http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/festivals/wn2005/playbill_may

Previous Thread 15 - for reference.
http://www.ballet.co.uk/dcforum/happening/4920.html

Useful Links

The official Kirov/Mariinsky website
http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/

Other links on Ballet.co.

Kirov reviews database
Kirov reviews database

Kirov Resources page
http://www.ballet.co.uk/links/kirov.htm

Kirov dancers' section
http://www.ballet.co.uk/links/dancers_kirov.htm

http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/afisha/20050514

2. As part of the St Petersburg/Moscow exchange programme, the Kirov Ballet will perform at the Bolshoi Theatre on May 23 to 25 -

May 23 – La Bayadere (Vikharev's version); May 24 – Les Noces, Reverence, Etudes; May 25 – Jewels.

The casting has just been posted on the Mariinsky website.

http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/news/tour/programme20050523

Why is Sarafanov dancing the lead in Etudes one night and Rubies the next? Don't they realize how weak this makes the company look,
as if there was no one else who could dance these roles, which is hardly the case.

Novikova is a dubious choice for Rubies, unless they now see it (as the New York City Ballet often seems to) as a demi-caractere piece.

I just checked the Mariinsky website and the casting for the premiere tonight (and tomorrow afternoon too) has been posted - Andrei Merkuriev will dance the lead role of Drosselmeyer's nephew.

http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/afisha/20050514

Realise that this is a bit of an old gripe on this board, but ouch those tickets are expensive.

In the circumstances will be giving them a miss, the ROH is the peoples theatre and Swan Lake next weekend is very reasonably priced.
Sticking to principles here, although where ballet is concerned it really does test your principles.

7 of 9

Better be quick, the tickets for 15-19 August are selling fast.

7 of 9

Ticket prices are all relative. I don't think that the prices for the Kirov at Covent Garden this summer are that much more expensive than their previous seasons there in 2003 and 2001. Also one has to take into account quality. The Kirov's corps de ballet of swans is still the best in the world.
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Sergei Popov, still a corps de ballet dancer, made his debut as Vaslav in Fountain of Bakhisarai last week. Apart from Vaslav, Popov has danced the Poet in Chopiniana. I only saw him in the corps in the Grand Pas in "Raymonda" in St. Petersburg last month. I understand he is preparing for Romeo, but it is still uncertain whether he will manage to dance the role.

Sergei Vikharev's reconstructed production of La Bayadere returns to the repertory at the Mariinsky Theatre tonight, which is good news, after some performances earlier this season of the Soviet production. Sofia Gumerova and Igor Kolb dance the leading roles.

http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/afisha/20050518

http://www.andante.com/article/article.cfm?id=25530

http://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/frecord/ballet/2004%7E2005/swan/swan.html

http://www.vishneva.ru/eng/perform.php

I would very much like to see her Odette/Odile too, but I don't think she will dance the role at Covent Garden in July, according to what I've been told. The New York audiences are luckier as they can see her Swan Lake with Ethan Stiefel in July.

http://www.sptimesrussia.com/archive/times/1072/top/t_15794.htm

So it is good news for those planning to attend the White Nights Festival which will commence tomorrow, because it means that the hotel prices are likely to be cheaper than in previous years. Also several new hotels have opened in the last 12 months, which must have increased competition.

Each ballet in their reportory had an excellent synopsis and wonderful photographs from recent production. Towards the end of the book there was biographies and photographs of all current Principals, photographs of all soloists, and the names of the whole company.

For £10, it was one of the most "value for money" ballet books I have bought, and will make an excellent accompaniment to the summer tour.

Were there other copies there? Sounds very tempting!