Kirov 'Serenade' reviews Kirov 'Apollo' reviews Kirov 'Symphony in C' reviews all Kirov reviews

These superlative performances reminded me of the glorious performances of Balanchine ballets that the New York City Ballet used to give until the early 1990s. I may be going too far, but based on my recent experience of watching the New York City Ballet, I do think that the Kirov can dance the three early Balanchine masterpieces in this programme better than NYCB these days.
The programme opened with Serenade which Francia Russell staged for the company in 1998. The corps de ballet danced it beautifully with a moonlit lustre. Maya Dunchenko was superb the Russian ballerina on both evenings, and Ilya Kuznetsov looked impressive in the Elegy as the Dark Angel's consort. The waltz was danced with a wealth of feelings by Svetlana Zakharova and Danila Korsuntsev on the opening night.

Apollo, in this 1991 production also staged for the Kirov by Francia Russell who had restored the prologue with Leto, was grandly danced by Igor Zelensky on the first night. But it was Andrian Fadeyev in the second cast who touched the heart with a distinguished performance. Fadeyev, a supremely classical danseur still in his early twenties, was a peerless young god. Fadeyev initially had a vividness that conveyed the young god's coltishness. His dances with his muses were vigorous and meaningful. This has been a memorable London season for Fadeyev, who was the finest Prince in Sleeping Beauty, and who showed his dramatic flair as Lankedem in Le Corsaire. He was also excellent in Balanchine's Emeralds and Rubies.

Irina Golub, who danced Polyhymnia with flair, was another true Balanchine dancer, having proved herself in Rubies last week. This 21-year-old dancer is a most promising talent. As Terpsichore, the long-lined Svetlana Zakharova on the second night was preferable to Veronika Part who used too many unnecessary facial expressions.

Symphony in C was gloriously danced on both nights. The Kirov gave this masterpiece a bright texture, dancing it with a palpable freshness, vibrancy that was a sheer joy to watch. I sensed a higher spiritual quality communicated by the Kirov dancers who seemed to revel in Balanchine's ingenious choreography. The corps de ballet was absolutely splendid.

And the Kirov fielded a stellar cast too. In the first movement, Sofia Gumerova and Igor Kolb danced cleanly with plenty of energy. In the second movement which is the heart of this ballet, Ilya Kuznetsov - the most tireless and hard-working dancer this season - nobly partnered Uliana Lopatkina and Veronika Part in the two casts. Lopatkina was excellent in the pas de deux, though I found her slightly too rigid. I liked Part who brought more spontaneity and more variety in tone to her dancing.

The difficult third movement was excitingly danced on the opening night by the radiant Diana Vishneva and the Bolshoi star Nikolai Tsiskaridze. The following night, Elvira Tarasova danced it with the talented 21-year-old Anton Korsakov who was actually more precise than Tsiskaridze. Zhanna Ayupova did the fourth movement on both evenings, partnered by Andrei Yakovlev. This Balanchine programme was a truly intoxicating experience. I just wish that at least one more performance could have been scheduled.