MaddieRose Posted March 16, 2022 Share Posted March 16, 2022 Graham Watts has said on Instagram that Olga Smirnova is joining the Dutch National Ballet. https://www.instagram.com/p/CbKr73UgzoN/ 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naomi M Posted March 16, 2022 Share Posted March 16, 2022 Victor Caixeta also seems to joined Dutch National Ballet as soloist. https://www.operaballet.nl/en/dansers/79+81+8+82+5+7+33 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Posted March 16, 2022 Share Posted March 16, 2022 This seems to be the press release by Dutch National https://www.danceforyou-magazine.com/2022/03/16/olga-smirnova-makes-the-move-to-dutch-national-ballet/ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naomi M Posted March 16, 2022 Share Posted March 16, 2022 Prima ballerina Olga Smirnova and soloist Victor Caixeta make the move to Dutch National Ballet On Wednesday 16 March, Russian prima ballerina Olga Smirnova and Brazilian soloist Victor Caixeta have decided to join Dutch National Ballet – where they will start immediately and be welcomed with open arms. https://www.operaballet.nl/en/news/prima-ballerina-olga-smirnova-and-soloist-victor-caixeta-make-move-dutch-national-ballet 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 16, 2022 Share Posted March 16, 2022 Wow!!! What great news for both of them, DNB and Olga/Victor. I just adore her, so Amsterdam here I come!! What a brave lady she is. 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shade Posted March 16, 2022 Share Posted March 16, 2022 I wonder too if dancers are worried that they will be prevented from travel 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannette Posted March 16, 2022 Share Posted March 16, 2022 5 hours ago, Naomi M said: Prima ballerina Olga Smirnova and soloist Victor Caixeta make the move to Dutch National Ballet On Wednesday 16 March, Russian prima ballerina Olga Smirnova and Brazilian soloist Victor Caixeta have decided to join Dutch National Ballet – where they will start immediately and be welcomed with open arms. https://www.operaballet.nl/en/news/prima-ballerina-olga-smirnova-and-soloist-victor-caixeta-make-move-dutch-national-ballet DNB so fortunate to have them. Great news! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted March 16, 2022 Share Posted March 16, 2022 I’m told Olga’s husband works for a US investment management firm who have pulled out of Russia. This could explain why she left, and why she could make such a strong anti-war statement. It’s good that DNB could move so quickly to hire her. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Dancer Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 17 hours ago, Sim said: Wow!!! What great news for both of them, DNB and Olga/Victor. I just adore her, so Amsterdam here I come!! What a brave lady she is. I've definitely had the Netherlands on my "places I must go back to post Covid" list. Now she's there I'm definitely going at some point in the next 18 months. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MayKwok Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 As reported on BBC News: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-60767490 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MayKwok Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 (Only just saw that this is already being discussed in the Bolshoi thread, and it is old news that came out yesterday! Apologies. Admin please feel free to remove...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 38 minutes ago, MayKwok said: (Only just saw that this is already being discussed in the Bolshoi thread, and it is old news that came out yesterday! Apologies. Admin please feel free to remove...) May - I think this news deserves its own thread so I've moved the other posts to yours. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 I thought this announcement deserved its own thread - thanks, Jan. I found out about Olga Smirnova and Victor Caixeta joining Dutch National Ballet when the company posted it on their social media and said “with immediate effect”. They also announced that Olga would dance Raymonda and that Victor would be in the production, although they have not specified which role yet. It looks like a win-win for both the dancers as well as Het Nationale Ballet. I wondered if Larissa Lezhnina being a veteran principal dancer and now ballet mistress at the company, having left the Mariinsky at the height of professional success like Olga at the Bolshoi, might have something to do with it. Also, according to Victor’s social media, he already has a good friend from the Mariinsky who is already a company member at DNB. I hope this works out to be a very happy development for the two of them as well as the existing company members. DNB also has lots of interesting repertoire that their former companies didn’t have. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabine0308 Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 1 hour ago, Emeralds said: ....Also, according to Victor’s social media, he already has a good friend from the Mariinsky who is already a company member at DNB. I hope this works out to be a very happy development for the two of them as well as the existing company members. DNB also has lots of interesting repertoire that their former companies didn’t have. That friend is Elisabeth Tonev, they performed recently a R&J PDD at the Berlin Ballet School Gala (60 years anniversary). Both were students at this school. They were so happy to be reunited for this PDD, who knew that a couple weeks later, it would be a reunification for real! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emeralds Posted March 18, 2022 Share Posted March 18, 2022 (edited) 14 hours ago, Sabine0308 said: That friend is Elisabeth Tonev, they performed recently a R&J PDD at the Berlin Ballet School Gala (60 years anniversary). Both were students at this school. They were so happy to be reunited for this PDD, who knew that a couple weeks later, it would be a reunification for real! Thanks for the correction, Sabine- I just assumed they were former colleagues rather than school friends! (I can’t edit my post after one day, unfortunately.) It’s great to have a friend in any new workplace and indeed, any new country, although Amsterdam might not be as big a leap for Victor after being accustomed to Berlin, while it might feel very different to Moscow and St Petersburg for Olga. Speaking of Het Nationale, I remember former DNB principal Sasha Mukhamedov’s parents Irek and Masha leaving Russia to relocate to London (under peacetime conditions, thankfully). One funny observation Irek made then about the differences between the 2 countries: “People are more polite here. Even in the supermarket. The way they move their supermarket trolleys gracefully to let you pass - it’s like a ballet!” For a few years after that, that remark used to come back to me every so often when I was in the supermarket, and it made me smile that he could see the beautiful side of something as ordinary (to us) as buying groceries. 😊 Edited March 18, 2022 by Emeralds 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabine0308 Posted March 18, 2022 Share Posted March 18, 2022 Haha thanks for sharing the Supermarkt story 😀 I agree about the politeness in the UK when it comes to a queue e.g. waiting for a bus. Different from Germany😀🙄. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Olga Smirnova will perform her first Ballet with Dutch National Ballet as Raymond on 3rd April. For those not fortunate to have tickets and as a special tribute to her values and her brave protest, a previous performance by her, of Raymonda, can be viewed on line, provided you have a Google account. Donations in support of the Ukraine can be made separately by other means https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-f14IwwskXL12VY3t8uz0i4_GFjDGptu/view?usp=sharing 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 I believe this new one is different to the Bolshoi one (no spoilers) but how much won’t be known until the premiere I guess. Also Victor Caixeta is shown in rehearsal as her partner .. don’t know which of the 2 lead male roles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annamk Posted March 23, 2022 Share Posted March 23, 2022 Casting is up https://www.operaballet.nl/solistencast-raymonda 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaddieRose Posted March 23, 2022 Author Share Posted March 23, 2022 (edited) The Dutch National Ballet's Junior Company is taking in 3 Ukrainian dancers, effective April 1st: Polina Loshchylina and Kate Myklukha (both from the National Opera of Ukraine), and Victoria Glazunova (from the Bolshoi). Edited March 23, 2022 by MaddieRose Spelling 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Posted March 29, 2022 Share Posted March 29, 2022 On 23/03/2022 at 00:04, FionaE said: I believe this new one is different to the Bolshoi one (no spoilers) but how much won’t be known until the premiere I guess. Also Victor Caixeta is shown in rehearsal as her partner .. don’t know which of the 2 lead male roles. The commonality is that the two productions star Olga Smirnova in the title role. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted March 29, 2022 Share Posted March 29, 2022 1 hour ago, Stevie said: The commonality is that the two productions star Olga Smirnova in the title role. The star of this production is Maia Makhateli. She has the premiere and 4 shows in total. Olga will have to learn this new role in much shorter time than she is used to, and has 2 shows. Maybe that will change next time around. DNB have a very strong set of principal ballerinas who have super technique and dramatic abilities, including Maia, Anna Tsygankova, Jessica Xuan, Anna Ol (on way back from maternity leave, so not in Raymonda cast this time), plus 2 others I’m not so familiar with. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 On 29/03/2022 at 17:26, FionaE said: The star of this production is Maia Makhateli. She has the premiere and 4 shows in total. Olga will have to learn this new role in much shorter time than she is used to, and has 2 shows. Maybe that will change next time around. DNB have a very strong set of principal ballerinas who have super technique and dramatic abilities, including Maia, Anna Tsygankova, Jessica Xuan, Anna Ol (on way back from maternity leave, so not in Raymonda cast this time), plus 2 others I’m not so familiar with. This is because the original postponed casting was prior to the newcomers arrival at HET. We are told by Branson that the changed story line is secondary to the original dancing and music and that the choreographic splendor of the original Petipa will be retained, whilst the story will have an exciting new twist. He says that his production is not about the drama, but the beauty of the original choreography. I suspect the Olga Smirnova will be well versed in the Petipa choreography of Raymonda, having performed it many times. The star of the production, if there is one, will only be found after having performed the role. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Estreiiita Posted April 6, 2022 Share Posted April 6, 2022 I would like to add that it's possible to buy a ticket to watch a streaming performance (it says May 6-8, 12,50 euro), Maia Makhateli should dance the leading part. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted April 6, 2022 Share Posted April 6, 2022 2 hours ago, Estreiiita said: I would like to add that it's possible to buy a ticket to watch a streaming performance (it says May 6-8, 12,50 euro), Maia Makhateli should dance the leading part. ooh this is good news … thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted April 6, 2022 Share Posted April 6, 2022 Can someone put it in the calendar, please? I'm away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted April 8, 2022 Share Posted April 8, 2022 The livestream is now in the calendar. 6-8 May 2022 Tickets €12.50 booking link here https://www.operaballet.nl/en/dutch-national-ballet/2021-2022/raymonda-stream CAST: Raymonda Maia MakhateliAbd al-Rahman Young Gyu ChoiJean de Brienne Semyon Velichko 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElenaF Posted June 16, 2022 Share Posted June 16, 2022 Looks like Olga is settling very well in the Netherlands and with Van Manen's choreography. This is a clip from a Dutch talk show covering the ongoing Van Manen Festival at the Het dedicated to his 90-year anniversary. The show features an interview with Van Manen himself, also with Rachel Beaujean, for whom he created a lot of his most important pieces, and his biographer. Olga is performing an excerpt from Trois Gnossienes. The clip does not feature the full interview, but a friend of mine who lives in the Netherlands and saw the complete program, has told me that Van Manen was heaping praises on Olga, calling her interpretation of his choreography "fantastic" and "absolutely wonderful" on this talk show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxxEIwqefpg 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted January 13, 2023 Share Posted January 13, 2023 Olga is guesting in many places … Monte Carlo .. R&J in January, Sleeping Beauty in April https://www.balletsdemontecarlo.com/fr/actualites/olga-smirnova-invitee-ballets-monte-carlo-2023 Rome Opera … in new Bayadere production partnered by Jacopo Tissi … 25 & 28 February 2023 https://www.operaroma.it/spettacoli/la-bayadere/ Hamburg … in Neumeier’s Nijinsky … 27 & 28 June 2023 https://www.hamburgballett.de/en/schedule/ As well as performing with Dutch National Ballet … casting not yet announced for Swan Lake in March/April 2023 And galas of course: - Prix de Lausanne gala … 5 February 2023 https://www.prixdelausanne.org/artists-of-the-gala-stars/ and no doubt others! Please add below 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
San Perregrino Posted March 6, 2023 Share Posted March 6, 2023 JUST IN: BOLSHOI FIRES PRIMA BALLERINA OVER WAR VIEWS BALLET Norman Lebrecht March 06, 2023 Statement from Moscow: ‘The prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater Olga Smirnova has been officially dismissed.’ Smirnova took a year’s leave last April after expressing views that dissented from Russia’s war on Ukraine. She was scheduled to return to work next week, but the theatre has now dismissed her retroactively: “Ballerina Olga Smirnova was fired on April 1, 2022, after she wrote a statement of her own free will.’ She is understood to be living in the Netherlands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnticaFiamma Posted March 6, 2023 Share Posted March 6, 2023 13 minutes ago, PeterS said: JUST IN: BOLSHOI FIRES PRIMA BALLERINA OVER WAR VIEWS BALLET Norman Lebrecht March 06, 2023 Statement from Moscow: ‘The prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater Olga Smirnova has been officially dismissed.’ Smirnova took a year’s leave last April after expressing views that dissented from Russia’s war on Ukraine. She was scheduled to return to work next week, but the theatre has now dismissed her retroactively: “Ballerina Olga Smirnova was fired on April 1, 2022, after she wrote a statement of her own free will.’ She is understood to be living in the Netherlands. She danced in La Bayadère in Rome a couple of weeks ago with Jacopo Tissi, her former colleague at Bolshoi. She's doing very well even without them! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted March 6, 2023 Share Posted March 6, 2023 No surprise there then. I am full of admiration for her. I just hope that her family back home is left alone. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oncnp Posted March 6, 2023 Share Posted March 6, 2023 Did she ever plan to go back? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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