Estreiiita Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 The XIV Moscow International Competition (https://moscowballetcompetition.com/ ) started last friday and the first round both in junior and senior groups was held yesterday. It's possible to watch videos of the competition here: https://moscowballetcompetition.com/video/ . The jury consists of the leading ballet professionals and there are some promising participants, mainly from russian theatres, including Maria Iljushkina from Mariinsky, Anastasia Smirnova from Mikhailovsky theatre, Anna Fedosova from Krasnoyarsk State theatre and many other good dancers. The second round of the competition in the senior group will be shown on Tuesday and in junior group on Wednesday and it will be possible to watch it live. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosefairy Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 Thank you for the tip! I just had a look into the first round junior group video and to me, they looked (age-wise, but also skill-wise) as if they could have been seniors too! Perhaps they are around 15-17 years old, does anyone know at what age they start to compete as seniors? Also I noticed that all moderation announcements are made in English and Russian, but the interviews in the intervals are sadly Russian only. Subtitles would be great as I saw some quite interesting guests and would love to understand what they're talking about. Maybe I'll watch the second round live - I saw that Sofia Valiullina has made it into the second round for example, which I'm pleased about! I've been following her on Instagram for quite a while and find her a great young dancer. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 Somehow I miss the contemporary variation from the Prix de Lausanne 😁. But fine technique, no question. And a way to stay in touch with Russian ballet, for we won't see the companies live on stage for some time... Maybe that's why they stream it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Estreiiita Posted June 6, 2022 Author Share Posted June 6, 2022 The participants will dance both the classic and modern/contemporary variations at the 2nd round - so you're welcome to watch tomorrow! And yes, a wonderful possibility to be in touch with russian ballet! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannette Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 Thanks for this thread. It’s wonderful to see that a number of western nations are participating in the competition (Japan, Italy, Brazil, Korea, among others). This is so decent & refreshing, compared to the witch-hunt tactics going on in figure skating, aiming to isolate Russian athletes and coaches because of the actions (however deplorable) of political and military leaders. Interesting to note that, concurrently, the Helsinki IBC is happening, with several USA dancers participating. Some countries, like Italy, are participating in both contests. Awards to be announced this evening. https://ibchelsinki.fi/news/archive/the-competitors-performing-in-the-finals/ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naomi M Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 This time the Moscow International Competition is a mixed bag, some participants technique levels are so low that it was painful to watch. I heard from a Japanese dancer in Russia that many Russian students were strongly encouraged to participate as there are few international participants this time. And very few dancers were eliminated for the second round. 7 Japanese dancers are participating this time, and all of them are dancing in Russian ballet companies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angela Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 2 hours ago, Estreiiita said: The participants will dance both the classic and modern/contemporary variations at the 2nd round Oh they DO a modern variation? I'm looking forward to what Russians think is modern choreography... All those Zhivois, Petrovs, Pimonovs I know from the Mariinsky, who try to copy Forsythe 25 years after Forsythe? I'm being sarcastic, I'm sorry. Or what will they dance, the now-forbidden choreographers? We'll see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peanut68 Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 Anyone wearing blue & yellow??? I know we should try separate politics from art but I do find it incredibly hard to think that most in Russia are ‘blissfully unaware’ of what is going on in Ukraine in their name. I do think all areas of life need to press for open media reporting - that includes any International links such as ballet…. All IMHO of course & I do not wish to be combative (there is enough of that). But we all applauded Nureyev for seeking personal freedom…. So we should indeed remember that desire for freedom of all artists. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
news2me Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 2 hours ago, Peanut68 said: Anyone wearing blue & yellow??? Does anyone wear red-white-black at at the Royal Opera House? How about black-red-green? No? No one? I thought so. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peanut68 Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 A fair point…. I knew my comment would be contentious but that was kind of my point to highlight how we on this forum enjoy the freedom of democracy, free speech & open access to share information & opinions.sadly denied in sons parts of the world. Art of all kinds has long been a ‘mouthpiece’ to ‘voice’ dissent! I wish all a good day & hope boundary & national distinctions soon disappear globally in our beautiful world of ballet! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sitter In Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 Glad to see that teachers in Japan, Italy, Brazil, Korea and others feel that sending their students to Moscow now is entirely appropriate. The youngsters are not to blame, far from it, but anything that allows the Russian state to portray ‘business as usual’ normality needs to be challenged robustly. However, given that Italy and Brazil have been distinct fence-sitters re. Ukraine, it may not be surprising…no German entrants then? Unfortunately, ballet is a powerful propaganda tool for Russia, as it has been for a century now, and no amount of ‘art rises above politics’ talk can erase that fact. Also, what possible use will an award from this competition be to a young dancer? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Estreiiita Posted June 8, 2022 Author Share Posted June 8, 2022 Isn't it a pity that instead of speaking about the performances and at least some talented young ballet dancers we can watch at the competition, the discussion is about the colours of the costumes, attitude to the war and even the utility of the awards? I, for instance, admired the young corean dancer, Yeonjoo Jung (she danced Esmeralda variation and a modern piece) and Valeria Kuznetsova (Giselle pdd and a modern piece with her partner that doesn't compete) this morning, amongst others. Hopefully they both will make it to the 3d round. Besides, if we at all need to mention the war here (I personally prefer to use other sites to do that), in my opinion many modern pieces performed by russian dancers at the competition could have been influenced by the current situation, the names of the pieces say for themselves:" Thornbirds", " Locked", " Metronome" and some others I don't remember. Quite some of the modern pieces presented by the russians were rather gloomy and I like to think that it was their way to express their feelings. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sitter In Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 Business as usual then! As long as you can’t hear the missiles landing, it must be OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosefairy Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 (edited) @Jeannette I completely agree, it's so refreshing to see this!! Do you know if anything has been decided yet for the 2022/23 figure skating season? It would be utterly ridiculous to let an entire season without the Russians happen in this sport - in my eyes, the World Championships back in March should have rather been postponed/cancelled or the athletes should have been allowed to compete under a neutral flag (like they were in some other winter sport disciplines, btw!) Excluding one of the top figure skating nations for a prolonged period of time is just plainly unfair IMO and I hope it won't happen. Recently I read a post by @Buddy in a different thread about when we will see more of Russian ballet again - I hope it will be very soon! @The Sitter In this is the first (very little!) sign of normalcy I have seen regarding the Russian ballet world since the war started. Things are very far from actually being normal... So many European dancers who loved their lives and careers in Russia left, leaving back not just gaps to fill in a company, but also wounds to heal. At the same time, their Russian colleagues, their close friends mostly didn't have the option of leaving. I can only imagine how many of them must have felt at the beginning of the war and probably still do. They didn't want, they didn't cause the war. Still, they have to stand up for it in many ways every day. Harsh sanctions leading to a disastrous economic situation, being closed off in your own country, feeling the hate of the world every time you open social media, feeling uncertain of your personal future as well as the future of your home country... doesn't exactly sound easy, does it? So even if it doesn't fit the black-and-white way of thought so many people have adopted since February, believe me when I say that Russians, especially those who don't belong to the elite, have been through some very tough times these past months too. I could write a very long essay now, but I'll save my energy and just say: empathy is never a bad idea, even in a war situation, our empathy should extend to both sides - otherwise it isn't worth a lot IMO. Maybe for the young Russian dancers participating as well as for their coaches and just the general ballet-loving public, it is a small sign of hope for the future? We should allow them to have this. PS: Back in March, I checked a Russian ballet forum a couple times since I was very curious how they would pick up on the international dancers leaving. I was pleasantly surprised. No bad blood at all, they all said that they would've probably done the same in such a situation and wished them well for future careers in the West. Of course many Russians will think differently too - I'm not delusional. But it's worth noticing the nuances... Edited June 8, 2022 by rosefairy 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Sitter In Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 rosefairy - This has nothing to do with the dancers, rather the Russian state which uses such events to promote itself - the Moscow competition has been a showcase for the ‘superiority’ of Russian dancing since its inception. To think otherwise is to be naive. You do not address the fact that the vast majority of the Russian public supports the invasion of Ukraine and believes the view of the world as promulgated by Putin and his government - the same Russian public who comprise the audiences for the competition. Life for Russians is tough, but that is a fact of their own ‘democratically elected’ government. It does not then mean that non-Russians should give validity to that government by participating in a state-sponsored event - if Russian dancers and teachers wish to, that is their business. The Ukrainians are having to contend with enough equivocation from countries which should, given their own histories, know better - every message, however small in itself, to Putin and his Russia that what has happened and is happening is not tolerated can only be good for the non-aggressors in this appalling war. I cannot see how ballet is in any way exempt - the money spent by non-Russian competitors to get to Moscow might have been better spent on helping Ukrainians in some way rather than going into Russian state coffers… 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Estreiiita Posted June 8, 2022 Author Share Posted June 8, 2022 The Sitter in, if it has nothing to do with the dancers, wouldn't it be better if you show your anger at some other places, and not here? I myself am very much angry at the politicians - and not only russian - I don't think it was done enough to prevent this war, also from the ucranian, european and american side. The politicians in my country spend their days sitting in nice offices, chatting all day long and getting good salaries paid out of my taxes and as I see it, giving very little in return! I honestly believe we could expect more from them! For your knowledge, the travel and stay in Moscow for the participants were paid by the organizers of the competition, not by the participants. And, the last thing, I personally am very much glad that sitting in the middle of nowhere, I can still enjoy the high level ballet presentations and get some joy in these gloomy days! So I am very grateful for the possibility to watch transmissions of the competition. As to the moral and material issues, my country still pays huge sums to Russia for oil, so if the tiny bit of this payment went to the Moscow ballet competition, I'm glad. After all, why not just ignore this topic and not watch the competition if you don't agree with it? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sim Posted June 8, 2022 Share Posted June 8, 2022 Hi everyone. This is a very emotional and emotive subject, and good points have been made above from different vantage points and opinions. Whatever the case may be, the competition is now in full swing and the international participants have arrived to take part. Please therefore let's discuss the artistic merits of the competition and try to leave the politics and morality to one side...however hard that may be. Thank you. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddy Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 (edited) It looks like the third Senior round (final round?) of the XIV Moscow International Ballet Competition might just be beginning. (Thanks to Enya at Dansomanie) https://www.culture.ru/live/broadcast/33958/xiv-mezhdunarodnyi-konkurs-artistov-baleta-iii-tur So far, in terms of classical dance at world competitions, I would say that the quality here in exceptional. Edited June 10, 2022 by Buddy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddy Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 (edited) Going into the second intermission, I would say that this all is rather amazing ! Certainly a breath of fresh air. As wonderful as I think that everyone is, the Mariinsky's Maria Iliushkina was from another planet ! And by the way, the male dancer that followed her, no easy feat, from the UK (I'll get his name), did extremely well. His dancing was very good and he was personality-plus. He was very well received. And the quality level seems to get better and better. Added: The emission seems to have stopped. Hopefully it will resume after the intermission. Edited June 10, 2022 by Buddy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddy Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 (edited) The broadcast seems to have stopped after the second intermission. Can anyone find it ? This seems to work. Scroll down one frame. https://moscowballetcompetition.com Edited June 10, 2022 by Buddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddy Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 Still waiting for the final results. The dancer from the UK is Alessandro Caggegi. (Thanks to Enya at Dansomanie) Graduate of Bolshoi Academy, now Soloist at the Tatar State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre https://www.instagram.com/acaggegi/?hl=en 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddy Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 (edited) The winners have been announced, but too many names for me to begin to write down. I'm sure someone will post a list soon. Maria Iliushkina (Mariinsky), in a class of her own in my opinion among many wonderful dancers and one of the few names that we might be familiar with, won the Gold in her category, Female Duet, partnered by Nikita Korneyev. Yuri Fateyev, Mariinsky ballet director and judge, had a not surprisingly a big smile on his face after her performance. One other name that we might be familiar is Anastasia Smirnova (Mariinsky) who tied for Silver (second place) in Female Solos. There was not a first place this year. Maria Khoryeva (Mariinsky) was also scheduled to compete and would surely have won if not competing with Maria Iliushkina, but I read had posted at one of her sites that she was sadly out with injuries. Edited June 10, 2022 by Buddy 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddy Posted June 11, 2022 Share Posted June 11, 2022 I would like to say again that my enthusiastic posting of this event is based on the surprisingly (to me anyway) high level of performance and my personal feelings about the value of the arts. SENIOR GROUP WINNERS Thanks to Salena at Balletfriends/Большой - Балет и Опера Google translation: Women, solo 1st prize not awarded II prize Yelchibaev Malik (Kazakhstan) 2nd Prize Smirnova Anastasia (Russia) III Prize Kim Yujin (Republic of Korea) 3rd Prize Varlamova Ekaterina (Russia) Diploma Ring Ksenia (Russia) Diploma Oshchepkov Anfisa (Russia) diploma Tereshina Varvara (Russia) Women duet 1st Prize Ilyushkina Maria (Russia) 2nd Prize Svinko Elena (Russia) 2nd Prize Gomez Amanda (Brazil) III Prize Ismagilova Kamilla (Russia) 3rd Wakabayashi Liri Prize (Japan) Men solo 1st Prize Smilevsky Dmitry (Russia) 2nd Prize Vyskubenko Dmitry (Russia) III Prize Maxim Izmestiev (Russia) Diploma Stenyushkin Ruslan (Russia) Diploma Ulziyzhargal Munkhzhin (Mongolia) Diploma Verbovoy Bogdan (Kazakhstan) Diploma Uksusnikov Dmitry (Russia) Certificate of Terada Tomoha (Japan) Men duet 1st Prize De Carvalho Wagner (Brazil) 2nd Prize Dangyt Subedey (Russia) III Prize Korneev Nikita (Russia) III Prize Shamakeev Kubanych (Kyrgyzstan) diploma/diploma Pelizzoni Marcello (Italy) diploma/diploma Bolsunovsky Georgy (Russia) diploma/diploma Kaggegi Alessandro (Great Britain) Senior Partnership Special Award - Kuwabara Mana 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddy Posted June 11, 2022 Share Posted June 11, 2022 This is the full Seniors' Finals replay. Two personal favourites. Maria Iliushkina's Gold Medal performance of Raymonda at 2:19:00 followed immediately by the delightfully fine performance of the UK's Alessandro Kaggegi at 2:32:20. Scroll down to the second frame. https://moscowballetcompetition.com 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddy Posted June 11, 2022 Share Posted June 11, 2022 I'm in a bit of a hurry, but here's this. I'll try to clarify it later. Both these will probably be available as replays. Thanks to Enya and Sophia at Dansomanie Awards Ceremony https://vk.com/video-212272117_456239048 Gala https://vk.com/video/@moscowballetcompetition?z=video-212272117_456239049%2Fclub212272117%2Fpl_-212272117_-2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naomi M Posted June 11, 2022 Share Posted June 11, 2022 Anastasia Smirnova joined Mikhailovsky after graduating Vaganova Academy, then moved to Mariinsky but now she has moved back to Mikhailovsky. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddy Posted June 11, 2022 Share Posted June 11, 2022 (edited) 52 minutes ago, Naomi M said: Anastasia Smirnova joined Mikhailovsky after graduating Vaganova Academy, then moved to Mariinsky but now she has moved back to Mikhailovsky. Thanks, Naomi. I didn't know that. All replays can be seen here. (Thanks to Enya at Dansomanie) https://moscowballetcompetition.com/en/video/ Edited June 11, 2022 by Buddy 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddy Posted June 13, 2022 Share Posted June 13, 2022 (edited) Maria Koshkaryova Only two years at the Vaganova Academy, she is officially listed as a "Mariinsky Trainee" (the only one at present) and has already danced a lead. From most comments that I've read she destined to be a Star. As expected, she won First Prize Gold in her grouping, Women's Solos Juniors. This is a very good chance to get a recent glimpse of her. She performed six solos at the XIV Moscow Ballet Competition. (I don't normally post unofficial videos, but these are all officially available at the competition site, just much easier to find this way.) Coppelia Variation (Junior Round 1)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hS_-a_ZW8a4 Hebe Variation (La Reve de Flore) (Junior Round 1)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmuVFHL4iG0 Maestro (Junior Round 2)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JM1oGQR21A Aurora Variation (Junior Round 2)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eooHL7ZI7Pc Paquita Variation (Junior Round 3)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6UCmP_Hw3o Shirin Variation (Junior Round )https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfhO0ZJEjHU Edited June 13, 2022 by Buddy 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 (edited) I’m a bit muddled by the Marias at the moment. Not sure who Koshkaryova is as it’s the first time you’ve mentioned her. This is not the same Maria you were impressed by and mentioned earlier …Maria Lliushkina 🤔 Hasnt Maria Khoreva been dancing lead roles with the Mariinsky for some time now or is that someone with a similar name? If it’s the one I’m thinking of who does a lot of internet posting she’s a First soloist since 2018. Can anyone enter this competition …is there an upper age limit for example? Edited June 14, 2022 by LinMM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaM Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 3 hours ago, LinMM said: I’m a bit muddled by the Marias at the moment. Not sure who Koshkaryova is as it’s the first time you’ve mentioned her. This is not the same Maria you were impressed by and mentioned earlier …Maria Lliushkina 🤔 Hasnt Maria Khoreva been dancing lead roles with the Mariinsky for some time now or is that someone with a similar name? If it’s the one I’m thinking of who does a lot of internet posting she’s a First soloist since 2018. Can anyone enter this competition …is there an upper age limit for example? all 3 are super ballerinas … Maria Iliushkina (22?) and Maria Khoreva (21) are both already first soloists at the Mariinsky. @Buddy thank you for your info on Maria Koshkaryova (17) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddy Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 (edited) 5 hours ago, LinMM said: I’m a bit muddled by the Marias at the moment. Not sure who Koshkaryova is as it’s the first time you’ve mentioned her. This is not the same Maria you were impressed by and mentioned earlier …Maria Lliushkina 🤔 Hasnt Maria Khoreva been dancing lead roles with the Mariinsky for some time now or is that someone with a similar name? If it’s the one I’m thinking of who does a lot of internet posting she’s a First soloist since 2018. Can anyone enter this competition …is there an upper age limit for example? Thanks for your very concise explanation and in my opinion very correct assessment, Fiona. I'm not sure what the qualifications and age limits are for this competition, LinMM. It only happens once every four years and its Russian, which makes it quite prestigious, I guess. It seems that the Senior level is dominated by already fairly well established professionals and the Junior level by aspiring, high quality young students. The goal appears to be for added recognition, not monetary reward or immediate career positioning. It's easy for us to get confused, LinMM. First, there are so many extremely good dancers and new ones are appearing all the time, such as the very young Maria Koshkaryova. Secondly, Russian last names can be very long, not easy for an english speaking person to pronounce, and can be translated into english either literally or phonetically (literally Koshkarёva, phonetically Koshkaryova). I follow the ballet from Russia fairly closely, but generally concentrate on my favourite ballet excerpts and dancers, so I get lost all the time, as well. If you want to ask someone with an encyclopaedic knowledge, turn to BalletcoForum's Jeannette. 🙂 Some dancers draw attention immediately and are accelerated to the top, such as the Vaganova graduates, Olga Smirnova (formerly Bolshoi, now Dutch National Ballet), Maria Khoreva (Mariinsky) and Alena Kovaleva (Bolshoi) and the Moscow Academy's(?) very young Eva Sergeenkova (Bolshoi). Others, such as the Mariinsky's Maria Iliushkina, older than the quickly recognised Maria Khoreva, remained in the Corps de Ballet. Maria Iliushkina, a personal favourite, had, for a year or two, the unusual and remarkable distinction, of being the Mariinsky's 'go to' Odette/Odile (Swan Lake) while still at the Corps de Ballet level. If I could be allowed to post my 'Greatest Hits List' for the moment of the 'youngerish' generation, it would be.... Oxana Skorik (Mariinsky) (purely beautiful dance) Olga Smirnova (formerly Bolshoi, now Dutch National Ballet) (remarkable expression) Alena Kovaleva (Bolshoi) (beautiful dance) Maria Iliushkina (Mariinsky) (beautiful and proficient dance) Eva Sergeenkova (Bolshoi) (exceptional expression and versatility, especially for her very young age, probably the Bolshoi's next Principal) Maria Khoreva (Mariinsky) (wide range of qualities, always, for me, performing even better than my high expectations) This is a fairly noncontroversial list, but the order is often changed based on everyone's personal preferences. I would now probably add Maria Koshkaryova (Mariinsky Trainee). She's quite new to me, but there seems to be little doubt that she'll be a Star. From a personal standpoint I'm also very much liking the Mariinsky's young Anastasia Plotnikova, two years in the Corps de Ballet, because of, for me, her lovely and recognition-wise resemblances to Maria Iliushkina. Edited June 14, 2022 by Buddy 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannette Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 1 hour ago, Buddy said: Thanks for your very concise explanation and in my opinion very correct assessment, Fiona. I'm not sure what the qualifications and age limits are for this competition, LinMM. It only happens once every four years and its Russian, which makes it quite prestigious, I guess. It seems that the Senior level is dominated by already fairly well established professionals and the Junior level by aspiring, high quality young students. The goal appears to be for added recognition, not monetary reward or immediate career positioning. It's easy for us to get confused, LinMM. First, there are so many extremely good dancers and new ones are appearing all the time, such as the very young Maria Koshkaryova. Secondly, Russian last names can be very long, not easy for an english speaking person to pronounce, and can be translated into english either literally or phonetically (literally Koshkarёva, phonetically Koshkaryova). I follow the ballet from Russia fairly closely, but generally concentrate on my favourite ballet excerpts and dancers, so I get lost all the time, as well. If you want to ask someone with an encyclopaedic knowledge, turn to BalletcoForum's Jeannette. 🙂 Some dancers draw attention immediately and are accelerated to the top, such as the Vaganova graduates, Olga Smirnova (formerly Bolshoi, now Dutch National Ballet), Maria Khoreva (Mariinsky) and Alena Kovaleva (Bolshoi) and the Moscow Academy's(?) very young Eva Sergeenkova (Bolshoi). Others, such as the Mariinsky's Maria Iliushkina, older than the quickly recognised Maria Khoreva, remained in the Corps de Ballet. Maria Iliushkina, a personal favourite, had, for a year or two, the unusual and remarkable distinction, of being the Mariinsky's 'go to' Odette/Odile (Swan Lake) while still at the Corps de Ballet level. If I could be allowed to post my 'Greatest Hits List' for the moment of the 'youngerish' generation, it would be.... Oxana Skorik (Mariinsky) (purely beautiful dance) Olga Smirnova (formerly Bolshoi, now Dutch National Ballet) (remarkable expression) Alena Kovaleva (Bolshoi) (beautiful dance) Maria Iliushkina (Mariinsky) (beautiful and proficient dance) Eva Sergeenkova (Bolshoi) (exceptional expression and versatility, especially for her very young age, probably the Bolshoi's next Principal) Maria Khoreva (Mariinsky) (wide range of qualities, always, for me, performing even better than my high expectations) This is a fairly noncontroversial list, but the order is often changed based on everyone's personal preferences. I would now probably add Maria Koshkaryova (Mariinsky Trainee). She's quite new to me, but there seems to be little doubt that she'll be a Star. From a personal standpoint I'm also very much liking the Mariinsky's young Anastasia Plotnikova, two years in the Corps de Ballet, because of, for me, her lovely and recognition-wise resemblances to Maria Iliushkina. Thanks for the kind words, Buddy! 😉 I wish that I knew more right now but circumstances keep us far from the land that we’ve loved for so long. Understandably and sadly. A few years back, then-Mariinsky soloist (now Bolshoi prima) Evgenia Obrazsova competed as a senior to try to raise her standing at the MT. She won Sr Gold…then had to jump on a flight to DC to dance an Odalisque in Corsair at the Kennedy Center! I completely share your enthusiasm for all of these 2022 prize winners. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddy Posted June 15, 2022 Share Posted June 15, 2022 8 hours ago, Jeannette said: I completely share your enthusiasm for all of these 2022 prize winners. Thanks, Jeannette. We do have all these videos that we can look at. The following are all of Vaganova (Mariinsky school) graduates. By the way LinMM, it's indeed Maria Khoreva who does all the posting and speaks perfect english. Her sister was also just accepted at the Mariinsky and Xander Perish sent her a warm congratulations at her Instagram site. Here's a very nice performance by Anastasia Smirnova, who placed Second in the Senior Women's Solo. (No First Prize given) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_3HOeZsXZM And here are two very fine performances by the Second and Third Prize winners of the Junior Women Solos. Yaroslava Kuprina -- Raymonda https://youtu.be/tEcXclmC7pY Kamila Sultangareeva -- The Mistress of the Copper Mountain https://youtu.be/lbxhzEed8mY And if I can be so bold, since I mentioned her lovingly in my previous post, here's Anastasia Plotnikova. She's already a two year member of the Mariinsky and she was not a contestant, but I think that she's precious. This is the only 'officially' posted video that I can find. It's from about three years ago. Anastasia Plotnikova -- Coppelia Variation 3rd Act -- YAGP 2019 New York Finalshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHK8H181cr4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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