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16 hours ago, DrewCo said:

I saw the three Swan Lakes performed over the weekend and enjoyed them rather more than posters above, though I agree with reservations about the production--and also agree that Tikhomirova was a stand out Friday night when she danced the Neapolitan Princess. When I compare the company (not the leads, but the corps and featured dancers in all the Acts) with how they looked dancing this production in New York five years ago, I'd say they looked just as strong and in some respects stronger with the exception of the dancers performing the Evil Genius.  In New York, too, Tikhomirova -- who was dancing the Spanish bride the nights I attended in NY -- was the stand out. (The jester never does much for me, but I suppose it's possible the jesters were better in NY--can't say.) 

 

I find Chudin's aristocratic bearing and pure classical style a profound pleasure--it's not old-school Bolshoi dancing by a long shot, but poetic and dreamy. He sort of floated through his variations Friday. Smirnova remains a bit of a puzzle to me: for now I will say only that I think I admire her dancing more than I like it. Kovalyova is just a baby ballerina. She was cast as Odette-Odile and on tour in London no less, so it's fair game to criticize her, but I hardly expect much depth of any 21-22 year old in this role--I look only for promise. She has a stunning physique, great personal beauty, and tremendous charm. I found even her Odile rather likeable. She was a villainess with a twinkle in her eye as opposed to the hardened vamp we so often get. Her dancing was uneven in some ways but had great moments and interpretively her Odette had real tenderness as well. Depending on how she develops, she could be rather wonderful one day. 

 

All that said, I thought Zakharova on Saturday night was in an entirely different class from either Kovalyova (as one would expect) or, for my taste, Smirnova. And she and Rodkin made the ballet considerably more exciting than it was either Friday or Saturday afternoon. Five years ago in New York (where I missed her) Zakharova was lambasted in the press (and online among some fans) for giving what was described as a "cold" performance; here in London opposite Rodkin she gave a performance I found both tremendously moving and thrilling. Rodkin is not the seamless stylist Chudin is. Also, though his leaps are impressive, when it comes to turns, a double pirouette seems about as much as he can muster and he sort of fakes his way through the chaine turns through which Grigorovich has Siegfried express much of his agitation in the final scenes. Not just Chudin Friday night, but Tissi at the matinee was able to do more with these. But in other respects not only did he dance very impressively, but he seemed to me a much superior actor to either Chudin or Tissi and his dancing also carries much more of a sexual charge than theirs -- the result was genuine chemistry with Zakharova and a deeply romantic performance of the ballet insofar as Grigorovich's approach allows for it. Apparently no-one told Zakharova that the souvenir program describes her as primarily a specter in Siegfried's mind. And thank goodness, because when she looked up into Rodkin's eyes towards the end of the first lake scene you could believe she was in love with him. Overall, unless one values an Odette-Odile solely on whether she makes it to 32 fouettes (I counted Zakharova at 27 with the last one a double) her performance throughout was profoundly engaged and engaging. At any rate, I found it articulate, fluid, soulful, exciting--with a coda to the black swan pas de deux that I thought well worthy of her coach Semenyaka -- shooting across the stage like lightning and closing with a strong balance.  

 

At all the performances I attended I also thought the corps did itself proud.

 

It may be I am less critical than others because these days I see rather less ballet. I do wonder if that isn't the case. But anyway I thought I would register my thoughts.

 

Thanks, Drew, for your very fine review. My, you and others were up late last night ! Thanks also to everyone for their comments on an event that I would love to have been at.

 

As for Olga Smirnova I’d like to leave my thoughts for the moment with two reviews. I’m highly supportive of her artistry.

 

“Smirnova is prodigious, of course, in her technique. Yet with her pale withdrawn face and immersed, selfless dancing, she takes one back to a lost time before 90-degree extensions and casual triple fouettés.’ “

 

Laura Thompson

https://flipboard.com/@TheTelegraph/swan-lake-royal-opera-house-review-olga-smirnova-rises-to-ballet-s-ultimate-ch/a-M2oUbeYrRjWBmtRoDQiGUA%3Aa%3A3199678-c18e666113/co.uk

 

“Smirnova is the archetypal image of a Russian Odette/Odile, stepping into a mould of glacial perfection, occupied in previous generations by such legendary ballerinas as Galina Ulanova and Maya Plisetskaya. Her extremes of expressiveness were palpable, both as the white and black swans, and she embodied the seductive overlay of Odette’s grace in the temptress form of Odile, more than sufficiently to understand Siegfried’s unwitting deceit.”

 

Graham Watts

https://bachtrack.com/review-swan-lake-smirnova-chudin-bolshoi-ballet-london-august-2019

 

Although I agree with the general sentiment I would never consider any of them to be “a mould of glacial perfection.” They’re much more expressively compelling.

 

Ah yes, Svetlana Zakharova !  Again so good to hear such fine comments about her. All I can really say is that she ‘hangs in there’ remarkably well.

 

Alyona — Absolutely beautiful !

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These three ballerinas - Zakharova, Smirnova, Kovalyova -- represent three different stages of artistic development, don't they? It seems a good idea to evaluate each with that in mind.  Zakarhova is the mature artist, blessed with a perfect ballet physique who learned over the years to access her internal emotions and share them with the audience, thus becaming the complete ballerina she is today.  Smirnova is in the middle years of her development, having achieved technical near-perfection but still clinging to her safe place of remoteness and artifice.  She has hopefully another 10 years or so to become, perhaps, less glacial, more human, should she wish to do so.  Kovalyova is not an artist yet, but only a unique, delightful, beautiful ballet dancer with a lot of potential. We will see whether she will apply herself to her art or skate along on her physical charms.  

 

While we can certainly delight in performances throughout a dancer's lifetime, I don't think we can honestly evaluate any ballerina against the "greats" of the past until we see their mature artistry. It's our great good fortune to be able to follow and discuss their artistic development in Swan Lake and other ballets.

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I sometimes wonder what makes Swan Lake so special. For me, at the Mariinsky it’s the White Swan duet. But even just this, why? I’m not sure and I’ve never really tried to analyse it, it might lose some of its magic. The Bolshoi’s interpretation is more a dramatic unfolding, probably equally beautiful in its own way.

 

Very briefly back to Laura Thompson who expresses it as closely to what I feel as I can recall reading.

 

“Swan Lake is the definitive classical ballet: to many….it is ballet….an expression of the ethereal magic that only ballet can conjure, and of the great innocence that sits at its heart.”  

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/dance/ballet/swan-lake-royal-opera-house-reviewolga-smirnova-rises-ballets/

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Went last night mainly to see the swans which didn’t disappoint. I wasn’t keen on the way the  score had been altered in Act 2 but I did enjoy the Princesses’ dances. I did prefer Nikulina in the white Act, she was sorrowful without being cold, in the manner of other Russian swans. I didn’t enjoy her black act as much and I think she fell out of one set of fouettés. I think Chudin deserved more recognition for his beautiful classical dancing - not usual bolshoi style. I like Soares as the evil genius but it seemed much more his ballet than Chudins. 

Generally good playing from the orchestra with the odd screechy violin.

 

not my favourite production that’s for sure but glad that I went. There was a long queue for returns at the box office I noticed.

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On 05/08/2019 at 23:48, DrewCo said:

I find Chudin's aristocratic bearing and pure classical style a profound pleasure--it's not old-school Bolshoi dancing by a long shot, but poetic and dreamy. He sort of floated through his variations Friday.

 

Pleased to see the comments about Chudin- I have been to almost all the Bolshoi screenings for some years, and he is the male dancer who has stood out for me for the purest and most graceful style: not just that, but a 'certain something' in his bearing and expression that is somehow deeply affecting- a profound pleasure indeed.

 

I was very sad not to manage to see him live this time.

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I have to take issue with Shades comment here. Niculina did not fall out of any fouettes at all. a combination series of singles and doubles - 1,1,2 which were expertly dispatched culminating in the second half of exceptionally fast singles - also perfectly dispatched.  The white Act was exquisite and touching and in total contrast to the black act. She had beautiful long flowing lines, breathed with the music and was without doubt a great Odette. She and Kovaliova have great poetry in their arm movements. Niculina's Odile genuinely contrasted with a far sharper plastique as the role requires and full of dramatic touches. She delivered greatly. This was a performance on a really grand scale. She has worked well in recent years with Chenchikova and it is clearly paying dividends.  In earlier performances both Smirnova and Stepanova had issues with their fouettes but certainly not Niculina. Bravo to her!

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We went on holiday directly after the evening performance on 3rd August so I’ve not had the opportunity to share my photos.  The audience seemed wildly enthusiastic (contrasting with the previous Monday’s Spartacus audience whose applause was rather meagre).  In fact there was a chap in the next box to us, standing throughout and calling ‘more, more!’ at every opportunity as though he expected the dancers to perform an encore for him!
 

Rodkin was convincing as a young, troubled and poetic prince but he was completely overshadowed by Zakharova who was utterly entrancing and poignant.  The slow, painfully beautiful duet between Odette and Siegfried was the best I have ever seen.  Other dancers I particularly enjoyed were Georgy Gusev as a spectacular jester, and Anastasia Denisova’s sparkling, charming Russian princess.  I had liked her Phrygia the previous Monday although I know others weren’t particularly impressed. This version of Swan Lake isn’t my favourite (especially the ending) but it was nonetheless a memorable performance and one which I felt privileged to see.

zakharovarodkinsl030819.jpg

black swan curtain call 030819.jpg

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  • alison changed the title to Bolshoi Ballet: Swan Lake, London 2019

I've seen 2 more Swan Lakes both with the principal cast Stepanova/Ovcharenko. She has a curious history: having languished in the Mariinsky corps she made her way to the Bolshoi maybe 4 years ago (via a spell at the Stanislavsky). She joined the Bolshoi as a Soloist and was promoted straight to Principal not long after the last London tour. 

 

Anyway, I enjoyed her performances, she is technically strong, her Odette has an attractive soulful quality and her Odile is steely. Unfortunately, she had to emote for two because her handsome partner was mostly rather blank. Maybe it was a conscious decision on Ovcharenko's part to interpret Siegfried as such or maybe he doesn't have much charisma, he certainly did not command the stage in any way yesterday evening. They did not seem well matched to me emotionally and physically was not ideal either as she is too tall for him on pointe. He has a good physique, a reasonably attractive line, he can jump and he lands softly but much of his dancing was actually quite muted, somehow lacking in energy and his black act solo on both occasions was sloppy with clumsy landings. 

 

The corps and soloist performances were of a high standard and again I enjoyed all the national dances hugely. 

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I think, I feel obliged to say some good words for Ovcharenko's Siegfried. I am afraid, we are accustomed to (and spoiled by) too much of athletic, over-done, male dancing, it makes us prone to dismissing a subdued manner of acting as "blank". I do not feel that Siegfried must necessarily "command the stage". As to Stepanova's Odette - this was a very fresh, sublimely tender, interpretation, with the purest, classical lines, free of any angularity and extreme mannerisms that disfigure interpretations by certain ballerinas. Her Odette is an emanation of goodness, warmth, and vulnerability. The word "steely" doesn't come to my mind when I think of her Odile, rather as being enticing, alluring, cheerful, the kind that young men are tempted by most. Stepanova's ability to inhabit the characters she portrays, her technical ease, plus her exceptional musicality, were all amply present yesterday as well.

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Could I just say thank you to all those who are posting reviews of the Bolshoi's London season - there is a fascinating range of views and I am learning a lot and really enjoying the reports. Unfortunately I decided that the seat prices were too high for me (and I can't stand), though I was very tempted by The Bright Stream and the reviews did make me wish I had gone! Maybe on their next visit I will push the boat out (if it hasn't already sunk) and go to a few performances. In the meantime, thank you!

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May I echo Bridiem.  I, too, decided not to go this season.  Prices are steep which means fewer Manon's and Coppelia's and South West trains have slid from poor to dire.  It has been a great pleasure to watch this forum  every morning and  experience the pleasure of the Bolshoi through some inspired and beautifully written reviews.

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South West trains are my old line into London ( Woking to Waterloo line) when growing up etc.

i believe that line is now experiencing the problems Southern rail had a couple of years ago.

Southern are now pretty much on form and are the best line Ive travelled on this last year for keeping passengers informed....they even tell us if held at a red light for a few mins! And air conditioning is good in hot weather. There are still odd hiccups of course but two years ago it was truely awful. So things CAN turn around but they got a huge number of complaints at the time and must have paid loads out in compensation.

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I quite often use South Western Railway - as they are now - and though I think they are not as good as they were under Stagecoach they are better than many train companies.

 

A lot of the problems this line faces are due to the underavailability of platforms at Waterloo, which is hardly their fault.

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I think this is a prob at Victoria too.

Theyve succeeded in running more trains etc etc but then a bit of a jam into Victoria on some days!!

Back to Swan Lake.

Because of the high prices I originally decided to go just the twice .....to a ballet I'd never seen and one had not seen for a very very very long time!  

So Swan Lake and Don Q had to abandoned this time round 😢

 

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Back for another Swan Lake yesterday evening :) 

 

The leads were Krysanova/Belyakov. 

 

Krysanova was technically very good as you would expect but she also expressed vulnerability and showed emotion to her prince. The white and white act pdd were well executed. Krysanova's fouettes were very strong and fast : she did singles and doubles and some pirouettes a la seconde although she travelled slightly; there was plenty of enthusiasm in the audience at her super quick pique turns (?).  Overall I found her different to the other Odette/Odiles I've seen rather than superior/inferior. Possibly because she’s smaller in stature  she isn’t as striking and she makes slightly less impact., or maybe it's just me. Idk. 

 

I was looking forward to seeing Belyakov because his Crassus was terrific (danced with charisma and technically strong) he is clearly the next star man ?  In terms of stage presence he did not disappoint, he responded with feeling to Odette . His partnering was generally excellent although it has to be said that Krysanova turns so well all her partner has to do is make sure he doesn't pull her off centre (easier said than done ?) she is also smaller and slighter than some of the other Odettes so the high overhead lifts looked pretty effortless. Belaykov's dancing in Act one was impressive, he has great elevation in his jumps which combined with his height looked pretty spectacular. But his solos in the black act were more effortful, his landings were heavier and, like 2 other Siegfrieds before him, his finishes in the manege of assembles were sloppy - I don't understand all 3 Siegfried's who have chosen this particular variation can't execute it tidily. Why don't they do something different ? Am I misunderstanding the step they're executing ? In his enthusiasm Belyakov ran on too early in the final scene - the swans were not properly in place. I feel there are some mitigating factors we have to make allowance for the smaller stage, for a tall man like Belaykov there is presumably some adjustment to made so you don't end up in the orchestra pit; the workload here in London is heavy at the end of an already long season, Belyakov has already danced Crassus here a number of times. 

 

As a couple I felt Krysanova/Belyakov were better suited than Stepanova/Ovchrenko and I was left wondering whether they might have been better the other way round. 

 

As for the corps the dancing was excellent and co-ordinated as it has been on every occasion. I have liked the dancers in the waltz generally the same names every evening ( Severnard, Zhiganshina, Trikoz, Yakusheva, Kromushin, Alexeyev, Motta Soares (looking forward to his Basilio) and Efimov (another to watch). 

 

As I said before I love the national dances, I prefer them on pointe even though I know they really shouldn't be. The Russian dance is particularly beautiful in choreography and the solo violin music. Last night was danced by rising star Denisova but I have to say I much preferred Skvortsov the previous evening. Anna Tikhomirova who made such an impression on these boards in the last Bolshoi tour has been present most evenings as either the Spanish or Neapolitan both of which she has danced with joy and vivacity. I liked Marchenkova's Hungarian bride and Severnard's Polish bride. 

 

There has been much to enjoy although I have not been at all moved in the performances, maybe I've seen too many Swan Lakes ? I think this production and it's ending is difficult to love. 

 

 

 

 

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40 minutes ago, annamk said:

The Russian dance is particularly beautiful in choreography and the solo violin music. Last night was danced by rising star Denisova but I have to say I much preferred Skvortsov the previous evening.

 

Dancing in drag again? :) 

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12 minutes ago, alison said:

 

Dancing in drag again? :) 

 

😂! Autocorrect SkvortsovA 

 

Actually I omitted to say that I have also enjoyed the pd3 the choreography is lovely and the friends have danced to a high standard. Last night was Bochkova/Shrainer. 

 

 

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Adding my thanks for the fine audience reviews posted on here.  

 

I do have a question, though. Has anybody seen any professional reviews of Stepanova's three (one Spartacus, two Swan Lakes)  performances in the UK press? I haven't found any and I can't recall even any passing mentions.  Aegina is a relatively new role for her, so it's not surprising that others got more attention, but she has performed O/O more than any other role in her repertoire.  Balletomanes on the various ballet fora have been commenting that her O/O interpretations have evolved while under the tutelage of Marina Kondratieva to something both new (ie different from the current standard interpretation a la Zakarhova) and old (recalling Ulanova's tenderness and vulnerability).  Am I right there has been not one mention in the press about this?  Her two Swan Lakes were on Monday evenings -- do British critics typically take that night off? (No criticism, just curious.) Color me puzzled!

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Last night’s last Swan Lake of this Bolshoi visit featuring  Kovalyova & Tissi was as light, as delicate, as blissful and gorgeous as a summer breeze. For me, the Bolshoi had saved the best ‘til last. 

Principals aside special mention to Alexei Putintsev as the Fool and Klim Efinov and David Motta Soares in the Waltz. I’m very much looking forward to the latter’s Basilio on Friday evening....

E8B5BEC6-4B84-492B-956F-F1A043C07845.jpeg

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I had the opposite reaction to the Kovalyova & Tissi cast. It was nice seeing Tissi in a role he is more experienced in after his emergency R&J at the ROH, and I thought his dancing was fairly decent in the first act, including the lifts with the 2 friends. Lifts for Odette/Odile put me in mind of body builder workout routines.

 

I saw the first Kovalyova performance and wasn't taken with it, but decided to go to the second after some rave reviews of her, thinking I must have missed something or was perhaps not in the right mood. Unless I was in the same mood twice, I need to conclude that Kovalyova isn't my cup of tea. I don't feel she's ready for a Swan Lake and can't see why the Bolshoi decided to cast her twice on tour. Yes, she's young etc etc, but there are other roles where she can start developing her characterisation and dancing. Her Odile was like a slightly naughty high school prom queen and while she can do soft arms, she seemed to often choose quite rigid and aprupt movements, including a moment that seemed more synchronised swimming than swan lake to me. One thing I found very noticable was a quite stiff neck, with the chin lifted up an inch higher than expected - again, this might be something that appeals to others, but I found it made the whole thing look a bit strained.

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2 hours ago, prs59 said:

Last night’s last Swan Lake of this Bolshoi visit featuring  Kovalyova & Tissi was as light, as delicate, as blissful and gorgeous as a summer breeze. For me, the Bolshoi had saved the best ‘til last. 

 

 

This is very nice to hear, Prs59. It's only one opinion, but based on all the video clips that I've seen in two seasons, although I wasn't able to be there, I'm sure that I would have felt much the same. I do hope to see these Swan Lake casts in Chicago next June. 

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Thank you, prs59, for posting this rave review and for the photo of Kovalyova and Tissi. I too was bowled over by their performance last night! And full marks to the Bolshoi for taking a St Petersburg girl who was rejected by the Mariinsky Ballet for being too tall – and for giving her all these opportunities before she is 21! She celebrates her 21st birthday next month.  I am sorry that Coated was not as smitten as you and I clearly were! There is a clip of her dancing the role in January 2018 with Denis Rodkin on Youtube - although it it s bootleg clip so perhaps I am not allowed to refer to it. (Thank goodness though that the Royal Opera House does not allow any filming during the performance! It would drive me mad!! With the number of clips online, the Bolshoi seems to turn a blind eye...) I have already seen a performance of Spartacus and The Bright Stream - but for me, this Swan Lake will be the highlight of the tour...and I do not normally like the Bolshoi version of Swan Lake!

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I very much enjoyed last night's performance. Kovalyova is obviously not the finished article, nor would it be fair to expect her to be in such a role, at 20 years old, but after reading her intelligent and thoughtful answers in this interview, it's obvious she has the most important asset required to be an excellent artist - a good brain.

http://www.vaganovatoday.com/alyona-kovalyova-bolshoi-ballet

On the subject of her height putting the Mariinsky off, can I assume that Ulyana Lopatkina was considered a significantly more promising freak talent at a young age, or has the culture changed? They are around the same height, as far as I know.
 

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1 hour ago, Vukasin said:

I very much enjoyed last night's performance. Kovalyova is obviously not the finished article, nor would it be fair to expect her to be in such a role, at 20 years old, but after reading her intelligent and thoughtful answers in this interview, it's obvious she has the most important asset required to be an excellent artist - a good brain.

http://www.vaganovatoday.com/alyona-kovalyova-bolshoi-ballet

On the subject of her height putting the Mariinsky off, can I assume that Ulyana Lopatkina was considered a significantly more promising freak talent at a young age, or has the culture changed? They are around the same height, as far as I know.
 

 

There's been somewhat of a shift at the Vaganova academy since the big turnover a few years ago. Nikolai Tsiskaridze's top students have tended to be shorter with more diversity in terms of body types. Kovaleva is kind of a throwback to the tall, ultra-leggy look that was in favor. 

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On 15/08/2019 at 12:54, Vukasin said:

I very much enjoyed last night's performance. Kovalyova is obviously not the finished article, nor would it be fair to expect her to be in such a role, at 20 years old, but after reading her intelligent and thoughtful answers in this interview, it's obvious she has the most important asset required to be an excellent artist - a good brain.

http://www.vaganovatoday.com/alyona-kovalyova-bolshoi-ballet

 

 

I recall this interview. Thank you, Vukasin. In regard to the coaching of Alyona Kovalyova, I would hope that it's done in as  loving and gentle a manner as possible. She's a beautiful artist (as are they all).

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