© Damir Yusupov Bolshoi 'La Bayadere' reviews Bolshoi 'Le Corsaire' reviews Bolshoi 'Don Quixote' reviews Bolshoi 'Spartacus' reviews Bolshoi 'Bright Stream' reviews Bolshoi 'Class Concert' reviews Bolshoi 'Elsinore' reviews Bolshoi 'In The Upper Room' reviews Acosta in reviews recent Bolshoi reviews more Charlotte Kasner reviews Discuss the Bolshoi Season (Open for at least 6 months) Bolshio Gallery

From scarce visits in the latter years of the USSR to almost annual visits in recent years, the Bolshoi Ballet have moved from being an exotic novelty to producing some disappointments in recent seasons. There has been something of a cultural homogenisation in that internationally renowned companies have tended to swap dancers and repertoire, thus narrowing the opportunities for individual company identity. The Bolshoi is now unusual in large, touring companies in mostly using dancers from its own school with a consequential uniformity of approach to training and style.

The repertoire also plays its own role in branding the Company. After a few hiccoughs, Alexei Ratmansky has settled into the ideal mix of old, new and revivals which, whilst not perhaps evenly successful, have provided London with plenty of food for thought and cheered up a dreary, damp summer. There is perhaps not much that needs to be changed with ballets such as Bayadère and the Bolshoi's signature ballet, Don Quixote, but finding a way to revive the very lengthy Corsaire was brilliant. Three hours of pure delight, a charming work with plenty of sections that would grace a gala in addition to the most familiar parts.
 

It was perhaps the more recent signature work of Spartacus that really set the company aflame, due only in part to the inspired casting of Carlos Acosta. It may have been thought that, in this role of all roles, only a dancer trained at the Bolshoi from infancy would be capable of a half-decent performance, indeed, that only a dancer from the pre-perestroika era would be capable of producing a truly inspired interpretation. It has become almost a truism that we have not seen a Spartacus to set the theatre alight since Mukhamedev. However, whilst his performance was not without technical flaws (only the Bolshoi are trained to execute those apparently effortless one-handed lifts), the maturity and passion displayed by Acosta was as awesome as it was unexpected. The remainder of the Company are also due fulsome praise; it must not be forgotten what a challenge Grigorovich set the entire cast in this work. Pavel Sorokin's conducting and the enthusiasm and technical mastery of the Bolshoi orchestra was blazing. The dancing has not been this electrifying for twenty years. I felt a glimmer of the excitement that I felt, sitting in the same house, not feet away from this year's seat, when I saw, as a schoolgirl, the original cast in 1974.
 

The Triple Bill was perhaps the least successful of the season, although the bravery of the programming is to be saluted. Class Concert was a wonder: a treasure unwrapped from its shrouds to shine in all its glory. In spite of the comparisons with Lander's Etudes, only the Bolshoi and maybe only the Messerer clan could pull off dancing of this calibre. This could easily have ended the evening and brought the house down with rousing cheers. Elsinore needs running in and, although interesting, did not touch the depths. The references to Hamlet were oblique and, although loaded with atmosphere, there was not quite enough there to sustain its length. Perhaps a third revival, bringing in some of the elements rejected from the first, more literal version, would help. In The Upper Room should suit the Bolshoi down to the ground but the Company were not sufficiently relaxed, at least on the opening night, and were not familiar enough with the style to take the edge off their seriousness of approach. Amazingly, having seen Class Concert, it lacked attack and, at times, pace. Time may tell if they decide to keep it in the repertoire.

Bright Stream brought the whole triumphant and daring mix to a rousing close. Ending on a full but light-hearted work created an end-of-season party atmosphere. The fact that this was the second season that London had seen the work made it all the more enjoyable in its comparative familiarity. There was more time to enjoy the glorious sets and to relish the anticipation of the jokes. For those seeing any of the works for the first time, it was possible to have an understanding of what it was that made the Bolshoi so special.

The Bolshoi Ballet has managed to consolidate the glories of its past and look to the future with ultimate success. Let us hope that it is a lesson that the New Russia will learn in time. London will have a break from seeing the Company next year. All the more chance to relish their return in the following season - counting the days already!