Mariinsky Ballet: La Bayadere, London August 2017

[annamk]

21 minutes ago, Bruce Wall said:

 

I don't know if it is Mariinsky house policy but tonight - in what was the best individual principal performance by some distance - Shklyarov did the same number - with even greater precision of placement than Kim exercised the night before - plus equal his speed and elevation - and that with the former's much more substantial legato line.  

 

But, then, who's counting?  (Erm .... guess I was  )

 

 

It's not just Shklyarov's dancing though - which was better than I've seen from him for a while - it's his total commitment on stage. It elevates the entire performance and the Mariinsky without him (which looked a distinct possibility when he announced his move to Munich a year ago) would have been much diminished. 

 

 

[Lizbie1]

So glad I stuck with Shklyarov for my Bayadere: I thought he was just fabulous.

 

I would venture to suggest, though, that his Act 3 costume could do with being a different colour!

[alison]

Oh dear: turquoise?  I was just thinking last night how much better the white Act II costume was in terms of not getting obviously sweaty.

[Lizbie1]

Yes, darkish turquoise. The total commitment mentioned above was possibly too apparent.

[alison]

I'm afraid it's been that way for at least a couple of decades, unless I'm getting my productions confused!

[MAB]

With regard to why no Russian tour next year, I'm told the ROH is unavailable due to Ring rehearsals.  Little chance of the Coli being free for the Mikhailovsky as they are reviving Bat out of Hell next summer.

[MAB]

Yes!  Shklyarov also did eight, what is so remarkable is that in the past a dancer had a longer preparation for each one.  With fewer linking steps it's quite a feat.  I think it was the finest display of virtuosity I've ever seen him give.

[Sim]

Shklyarov was wonderful tonight. Amazing dancing of the highest standard, commanding presence onstage, acted the part so very convincingly, tore my heartstrings, is gorgeous....I think I'm in love!  Seriously, he is a top world class artist, and I hope it won't be long before I can see him dance again.   A friend of mine who can't pronounce his name calls him Skylark.  That is very apt, as tonight he gave a soaring performance.

 

Matvienko was a fine Nikita, but once again it was Evseyeva who blew me away.  She danced Gamzatti with the same easy, assured and astonishing technique as she did as Kitri.  Spot-on characterisation as well, making the whole a truly delightful package.  The Shades were even better tonight.  For my money, this should have been the opening night cast.  A huge bravo and spasibo to them all.

[Geoff]

11 hours ago, Beryl H said:

I think double assemble en tournant is what this series of turns in the air landing on the spot around the stage are called, they occur in the Shades scene coda.

 

For those who have not been able to be there (Kim in 2015):-

 

http://youtu.be/sV8RviYMa2g

[Beryl H]

Thanks Geoff, gave me shivers again at 8am, don't think I'll see 8 from today's casts but who knows?

 

 

[MAB]

Kim actually performed them better than on the video clip on Thursday night, what I find so admirable about his pyrotechnics, is that he maintains his line so well in the air.

[Amelia]

1 hour ago, MAB said:

Kim actually performed them better than on the video clip on Thursday night, what I find so admirable about his pyrotechnics, is that he maintains his line so well in the air.

 

Very good point, MAB. I also admired the lightness and ‘noiselessness’ of Kimin’s jumps.
The forceful jumps would have been appropriate to ’Spartacus’ while heavy landings are inappropriate to any ballet. Solor is a purely classical balletic role and Kimin remained true to the character and style of its choreography.

Thank you, Geoff, for the clip with the 22-y-o Kimin. The line and harmony of his movements are enchanting.

I just want to add that I am so happy to see him back, and especially in La Baydere. A dreadful stress fracture, which he sustained during the 2nd act grand pas in this particular ballet, took him away from the stage for a year. He just recovered from operations and treatment in good time for the London tour. What a joy to see this dancer back in his excellent form!

Edited August 12, 2017 by Amelia
last paragraph added

[nickwellings]

I can only echo the praise of all above. I found Matvienko got a less involved as the night went on. Very odd to see. Shklyarov was wonderful of course. A few slightly wobbly Shades at the rear on arabesques, but no big deal. 

 

I just wanted to say "well done" to one of the dancing children whose costume got momentarily tangled on some scenery in Act II...she was only stuck to it for a few seconds, but I bet it felt like an eternity. She freed herself and carried on! 

[Sim]

I really enjoyed the matinee today.  Of the three Nikiyas I've seen, Ekaterina Chebykina is my favourite.  She perhaps doesn't yet possess the technical strength of Tereshkina and Matvienko, but she is the one who really talked to me through her body, and those oh-so-expressive eyes.  Her wedding solo was heartbreaking, thus making me feel very sorry for her when she rejects the antidote and dies.  She has beautiful long limbs, which float and curl with the music, and this adds to the perception of Nikiya's vulnerability.  She isn't a physical toughie;  she is a delicate flower who is very convincing when she breaks.   A definite star of the future, if she isn't already.

 

I echo my comments about Batoeva from Thursday night.  She was wonderful, and the contrast and conflict between her and Nikiya was played out perfectly here.  

 

I don't think I have seen Timur Askerov dance before.  Of course, after Kim and Shklyarov, playing Solor was going to be a tall order, but he acquitted himself very well.  Whilst he doesn't have the height or speed of either of those two, he has a lovely line, with beautiful long legs that carry him across the stage most impressively.   He did seven assemblees and ended with a double tour en l'air.  A lean, handsome and technically accomplished dancer, I think he has good potential as a danseur noble for the company.  

 

As this was my last viewing, a word of praise also for Grigory Popov as the fakir, who danced at all three performances.  What a good dancer and actor he is.  Same for Soslan Kulaev as the High Bramin (again, at all three shows).  No dancing involved, but he made the most of this role, and you really felt his anguish when he was rejected by Nikiya, realising he was never going to have her.   

 

The corps were beautiful once again, the icing on a delicious, freshly-baked cake.  Very sad that I probably won't be seeing the company again for another three years;  I look forward to seeing what all these wonderful dancers have achieved by then.

[Shade]

Lovely matinee performance. The shades were the best that I have seen. Bayadere offers opportunity to shine to numerous dancers - I was pleased to see May Nagahisa as third shade, such delicacy. Chebykina reminds me of Zakharova, without the extreme extensions (are they going out of fashion at last?)

askerov made a handsome Solor. Great orchestral playing again - really kept a forward pace.

[BMC]

A bit of a mixed reaction from me - while I didn't think this was a vintage performance by any means, I enjoyed every minute - parrots and all! From comments on this site, I had been looking forward to seeing Chebykina and she is very lovely, with the most beautiful rippling arms. I particularly enjoyed her in the first two acts where, as Sim says, she really bought some emotion to the ballet. For me, her dancing in the Shades scene didn't quite match those first two acts but I suspect that is down to experience and she will definitely be on my 'must get to see' when the Mariinsky return. It was one of those rare occasions when I wish I could have afforded a seat nearer the front as I would have loved to have seen her facial expressions. Enjoyed Askerov and Batoeva without being bowled over and the corps was truly beautiful. Loved the lighting as the dancers came down the ramp - from where I was sitting I couldn't quite tell where the ramp ended and the stage began which added to the other worldly feel.

 

Although this season hasn't perhaps reached the heights of others, I'm feeling very sad tonight that the tour is coming to an end, just as we are getting to know these dancers. Roll on 2020!

[Coated]

Interesting. Has Chebykina danced many Nikiya's before?  Personally I don't quite see that type of potential in Chebykina, who is not a recent graduate, and her characterisation didn't grab me emotionally . Her eyes are expressive, but they weren't enough to distract me from the at times too insecure delivery. Obviously mileage varies and we all have different favourites.

 

All I all, I loved this run of Bayaderes and think I enjoy them for the pure spectacle that they are.

[Sim]

Any thoughts on last night's performance please?

[Jan McNulty]

I thoroughly enjoyed my one and only visit to see the Mariinsky performing Bayadere this afternoon.

 

OK the plot is thinner than tissue paper but, actually, who cares when you can just sit back and enjoy the spectacle!

 

I thought the three leads (Chebykina, Askerov, Batoeva) were excellent and there was some good interaction between them.  I especially liked the look on Askerov's face in Act 2 when Nikiya came on to do the wedding dance - he was hovering between mortified and sly.  I thought Batoeva was gorgeous as Gamzatti - she has such an expressive face.

 

In Act 3 I loved the three lead Shades and the ladies of the corps were utterly magnificent.  I just never wanted it to end!

 

Lovely too to see many fellow Forum members, however briefly.  Sorry to have missed others. 

[annamk]

I thought the matinee was the weakest of the four Bayadere performances I saw,  entirely down to Chebykina's Nikya. I really don't understand why she's the young dancer who's been singled out with all the important opportunities on this tour when her dancing is so unexceptional. I mean she's really not a young Smirnova, Zakharova etc. I find her upper body, arms and hands stiff, and she doesn't seem to have the same Vaganova way of holding her head. Askerov was a Solor in the more classical mould: more subdued and less spectacular, more "correct" if you like but I find less appealing. Bstoeva was lovely, I'd like to see her dance Nikya. 

The evening was on a different level altogether. Kondaurova was simply divine. The gulf between her and Chebykina was as wide as the gulf of Finland and it's not about age and experience. Kondaurova moves so beautifully, head, arms, hands her movement ripples through her whole body, she's such an emotional performer I couldn't take my eyes off her and couldn't fault her. Nor was there anything to complain about with her partner : Yermakov, tall and handsome with terrific dancing and generous partnering - why didn't he get promoted to principal on this tour (or indeed the fabulous Stepin, yesterday evening' Goldrn Idol.) my only picky little complaint with Yermakov is that in Solor's final variation he throws in two split jumps that look like something out of Don Q !

Matvienko's Gamzatti was excellent and the confrontation between Nikya and Gamzatti one of the finest I've seen. 

An enormous Bravi (?) to the mighty corps who must be absolutely exhausted. 

 

[Sim]

So interesting, the different perceptions of the same dancer/performance!  

 

So sorry I missed Kondaurova.  Yermakov was average at best in DonQ so am glad he got his mojo back after that.

[annamk]

1 minute ago, Sim said:

So interesting, the different perceptions of the same dancer/performance!  

 

So sorry I missed Kondaurova.  Yermakov was average at best in DonQ so am glad he got his mojo back after that.

 

I know Sim - it's unusual for us to disagree  

 

Re Yermakov I was reflecting that he, Shklyarov and Stepin all gave much better accounts of themselves in their second principal performances & I wondered whether it just takes a performance to get used to the non raked RoH stage ? 

[LinMM]

I'm sorry to miss a dancer like Kondaurova too but in the end was very happy with Chebykina yesterday afternoon. I think she has a very dramatic presence and so preferred her in the first two Acts and loved her second act solo which she used every inch of the music 

It's not to say that she isn't a lovely purely classical dancer too but she seemed to come across slightly  less vitally once in that classical tutu. She is ( or seems) quite tall so I think will naturally be more stretched by some of the choreography in this piece. But I would be happy to see her again.

Really yesterday was about seeing Bayadere as a ballet as these days cannot get to multiple performances but to be honest cannot take this either anyway....I don't know why. Certainly years ago I went an awful lot to the ballet and enjoyed seeing lots of different casts etc but these days I find if I see too much of one ballet on the trot I start to feel a little jaded and take it all for granted..... as all these dancers are pretty damn  good so it's often something just a bit undefinable why you prefer one dancer to another!!

I loved Askerov he is a very fine classical dancer and no mean actor ...beautiful lines always in his jumps...I didn't care that much that he only did 7 or of those assemblee turns....they were beautifully executed. There will always be some dancers who have a particularly wonderful facility for jumping just as those dancers with the special facility for executing perfect fouettés etc but I hope not all dancers feel they have to live up to exceptional technical feats. It's exciting to see them that's true but in my view only if this isn't at the expense of real style. So Askerov didn't disappoint at all but also would love to have seen Shklyarov in this role too......that undefinable something...... .Batoeva as Gamzatti has a very strong stage presence and interaction between her and Chebykina was very convincing but would like to see her in a more dramatic role.

So enjoyed the shades yesterday ....that particular piece of music so evocative..beautiful corps and all the individual dances were wonderfully executed ....though in general yesterday afternoon the audience seemed fairly quiet in their appreciation.

The dancer who played the High Brahmain role was so good in his characterisation even when he wasn't in the limelight on the stage.

 

This production ends with the Shades scene and I had forgotten this ( no programme again) so was disappointed when the curtain came down and realised that was it (As if that wasn't enough!!) but I was rather hoping to see the destruction of the temple scene .....I think... but am not sure ...that the Royal put this scene in their production...or maybe was another company and I rather enjoyed it to complete the dramatic action of the story( though I seem to remember some think it's superfluous)

I assumed Solor was dreaming the Shades scene.....that he hasn't died and gone to heaven as it were ....so feels rather abrupt from the "story" point of view ( not the dancing aspect) to end it there....but guess you can't have everything!

So sorry we won't be seeing the Mariinsky again in UK for a minimum of three years.....time is of the essence as you hit the seventh decade!!

Yesterday afternoon was special in another way too ....lovely to catch up with some other forum members but especially with one member who finally met ( unarranged) after not seeing each other for 40 years....that was a really lovely surprise ....some very happy ballet memories!! 

And many thanks to the Forum members here who I got my rather last minute tickets from ...very grateful to them and especially the member who very kindly managed to get me yet another ticket issued when after all that I had left my ticket at home!! 

 

 

[Sim]

Yes, the RB destroys the temple, which makes much more narrative sense and makes the ballet a bit less anodyne from the perspective of plot.

[Beryl H]

A chance to see 2 more casts yesterday, after seeing Ekaterina Chebykina in Don Q and Anna Karenina I had been trying to get a return and then a good seat came up online, think she is a lovely dancer already but will surely become a star of the future, she has soul. Liked Timur Askerov who is elegant and light, I thought he did 8 assembles but maybe not, they didn't have the height and speed of Kim but I was happy. Delighted to see Vasily Tkachenko again as the Idol, and Tamara Gimadieva as the Manu dancer repeated the charm of her Cupid. The corps were outstanding, didn't notice the longer soft tutu's on Thursday, like them very much.

 

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, although Ekaterina Kondaurova is a completely different dancer, tall and regal, (and Nikiya is a perfect role for her) the partnership worked! Another great Idol solo from Filipp Stepin, I noticed the Brahmin too at all the performances, very strong actor, he was Don Quixote too and he livened that role up.

 

 

 

 

[MAB]

For many years, we only had the 'Kingdom of the Shades third act at the RB and I had to go to Leningrad (as it was called then) to see the two preceding acts, apart from the Vikharev production, the Kirov-Mariinsky hasn't used the original last act.  I'm afraid I find it an anti climax as for me the heart of the ballet is the shades.  Personally I'd like to see Nureyev Shades again and even the second act of Swan Lake as part of a triple bill, that used to be seen regularly I'm told, but a bit before my time.

[queenofspades]

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. 

 

 

Edited August 13, 2017 by queenofspades

[annamk]

50 minutes ago, queenofspades said:

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. 

 

 

 

It was me talking about "split jumps" and I can now understand from your comments that the jump I was referring to was not the grand jete enterlace but the "pas de ciseaux". Kim, Shklyarov and Askerov all just seemed to make a combination of double grand Jete Entrelace and/or an assemble. The pas de ciseaux seemed odd. 

[queenofspades]

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/

 

Edited August 13, 2017 by queenofspades
add a name of the jump

[Jan McNulty]

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).

[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.

[Johnpw]

3 hours ago, queenofspades said:

.......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........ 

 

Thanks for explaining why Yermakov ended up on the opposite side of the stage from where I expected him to finish....

 

For the last evening of the tour, I had a seat as close to the stage as it's possible to get without being on it and holding a parrot. I booked it without taking account of who was dancing. Obviously the view is pretty restricted and partial, but the parts you can see are very close-up which adds to the thrill.  What a wonderful performance to end on! Kondaurova excelled as Nikiya and I preferred Matvienko as Gamzatti. When he was in view, Yermakov seemed always to express such great intensity of feeling (whether dancing, partnering or just standing or sitting) that he must be drained after a performance. There seemed to  be very good "stage chemistry" between all three.   

 

I'm glad someone paid tribute earlier to Grigory Popov. He was the Fakir at all four performances. From my seat last night I could see that he always remained 100% "in the role". Since he's in every scene and is one of the more visible and active characters - dancing, miming, running, crouching - it's a shame he didn't get a chance to take a bow - or if he did I missed it, even on the occasions when I had a better view of the stage. He's just the kind of talented stalwart, too often overlooked, that every company needs to help bring these classic "narrative" ballets to some sort of life, rather than just being a series of dance "highlights". Liked his Swan Lake Jester too.

[DrewCo]

11 hours ago, annamk said:

 

[...]

 

Re Yermakov I was reflecting that he, Shklyarov and Stepin all gave much better accounts of themselves in their second principal performances & I wondered whether it just takes a performance to get used to the non raked RoH stage ? 

 

I think dancers often take a bit to settle in (so to speak) on tour. But I'm not sure the rake is the issue as the Mariinsky dancers now dance regularly on the unraked Mariinsky II stage.