Balletomanewithoutacause

The artists attended a huge party last night to celebrate the end of the season featuring pop acts and a huge cake in the shape of the Bolshoi Theatre. The artists repeatedly thanked someone by the name of Roman Arkadievich -- perhaps he paid for the party, I don't know.  Was this intended to "make up" for the disappointment of the canceled Nureyev premier? Here are some photos of the party.  

https://www.instagram.com

https://www.instagram.com

https://www.instagram.com

These may not be embedding properly so I'll try again later.

On 7/14/2017 at 03:21, MAB said:

After her substandard performances of the role in London, I'm surprised she's still dancing the role

"Alternative" facts, fake news.  Nobody believes you.

According to their Instagrams, recent joiners Eleanora Sevenard and Tatiana Osipova took part as dryads in the just concluded run of Don Quixote at the Bolshoi. (See below). Also performing (twice) was Yulia Stepanova finishing up her first season as principal with this prima quality Queen of the Dryads excerpt.  Congratulations to these lovely ballerinas!

Naked Vlad Lantratov.  I don't see a problem. 

http://tv.mk.ru/video/2017/07/10/pervyy-videofragment-repeticii-skandalnoy-sceny-spektaklya-nureev.html

Humor too:

http://tv.mk.ru/video/2017/07/10/videofragment-repeticii-skandalnoy-sceny-spektaklya-nureev.html

Nureyev and Bruhn?

http://tv.mk.ru/video/2017/07/10/tretiy-videofragment-repeticii-skandalnoy-sceny-spektaklya-nureev.html

The drama continues.  As of this writing, Zakarhova and Rodkin have apparently declined to appear in the Don Quixote performance replacing Nureyev, and it looks like Ivan Vasiliev is stepping in but who will be Kitri?

We are getting some idea of what Nureyev looked and sounded like via some video of the final run-through that have appeared online:

This from Anna Okuneva (@call_me_perch on Instagram) is very sad.  The Google translation seems to say that this is a video of the close of the last runthrough of Nureyev. (Perhaps someone literate in Russian could provide a proper translation?) I'm pretty sure that at the end she says, "But now I understand Rudolph. I understand why he decided to give up his land, relatives, from home. He chose freedom, which we do not have."

1 hour ago, DrewCo said:

Serebrennikov (director/libretist working with Possokhov as on Hero of Our Time) was recently questioned regarding misuse of funds at his Gogol Center Theater, though he was supposedly not himself under investigation at that time. Urin spoke publically on his behalf too. People in the arts world (those on social media at any rate) think he and his theater are being harassed because the government does not like what they are doing. I have NO idea if this has anything to do with the Bolshoi production's postponement.

These events could have been intended as a warning to Serebrennikov to tone it (Nureyev) down. Financial stings have been reportedly used by the Russian government in recent years to modify undesirable behavior.  

Alexandrova says on her Instagram that the artists were in fact prepared and references similar occurrences of productions being pulled in the 1930's. Yes, the photo is all black.

2 hours ago, Jan McNulty said:

 

 

It seems very odd given that the premiere was scheduled for Tuesday.

Yesterday Trump and Putin apparently agreed not to meddle in the internal affairs of each others nation.  Today Putin orders repressive censorship of the arts based on his dislike of the subject matter. Very odd indeed but not totally unexpected.  

15 minutes ago, assoluta said:

Natalya Makarova isn't tall and, moreover, she requested to be left out of the script.

True, Makarova is short  -- I have stood next to her at the SF Ballet -- but somehow she has that elongated look anyway, even now. I think her legs must be quite long compared to her torso to give that impression. But that's a really interesting tidbit that she wasn't interested in being in the story! Any insights as to why?

I don't know Nureyev's story well enough to know which divas he had important relationships with other than Fonteyn and to I believe a lesser degree, Guillem, and of course both of those were in his post-Russia days.  Perhaps this role is of a ballerina who was important to him while he was in Russia?  An early partner or teacher? 

Updated cast listing for Nureyev. http://www.bolshoi.ru/en/performances/1025/roles/#all Rodkin no longer listed for the Erik Bruhn role.  There may be other changes? Also, the names of two episodes have been changed to A Letter to Rudi. The Pupil and A Letter to Rudi. The Diva from I think Letter #1 and #2 respectively.  Any guess on who the Diva might be? Clearly a tall flexible beautiful ballerina since Zakarhova, Stepanova and Shipulina are listed in that role.  Sylvie Guillem? Makarova?

I meant to say Kasatkina *is* not *was* as she is obviously very much alive.

And here's something interesting, an interview by a Japanese magazine of Natalia Kasatkina (with Yulia Stepanova) apparently having to do with this commemorative tour of Japan.

Kasatkina was (among other things) a founder with Vladimir Vasiliev of the Moscow Classical Ballet company http://www.classicalballet.ru/eng/about/ I would love to know more about her and why she was in Japan for this tour.  Yulia doesn't say which magazine, but perhaps one of our Japanese speakers could look at the 3rd photo which apparently says something about the event, and perhaps keep an eye out for the article when it's published.  Many thanks in advance!

This is the third video of Mikhail that I had meant to post:

Mikhail Kryuchkov has posted some videos taken from the wings of his June 11 Tokyo performances as The Evil Genius in Swan Lake. Sorry the second video was posted twice. Mikhail is still listed as a member of the corps.

10 hours ago, Naomi M said:

Fabulous Basque dance from Bolshoi Ballet's Flames of Paris on Wednesday (Krysanova, Lantratov, Savin)

I was at this performance and this was so wonderful. The 3 leads were even greater than the filmed performance, so much bravura. Ratamansky's Flames of Paris is a great production and the bitter ending tells us many lessons especially in this era of terrorism. 

 

I was to attend 5 performances of Bolshoi Japan tour, but I got sick with pneumonia and was hospitalized and could only see two. The other one i could manage to see was Swan Lake with Smirnova, Chudin with Tvirko as the Evil Genius and it was a very beautiful performance, the company looked very well and Smirnova was a tragic stunning Odette.  However, after the intermission and at the Black Swan act, the prince was replaced by Lantratov. (he did a very good job, given that it was his first time to partner Smirnova in Swan Lake, he didn't seem to have time to wear stage makeup) After the performance it was announced that Chudin got sick. But Chudin withdrew from all the remaining performances (Flames of Paris and also Swan Lake in Osaka) and Rodkin who had already been back in Moscow flew to Japan to replace Chudin.    

Many thanks, Naomi.  Get well soon!

Has anybody seen any reviews of the Bolshoi performances in Japan?  There's lots of fan enthusiasm on Twitter and Instagram but nothing I would call a review.  Thanks.

Click to view Artem and Yulia signing autographs for Japanese fans after Swan Lake.  

Video from Japanese media/YouTube of opening ceremonies (note Evgenia Obraztsova and Igor Tvirsko particpating) and excerpts of first night Giselle (Rodkin/Zakarhova).

Tried to delete the duplicate post above, couldn't, sorry.

Translation by Bing: "On the first day of the Bolshoi Ballet Japan in Hiroshima in Ovation, we end. Stepanova a graceful Swan, Black Swan a bewitching dance perfectly divided into ⭐️. Ovcharenko fascinated even the fine acting techniques coupled with ?, Kryuchkov and powerful! Bravo were the curtain call curtain before the audience to a standing ovation," the.

9 hours ago, assoluta said:

 

What's the point? The point is perhaps to be just slightly more careful with words. If Grigorovich's staging of Sleeping Beauty is "horrible", then what epithets are left for how the classical repertoire is presented to the audiences in general? Practically every version of Classics I know has numbers inserted, transposed, excised, often seemingly the most necessary ones are inexplicably missing. The costumes and decorations not infrequently become displays of misguided "creativity", distorting the whole work and distracting the audience. So much depends on the level of culture, knowledge, artistic vision of those one who are in charge. The "cut" made by Grigorovich in Sleeping Beauty is short, so short that one rather wonders why he made it all. His version has beautiful, masterfully executed ensembles, by the way. My opinion is that Grigorovich's Sleeping Beauty is anything but "horrible". His versions of Classics I have been considering for years not just valid but actually very worthy.

 

According to the reports from Japan, the Opening Night Swan Lake was met with a standing ovation and lots of "bravos". An auspicious beginning, I suppose.

I was saying there's no point in trying to like a ballet just because you think you should like it.  We are agreeing that my objections to the Grigorovich version of SB are not entirely logical.  

Lots of Japanese audience enthusiasm on Instagram as well!  Beautiful Stepanova, high-flying Ovcharenko, much appreciation for the corps and orchestra.

4 hours ago, assoluta said:

 

I am not so sure about it. Alexandrova, in fact, is not your typical ballerina, "Bolshoi" or not, she is unique to a great extent, she always was. Nikulina now, Bessmertnova in the past, dancers of very different type, were more "essential" for "much of the Bolshoi repertoire", if you understand by this Grigorovich's dramballets. Note that throughout much of her long career, Alexandrova took place behind Zakharova and Lunkina, the dancers epitomizing Bolshoi and its qualities yet so different from her.

Never said she was typical in the sense of average or common.  I was pointing out that she's not a refined classicist but rather the type of ballerina who excels in ballets like The Bright Stream or Don Q so perhaps we're not disagreeing.

Again I'm reminded of how visceral reactions to art (or "art") can be.  You become acquainted with a ballet in a certain version, perhaps grow to understand and prefer another version and, at least in my case, develop a strong preference for "the best" version.  On the intellectual level I could say I don't appreciate Grigorovich's truncating and reordering of Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty score, or his inexplicable barring of the lilac fairy from the wedding festivities, for example.  Others could respond that other versions do equal or worse violence to the "original" and they would probably be right.  We can talk about the Grigorovich version as a work of art (or even "high art"?) without reference to other versions and perhaps would find it to be a more harmonious creation than what it feels like to me.  I could even persuade myself on an intellectual level to admire Grigorovich's Sleeping Beauty (and also his Swan Lake) but really what's the point?  I, like many others, love ballets that catch my imagination, allow me to identify with archetypes, experience beauty, and make my heart happy as I vicariously dance with the music and forget the real world for just a bit. It's a tribute to the art form that it elicits such strong and disparate feelings because that means it's alive and working its magic!   

For me, Bolshoi is an acquired tasted because I was first exposed to NYCB and Mariinsky.  I'm beginning to appreciate the dram ballets on an intellectual plane as expressions of Russian history and culture, but find what seems to me like overacting and overly athletic dancing somewhat off-putting.  It is indeed a valid form of dance but it doesn't speak to me.  I'm often disappointed in Bolshoi's classical productions because they are frequently technically sloppy and over the top, but am also blown away by those spectacular visuals on that great stage, Raymonda's dream for example, and by some incredibly exciting/moving classical dancing.  It goes without saying that the kind of dancer that Alexandrova represents is essential to much of the Bolshoi repertoire, but to be truly great the company also needs great classicists for roles that demand that kind of dancing.  i suppose it's unreasonable to expect the Bolshoi to consistently nurture a variety of dance styles -- it seems rather to careen from one extreme to the other -- but we can always hope.

4 hours ago, DrewCo said:

Krysanova is another Bolshoi ballerina who has danced Swan Lake in recent years. I can't say I thought her a great Odette-Odile when I saw her dance the role in 2014--I didn't--but there were things to enjoy and admire in that performance including brilliant dancing in the coda of the first Lake scene and also in portions of the 'black swan' pas de deux, including warp speed, if otherwise kind of careless, fouettes.  She also brought a kind of sensual quality to Odette as well as Odile, which I found a bit interesting. She may have developed in the role since then.  (I had thought she danced it more recently in London.) 

 

I'm mentioning this not to second guess Vaziev's decisions for the Japan tour, but to include her among recent Bolshoi swans being mentioned. 

 

I also do not care for the Grigorovich Swan Lake...at all.

 

Drew, I agree with you about the Grigorovich Swan Lake, although there are parts I  i kind of like  -- the dance of the black swans at the beginning of the black act, and the black swan variation itself (although I prefer the Mariinsky version).  I've read it might be the first of the classical Grigorovich ballets to be discarded and replaced because it is so widely disliked. (Have to say for me at least his horrible Sleeping Beauty should also be among the first to go.)  I do like some Gregorovich, Legend of Love especially.  

Krysanova IS dancing O/O towards the end of the tour, in Sendai, that is if she is still able to do so after dancing Flames of Paris on each of the two preceding days!  I would love to see her in Flames or Taming of the Shrew, which show off her technical and emotive strengths, but not so much O/O or other classical ballets.

10 hours ago, MAB said:

As a long time Bolshoi fan, I find it concerning that the bulk of the performances are given to dancers hailing from the St Petersburg school.

True, Moscow trained Nikulina dances O/O but is not on the tour, who knows why.  Perm-trained but Moscow style Shipulina was scheduled originally but may have chosen not to come for family reasons.  But assoluta is right, Bolshoi does not seem to have many Swan-like Moscow ballerinas ready to dance O/O. I wonder why over the past 10-15 years more Moscow trained dancers like Kaptsova, Goryacheva and others weren't given the opportunity to dance O/O? I could be wrong, but It seems Alexandrova and Zakarhova might have had a lock on the role, leaving few opportunities for others.  Or maybe Moscow training does not create or value O/O types?  One thing is clear, it's not the fault of Petersburg!