Mayerling - Guest appearance Stanislavsky Ballet Moscow - Munich

[Cat_D.B.]

Because of health problems, it's been a long time since my last ballet, but I did everything to recover in time for Mayerling, and is well worth it.
I was really impressed. Polunin was a joy for the eyes, I could not describe him otherwise. Often the naturalness of gesture means less technical precision, while a great technical precision means affectation, even ostentatious. With him you get the impression of observing a rare animal in its natural habitat, a fish in the water. Not only he was in great shape, but more time passes, more his interpretation is enriched with new shades. The intensity of his Rudolf is disarming. 
It seemed that the audience could not clapping loud enough, so at some point from the balconies have also begun to stomp. 
He rarely goes out alone for the curtain call, but the public demanded it, four, five times. Standing ovations absolutely deserved. 
Very good the group of officers, and a special note for Saryal Afanasev as Bratfish. 
Good the "team" Kardash, Limenko, Krapivina and Pershenkova, although there has been some uncertainty, a little slip of the Pershenkova for example, along with some small technical incident. Also on the first night, the Somova was suddenly replaced by Xenia Shevtsova at the end of the second act, a young ballerina still a little green, but very pretty, light and perfect for the role.
From this point of view, even though Polunin is a freelance, he has emerged as the company's mainstay: he was able to handle any problem with elegance and naturalness. I admit  I trembled when I saw enter the substitute in the bedroom scene, but she turned out to be definitely up, and Polunin drove her wonderfully through the pitfalls of the infernal pas de deux from MacMillan, compensating perfectly her comprehensible (and however little) uncertainties.
A great night! 

[Jan McNulty]

Thanks for the report Cat_D.B.

 

I hope your health problems are behind you now and you will be able to enjoy much more ballet.

[Lilian88]

Hi Cat, I'm glad now you're feeling better!
I had your same positive impressions of the evening.
When Shevtsova came on stage, even I trembled thinking of the pas de deux that followed shortly after, but it worked incredibly well. During the interval I tried to explain to some people that she is a substitute and he was a freelance, so not only they probably had never danced together, but maybe they hadn't even knowen each other before; they didn't believed me! .
Polunin was magnificent. I am always amazed at how someone who dances to his level and plays at his level, still manages to have so much attention for the overall situation and for his colleagues; when you can reasonably think that he is fully focused on himself and on his character, maybe you see him care to pick up a piece of paper that might slip his partner in her variation, for example.
I enjoyed the company of Stanislavsky too, their general skill has far exceeded the small hitches, in fact the audience was enthusiastic.
I hope that the Bayerische Staatsballet enter Mayerling in his repertoire, with the home company; it's a wonderful ballet and should be more represented in Europe