Theatre is pretty much near the top.  Over the years it has been a feeder company for major companies such as the Kirov, ENB, Dutch National and the Mikhailovsky with those dancers, e.g. Kolegova, going on to dance major roles.  As Jacqueline points out there is always a dancer other than Kolesnikova worth watching, the current  second ballerina, Anna Samostrelova, is outstanding and may well make a name for herself elsewhere.  Touring is incredibly hard work for dancers and for a dedicated touring company the work load is relentless, for many it becomes too much over time and the turnover is high making the recruitment of high quality dancers a perennial headache.  Over the years the majority of dancers have been trained at the Vaganova Academy though increasingly many originate from the Nureyev school in Ufa, the female corps de ballet is excellent.  For many years company soloists have outshone more illustrious companies in set pieces such as the pas de trois in Swan Lake.  Finding and retaining top level male dancers is more difficult though which is why guests have been drafted in for major engagements. 

 

As for Kolesnikova herself, I suppose everyone's assessment of a dancer is subjective in some way, and as I detest those dancers that specialize in six o' clock extensions and dropped crotch jetes (Zakharova makes my flesh crawl), someone such as Kolesnikova trained throughout her career by veteran Kirov A-listers becomes a breath of fresh air.  There is never a compulsion to watch a dancer you dislike, except if you are a critic I suppose.

 

Her Name is Carmen was not the worst ballet I have seen in the past year but like the much maligned Acosta version it certainly fired up the audience.  From what I read here I think there is a growing disconnect between the dedicated ballet audience and those that think ballet is an enjoyable night out now and then.

 

Finally I agree there are mediocre talents out there, but I don't agree that Irina Kolesnikova is one of them.

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I really hate the way that in recent years SPBT has seemingly been turned into little more than a "backing group" for Kolesnikova - and the publicity suggests that she's the only reason for going to see them - they are far too good for that.  When they first appeared on the scene, I was entranced by the company as a whole, because you didn't tend to see dancing of that quality appearing on the regional theatre circuit - I saw them in Croydon, Woking, Southend and probably quite a few other places which don't immediately spring to mind.  Admittedly, they did tend to use quite a few guest artists back then - it may have been before Kolesnikova was even on the radar, except that I remember at Southend they were selling some sort of publication about her - and I rarely if ever saw her, so had no opportunity to see what the fuss was all about, but I could certainly appreciate the quality of the training behind the company.  And of course I do remember the odd performance by their "other" ballerina, Elena Glurdjidze, before she decided to join ENB instead.

 

I should be really really sorry if the end of Kolesnikova's career were to become the end of the company as a whole, but I do wonder, having built her up so much, what will happen when she's gone, or at least isn't still dancing the big classical roles.

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I really hate the way that in recent years SPBT has seemingly been turned into little more than a "backing group" for Kolesnikova - and the publicity suggests that she's the only reason for going to see them - they are far too good for that. 

 

I should be really really sorry if the end of Kolesnikova's career were to become the end of the company as a whole, but I do wonder, having built her up so much, what will happen when she's gone, or at least isn't still dancing the big classical roles.

 

 

I think marrying the owner will mean that she would have an ever increasing influence on the ballets, the choreography and the company. Maybe she will take over the mantle when she retires. This could be the reason they have tried to produce a new choreography, she would I ( I imagine from her promotion and self aggrandising) be AD at least, after she retires.

 

It it is all very reminiscent of the Ballerina in the Hans Christian Anderson movie played by Zizi Jeanmarie.

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I didn't see this production, and am sorry to read that it had very negative reviews, but I do applaud the company for doing something up-to-date. There are so many choreographers doing new versions of the classics still in a historical setting that putting a traditional story in a contemporary context is a bold step. It's just very difficult to do successfully. I don't know why.

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Over the years it has been a feeder company for major companies such as the Kirov, ENB, Dutch National and the Mikhailovsky with those dancers, e.g. Kolegova, going on to dance major roles.

 

(...)

 

Finally I agree there are mediocre talents out there, but I don't agree that Irina Kolesnikova is one of them.

 

A very reasonable post overall. St. Petersburg Ballet was never a feeder company for Mariinsky, however. More than that: no company ever was a feeder company for Mariinsky. The fact that Kolegowa once danced with St. Petersburg Ballet is an individual circumstance of that dancer’s career. Secondly, mediocre talent is an oxymoron, isn’t it?

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A very reasonable post overall. St. Petersburg Ballet was never a feeder company for Mariinsky, however. More than that: no company ever was a feeder company for Mariinsky. The fact that Kolegowa once danced with St. Petersburg Ballet is an individual circumstance of that dancer’s career. Secondly, mediocre talent is an oxymoron, isn’t it?

 

Sorry you dislike the term feeder, perhaps I should have described this fact otherwise.  As for 'mediocre talent' I was responding to another poster who used the term.

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I have not seen the production, but I was becoming really sick and tired of the promotional press. The way that every tired cliche of ballet was played out...

 

This is how it always was with the touring companies, I am afraid, therefore this alone does not deter me from attending their performances. Often one might see some talented if undeveloped or insufficiently trained artists. In any case, I always tend to ignore the promotional press, whether the company is big or small.

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