Bolshoi Ballet: Le Corsaire, Royal Opera House, August 2016

[Beryl H]

I'm sure when Corsaire was seen before it was greeted with more enthusiasm, not sure why it hasn't quite taken off this week, I stayed until the shipwreck scene when I saw Artem Ovcharenko was dancing the reconstructed set of dances in the last act, they are very good although Medora's Petipa (?) solo is also danced in the Mariinsky version, had forgotten Medora dances so much in this act, and a role for another male principal too, worth staying for although it does get exhausting.  One of the problems is that Conrad doesn't have any solo's after the big pdd which seems to come too early on, the ABT, ENB and Mariinsky versions give him more dancing throughout and he doesn't fade out of the ballet the way he does here, and the skirt and heavy costume also hide the choreography in his one solo.

 

The garden scene looked glorious again last night, although cramped, liked Anna Nikulina very much, she is tall and elegant and looked particularly good dancing with Artem Ovcharenko in the last act, she was the highlight of the performance for me.

 

Looking forward to tonight, think Ekaterina Krysanova will be fantastic, Medora is a marathon role in this production!

[FLOSS]

Don Q was pretty muted too. I don't think that was simply attributable to the fact that the production which they brought was one in which Basilio's mock suicide takes place at the beginning of act two bringing the narrative, such it is, to a conclusion at the half way point. For the Bolshoi to have one muted production is almost unheard of but to  have two suggests something far more fundamental is happening in the company. After all the company has brought this production of Corsaire to London on at least three earlier occasions. It is my impression that it has done so to considerable acclaim in the past. 

 

I know that the director has denied that there is any difference between the Mariinsky's and Bolshoi's approach to theatre and performance but however much he denies that such differences exist those differences are  something that people have remarked on since at least the mid nineteenth century.The performances of Don Q and Corsaire that I have attended have felt more like performances by the Mariinsky than the Bolshoi. This has little to do with the productions they have brought and everything to do with the performers, their coaches and perhaps the application or non application of the rules of emploi.The dancers have been wonderfully efficient technicians but their performances have been lacking in real interest or personality. I know that I am not talking about excitement and the wow factor because I am perfectly happy with beautiful dancing. I don't need to see Chabukiani style bravura choreographic interpolations to enjoy a performance but I do like dancers with personalities and with a few exceptions stage personality has been singularly lacking in both Don Q and Corsaire. Both Gulnare's have performed their soubrette role very effectively and the Medora's have languished,suffered and danced but the men have been virtually interchangeable and totally lacking in individual stage presence,personality or appropriate characterisation. I can be pretty certain that while the male dancers at the RB might struggle with some of the technical aspects of those roles I don't think anyone would be in any doubt about who was playing the villain and who the hero.

 

Perhaps the Russian critics complimentary comments about the RB dancers abilities as actors were more than politeness directed at visitors. The new boss may be imposing his aesthetic on the company in these two nineteenth century ballets but that aesthetic does not preclude personality..

[LinMM]

As this has now come up on the Polunin thread....long story...could somebody tell,me why this Bolshoi production does not have the Ali character?

Was this not based on a narrative poem originally? Was the character Ali in this? If not when did Ali start appearing in Corsaire productions.

 

When I think of the ENB production Ali has a crucial role to play....let alone a chance for some spectacular dancing. Wouldn't Corsaire be a bit flat without all that?

There have been so many admirable exponents of this role....think,my fave is Faroukh Ruzimatov but Nureyev was pretty okay as well that why even if going back to look at some original production would you delete this role......some added ons may enhance an original

Just thinking out loud

[FLOSS]

The production which the Bolshoi is showing is based on the 1899 revival recorded in Stepanov notation. The text has some gaps in it but it is the record of the ballet as danced towards the end of Petipa's life.Ali was not a character in the Petipa ballet nor in the original French version of the ballet.Ali was added when the ballet was revised and altered to fit in with the Soviet idea of what ballet should be. At that time the mime passages were removed from the choreographic text and the ballet was turned into a jolly romp with wall to wall dancing. The choreography which most people associate with the Corsaire is the pas de deux for the slave, Ali,and Medora . Ali's choreography was almost certainly by Chabukiani,the man who created the choreography for nearly every Soviet virtuoso male variation.

 

ENB's Corsaire is not Petipa's ballet but a version of the Soviet rewriting of the ballet's scenario and choreography. Petipa would not recognise half of what goes on in the ENB's production he might recognise some of the Bolshoi's but not the style in which either company dances.

[LinMM]

Thanks FLOSS!

 

So sometimes ballets ...when they are revised ...can look to,an alternative source material even?

 

Do you know what the original source material would have been in the 1899 produçtion?

[Jan McNulty]

The Wikipedia entry for Le Corsaire:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Corsaire

 

Ali, as a named character, seems to have stemmed from the 1955 production by Pyotr Gusev for the Maly Ballet in Leningrad.

 

 

"Pyotr Gusev's revival of 1955

The ballet master Pyotr Gusev staged a new version of Le Corsaire for the Maly Theatre Ballet of Leningrad in 1955. This production used a modified version of the original libretto, written by Gusev and the ballet historian Yuri Slonimsky.  ...

... A new character was also included—known as the slave Ali—a role which evolved out of the Slave who took part in Le Corsaire pas de deuxin early Soviet productions of the full-length work at the Mariinsky Theatre."

 

I don't know how accurate the Wiki entry is but the above para says that Ali evolved from the Slave who took part in the pdd.  Again according to the Wiki entry, the 1899 revival by Petipa featured Pavel Gerdt in the role of Conrad.  In the back of my mind I've got a memory of reading that the character of Benno in the 1895 production of Swan Lake was introduced because Pavel Gerdt was then in his 50s and Benno did all the lifting.  Perhaps I am putting 2 and 2 together and making 25 but perhaps the slave was introduced into the 1899 production for the same reason but was not a named character until 1955.

 

Actually the Wiki entry is very interesting.  Without having read the programme I would be interested to know which production of Corsaire based his revival on.  Apart from the original by Perot, Petipa had done 3 revivals before the 1899 one.  All sound as though they had significant changes to the music and additions to the choreography.

[Balletomanewithoutacause]

Le Corsaire photo gallery from Dance Tabs here:https://www.flickr.com/photos/dancetabs/sets/72157671215344250

[Scheherezade]

I love the original and authentic and I think that it is invaluable that choreographers like Ratmansky are looking to revive them but for all of that I feel that authenticity doesn't, by itself, make a piece of work good any more than contemporaneity gives a work relevance. Some posters may find this viewpoint blasphemous but I would say that Corsaire is a case in point. I didn't see it this time round because I found it tedious last time. It's a rip roaring tale and I find that the rip-roaring, knowingly ironic ENB production suits the narrative to a tee. 

[Shade]

Just back from the matinee. I loved every minute. Thank you Bolshoi for bringing this to London as I didn't see this production in 2010, only the cinema broadcast. The jardin anime was so beautiful - the costumes looked like a Degas painting. I wish I could have stayed to see it all again. Thrilled to see all the dancers, especially Artem. He really does look like a young Nureyev.

[annamk]

Happy to end my Bolshoi season on the high that today's matinee turned out to be. Corsaire is only about the dancing and this afternoon the company were on top form turning in a far sharper performance than that of Thursday. Most notable was ex Mariinsky dancer Yulia Stepanova making her debut as Medora. Although she had some untidy finishes in her early variations she was soon on a roll and it was hard to believe this was her first performance in the role. She has a beautiful port de bras and already commands the stage like a grand ballerina in the best Russian tradition. Her Act 2 Jardin Anime variations were nigh on faultless. Her Conrad, Rodkin has great elevation, lightness and elegance. This afternoon his variations were much tidier than I have seen from him in other roles. His partnering is strong and effortless. A huge bravo to the corps in Jardin Anime, after 3 weeks here they must be exhausted but they were absolutely stunning. 

[MaggiM]

This has little to do with the productions they have brought and everything to do with the performers, their coaches and perhaps the application or non application of the rules of emploi.The dancers have been wonderfully efficient technicians but their performances have been lacking in real interest or personality. 

.....

The new boss may be imposing his aesthetic on the company in these two nineteenth century ballets but that aesthetic does not preclude personality..

 

In the premiere run of new DQ, in February, my impression was exactly the same as yours, and felt like a kind of culmination of a trend that had begun long before that.

Vaziev was not yet AD, so it was not his fault, but does he like what he has now? Hard to say. Time will tell.

 

Edited August 13, 2016 by MaggiM

[Bruce Wall]

Saw three of the four Bolshoi Corsaires and - without question - Saturday night was in a different league altogether.  

 

But why should this be?  

 

There is one easy answer methinks - and it has been a consistent one throughout the many performances I have been lucky enough to see during this particular Bolshoi season wanting - as I did - to catch up with the current Company - much as I had done with NYCB when I attended ALL of their three weeks' of performances at the Chatelet ... and as I'm hoping to do with ABT in attending seven of the Ratmansky Sleeping Beauty showings at the Bastille.  (How lucky we are to have Paris on our doorstep.)  All are companies I have had the luxury to follow closely for well over 35 years.  

 

For me the resolution to that question in my second paragraph - certainly in term of this most recent Bolshoi run - lies in one far from big body - but without hesitation in a talent that is entirely BOLSHOI.  Ekaterina Krysanova now simply stands out.  (This Bolshoi does not I feel have the strength in rank that it once possessed.)  This lambent firecracker has a habit of making all about her corsucate in a more significant manner than they do within the light of current others on the Company's roster.  As fine as Smirnova can be she is, I think, not for all lights.  Krysanova's umbrella is - at least for me - more substantial.  

 

But STILL 'why' you no doubt rightly enquire.  

 

I too have been asking.  

 

My particular answer - and I'm sure there are many others - is the all too clear fact that Krysanova possesses what I call a 'ballerina's core'.  To wit she has sufficient technical ease to be able to proffer sufficient spacial comfort from toe to heart - with mind and arms thrown into that glory - in order that others - like herself - might throw away their standard text.  Her facility not only permits that.  It demands such (be it from her fellow dancers or adoring audience).  She wants us to see the music anew.  

 

For me Krysanova - through the more than virtual seeming ease of her facility - has what our own cherished FLOSS calls 'personality'.  It is what I choose to call - with nod to Peter Brook - 'enhanced emotional reality'.  Krysanova has sufficient capacity to see that everyone in her purvey dimensionally luxuriates.  (I came to understand that most specifically when watching the very fine Lantratov become an almost entirely different - indeed freed - beast as Petruchio.  He dazzled in the light of her Kate.  Last night even the luminescent blaze of Anna Tikhomirova's Gulnare blazed with a more comfortable profundity than it had on Thursday night - and that takes some doing.  She too shares a similar factor.)  

 

Krysanova's Medora, much as her O/O, her Kate, her Jeanne and her Kitri had at earlier junctures - consistently graces all about her - as any top balletic artist must (e.g., Seymour, Kirkland, Osipova, Whelan, T. Peck, etc.)  - with added dimensional luxuries of their own.  Whereas I hadn't missed the O/V factor in Flames, I certainly DID in Corsaire - no question - UNTIL last night.  Only THEN did the fine and plentiful character dances - for me always a highlight of ANY Bolshoi performance - come together in a way that I'm sure Ratmansky must have intended.  Last night you could feel the audience sufficiently relax so as to be able to comfortably engage.  Last night you could more than understand why anyone would want to take ENB's very fine 'Reader's Digest' version over this lengthy tow.  Last night you could more easily share in FLOSS' preference.  Last night the pieces in that glorious puzzle that is that ravishing Jardin sequence for ONCE - in this particular Bolshoi round - rightfully deserved their completed flow.  It was unadulterated wizardry much as it had been under the historic O/V spell.   Bless you Mr. Ratmansky.  

 

At the matinee Stepanova's Medora had been artificial in the extreme.  It was as if she was watching herself outside in.  (This can, of course, at times be attractive.  It is like having that extra second to catch a meaningful glimpse of a picture hung in a gallery before being moved on.) As annamk alludes however early in her remarks, Stepanova has an essential mechanical vulnerability.  Like Nikulina - she HAS to be careful.  (I certainly would not want to see either tackle Balanchine, Ashton or Peck ... but given the particular assets of both - especially Stepanova - they might very well excel in McGregor.)  Sadly Kristina Kretova's magically beaming Gulnare was not able not share in the generosity of a Krysanova factor.  

 

As much as I have adored Alexandrova in the past  - and heaven knows I HAVE - it has to be said that the ease of her own technical facility is no longer the stunning and comfortable instrument it once was and now she frequently - and understandably - oft feels the need to overcompensate on her own wayside.  Luckily in this instance I can be sentimental as happily I can remember.  Thus I too now stand and cheer remaining - as much as remembered - glories.  

 

Still memories can lose calories and no one is left feeling undernourished with Krysavona.  Of course - given that extremity is the artistic point - you must either take or leave her.  Myself?  I gobbled ravenously.  Indeed I'm eating off the rich blush of its her subsidy even now.  

 

There can be no question but that Igor Tsvirko's Conrad benefited.  Tsvirko - for my money - (and I did pay for all of my standing places) - is the leading Bolshoi principal - at least on this tour in terms of his range - (and even though both he and Krysavona are still technically 'leading soloists')  As I have said before I am overjoyed at this prospect given that I have long admired this fine dancer who was - for a long time - firmly fixed in the Bolshoi corps.  He too has matinee idol looks but Tsvirko is certainly not all about his hair.  He was as believable - THROUGH his dance - as a pirate here as he had been a soldier (Philippe) and a lusting lover (Hortensio).  Tsvirko had the greatest luxury as a principal in that he as twice able to share in the Krysanova factor.  Chudin - for my money the current Bolshoi's finest partner - was able to glitter within the glory of the articulated frame of her Swan's lake.  

 

But then so did we ALL.  

 

Bless you, Ms. Krysanova.  

 

You deserved YOUR season.  

 

BRAVA!

Edited August 14, 2016 by Bruce Wall

[assoluta]

As annamk alludes however early in her remarks, Stepanova has an essential mechanical vulnerability.  Like Nikulina - she HAS to be careful.

 

Actually, annamk didn’t say that, she did say, on the other hand, that it was that dancer's debut in the role, and that she "already commands the stage like a grand ballerina in the best Russian tradition."

[FLOSS]

Last night's Corsaire was the best thing that I have seen the Bolshoi do during this tour. It was exceptionally well danced and it did not feel as if there was a single wasted minute in the entire choreographic text where mime passages. and interaction between characters overstayed their welcome and should be cut and replaced by more dancing. The balance between classical dance, character dance, mime and action felt beautifully balanced and absolutely right.The mime was exceptionally clear and all the dancers brought more detail to their performances than I had seen with earlier casts.

 

Last night the dancers had no need to milk the audience and beg for applause because each set piece worked as it was intended to, the dancers knew it, and so did the audience. The result was generous unstinting applause. What was different was that this cast, because it was fully in control of the choreography and had mastered it, and the roles that they were playing,danced with character and personality. At earlier performances I had wondered why I had liked this production so much. I had even asked myself whether I had perhaps grown out of it? This thought did not occur to me last night. Last night the company recaptured the spirit of the performances of Corsaire that I had experienced on earlier tours by this company.

 

Now I know that casting makes all the difference to a performance. Even changing a single dancer can transform a work from dull and dutiful to outstanding.Last night everything fell into place and the audience saw a performance of a great ballet, choreographically speaking at least,  which only a company the size of the Bolshoi can hope to stage. Yes the story is silly but it is only intended to act as a framework for the dancing. There is something wrong with a ballet of this type if you have time to notice what the frame looks like.  It is the equivalent of looking at a painting but finding the picture frame is of greater interest than the painting itself.The narrative frame is there for a purpose and last night it did its job which is to allow the audience time to digest and savour the choreography and provide  a reason for the next turn of events and the next excuse for dancing. Last night we were able to see why this reconstruction, even when danced in modern performance style is important as a piece of ballet history and also as a living piece of theatre.

 

Perhaps the Bolshoi and the other companies which perform Ratmansky's reconstructions of Petipa's great ballets based on the Stepanov notation will issue them on DVD in the bicentennial year. We can but hope. Just as we can hope that 2018 also sees the publication in English of a book about Petipa and his ballets along the lines of Ivor Guest's book about Jules Perrot.

Edited August 14, 2016 by FLOSS

[annamk]

 

At the matinee Stepanova's Medora had been artificial in the extreme.  It was as if she was watching herself outside in.  (This can, of course, at times be attractive.  It is like having that extra second to catch a meaningful glimpse of a picture hung in a gallery before being moved on.) As annamk alludes however early in her remarks, Stepanova has an essential mechanical vulnerability.  Like Nikulina - she HAS to be careful.  (I certainly would not want to see either tackle Balanchine, Ashton or Peck ... but given the particular assets of both - especially Stepanova - they might very well excel in McGregor.)  

 

 

Actually, annamk didn’t say that, she did say, on the other hand, that it was that dancer's debut in the role, and that she "already commands the stage like a grand ballerina in the best Russian tradition."

 

Thank you Assoluta.

 

I didn't intend my comment to imply that I thought Stepanova has a "certain mechanical vulnerability", I don't think that at all. I simply didn't want to give the impression that her performance was 100% faultless, so I pointed out that in the Act 1 variations she had a couple of untidy finishes, which, due to nerves alone, would be quite understandable in a debut. I've seen equally untidy finishing from many of the principals in this Bolshoi run. As an aside, Stepanova has already tackled the Diamonds lead in Moscow recently. To my mind her technique, elegance, and her regal grand ballerina style would make this an ideal role for her. 

 

I would love to have seen Krysanova last night but sadly had to miss. I agree that she is the most technically commanding and traditional Bolshoi style of all the principals I saw in London. But I have equally enjoyed watching those ballerinas from the Mariinsky school who have an obviously different style.

 

It will be very fascinating to see how the company and individual dancers develop over the next two years as Vaziev's influence starts to be seen. 

[fillebiengardee]

Happy to end my Bolshoi season on the high that today's matinee turned out to be. Corsaire is only about the dancing and this afternoon the company were on top form turning in a far sharper performance than that of Thursday. Most notable was ex Mariinsky dancer Yulia Stepanova making her debut as Medora. Although she had some untidy finishes in her early variations she was soon on a roll and it was hard to believe this was her first performance in the role. She has a beautiful port de bras and already commands the stage like a grand ballerina in the best Russian tradition. Her Act 2 Jardin Anime variations were nigh on faultless. Her Conrad, Rodkin has great elevation, lightness and elegance. This afternoon his variations were much tidier than I have seen from him in other roles. His partnering is strong and effortless. A huge bravo to the corps in Jardin Anime, after 3 weeks here they must be exhausted but they were absolutely stunning. 

 

I totally agree with you, annamk - I loved Yulia Stepanova's witty, confident and precise characterisation - the way she handled the silly 'drunken' dance was very funny and I also thought that her rapport with Denis Rodkin was a highlight - better than in Swan Lake the previous week.  

 

Her stamina too - she did improve as the show went on - and she's a very beautiful woman.  Adore! This performance just flew by and everyone involved was just glorious.  I didn't see Ekaterina Krysanova's Medora, but I agree with other posters about her versatility and intelligence - she's illuminated every role this season.

[Don Q Fan]

I enjoyed the matinee as well and Stepanova's performance was very good considering it was her debut.  For me I really enjoyed Kretova's Gulnare and of course Biktimorov's Birbanto.  I wasn't particularly moved one way or the other but it's not really that sort of a ballet/story.  The Jardin Animee was beautiful if only I had had a slightly better view!  The production is rather an anti climax having the best bits in Act 1 and I think I prefer ENB's shorter version it was more snappy than this.  As has been said before the stage was way too small for this monster of a ballet and I could not see some of whatever was going on in the left wing.  Please Bolshoi use the Coli next time!!

 

Can anyone who saw the evening performance tell me their thoughts on Anna Tikhomirova please as she is my "dancer of the season".

[alison]

Welcome to the forum, fillebiengardee!  What was the "drunken" dance to which you allude?

[MAB]

Of the half dozen or so versions of Corsair that I've seen over the years, this for me is by far the best, how anyone can think otherwise totally baffles me as this is the one, putting aside its other many virtues, with the most dancing, a long glorious evening of classical and character dance interspersed with traditional and often amusing mime.  Could a couple of judicious cuts be made?  Yes, possibly some minutes could be shaved off, and perhaps a couple of oddities could be remedied too such as the children engaging in high fives and the Pasha's bodyguard enterering down a flight of steps whereas the Pasha himself is carried on from the wings.  Minor niggles perhaps but they added to a suspicion that perhaps this ballet has not been as carefully rehearsed as in the past.

 

I saw all four performances and have no hesiaton going with the consensus that they saved the best till last.  It was indeed a performance and a half with the principal pair giving it their all, surely after last night Krysanova must be considered the company's de facto prima?  As for Igor Tsvirko, where have they been hiding him?  His dancing in the famous pas de deux was an explosion of virtuosity and classsical brilliance and his acting was convincing from start to finish.  Without doubt he is the discovery of the season

.

Of the other casts there was much to appreciate and they danced well enough.  Alexandrova was always glorious in the role of Medora, but in the past I had always seen her with Nikolai Tsiskaridze and their pairing in this ballet had for me set a gold standard.  After her magnificent Don Q. with Lantratov I was hoping she would reassert her ownership of the role with her new partner, but somehow it didn't quite happen. 

The role of Medora needs a ballerina rather than just a principal dancer, she has to combine the qualities of an imperial prima with tomboyish charm.  Alexandrova and Krysanova deliver, the other two did not.    Nikulina came closest and gave a good all round performance, it wasn't without errors, nor was Stepanova's account of the role.  Of these two I much preferred Nikulina, not least for being slightly the better actress and she definitely had a greater rapport with her partner than Stepanova did with hers.

Conrad has less to dance in this production than in others and in one set piece Medora gets to dance with another cavalier entirely, but a pirate is a pirate and I always look for a Conrad with a dangerous edge.  It was Mikhail Lobukin on Friday night who came closest to what I imagine a pirate to be though Tsvirko came a very close runner up.  I found Lantratov a little too good natured a soul to imagine him cutting a few throats and his dancing was a little under powered too, pehaps he was having an off night, he was the only Conrad that didn't catch the flowers Medora throws him from her balcony I noticed.  Rodkin looks the part and was fantastic in the pas de deux, but too much prince and not enough pirate for me, though I suspect a different partner would have made a world of difference.

 

No complaints with the Gulnares though, superb casting of Tikhomirova, Kaptsova and Kretova, funny ladies and wonderful dancers all, possible Medoras too I would have thought.  Kretova salvaged the rather dull matinee for me, I believe she was originally down to dance Medora, a great shame the management had second thoughts.  The pas d'esclaves was faultless on the first night with Kaptsova and Lopatin giving a master class of what classical perfection should look like and to my delight the second night cast of Kretov and Tsvirko emulated the standard of the first.  At the Saturday matinee I got my first look at Margerita Shrainer, who I understand is being fast tracked  for the heights and she is clearly a very polished performer as was her partner Artemy Belyakov, another new name.  Unfortunately the male dancer in the evening had a disaster, I will be kind and not name him.

 

Then there was the corps de ballet, whether classical or character, this ballet makes huge demands on them but every last one was a star in my view, both in this ballet and all the season.  Enjoy your holidays ladies and gents, you thoroughly deserve a great vacation.

[Balletomanewithoutacause]

Some facts from the Bolsoi website that might be of interest:

 

Alexandrova joined the company in 1997 and debuted as Medora in 2007 

Nikulina joined the company in 2002 and debuted as Medora in 2013

Krysanova joined the company in 2003 and debuted as Medora in 2010

Stepanova joined the company in 2015 (2009 Vag graduate) and debuted as Medora in 2016.

 

Alexandrova has been with the Bolshoi company 19 years, Nikulina 11 years, Krysanova 14 years and Stepanova 11 months. The Bolshoi website doesn't go back far enough for us to learn how many times each of these ballerinas has actually danced Medora, but we do know that Alexandrova has 9 years experience with this role, Nikulina 4 years, Krysanova 7 years and Stepanova 0 years.

 

Based on their experience in the company and this role, one might expect that Alexandrova would be the best, Krysanova next, Nikulina third and Stepanova last.  The only surprise here is that Krysanova has evidently replaced Alexandrova as the prima.  It would extraordinary indeed if Stepanova, a junior ballerina new to the company with no experience in the role, had turned in a performance as Medora better than these 3 great ballerinas!  

 

In these 4 dancers we see the arc of a ballerina's career -- Stepanova just starting out, Nikulina at the midpoint, Krysanova poised to achieve great heights and Alexandrova on the down side.  As we regretfully begin to say goodbye to Maria, we can celebrate Nikulina and Krysanova at their peak and anticipate a great Medora from Stepanova in future years. 

[MAB]

After seeing Alexandrova's Kitri, no way could I describe her as being "on the downside".  Generally speaking ballerinas improve with age, So for this particular dancer the best may well be to come.

[capybara]

I want to congratulate MAB on a terrific review even though I don't agree with everything she says !!!!

[Balletomanewithoutacause]

Welcome to the forum, fillebiengardee!  What was the "drunken" dance to which you allude?

Is this it? https://youtu.be/kB43eyGLQTw?t=20m54s

Edited August 14, 2016 by Lexy

[Balletomanewithoutacause]

After seeing Alexandrova's Kitri, no way could I describe her as being "on the downside".  Generally speaking ballerinas improve with age, So for this particular dancer the best may well be to come.

Sorry, didn't mean to offend.  Just my point of view.

[annamk]

Generally speaking ballerinas improve with age, 

 

 

Well only up to a point surely ...... 

[Bluebird]

Is this it? https://youtu.be/kB43eyGLQTw?t=20m54s

 

....or this one? (i.e. what fillebiengardée referred to as the 'drunken dance') - around 35 seconds into this extract

 

Edited August 14, 2016 by Bluebird

[Balletomanewithoutacause]

 

 

  Kretova salvaged the rather dull matinee for me, I believe she was originally down to dance Medora, a great shame the management had second thoughts. 

According to the original casting, Shipulina was to have danced Medora but due to her pregnancy was replaced by Stepanova. http://dancetabs.com/2016/04/bolshoi-ballet-summer-season-in-london-2016/  I don't see anything about Kretova, so perhaps you could provide a link or something to show that she was considered and that "management had second thoughts"?

[Balletomanewithoutacause]

....or this one? (i.e. what fillebiengardée referred to as the 'drunken dance') - around 35 seconds into this extract

 

That's "La Petite Corsaire", one of my favorite bits.   It's a horn she's holding, though, not a bottle. 

[assoluta]

surely after last night Krysanova must be considered the company's de facto prima?  As for Igor Tsvirko, where have they been hiding him?  His dancing in the famous pas de deux was an explosion of virtuosity and classsical brilliance and his acting was convincing from start to finish.  Without doubt he is the discovery of the season

 

I am not sure what is meant by "the company's de facto prima" here, as I think only smaller companies are in any need at all of linearly ordering their best dancers. The grand old companies like Bolshoi can enjoy luxury of having a number of first class dancers in their ranks that are not comparable at all, Krysanova being a powerhouse of speed and acrobatic technique, Zakharova and young Stepanova -- unmatched exponents of elegant classical purity, Smirnova -- the company reigning 'expressionist' ballerina, Tikhomirova -- unsurpassed in her jumping ability and vitality. Considering Tsvirko, I don't think that the term 'virtuoso' really describes him as his technique is vastly inferior to dancers who deserve this term much more than he does. His forte is certainly his ability at role characterisation, this is why demi-character roles fit him a lot better than the ones that put high demands on the technique.

 

Having seen several of the Bolshoi season productions, some several times, I agree with those who consider the Bolshoi grand-scale version of "Le Corsaire" to be their finest and, in my opinion, by a wide margin. The bowdlerized versions that some of us grew accustomed to, lost their appeal to me the moment I saw the version due to Burlaka and Ratmansky, with so much glorious classical dancing showcased in Acts 2 and 3. Unlike FLOSS, I consider that its success depends as much on the corps and the soloists as on the principals. Most of the former had to spend 14 hours total on stage from Thursday until Saturday evening, with 7 hours on Saturday alone ! A truly heroic effort. At the matinee performance I had a sense that many of them were preserving their energy for the give-it-all performance that they were asked to throw at the conclusion of the Bolshoi season. And they did.

 

Regarding the current Bolshoi "Swan Lake", I consider it a valid take on the old classic and do not miss at all the conventional ending with either both protagonists dying or conquering the Evil. Grigorovich's version at least possesses coherence and choreographic competence which cannot be said of some other versions I saw.

[MAB]

I am not sure what is meant by "the company's de facto prima" here, as I think only smaller companies are in any need at all of linearly ordering their best dancers. The grand old companies like Bolshoi can enjoy luxury of having a number of first class dancers in their ranks that are not comparable at all, Krysanova being a powerhouse of speed and acrobatic technique, Zakharova and young Stepanova -- unmatched exponents of elegant classical purity, Smirnova -- the company reigning 'expressionist' ballerina, Tikhomirova -- unsurpassed in her jumping ability and vitality. Considering Tsvirko, I don't think that the term 'virtuoso' really describes him as his technique is vastly inferior to dancers who deserve this term much more than he does. His forte is certainly his ability at role characterisation, this is why demi-character roles fit him a lot better than the ones that put high demands on the technique.

 

 

 

Interesting that you put dancers in boxes and stick labels on them, or are you saying the Bolshoi does.  Surely ballerinas should be all-rounders, capable of dancing roles across the board, Certainly that is the case elsewhere, though admittedly few companies have the large numbers that the Bolshoi has. 

 

As for Tsvirko his technique was clearly superior to the other three that danced the pas de deux in Corsair last week, almost on a par with Kimin Kim in the role.  Are you saying what he did on Saturday night was a fluke?

[Jan McNulty]

MAB, I was under the impression that the very large companies do pigeonhole dancers.  Is that not one of the reasons Natalia Osipova left the Bolshoi.

 

Actually, reading many comments on many threads on this forum, I get the impression that a lot of people think that dancers can be categorised within the Royal Ballet.

[FLOSS]

I don't think that I said that the ballet depended for its success on how well the dancers who take the roles of Medora and Conrad perform them.I actually think that the Jardin anime in this production is worth the cost of the ticket alone.,In fact I booked three performances, before we knew the casting, just to see that section of the reconstruction which,whether or not it is all by Petipa, is an extraordinary piece of choreography. I believe that the fact that I said that I could happily watch that section of the ballet three times back to back gives an indication that I don't think that the success of the ballet rests on the shoulders of the dancers taking the main named roles. It clearly does not.

 

Just to make it clear I think that every ballet requires every role to be danced with real understanding,commitment and the skills required for the role in question. There are types of ballets, types of roles and types of dancers and if you want to stage a nineteenth century ballet, it seems to me, you have to be aware of the type of dancer that the choreographer would have expected to see in his ballets. While casting against emploi can produce some interesting results it can also produce disasters. Fortunately you can generally depend on Russian companies to take relevant factors into account when casting the works which they have brought on tour. For the avoidance of doubt I will say that I thought that the subsidary roles were exceptionally well danced and characterised and that the corps were spectacularly good at every performance which I attended. 

 

The problem is that the ballet was constructed to give the dancers portraying Medora and Conrad a frame within which to display their special skills and this is true whether you look at the original 1856 Paris ballet by Mazillier,which according to Ivor Guest was a ballet d'action showcasing Rosati's and Segarelli's skills as mimes rather than dancers, very little dancing and a spectacular shipwreck, or Petipa's 1899 revival for Pierina Legnani which gave her an opportunity to show her virtuoso skill as a dancer across three acts including two opportunities to perform her trademark fouettes. It is clear from this forum that a lot of people found this version of Corsaire over long and lacking in interest. This tells me that there was something lacking at some performances.

 

.This ballet started life as a ballet d'action and however much additional classical dance it had acquired by 1899 it is still a narrative ballet rather than an exercise in pure dance. It requires the dancers appearing as Medora and Conrad to create characters and act as well as to dance. It is ballet as a theatrical art form rather than one in which it is enough to reproduce steps beautifully. The audience must be engaged by the dancers performing Medora and Conrad and their ability as actors and mimes is just as important as the steps they dance. From the comments on this site and those that I heard on first night, and subsequently, some of the dancers performing those roles failed to engage the audience as much as others did. Now this may be because of the relative inexperience of some of the  dancers appearing in the lead roles in this ballet or it may be explained by the fact that some of them were not particularly skilled as dance actors I don't know. What I do know is that on the first night the ballet seemed to drag in a way that it did not on the last night. Quite a few clearly found the ballet boring, and some on this site have suggested that the simpler more simplistic version of the ballet danced by the ENB based on K Sergeyev's version is preferable to this one. That version provides a jolly romp, immediate thrills and displays of dance that have little or nothing to do with Petipa and everything to do with Soviet style ballet.

 

Assoluta,I find your comments on Tsvirko's as a dancer most  interesting. Perhaps what was wrong on Thursday and Friday was that we had Conrads who were too much concerned with pure dancing and not concerned enough with acting and communicating with the audience. Tsvirko's mime was clear and nuanced rather than monotone semi epaulement. He managed to modulate between emphatic and conversational tone in his miming depending on whom he was communicating with.On the basis of my limited knowledge of the company it is clear that the role fitted him like a glove which I do not think was true of either Lantratov or Lobkhin.

 

MAB. Surely it all depends on what you mean by dancers "being all rounders" and "across the board".How much of the repertory does "across the board"  encompass? Does it just mean dancing the nineteenth century classics Swan Lake, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty and Nutcracker or does it mean all the Petipa ballets in a company's repertory? Are we saying, for example, that we expect a dancer who is a great Giselle to be able to dance a soubrette role like Kitri with equal skill or merely that we should have to see the dancer in both roles however unsuited one of them may be as far as the dancer's personality and physique is concerned? How much of the twentieth century repertory,if any, should be included in the portmanteau phrase "across the board"? Those ballets from the twentieth century repertory which happen to be in a company's repertory or ballets by some of the major choreographers of the twentieth century such as Balanchine, Ashton, Tudor and ,Nijinska,? Do we include MacMillan and Cranko?

 

It seems to me that as the repertory expands we shall find it increasingly difficult to ask that a ballerina should be able to dance everything with equal facility. I think that it is essential that dancers should have enough technique to be able to dance the ballets which de Valois dubbed "classics" because that ensures that dancers have the technical skills necessary to dance new ballets using classical vocabulary but I don't think that we can require them to be equally good,or equally suited to every role, that they dance. Placido Domingo may have been the greatest all round tenor who I have heard but I could name several singers in each role that he undertook who I thought were better in those roles. It is exactly the same with dancers.

 

I know that you don't want dancers to be pigeonholed but did you think that Sarah Lamb's super serious Lise was a good idea or that Bussell's assumption of the role of Natalia Petrovna was for that matter? While I don't agree that the rules of emploi should be applied rigidly I don't believe that every dancer who is regarded as a ballerina,using that term correctly, can or should be expected to dance everything equally well.Perhaps the Bolshoi's weakness is that it is that empoi is applied too rigidly, perhaps the weakness of the RB,for example is that, today, it does not seem to be applied at all. As far as the Ashton repertory is concerned I think that there is an element of selection based on the relative technical difficulties of each work but that is all.

 

A long time ago because the RB  had so many fine female principal dancers roles in the classics were allocated among the dancers, and no one except Fonteyn, danced all of them. That system continued for many years including the years in which she was a guest artist. The over all effect was that audiences were guaranteed excellent casts in those ballets. Fans might dream of the day when their favourite danced a role that was not usually hers but we were kept in blissful ignorance of any shortcomings that they might have. The result was the audience saw exemplary performances. At  that time you could truthfully say that while we each had favourite dancers you were guaranteed an outstanding performance which ever cast you saw. in a particular ballet . I am not sure that you can.always say that now.

Edited August 15, 2016 by FLOSS

[fillebiengardee]

....or this one? (i.e. what fillebiengardée referred to as the 'drunken dance') - around 35 seconds into this extract

 

 

Yes - this is it - thanks for identifying it.  I thought she was suitably light and soubrettish for this dance.  I think she's a wonderful character dancer and actress who can also turn on the allure and glamour as well as refinement.  I thought she was a brilliant firebird a couple of years ago when she was with the Mariinsky.  I love a ballerina with a pointed nose, chin, square shoulders - I think Yulia's very expressive with her torso and head, epaulement and spine.  I am really pleased to have seen her this tour and for me, very exciting, along with Krysanova and Tikhomirova, who have been flawless and imposing in all their many roles.