Mariinsky Ballet: Swan Lake, London 2017

[Jillykins]

Sorry I didn't bump into you on Monday, I enjoyed meeting up with you once before LinMM. I agree with all your comments, loved Tereshkinas evil Odile and liked the backdrop swans and like you prefer the dramatic end of the jump into the lake. Overall as a rather aged balletgoer I enjoy the sort of dated production, there is an Imperial feel about it. It is ballet as I remember it from my childhood. However I love our dramatic approach, like life ballet is full of contrasts. Wish I had seats for Maryinsky Contrasts!

[alison]

Funny how fuzzy the reflection of the moon on the water is, and how sharp the reflections - near mirror-images - of the swans are

[Buddy]

I so wish that I could have been to this series. My preference would have been the Swan Lakes, but La Bayadere and Don Quixote would have been great second choices.

 

Monday, Yekaterina Osmolkina will be replacing Oksana Skorik in Swan Lake. No matter what challenges Oksana Skorik faces as a performer, I still feel that she is basically  the most beautiful ballerina in the world in terms of pure beauty of motion. Especially, look at those hands ! 

 

Yet the more I see of Yekaterina Osmolkina, the more I consider her a serious contender. Plus her artistry is exceptional and keeps growing.

 

(The Bolshoi’s 18 year old Alena Kovaleva (Vaganova graduate) may soon be their equal. Keep an eye on her. Even though she’s at the Bolshoi I still see her as a Mariinsky masterpiece.)

 

Yekaterina Kondaurova in London a few years back also performed one of the finest Swan Lakes that I’ve ever seen.

 

I think that London is so fortunate to have the Mariinsky once again. Yekaterina Osmolkina’s Swan Lake Monday will hopefully leave no doubt.

Edited August 5, 2017 by Buddy

[annamk]

Osmolkina/Stepin told a love story  yesterday in a beautifully crafted performance to finish the run on a high. They danced in a soft lyrical style (no flashy extensions from her), just fine accurate dancing from both and careful generous partnering from Stepin, without calling attention to himself. 

[nickwellings]

Lyrical is the perfect description, Anna. And Buddy, I feel the same, she has a lot of dramatic ability. I'm very glad I got to see her, on advice from a friend (and here I believe!) Her Odette was especially fine, a real kind of "cantabile", with narrative clear and moving. Just a few moments took my breath away. I already said on Twitter how I loved some details she placed in there - shaking dewdrops from her head on landing (a touch which some dancers don't delineate) and how she reached out to Siegfried for protection and close embrace. The final Act felt like a true ballet of love over power/Rothbart. Despite any reservations I have about the happy ending, I think it came off very well. (The two ladies in front of me evidently felt the same, judging by their running commentary on events   )

 

I hope Osmolkina has more time with Mariinsky to perform these leading roles.

 

Buddy, the same friend who recommended Osmolkina, has seen Chebykina in this run, and thinks she will also go far too.

[Johnpw]

2 hours ago, annamk said:

Osmolkina/Stepin told a love story  yesterday in a beautifully crafted performance to finish the run on a high. They danced in a soft lyrical style (no flashy extensions from her), just fine accurate dancing from both and careful generous partnering from Stepin, without calling attention to himself. 

I agree. And I'm glad the closed curtains opened right at the end to allow Osmolkina and Stepin to take a well-deserved call by themselves. The more muted applause at last Tuesday's Don Q meant that Stepin and Batoeva didn't get one, so at least that was remedied for him. I thought he seemed more in his element as Siegfried.

Osmolkina gave a rose from her bouquet not only to Stepin but also to Zverev (Rothbart) and Repnikov (the conductor): a nice touch.

Glad Repnikov got a rose: from the first bars of the Act 1 Introduction you could tell he had a different approach to the score from Boris Gruzin.

[MAB]

I adore Osmolkina and I deeply regret that The Awakening of Flora has never been brought to London, a ballet that evokes the past but provides such a magnificent showcase for Osmolkina's exquisite talent.  I sincerely hope that now there is a gap in the top rank she will be promoted at last.

 

It would be wonderful too if she could guest with the Royal Ballet again.  In style she is the ballerina that most closely resembles Margot Fonteyn, for those too young to have seen Margot, watching Osmolkina will give you a good idea of how she danced.  I hope the company brings her next time, though with no Russian season next year it maybe a wait, time methinks to check the airmiles account. 

[Buddy]

5 hours ago, nickwellings said:

Lyrical is the perfect description, Anna. And Buddy, I feel the same, she has a lot of dramatic ability. I'm very glad I got to see her, on advice from a friend (and here I believe!) Her Odette was especially fine, a real kind of "cantabile", with narrative clear and moving. Just a few moments took my breath away. I already said on Twitter how I loved some details she placed in there - shaking dewdrops from her head on landing (a touch which some dancers don't delineate) and how she reached out to Siegfried for protection and close embrace. The final Act felt like a true ballet of love over power/Rothbart. Despite any reservations I have about the happy ending, I think it came off very well. (The two ladies in front of me evidently felt the same, judging by their running commentary on events   )

 

I hope Osmolkina has more time with Mariinsky to perform these leading roles.

 

Buddy, the same friend who recommended Osmolkina, has seen Chebykina in this run, and thinks she will also go far too.

 

I'm very glad that everyone has liked Yekaterina Osmolkina as much has they have. Nick, I saw her perform two Giselles years ago and was wowed.  Last year she was even better. She had an almost transcendental approach to her character, which I thought worked very well in harmony with her absolutely lovely dancing and the dreaminess of the work. She also added slight nuances that I thought were very effective. I can imagine that her Swan Lake would be equally beautiful. I would wish her as much continued recognition by the company as possible. She just seems to get more beautiful and more artistically mature and compelling each time that I see her.

 

Yekaterina Chebykina performed Diamonds with Xander Parish at this year's Mariinsky Festival and I thought that it was the best that I've seen her do and one of the several best performances of the entire Festival. In the same manner as Yekaterina Osmolkina she danced like a Mariinsky dream, so lyrically beautiful and graceful. I've  seen a video clip since that confirms this progress. The Mariinsky casts her a lot. As your friend suggests, she will probably go far and quite justifiably. 

Edited August 8, 2017 by Buddy
Xander's name added

[Amelia]

I am so glad that many people appreciated this lovely ballerina - Ekaterina Osmolkina. Found a previous recording of her Swan with Stepin:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd400C5bogc#t=47.433449532