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The matinee Don Quixote in Baden-Baden was an uneven affair, for one main reason: neither of the principal characters was actually in sight. Unless you believe Petipa to be pre-Balanchine, there is an actual story in his ballets. Alina Somova, the company's newest principal dancer, is unfortunately not an actress. She has but three or four expressions, and switches between them for no logical reason. She is also painfully unmusical, and, in Act I, looked like a child who has just been given an hour in the spotlight as a birthday present. Broken wrists, palm-like hands, limbs that look like they could just fly off into the audience at any time... Her fouettés were also plain ugly, fan movements or not. Granted, she can go through the steps, and looked better in Act II, since her crystal-like frailness lends her lines that look delicate in adagio work. But delicacy should not be about thinness and looks; it is a theatrical effect, a quality of movement. The audience relates to her, maybe because every movement is extreme and yet she looks so fragile. But it is a matter of what we want to see on stage. I expect mature artistry and aesthetic sensitivity. One could say: let her dance – she brings an audience in. But ballet companies are also responsible for educating the audience; there are few of them, and we have little alternative to what they promote. On a side note: there is also such a thing as stage etiquette. You don't walk as you would in the street, even if you are exiting the stage. More importantly – as the Queen of the Dryads, in the evening performance, she deliberately ignored Olesya Novikova in the diagonal of arabesques where she is supposed to mirror Kitri. She kept balancing, no matter how many counts behind Novikova she was. The sideway glances at the audience are not what you expect of a Dryad, either. Mikhail Lobukhin was very good as Basilio, despite the lack of connection with Somova. Present, careful, he has the technique (despite a few mistakes in Act III) and clearly enjoyed the comedy. He was originally scheduled to dance with Viktoria Tereshkina, and will hopefully have a chance to polish the role further.

All these details became more apparent though in the light of the evening performance, impeccably led by Olesya Novikova and Leonid Sarafanov. Within a few minutes, there was a couple on stage – a young, bright couple teasing each other with a sense of fun that suddenly made the ballet. Leonid Sarafanov, in particular, approaches Basilio as home territory, looking like he is having the time of his life. There were too many fine details to even recall: the way he stamps audibly when Don Quixote steals Kitri from him, the way he mimes castanets right before Kitri's variation in Act I... His relaxed sense of humor pulls the audience in, and he has so grown in stature that the virile side of the characters he portrays comes naturally. He can be slightly too showy, as when he adds a tour en l'air at the beginning of Novikova's variation, but his feline technique is as impressive as ever. Most importantly, his complicity with Novikova is the perfect fit for the main couple. They play off each other, they hug and kiss with lifelike spontaneity. Such established partnerships bring precious humanity and vulnerability to every interaction.

It helps that Olesya Novikova is as loveable as Sarafanov is playful. Pale, wide-eyed, she is the sweetheart of Barcelona. I wish there were slightly more Latin character to her Kitri, but her dancing and acting are so pure that they overshadow any expectations. She was particularly alive in the Tavern scene, carefree in her jumps, aware of everyone around her. Unerring musicality, fine turns, careful characterization: she has it all. Just as in Sleeping Beauty last year though, I feel she can go much further in the Vision scene – she is quite the classicist, and creamy, dream-like phrasing is not there yet. On the other hand, there is true grace in her presence. Her arabesques and attitudes are pure poetry, every line harmoniously complementing the others. She has a gift for making every variation look natural. I still wonder at times whether she is the perfect, gentle student every teacher can only dream of, or whether she will ultimately break out of the mold. The fairies, in any case, could hardly have bestowed more gifts on her.

There were some fine and not so fine performances in the other roles. Among the highlights, Islom Baimuradov stole the show at the matinee with the most electrifying Espada I have ever seen. Even when he stood on the side, the eye was drawn to the tension between his character and Alexandra Iosifidi as the street dancer, so avidly did he look into her eyes; his strong, sexy reading draws on the way flamenco dancers move, bringing maturity and weight to the character. He may be a character artist, but he could be an outstandingly charismatic Basilio. Alexandra Iosifidi wasn't quite so involved, although she danced strongly. Alexander Sergeev performed in the evening, but anyone would have paled after Baimuradov; he is still lightweight physically speaking, and doesn't pair well with the very tall Iosifidi.

Ekaterina Kondaurova danced both the Queen of the Dryads and the Bridesmaid variation. The latter is not her « fach »; why give her such a perky part, in which she looks cramped? Her Queen of the Dryads is stately and regal, though slightly athletic, but given her height, she may need force to carry her dancing. Valerya Martinyuk sparkled as Amor – light and musical, with beautiful curvy lines, she also possesses an infectious smile that I hope we will see very often. Elizaveta Cheprasova was fine in the same part, although her phrasing is still chopped at times. Polina Rassadina proved once again her versatility as Mercedes, particularly when paired with Espada, but could bring more stateliness to this character part. Elena Eveeva, on the other hand, gave a poor account of the Bridesmaid variation – she has little ballon, and her arms don't exactly spell Mariinsky. The corps de ballet was a sorry affair in the Act III Grand Pas de Deux. Again, there were many young dancers, but could they at least do the steps together and in time? The Dryads were much better, but the current transition is still quite tough on the audience.