BeauxArts

There will be a live broadcast of Romeo and Juliet from the Mariinsky on Friday, 20 April.

This performance is in honour of the 80th birthday of the great artist and teacher Gennady Selyutsky, and will feature 3 different casts for Romeo and Juliet in each scene. (This follows the recent live broadcast of The Legend of Love, which used the same format in a tribute to another longstanding artist and teacher Rabjeprymat Abdyev.)

https://mariinsky.tv/e

I assume this will be available to view live and also archived on YouTube, as with The LOL.

Here is a link to the article about issues in the school: again it is behind a pay-wall:

http://www.lefigaro.fr/culture/2018/04/15/03004-20180415ARTFIG00175-opera-de-paris-de-l-ecole-de-danse-a-la-scene-le-grand-ecart.php

Le Figaro published an article on 15 April 2018 containing the results of the a survey carried out among the POB company.  The article is behind a pay-wall, but it has been summarised in an on-line ballet press round-up in France:

https://www.dansesaveclaplume.com/hors-scene/584214-revue-de-presse-dansee-s17-18-ep24/

It appears that almost 77% of dancers who participated considered they had either been the victims of or had witnessed  episodes of moral harassment (I think this is probably "bullying") and 26% considered that they had been the victims of sexual harassment. 87% considered that the complaints process at the POB was inadequate.

The article apparently makes uncomfortable reading for Aurelie Dupont, the director of the company, whose choice of repertoire has already been heavily criticised for its emphasis on modern dance at the expense of the company's classical heritage. Indeed, there is an on-line petition against the 2018-19 repertoire.

Interestingly, on the same day the Figaro also published an article about the Paris Opera Ballet School, in which complaints were made by students about the focus on  teaching only classical technique which leaves dancers ill-equipt - they believe - to then make the transition to the company's modern repertoire, and also renders them unable to perform for 3 months or more  as they try to acquire the necessary skills to dance the company's modern works.   The publication of this article has coincided with  Elisabeth Platel, the director of the School, being on medical leave.  

It would be interesting to have the opportunity to read both articles in full, but it seems - at first blush - that these may be the precursors of a larger battle to come.

I think that the cinema relay does improve the experience in relation to the close-ups etc. It is not even necessary to sit in the front row if you find it too close. Worth trying, I think!

I think it is a great thing to see such divergent responses to the same performance as we see above from Bruce Wall and Helpop! 

My only thought is that if last night did not move you, Helpop, I am not sure there is any possible pairing on the horizon that will. The search is on!

A very special performance tonight: really one of the best performances of Manon  I have  ever seen.  And I am very happy to pay tribute to a fine performance from Sambe. Osipova was excellent - more nuanced than last week. Shklyarov was much more at ease and tonight we saw the sheer beauty of his dancing: he has the most exceptional line. Just a wonderful night all round. 

It is clear that strong views are held in some quarters about Gergiev's true position vis-a-vis the Mariinsky ballet.

I recently attended a concert and ballet performance in Munich at which Gergiev conducted the Munich Philharmonic in Stravinsky's Petrushka in a new production choreographed by Vladimir Varnava (soon to choreograph Isadora with Osipova - details on another thread). This was effectively dance theatre, with Gergiev interacting at times with the dancers, and in particular Shklyarov in the title role. He seemed completely at ease and engaged with the ballet performance. He will be conducting a Prokofiev programme at Baden Baden with the company this December, in their annual visit to that theatre.

I have noted from Russian ballet fora that some regulars at the Mariinsky are generally critical of him. They may have other reasons.

I am inclined to think the situation is not as one-dimensional as some present it to be.

https://www.festspielhaus.de/en/events/gergiev-dirigiert-prokofjew-ballette

I have been to several  performances at the Munich Opera House  and on each occasion I have  seen the full Bavarian kit  - dirndls, collarless jackets, knickerbockers (lederhosen?)  worn by quite a few ladies and gentlemen respectively...

I have also observed that black is practically de rigeur it would seem for ladies there - many variations on that theme in evening dress /cocktail dress and smart casual (whatever that means..). I think this unofficial dress code relaxes and relents the higher up you are seated. Also, there are well-attended cloakrooms on every level, so bags are stored not brought into the theatre, ditto coats and boots, snow boots and climbing gear (gets cold there, you know..)

Personally, I love to people- and fashion-watch, so a passeggiata in the Floral Hall is highly diverting for me, at any rate!

Here is the Instagram page of the choreographer Vladimir Varnava:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgtMdsDjd2E/?hl=en&taken-by=vvarnava

It seems the work will also be presented in Russia afterwards.

Vladimir Shklyarov has been linked to this project by Osipova in interviews, but that remains to be seen. Perhaps Polunin will re-surface instead...

12 hours ago, Mary said:

Oh I don't know....Shkylarov's is quite nice

 

Ha ha! That is his own hair, of course! 

Thank you Sim for sharing your interview with that great artist. 

Capybara - you have le mot juste: Shklyarov's ardour: yes indeed that is what he has! Thank you.

I would be perfectly happy just to watch Shkylarov post a letter, but since we are discussing his debut as Des Grieux, I will simply say that I thought it was extremely good and with huge potential for greatness on the 13th. Given he had barely 4 weeks to prepare - the role was not his until the extent of Hallberg's injury was confirmed - and that he had not danced a lead role in any MacMillan ballet before (his resume says he was a beggar when the Mariinsky had a brief "fling" with Manon under Vaziev (I think)) and he was partnering the most mercurial ballerina at the RB, I think it was very fine indeed.  I thought the company acquitted themselves very well, but for anyone who ever saw Stephen Jefferies in the role of Lescaut I am afraid that Sambe was just not on the same page... I think it needs maturity and depth: he will get there no doubt, but someway off at the moment. 

An interesting event at the Mariinsky will be broadcast live from 5 pm UK time: a performance of The Legend Of Love featuring 3 different casts in the lead roles:

https://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbill/2018/4/5/1_1900

The broadcast is available on YouTube:

Very sad news. 

It seems one of the issues with the Copeland performance is that her Plan B was not that well executed (either).  But the idea of having a suitably compelling alternative to the 32 fouettés is reasonable in principle. 

https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/finnish_ballet_artistic_director_stripped_of_managerial_role_over_improper_conduct_claims/10133557

Olga was a phenomenon! Who remembers her Giselle as well?  

32 fouettes, sur place, well-executed from a technical perspective, no doubles or triples, would be very fine to see. 

Excellent news.

(I saw this work many moons ago  as part of a Lifar programme in Paris, with Guillem, Hilaire, Legris et al - merveilleux! Another wonderful programme choice by Nureyev.) 

On the subject of possible guests: A propos of a guest in Mayerling, Shklyarov seems to be getting to know the company through the guesting, but Alison's  is a good point about how the role is so embedded in the fabric of the company and its history. I would be very happy to see Shklyarov  as Romeo, especially as he has said it is a role he would like  to dance in the MacMillan repertoire..Lantratov would be a very interesting and maybe an inspired  choice in Mayerling! And what about Leonid Sarafanov, while we are looking east - not Mayerling but Romeo or Bayadere.. (some amazing dancing on display by him as Solor on YouTube)?...

I would also love to see them. Guess we have to wait for 2019-2020!!!

I wondered if it was the right season, so similar is it to 2017-18!!!

Will be interested to see Raymonda.

Today we have the news of the response of the Russian Government to the political aftermath of the "Salisbury incident" (I paraphrase, of course..). Diplomatic expulsions aside, it is extremely dispiriting  that as part of the Russian response the British Council has been ordered to close.  We must surely hope that art  will eventually prevail over politics, but no doubt there will be casualties in the world of culture, including ballet... the ENB in Moscow in June 2019 comes to mind.

Here is a summary of the invaluable work of the Council in Russia which shows why the loss will be as keenly felt there as probably here.

https://www.britishcouncil.org/organisation/policy-insight-research/cultural-relationship-russia

I fully agree with the comments above. I was very moved by Yugen and would happily see it again. I think it deserves a place in the repertoire and will stand the test of time. The Wheeldon needs some more work/pruning/revision, but the music will always be the issue, I think. I had not previously seen the The Age of Anxiety and all I can say is that I never want to see it again.  As others have mentioned, it raises the question of whether there is any objective, critical scrutiny of new works which clearly generate a lukewarm response to assess if they warrant a continuing place in the repertoire. As Bruce Wall rightly points out above, with a little bit of thought (outside the RB box, even)  a  more interesting programme could have been compiled. A missed opportunity, it seems.