Thanks, Vera

Someone used to post regularly here a list of forthcoming dance performances on radio and tv - do they still do so? And if so, where can it be found?

John.

Small but important point - Sadly I can't redirect/move individual posts. I can move threads but I can't move individual posts. If the need is great we have to repost and delete... so its great when peopel get it right!

>
>Someone used to post regularly here a list of forthcoming
>dance performances on radio and tv - do they still do so?
>And if so, where can it be found?

It was Pete and sadly he has not been able to do it for some years. Info about future performances always goes in News - that's the place to look for anything we have.

(Note: the response has moved around a bit and is duplicated in News - apologies all)

Any further discussion about these arte Kirov programmes should take place in this thread - thanks.

Having moved from Japan to Germany 5 years ago, I have been subjected to a life with very little ballet (Japan is a heaven for a ballet lover!), but sometimes - living in Germany offers a lovely surprise. So we watched the wonderful broadcast from the Mariinsky Theater on ARTE (German/French TV channel) last night. It was the first time to see the Sleeping Beauty in the Vikharev reconstruction - although it was only the third act, it was thoroughly enjoyable. Here are the names of the main dancers :

Ekaterina Osmolkina (Princess Aurora), Andrian Fadeyev (Prince)
Viktoria Tereshkina (Diamond), Jana Selina (Gold),
Maria Sirinkina (Silver), Daria Sukhorukova (Sapphire)
Yuria Bolshakova (Princess Florine) *, Anton Korsakov (Blue Bird)
Xenia Ostreikovskaya (White Cat), Anton Lukovkin (Puss in Boots)
Ekaterina Kondaurova (Lilac Fairy), Islom Baimuradov (Carabosse, I think)

It was really such a treat. Osmolkina was sweet and gentle, very much a fairy tale princess. Fadeyev looked dashing and danced like a real prince. I thought the music for the jewelry fairy variations was a touch too fast (maybe Gergiev had thirst?), but they all danced beautifully, especially Tereshkina with such confidence and aplomb, and my favorite Sukhorukova. Ostreikovskaya was the beautiful, sensual cat - she never fails to please me in whatever she dances. Korsakov looked like he was still recovering from the injury which prevented him from dancing in Japan when the company had a 3 weeks tour in December, which was sad. Kondaurova had a short, but impressive appearance, and Baimuradov - it was a shame that we just got a glimpse of him as he crossed the stage for about 3 seconds at the beginning - he looked so wonderfully awful that I’m sure we would have enjoyed more!

* Daria Pavlenko was credited as the Princess Florine at the end of the broadcast, but it certainly was not she who danced last night. The official Mariinsky playbill (in Russian) lists Bolshakova. I had not seen Bolshakova before, so I can not be 100% sure that it was, in fact, she; but the ballerina who danced Princess Florine looked like the Bolshakova I know of from pictures. She has a lovely round face (which reminded me of Asylmuratova, well, a bit), looked very fresh, has nice long arms and legs, danced elegantly.

And yes, Lopatkina danced the dying swan - very sublime.

It was indeed a treat, especially in the early evening, as ballet tends to be broadcast in the middle of the night in France. I enjoyed very much Osmolkina's phrasing and musicality (her variation looked particularly good), but she is not a natural Aurora IMO - she doesn't radiate warmth or gentleness in a way some other dancers do. It's just as well, she was perfect as Gamzatti when I saw her last year, but I wish the Kirov had recorded someone else. She and Andrian Fadeev were terrific dancing-wise though !
I also loved Tereshkina's Diamond, she coped really well with the very fast tempo Gergiev was using. Yulia Bolshakova was quite lovely as Princess Florine, but her Bluebird (Anton Korsakov) wasn't exactly as his best.

Let's hope Arte keeps on showing the Mariinsky's New Year Gala in the future - it's a real treat to have a chance to see these wonderful dancers, especially since the company releases so few DVDs.

So that was Bolshakova who danced the Princess Florine - she was very pretty, wasn’t she?

Yet, I was looking at her Florine and saw Giselle. Does anyone think that Julia will make a good Giselle? And sooner, rather than later. Hopefully before she is old enouph to portray Giselle’s mother

Ever since I was 12 I've been fascinated with the original production of Sleeping Beauty and was thrilled when they finally reconstructed it. Sadly it's never been performed anywhere near enough for me to see it so I was very excited when I heard Act II was filmed for part of the Gala.

Does anyone know if Arte will ever repeat it and/or if it'll ever get a DVD release? Or any other way for me to see it?

Thanks so much

Eric
mp989@hotmail.com

Also included is a documentary which has a few interesting scenes of rehearsals, but is mainly shots of the same performance, and St.Petersburg New Year scenes, and far too much of Gergiev for me!

There is another New Year's Eve Gala in the Mariinsky Theatre in two weeks' time, but the programme hasn't been announced yet. I don't think that it's going to be televised again.

http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/afisha/20071231-1-1900

http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/afisha/20071224-1-1900