Bolshoi 'Giselle' reviews Zakharova in reviews Tsiskaridze in reviews recent Bolshoi reviews more Baletoman reviews

This was a special performance - the first evening when the first class ballerina Svetlana Zakharova, who had been the prima ballerina of the Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet, danced as a full-time employee of the Bolshoi Theatre. It was also special because her partner was the star Tsiskaridze.

The evening started in a huge queue 100 meters long to enter the building. As far as I understood, this will be a new tradition of the Bolshoi. It is explained by security measures. Instead of opening all doors, they open only one half of one door, and a big chap checks everyone's tickets and allows to enter ( a kind of face control), then all those who managed to enter have to pass through special devices (I don't know the exact name, they remind of gates) capable to detect the weapons, all belongings being searched (in the same manner as in the ROH), only then the tickets are checked by the ladies and you are finally allowed to go to your floor to leave the clothes in the waderobe to proceed into the auditorium. I hope it will work. I agree to be subject to this procedure for the sake of security but what will we do under the rain or in winter? To stay on the street for 15 minutes standing in the queue before a performance in long dresses and on high heals?

This evening the situation was worsened by the fact that the prime minister was to come and the whole square between the fountain and the theatre was empty and guarded by the security guys waiting for the PM's cortege (in Moscow in such cases the adjacent roads are closed as well for security reasons).

Thanks God, following another tradition in Moscow theatres, the performance started 10-15 minutes later, otherwise I would have missed the first meeting of Giselle and Albert.

The first appearance of Albert was followed by loud applauds - Nikolay is a beloved man of many female ballet fans. Of course, the intrigue was Svetlana's performance. She was also met by the applauds, longer than Nikolay's, but not as loud as those for him. I must say that her change of theatres was an event for ballet, and very much advertised by the media with lots of interviews and articles in newspapers (Though the story drowned in the waterfall of media reaction to the scandal around a ballet dancer evicted from the Bolshoi ). So, the Russian public were warmed up (I think about at least 50% of the public are foreigners, because a visit to see the Bolshoi Ballet is a must for tourists).

The sets of the 1 Act were in reddish-brownish not bright colors, with a kind of trees painted on the background curtain and small huts at wings. The costumed declared to be created by Givanchi did not impress me much: those for dancers were quite ordinary, nothing special, but of quality, of course; those for character roles, especially noblemen's reminded me of velvet curtains. I did not see previous costumes, I can't compare. But may be, these correspond more to French? Or perhaps, I had waited something special from Givanchi? As far as dancing is concerned, the corps de ballet did not do very well: they broke lines sometimes, the movements were not very well coordinated and dancers seemed a little bit lazy. Though some very good dancing came from male dancers in pas d'action, done by Bolotin, Yevdokimov, Kazmiruk and Medvedev. I did not like Illarion's dances, he seemed too heavy and reckless, though he was a nice actor.

The main pair was very good. Svetlana was a lively, happy and open young girl and Albert - Nikolay acted very well and supported Svetlana in everything. The scene of Giselle's madness was acted by Svetlana very convincingly, to my mind. I was really touched by the depth of emotions and her sincerity. I think all of us felt the dramatic tension of the scene. I must say that in the Bolshoi they seem to pay more attention to expression and acting like in drama unlike in the Mariinsky (according to my impressions in the latter all expression comes from the plasticity and movement). And it seemed to me that Svetlana also started acting more, and at the same time I could not help noticing in her the style of the Mariinsky (to my great pleasure!).

The 2 Act was very beautiful: darkness, graves with crosses shimmering with tiny blue and white lights, strict Mirthe appearing from behind a grave at the background, lines of girls in long white tutus from the wings , a willis flying (!) above the stage and finally Giselle beautiful and slim appearing just from under the stage = from her grave on the left side of the stage.

The corps were much better, dancing in unison but a little bit heavy, to my mind (sorry, but they reminded me of elephants, as it was with Kirov's swans that reminded me horses due to their loud pointes). The public reacted to the corps's part very well and applauded generously.

But the best dance to my taste came from Svetlana. She was brilliant! She danced with outstanding technique, and was a pure beauty, with singing hands, so plastic, elegant, airy (I would have thought she was flying if not for her loud pointes that she seems to have from the Mariinsky because none of the Bolshoi dancers had such loud shoes). Her part of dancing was absolutely mesmerizing!!! And for the first time since the Mariinsky's season in London I finally felt that excitement from ballet that makes you forget about everything except for the beauty of the dance. I am sure that all people in the auditorium experienced the same.

Nikolay also danced very well, at some moments he danced brilliantly, especially when jumping! I liked his costume of a Count very much this time - he was in black with shimmering glass decorations (as I could see it) and in long beautiful cloack and a kind of beret. The latter he took off, of course. The clothes added to his charisma. The public reacted not adequately - they were too excited. Every movement of his was accompanied by an ovation. There was one moment when he had to come to do his part, there was silence in the auditorium, all waited his appearance and at this very moment someone (a woman) sighed from worrying so loudly that the public could not help laughing!

Another dancer who did her role brilliantly, with great assurance, was Maria Alexandrova as Mirthe. She has good technique and light jumps. This time she danced with such force and was so strict that I really believed in her power as the main willis!

In the end all these great dancers received their portions of applauds. Svetlana and Nikolay were covered with huge bunches of flowers. There was a basket of flowers from a French organisation with a ribbon colored as the French flag that reminded to all about the origin of this ballet.