Amelia

I was looking forward yesterday to watch the ballet scene in “Faust” and was disappointed with so many unsightly and charmless movements, which were totally out of keeping with the beautiful music. I definitely prefer the "Walpurgis Night" choreographed by Leonid Lavrovsky at the Bolshoi in 1949. With Maya Plisetskaya Also: with Raisa Struchkova, Alexander Lapauri, Georgy Farmanyants (1956) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s4Nt4c-VHk and with Ekaterina Maximova, Shamil Yagudin, Stanislav Vlasov (1971) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1W_N8uBcLw&list=FLHnviXHry2szaYZ8rS57Pgw&index=33 I noticed that the video with Plisetskaya became unavailable. Try to put in the browser this: youtube Вальпургиева ночь Плисецкая

And a wonderful day and evening for you too, Jeannette!

I don't want to split hairs and look as a perfect bore but it is important for dancers to be noticed and their names remembered. Therefore, the names of these graduates with honours are: Valeria Bespalova and Polina Ustinova https://vaganovaacademy.ru/vaganova/obrazovanie/prikazy/Prikaz_o_perevode_na_kursy_SPO_99_2018.pdf https://www.facebook.com/academyvaganova/photos/балетвокневалерия-беспаловафото-дарья-ченикова/2026464357452839/

His surname is Khodasevich. Vladislav Khodasevich.

I presume that those ballet critics that we have now had no chance to see Nikolai Fadeyechev on stage. Had Clement Crisp been as active now as he was before, probably he would have written a nice obituary.

Yes, Naomi, it is a beautiful piece choreographed for Plisetskaya by N.Kasatkina and V.Vasilyov. Music of course by J.S.Bach.

Nerina and Fadeyechev - Giselle (extract) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s5fi6YtMDM Plisetskaya and Fadeyechev - Swan Lake (full ballet, 1957) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AFNO1SS43Y Plisetskaya and Fadeyechev - Prelude (1967)

Very sad news. I saw Nikolai Borisovich Fadeechev on stage many times, he was a true danseur noble. As a répétiteur he was adored by his illustrious pupils. He was also a real gentleman, with welcoming affable manners. I translated a few remarks made by ballerinas who danced with him. Galina Ulanova: "Before the tour of London, we rehearsed with Fadechev in Moscow, but we never danced together in any performance. We did it in England for the first time. Any fears would have been needless. Fadeechev is a talented classical dancer. It turned out that he was a good partner too, he has hands I felt myself comfortable in. He quickly became a Principal in our troupe." Marina Kondratieva: “In our choreographic school, we, girls, were competing on who will be dancing with Kolya at the duet class.” Lyudmila Semenyaka: “I look at Nikolai Fadeechev as one of the gods of the ballet Olympus. He is a great master and an amazing human being. Dancing with him was a great happiness. He is a unique, one-of-a-kind partner who not only supports the ballerina, but gives her the opportunity to soar freely on stage. Nikolai Borisovich is my godfather in art.” Raisa Struchkova: “He danced splendidly, in his own individual manner - it was sublime, delicate, refreshingly beautiful.” Maya Plisetskaya: “I’m sure most of the people who, after reading the article, will think: Why is Plisetskaya praising Fadeechev so much? I am writing this article so that the colleagues who work with him knew that there is such an artist who can not be spoiled by any praise, an artist who can be an example to follow." Nikolai Fadeechev was Galina Ulanova’s Albert at that legendary performance of “Giselle” at Covent Garden attended by the Queen and later recorded for posterity. Act 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WQ_hCJ5S9M Act 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heYiHlKcJWg

It was also choreographed for a couple by Asaf Messerer. Here is is performed by Marina Kondratyeva & Maris Liepa.

Romeo & Juliet: Vishneva & Shklyarov can still be watched now: https://mariinsky.tv/e Don't worry that the picture opens with tonight's opera concert. If you want to watch R & J, click it just below the big picture where the date 21 June is.

"Ballroom & Ballerinas" on BBC4 tonight at 11.45 pm. https://www.radiotimes.com/tv-programme/e/dwdn5m/ballrooms-and-ballerinas-dance-at-the-bbc/

This is not the Bolshoi's production but two Bolshoi's Principals, Anna Nikulina and Semyon Chudin, can be seen now in the recording of Swan Lake at Teatro dell’ Opera di Roma on 28.12.18 - https://youtu.be/JIwvNBKxUNw

Bolshoi ballet thanks you for your attention:

Watch an online-only performance by Faustin Linyekula in the Tanks at Tate Modern: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/bmw-tate-live-exhibition-2020?utm_source=emarsys&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CRM_May_w2_BMWLive_Faustin_Engaged&sc_src=email_1896802&sc_customer=2862357&sc_lid=137388823&sc_uid=QkBkWZDJdR&sc_llid=64240&sc_eh=b1dd8deeb43440061#trailer

Bolshoi's Don Quixote -- streaming as usual will start today at 5 pm London time and will be available for 24 hrs. https://www.bolshoi.ru/en/about/press/articles/none/5635/ Click: official YouTube channel

Yes, it was Xenia Pchelkina as the Schoolgirl and Ruslan Skvortsov as the Classical Dancer.

The Bright Stream, - streaming starts today at 5 pm London time and will be available for 24 hrs. https://www.bolshoi.ru/en/about/press/articles/none/5635/ Click: official YouTube channel

The Mariinsky Ballet’s Maria Khoreva, promoted to a First Soloist after just two years of graduating from the Vaganova Academy, shares on youtube her class routine - in English. Ballet class 2020 (at home, barre ) with Maria Khoreva & live music

GALA PETIPA AT MARIINSKY can be watched now:

Xander Parish became a citizen of the Russian Federation:

At first Svetlana Beriosova appeared in London in November 1947 with the Marquis de Cuevas company at the Kings Theater in Hammersmith Rd., and in the summer of 1948 as part of the small Metropolitan Ballé troupe at the Scala Theater in Charlotte Street. When Svetlana’s colleagues had free time, they could rest, and she took out notebooks and books: she had to complete homework for sending to a school in New York where she continued to study in absentia. The company also traveled around the provinces. In Swansea, they rehearsed in the hall, which miraculously survived among the ruins of the war. Female fans were waiting for the young ballerina at the stage door to give her a gift - their weekly ration of chocolate. In 1950, Ninette de Valois invited Svetlana to her Sadlers Wells company for the role of Odette in Swan Lake.

Natalya Osipova presents three pieces from her Sadlers Wells program online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRct7defoiU

The celebration of Vladimir Vasiliev’ jubilee that was planned at the Bolshoi Theatre has been postponed due to quarantine. Here is the video with greetings to Vasiliev from: Vladimir Urin, Julio Bocca, Ilse Liepa, Carlos Acosta, Natalya Ledovskaya, David Hallberg, Svetlana Zakharova, Yuri Fateyev, Lilian Hochhauser, Nina Ananiashvili, Vladislav Lantratov & Maria Alexandrova, Tatiana Chernobrovkina, Denis Rod’kin and Bolshi Ballet School in Brazil - - with English subtitles.

Vladimir Vasiliev is 80 today. The choreographer Kasyan Goleizovsky remembered: “I saw the wonderful Sergei Legat. I saw Mikhail Mordkin, a dancer of transcendent loveliness, harmonious, with a fiery temperament. What a charisma! I saw Alexandre Volinin - this was ultra-poetry. I saw Nijinsky, who enthralled me. I was at school with him, he was 3 years older, therefore, I literally worshipped him at that time. But I have never met such a dancer as Volodya Vasiliev! Sometimes I ask him: 'Volodya, how do you do it? How do you manage to rise off the ground like that? It is absolutely imperceptible …' At rehearsals he always gives his best, he is so creative. It was not the same with Nijinsky and others...." Did any participants of the Forum see Vladimir Vasiliev dancing on stage? Here's a tribute from the Bolshoi. It is in Russian but generously illustrated with videos of performances and rehearsals.

Found it only now: https://twitter.com/nationalballet?lang=en WELL DONE! The National Ballet of Canada @nationalballet · Apr 3 Thanks to all the brave front-line healthcare workers including doctors, nurses and hospital staff who are working tirelessly to keep us safe! Our wardrobe staff are busy making masks and caps from their homes that will be delivered to hospitals around the city. #TorontoTogether