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Xander Parish


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When I go to the ballet I generally focus 99% on the women, 110% on the lead ballerina.

 

It can be a thankless job being the male dancer. You have to make the ballerina shine. Male dancers from Russia are especially excellent at this.

 

There are several that I do focus on. Kim Kimin is one. He's exciting and he's humble. As brilliant as he is he never tries to upstage the ballerina. Timur Askerov is another. I just like him. He's very good and he's a very solid and sympathetic partner, especially for Oxana Skorik, whom I adore. 

 

Xander Parish has to be included. I've written reviews where he's been the only man that I've mentioned. When I've seen him he's always danced in the secondary pas de deux or trois. Still he stands out. I've yet to really try to analyze why. Noble, statuesque, supportive, poetic….definitely distinct. He's still a Coryphee while the other two have already been made First Soloists, but maybe his time has come.   

Edited by Buddy
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Fantastic news for Xander Parish! I was very impressed with his dancing in the Pas de Trois for the 3D relay of the Mariinsky's Swan Lake last season. He has a lovely noble air and fantastic lines and technique. It really is great to hear he is getting lots of big roles (wasn't his Albrecht debut at the Mariinsky a few months ago? - and I think he'd danced it on tour before that).

 

Let's pray that Xander Parish has a chance to dance his Siegfried in London when the Mariinsky have their residency at the ROH in late July/August.  

Indeed! It seems like there's a few roles in their London Rep that he's danced - Siegfried, Apollo, Romeo... - so fifth positions crossed he'll get a chance to dance some of them in front of a home crowd!

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Julia Stepanova is a lovely dancer too and am pleased she is ow getting her debut.

 

I had completely forgotten the Company were coming this summer so nice things to look forward to. I hope Diana Vishneva will come as well.

Have never seen Xander Parish dance I'll have to look on Youtube to see if anything there on him.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks, Amelia.

 

I've only had a chance to watch the famous Odette duet, but I'm quite impressed.

 

As I wrote above, I've not tried to analyze it, but I like Xander's performing here very much as I've liked him very much since his beginnings at the Mariinsky.

 

Do I detect a bit of Shakespeare in this young lad?  :)

 

He's always had a distinct and nobly undefinable manner. 

 

Yulia Stepanova is lovely.

 

(By the way, he's scheduled to debut in Sylvia with Alina Somova at next month's Festival. Once again, Bravo ! )

http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/playbill/2014/4/4/2_1930/

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A very interesting and sympathetic day to day account.

 

http://www.opendemocracy.net/od-russia/xander-parish/diary-of-dancer

 

I would like to add that I'm more and more impressed with the 'Shakespearian' brilliance of Xander's Swan Lake.

 

"Now, I get the chance to put my theory into practice: a story ballet is about the development of emotion and character; wonderful technique is lovely to see, but it's the emotion of a piece that does it for me."

 

Is there a school of high ballet theatricality hidden away at The Royal? From four Mariinsky Festivals I recall Alina Cojocaru's amazing interpretations of various classic leads (she's maybe the best) and at another, Tamara Rojo's compellingly real Odette/Odile. 

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Is there a school of high ballet theatricality hidden away at The Royal?

 

It's hardly "hidden away", Buddy - it's one of the company's distinguishing marks.  You'll have to come and see for yourself sometime :)

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I never thought that such a thing existed, Alison. Maybe a good coach or two. Great to hear! I wonder what the Mariinsky has?


 


Do you know how I could take a look?


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  • 4 weeks later...

It would seem according to multiple tweeters (including one retweeted by the Mariinsky), that following his debut as Aminta in Ashton's Sylvia at the Mariinsky tonight, Xander Parish was promoted to soloist. Huge congratulations - and well-deserved surely after having so many principal roles in recent months.

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Last night Xander was indeed promoted to Soloist after his performance in Sylvia, according to Catherine Pawlick, who was backstage at the time. (I didn't see David's post above when I first wrote this).

 

http://www.ballet-dance.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=37746&start=30

(scroll down to Catherine Pawlick's post at the bottom of page)

 

Stucha, Sylvia was beautifully performed and very well received both nights. (You can see my comments at the above post). Viktoria Tereshkina's first evening was especially applauded with numerous curtain calls. Xander was great the second night with Alina Somova, an evening also greatly appreciated by the audience.

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Congratulations to Xander on his well-deserved promotion.  I remember seeing him in RB class and later in performance during his first couple of seasons with the RB and thinking he showed remarkable potential.  I expect Kevin O'Hare would welcome him back now but would he want to go?

 

Linda

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I remember seeing him in the heats of the Genee competition when it was held in Birmingham some years ago and picking him out to go forward to the final round. In the same competition were Alex Campbell and Joe Caley. I'm greatly looking forward to seeing him in the summer in Swan Lake and Apollo (if the casting doesn't get changed).

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  • 3 weeks later...
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Oh dear.  I've been offline all day until now, but thought someone else would already have spotted this and posted.  My sister tells me there's an article on Xander in today's Daily Telegraph magazine: apologies to all who might have wanted a copy.

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I just saw on Twitter that Xander Parish has won another international award: The Best Male Young Dancer at the Taglioni Awards in Berlin.  Here's a link which gives the names of the nominees in all categories.

 

http://danceinforma.us/articles/the-first-taglioni-european-ballet-awards/

 

I've haven't yet been able to find the names of the other award winners.  Maybe they're still being announced?

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