© Natasha Razina Merkuriev in reviews Kirov reviews Kevin Ng reviews

His Espada in "Don Quixote" is the most glamorous that I have seen in this role, and is absolutely a knockout.  On New Year's Day 2003 he appeared in a short dance film shot in Graz with choreography by Boris Eifman, as part of a live broadcast of the New Year's Day concert by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

Andrei had just finished a rehearsal before we met in the Mariinsky Theatre in April, and that night he was going to dance Espada in Don Quixote.   "It was Makhar Vaziev (the Kirov Ballet's artistic director) who invited me to join the Mariinsky Theatre.  My every experience so far has been most happy for me.  Come to think of it, just to dance on the Mariinsky Theatre's stage is already a treasured experience, and I also treasure all the new roles that I've learnt so far."   Andrei's current coach is the well-known ex-Kirov dancer Redzhepmyrat Abdyev who was full of praise for Andrei when he spoke to me earlier that week.
 

Merkuriev as Espada in Don Quixote
© Natasha Razina

Andrei is still fond of his former company, the Maly Theatre.  "The Maly is still my theatre, because I've still got friends there.  At the Maly Theatre,  I had already danced a number of big roles, e.g. the leading roles in the classics - "The Sleeping Beauty", "Don Quixote", and "La Bayadere".  In the Mariinsky Theatre however I haven't yet had the opportunity to dance these three roles, but I've danced "Giselle" with Yulia Makhalina.   Still I am very pleased, because I have a big repertory at the Mariinsky Theatre.  And next season I hope to make my debut as Romeo."

And certainly Andrei has accumulated quite a number of new roles since he joined the Kirov.  He was superb as the Cinderella Prince in Alexei Ratmansky's 2002 production for the Kirov, and most moving in the title role of Balanchine's "The Prodigial Son".  London audiences saw his Prodigal Son at Covent Garden in May 2002 during the St. Petersburg galas in celebration of the city's tri-centenary, as well as his Cinderella Prince when he danced one of the pas de deux in Alexei Ratmansky's production of "Cinderella" with the leading Kirov ballerina Diana Vishneva.
 

Merkuriev in Forsythe's In the Middle Somewhat Elevated with Daria Pavlenko
© Natasha Razina

"I also created roles in Kirill Simonov's "Come in!" as part of a contemporary evening, as well as in his ballet "Princess Pirlipat".   Andrei also rehearsed with Svetlana Zakharova in Pierre Lacotte's "Ondine" which unfortunately never came into fruition.  He said philosophically, "Nevertheless it was good experience to work with Lacotte."  More recently I had the pleasure of seeing Andrei shine in two other premieres - the new Balanchine programme in April in honour of Balanchine's centennial, and the Forsythe programme in March.  He was absolutely stunning in Forsythe's "In the Middle Somewhat Elevated" and "Steptext".   In the Balanchine programme he was glamorous as the lady's lover in Balanchine's "La Valse", and poetic as the Phlegmatic soloist in "The Four Temperaments".

Andrei refused to choose among his partners in the last three years.  "I've danced with practically every ballerina.  Nowadays Natalia Sologub is my most frequent partner.  And I dance "Manon" and "Cinderella" with Vishneva."  Vishneva and Zhanna Ayupova are certainly among his favourite partners. 
Andrei also mentioned Elena Sheshina, another former Mussorgsky dancer who joined the Kirov in 2001.  "I danced with Elena a lot in the Maly Theatre. 
She is the ballerina who has taught me a lot about double work.  However I seldom dance with her these days."
 

Merkuriev in Cinderella with Irina Golub
© Natasha Razina

At the time of our conversation, Andrei was looking forward to dancing in the Russian superstar Vladimir Malakhov's galas in Japan, especially with a new partner - the hugely talented young ballerina of the Berlin Staatsoper Polina Semionova whom the London public later saw in June in the English National Ballet's arena version of "Swan Lake".  "I'll dance the "Sleeping Beauty" pas de deux with Polina, as well as "Tchaikovsky Pas De Deux".  With Diana Vishneva I'll dance the Romeo pas de deux.  And I'll also dance a contemporary solo specially choreographed for me by Alexei Miroshnichenko (a Kirov house choreographer)."

Andrei was diplomatic and refused to answer my question as to his role models, his favourite dancers,  and his favourite choreographers.  "I always find something special in every dancer.   As for choreographers, I have no special preference.  I just hope that different choreographers will choose to work with me and be satisfied with the results."  Andrei likes to dance both dramatic and pure-dance ballets, although "some people say that contemporay ballets suit me better than the pure classical ballets."

At the end of the interview, I wondered if he had any more points to add. 
With good humour, Andrei said, "This is also what they also asked me in a Russian TV programme several years ago.  And I would just like to say hello and my best regards to my mum and dad!"