queenofspades

8 minutes ago, Jan McNulty said:

I watch ballet, I have never had a dance lesson in my life so I haven't got a clue what the steps are called.  To me, that matters not a jot because I can still enjoy what I see (or not as the case might be).

I agree 100 per cent, but some people here started counting assembles and I got under impression that based on that they passed a verdict who's the best and who's not.

I just tried to give a short explanation of jumps usually (and sometimes not usually) performed in male coda. For me this discussion ends here. All the best.

OMG. NONE of them except Ermakov did DOUBLE grand jetes entrelace. Some of them just did series of grand jetes/SINGLE jete entrelace and nothing else in the 1st part of the coda.

You can find their codas online and compare.

Maybe there is some difference of terminology, here is that jump https://www.instagram.com/p/BJIuJLsBVj7/

2 hours ago, Beryl H said:

 

 

The evening managed to be even better, was thrilled with Andrei Yermakov, he has a touch of the Nureyev, he looks very Russian and puts lots of passion into his dancing, he did 6 assembles, his technique isn't perfect but he has such marvellous spirit...

 

Sorry to bother, but who has a perfect technique? I'm afraid no one.

Yes, there are 6 assembles (I never thought an excuse would be necessary, but nevertheless), 6 of those, then chainees according to the music and a double on a knee), but in the first part of the coda he does  2 very high and exquisite  double  grand Jete Entrelace (some person above called them split jumps ). Exqusite, because those jumps of this dancer are unique indeed: he does them from the left foot, one-two-three, on three, he is a lefty. Probably his special technique makes this jump higher and generally humm wider, than the same performed by non-lefties, they do it on one-two... if you count steps before the jump itself... Btw he does those famous jumps in DQ also, 4 times.   But back to Bayadere. coda...  and then after a grand jete he does a very sharp  pas de ciseaux, .. and a very spectacular saut de basque landed on a knee. Only after  that assembles go. 

Why am I mentioning those pas? That's why: if some ballet lovers are inclined to count elements Ultra C (those of highest difficulty rating) included in one solo, then all these makes his coda the most intense,  technically challenging and, what is important, balanced, because those Ultra C pas (jumps) occur not only in the last part of the coda, but actually from the first till the last second of this iconic male solo of the Bayadere Shades act.

And about his DQ. First of all, this dancer is 6 feet 4 inches tall and obviously given his height he must be a very unusual Basilio.  Earlier this role was considered being against his emploi (if he had one). Now he made it his own. He is one of the best partners in the company, elegant and tidy soloist and his DQ solos are quite dynamic and fast, if the conductor gives the right tempo. Repnikov managed to set a right fast tempo. Sorry, but I'm surprised that few people even  considered that matinee (and the evening perf too) better than previous three or even the best  and yet the same people were not quite impressed with the soloist. How can that be? An unimpressive soloist obviously destroys a performance, so how come this didn't happen? Were there any errors or missteps?

Or maybe this dancer just breaks local audience's stereotype re this male part of DQ ballet?

Thanks to all for their very interesting reviews and have a good day. 

Thank you and thanks to all for very informative and interesting reviews.

yes, probably, but IPalmer definitely talks about Andrei Yermakov who was in the lead with Svetlana Ivanova during  the second Concerto DSCH on Sunday, April 17, 2016. Svetlana Ivanova had to replace Shapran who was supposed to do the second Concerto, but she din't go on tour and Svetlana did both Concertos, but with different partners.

Thanks.

... I am not in a position to recognize many of the artists now.  There were no programmes left and I couldn't get hold of a cast sheet.  But I think I spotted Konstantin Zverev in "Concerto DSCH" who has developed into a fine dancer, after last seeing him as Espada in DonQ.  The central movement of that piece was really very good, with gorgeously musical choreography.  The work itself seemed, to me, very Balanchine-lite, and I was not taken with those little hints at narrative and suggestions of relationships that never seemed to be followed through to a meaningful conclusion, but it was engagingly inventive and I would certainly want to see it again.

First of all, many thanks for your interesting comment.

Are you sure the one you spotted was Zverev? The WMC site shows some other cast for Sunday, April 17th (the last day of MT residency). Just curious. Thank you.