The Russian State Ballet & Orchestra of Siberia

[alison]

there was one chap in the corps in the final act who didn't fit his costume and didn't know the steps - or indeed in which direction to go. Imagine Benny Hill in tights ....  He would have fitted in splendidly with the Trocks, but it was difficult to see beyond him (and his tummy) and treat the rest of the company with due seriousness.

 

I think I saw him in their Swan Lake a couple of years ago ...

[simonbfisher]

Once seen . . . . . !

[alison]

Their Fille Mal Gardee wasn't bad, though, once I got used to it being the Hertel rather than the Herold version.

 

Kudos to Jann Parry, who travelled to Basingstoke to review the company's production:

http://dancetabs.com/2017/01/russian-state-ballet-of-siberia-la-fille-mal-gardee-basingstoke/

 

(Thanks to the indefatiguable Links team for the link from earlier this week)

[MAB]

I went to Basingstoke for this too, all I'd ever seen of this Gorsky version before, apart from the pas de deux, was an abridged performance for students at the Bolshoi many years ago.  For those with an interest in Fille I'd recommend going to see this as I imagine it is closer to the original.  I particularly liked some of the choreography for the corps in the last act. and Svinko, dancing Lise, was easy on the eye.  Only the sets let it down a bit, but that's often the case with touring companies.

 

Here's a touring schedule:  https://www.ents24.com/uk/tour-dates/russian-state-ballet-and-orchestra-of-Siberia

 

Sadly I won't be able to go for a second look as I'm away when they appear in Wimbledon next week but I hope others make it. I'd be interested in other views.

[alison]

Are they doing Fille in Wimbledon again?  It doesn't seem that long since they last danced it there.

[trog]

IMO the Gorsky version is vastly superior to the Ashton version. OK, so having now successfully wound everybody up I'm sadded to see that in Wolverhampon they are doing The Nutcracker and Swan lake, I'm never sure if a Nutcracker in February is trying to be first cab off the rank or if Christmas is still hanging around like a bad smell. I'd take a run down to Malvern to see La Fille on the 14th if I wasn't doing something else.

[alison]

Well, don't forget Peter Schaufuss is supposed to be bringing his Nutcracker to the Coliseum in the summer

[Bruce Wall]

Well, don't forget Peter Schaufuss is supposed to be bringing his Nutcracker to the Coliseum in the summer

OMG .... Not again !!!!

 

I thought he might have wanted to revive Ashton's R&J ...to compare and contrast with ENB's Nureyev one. For me that would be MUCH preferable.

Edited February 3, 2017 by Bruce Wall

[Alice Shortcake]

I'd love to see Ashton's R&J again - I enjoyed it when it was performed by London Festival Ballet many years ago. At about the same time I saw Schaufuss' Nutcracker and was baffled by the storyline, as for some reason there were no programmes available on the night. Am I imagining things or did it involve a Sea of Lemonade?

[pianolady]

Saw St Petersburg Classic Ballet's Swan Lake at Aylesbury tonight. I think these little companies do sterling work at bringing ballet to small theatres in the provinces, despite the limitations in technique and some strange production ideas (but then again large world-class companies can suffer from the latter too- remembering that bizarre Bolshoi thing with Giselle up a tree). The Russian 'happy ending' rather damps down the tension for me- as did the endless jester antics that had nothing to do with anything whatsoever, and the hilarious lifting of a blind to reveal the grieving swan outside  the palace which was as suddenly dropped again as soon as we'd seen her- not to mention the solution to the all the problems lying in Siegfried's pulling off of Rothbart's sleeve/sorry wing. Talking of which, has anyone ever really come up with a non-comical Rothbart that doesn't' look like Darth Vader? It was a bit of a change tonight with a Danny la Rue look in the white acts, but the Darth Vader look was back in the middle act.  A bit of stagey over-acting with the fanning of the distraught Queen was amusing.

 

Technically I thought as always with these small Russian companies that the women far excelled the men although I thought Siberian's female corps de ballet better than St Petersburg on last count. Anyway it was fun and we were grateful to the company for a very enjoyable and interesting, and also much needed night out. My 8 year old self would I'm sure have been enthralled but I think it's a shame that anyone apprehensive about classical ballet may have thought this is as good as it gets.