Anna Polikarpova © Ivan Urban © Polikarpova in reviews Urban in reviews Hamburg Reviews

The Hamburg Ballet's dancers come from various countries. Two of the principal dancers are Russians, and have now been with the company for over ten years. Anna Polikarpova and Ivan Urban are aged 32 and 28 respectively. They are a beautiful couple on stage as well as offstage. Polikarpova, a former Kirov Ballet soloist, has all the glamorous looks of a movie star. Her technique is classically pure, and in adagio she has amazing strength in her upper back as well as in her pointe work.

I met them for lunch in their hotel on 8 March 2003, towards the end of the Hamburg Ballet's tour to Hong Kong, before their performance in John Neumeier's masterly ballet "Nijinsky" that night. Anna Polikapova was profoundly moving as Nijinsky's wife Romola, while Ivan Urban danced magnificently as Diaghilev.

Earlier that week both dancers shone in other Neumeier ballets. As Marguerite in "The Lady of the Camellias" her dancing was exquisite, and she was ecstatic in the pas de deux full of big overhead lifts. In "St. Matthew Passion" Ivan Urban was charismatic as Judas. He was dazzling in a solo showing off the rich plasticity in his upper body as well as his airy jumps.

KN: Do you think that your Russian schooling is sometimes not used to the full potential in John Neumeier's choreography, which doesn't always use the classical vocabulary?

IU: I was trained in Minsk and was taught the Vaganova style, before I joined the School of the Hamburg Ballet. I can use my classical technique in Neumeier but in different ways, because the basis which I got from my Vaganova training is pretty strong. When you have a classical training, my opinion is that you can do well in contemporary choreography, but it also depends. Some classical dancers continue to dance only the classical ballets, and so it may be difficult for them to dance the contemporary choreography.

AP: I don't mind at all that sometimes I cannot use properly the steps like 'battement tendu' in John Neumeier's choreography, otherwise I wouldn't have left the Kirov Ballet in the first place in order to try something new. I am glad that I was trained in the Vaganova Academy; my schooling is very strong, and I will never forget what I've learnt.

Both of you joined the Hamburg Ballet at about the same time?

IU: We actually joined in the same year (in 1992), but I was still in the School of the Hamburg Ballet when I joined the company. Anna and I first danced together in John Neumeier's two-act ballet "A Cinderella Story", after my graduation from the School. I was the Prince (the role was actually created on Manuel Legris), and Anna was Cinderella.

The Hamburg Ballet's repertory consists mostly of John Neumeier's choreography, and there aren't that many ballets by other choreographers.

IU: But we also danced ballets by Mats Ek, Nacho Duato, and Christopher Wheeldon. It depends on each dancer, but there is always something which tends to fit one's body more. I like John's choreography, I like his old ballets as well as some of the new ballets, especially when he choreographed on me. For instance, the first part of Eros (in "Bernstein Dances") was created on me. It's really special to have something created on me.

AP: I was very happy to work with Mats Ek. He gave me a lot. I had a lot of freedom with my body, and so it was very positive to work with him. But I also like very much the roles which John created on me.

Both of you have created a large number of roles over the years. Which of your created roles do you see as the most important in your career so far?

IU: One of the most important of my created roles is in John's ballet "The Messiah" - the role of John the Baptist was created on me. There is Diaghilev in "Nijinksy". In "Odyssey" I was Telemachos, the son of Odysseus. And Anna, she danced my mother in this ballet!

AP: For me it's very important that I created Penelope in "Odyssey". Ophelia in "Hamlet" was also very important for me. John had already choreographed this role on another dancer before I danced the ballet, but he did something new for me in this particular role. And of course the role of Romola Nijinsky is very important. And recently we did "The Seagull", and I was Arkadina.

IU: I danced Konstantin in "The Seagull", and Anna was my mother again!

Ivan Urban in The Seagull
Photograph by Holger Badekow ©

AP: When Mats Ek came to our company for the first time, he created a solo for me in a one-act ballet called "Meinungslose Weiden". And the second time when he came, we did his "Sleeping Beauty", and I was the Gold Fairy. So it's very enjoyable work.

IU: I danced the Prince in Mats Ek's "Sleeping Beauty".

AP: I also like very much "Peer Gynt", a very interesting ballet by John. We danced together in this ballet. Ivan was Peer, and I danced Solveig.

IU: It's one of John's best ballets. We also danced together in "Adagietto". It's a Mahler symphony choreographed by John for Makarova and Erik Bruhn, and it's beautiful. We also danced "Giselle" together - John's version is pretty classical.

Do you prefer dancing in story ballets or pure dance ballets?

IU: I prefer ballets with a little bit of story, but I also like beautiful organic movements. I like personally to dance the classical repertory, because it could enable my body to stay more in shape. When you do easy steps, the body can forget due to a lack of practice! John Neumeier's version of "Swan Lake" (named "Illusions, like 'Swan Lake'") is still classically based even though it's a different staging. All the variations are original choreography, but with a classical basis. Some of the variations were re-created on me.

AP: I prefer dramatic ballets which suit me more, but sometimes I don't mind dancing abstract ballets. For me the music is the most important element, because music can create the right mood for me.

IU: It would be more interesting to dance to live music, and more interesting for the audience too. With live music, you can't anticipate the tempo, and so it's more challenging.

AP: It's funny when we had the rehearsal of "The Lady of the Camellias" in Hong Kong. I suddenly wondered which tempo was going to be used, and then I realised that it's only a tape. It's strange. When we toured Paris, we had a live orchestra.

Anna Polikarpova in The Lady of the Camellias
Photograph by Holger Badekow ©

What are the unique features or qualities that define John Neumeier's choreograhic style?

AP: I think he's really philosophical. He always thinks about what he does, and it's not just a matter of steps. John can always explain to you the reasoning behind the steps.

IU: For the audience, it can sometimes be very hard to understand John's ballets when watching them for the first time. That's why our company organises workshops. (In Hong Kong, Neumeier conducted a workshop "Approaching Nijinsky" before the first performance of "Nijinksy" on the same night.) It's very important, because it will help you to understand John's ballets more. It's better, because you can get more out of each viewing. To really understand a ballet of John, you have to see it for a minimum of five times. It's the same for us dancers. When I danced Matthew in "St. Matthew Passion" it's hard for me to understand at first. For me I always add little bits, piece by piece. I learn every time I go on stage, and as I understand more with each additional performance, I can then convey more in each role. And when John explains, it is really wonderful, because he's like a teacher who can broaden your mind.

Does John give you much feedback after a performance?

IU: Yes, especially if it's a bad performance!

AP: Not always, but he watches every performance. John is a quiet person.

Is it difficult to take a role again after a gap of say several years?

IU: We have a library of videos in our company, but I don't like so much to watch my own videos. We have choreologists who record the steps. When a ballet is revived, the choreologist will come in with a big book and some videos, and we start from the beginning with the steps. Sometimes I remember my own steps from the past, but sometimes not.

Ivan Urban off stage
Photograph by Kevin Ng ©

Which other choreographers do you admire and hope to work with?

AP: I wish I could have worked with John Cranko, it would have been fascinating.

IU: I hope to have the opportunity to work with Bejart, because what little I've seen of his work is wonderful.

Are you allowed to do any guesting with other companies?

AP: It's allowed, but it's always uncertain and very difficult. We are very busy throughout the season, and sometimes John cannot let us go, because of our performances in Hamburg. I think we have to ask about six months in advance, but then it may not materialise in the end, because circumstances may change later. So it's not easy, I must say.

IU: I wish to accept invitations by other companies, but the problem is that maybe John cannot give me permission. It would always be better if people who know about our work contact me personally, and then I can ask for John's permission.

AP: John really needs us as principals. If we are away, what's he going to do? It's very hard for him, I understand.

Hamburg Ballet is such an international company, with dancers from different countries. Perhaps there is a lack of a uniform style.

IU: It's of course interesting to experience different culture.

AP: It's good to have people from different countries, as it's interesting to compare the different schools. American women have wonderful feet, and we Russians have beautiful arms, and so we can learn from each other and share our experiences.

Which dancers do you particularly admire?

IU: I admire very much Vladimir Vasiliev. I did see him dance one of his last performances about ten years ago, when he danced "Aniuta" with Maximova. It's a shame that I didn't see him on stage in "Giselle" or "Don Quixote". I only saw his "Spartacus" on video. His passion and his charisma impressed me greatly, and I've learnt a lot from him.

AP: I've always admired Ekaterina Maximova. When I look back now, I can say that Maximova and Vasiliev are my favourite dancers.

Anna, when you were still in the Kirov, which dancers from the older generations did you admire?

AP: I was always watching everybody like Olga Chenchikova, Lubov Kunakova, Tatiana Terekhova, and I learnt a lot from them. Terekhova coached me a little in "Swan Lake", and it was most helpful. These three dancers were so different artistically. Terekhova was always strong and technically brilliant; Chenchikova was very glamorous; while Kunakova was very feminine, soft and tender. They were so colourful. Nowadays the Kirov dancers are more similar - high legs and high jumps, but less personality.

Anna Polikarpova off stage
Photograph by Kevin Ng ©

IU: The young generation needs to learn from the older generation and not just to go for circus effects. I'm trying to learn every day, but it's a shame that there's nobody older than I whom I can learn from. But I suppose I can always watch videos and learn from Nureyev and Baryshnikov etc.

AP: I think you can always learn from everybody. Even when you are watching your colleagues in the rehearsal or on stage, you can still learn.

Are there many companies touring Hamburg?

AP: Jiri Kylian's company, the Nederlands Dance Theatre, came recently, and the Kirov toured not too long ago. Boris Eifman's company came and danced "The Red Giselle" which was very interesting.

Do you find it harder to dance, now that you are over 30, compared to ten years ago?

AP: I don't think so. I guess I have to take longer to warm up, but it's not hard. I am sure that my "Lady of the Camellias" has changed a lot since I danced it for the first time, when I was 24.

You must be looking forward to going on the Hamburg Ballet's tour to St. Petersburg in July, performing in the White Nights Festival. And next season will be exciting too, with tours to America.

AP: Yes of course, and next season will be the 30th anniversary of the Hamburg Ballet under John's directorship.

IU: John has created about 100 ballets. We will do a good selection of his best ballets throughout next season. You must come and watch us.