List of the ballet troupe of the Mariinsky Theatre. Why do ballet dancers leave the Mariinsky Theater
Forgotten ballet
You moved to work from St. Petersburg to South Korea. How popular is Asia with our ballet dancers now?
To be honest, my colleagues move to Europe and the USA many times more often. In South Korea, ballet is only about 50 years old, and the Universal Ballet company (the largest ballet company in South Korea, based in Seoul. - Ed.), where I now work, is 33 years old. In addition to it, the country also has the Korean National Ballet, where only Koreans can work. No discrimination: similar companies exist in other countries, for example, in France. There, too, only the French dance.
- Why did you decide to leave the Mariinsky Theatre?
It all started with the fact that my colleague got a job at Universal Ballet. One day I asked her if they needed dancers there. I sent a video of my performances to the company, and soon I was called to work. I immediately agreed, because I had long wanted to change my ballet life for the better. And the company "Universal Ballet" turned out to have a very rich repertoire: there is something to dance.
The problem is that at the Mariinsky Theater at the moment more attention is paid to opera and music than ballet, which seems to have been forgotten. At first, new performances were still staged at the Mariinsky Theater, choreographers were invited, including foreign ones. But then it all kind of stopped.
Alexei Ratmansky (permanent choreographer of the American Ballet Theatre. - Ed.) was the last of the iconic choreographers to arrive two years ago. He staged the Concerto DSCH ballet to music by Dmitri Shostakovich at the Mariinsky Theatre. For a long time I danced in the same classical productions. But I also wanted some new repertoire, modern choreography.
But if we have a wonderful classic - The Nutcracker, The Fountain of Bakhchisaray, Swan Lake, then maybe modern choreography is not needed?
Without new performances there will be no development of the theater and artists. Abroad understand this. For example, in South Korea we recently danced "Little Death" by Jiri Kilian (Czech dancer and choreographer. - Ed.). This is a modern classic that plays in theaters around the world. But for some reason not in the Mariinsky. And here there is, among other things, the ballet "Romeo and Juliet" directed by Kenneth Macmillan (British choreographer, head of the Royal Ballet in 1970-1977. - Ed.), "Eugene Onegin" by John Neumeier (choreographer, head of the Hamburg Ballet since 1973 . - Ed.), In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated (“Something towered in the middle”) by William Forsyth (American choreographer, his Forsyth Company ballet troupe is experimenting in the field of modern dance. - Ed.).
Factory Gergiev
- Are we becoming a ballet province?
I wouldn't say so. It's just that the Mariinsky Theater is turning into a kind of factory. An artist can have 30-35 ballet performances there per month. For example, I sometimes had to perform even twice a day. At first, people, opening such a tense poster for a month in advance, made surprised round eyes. But one gets used to everything. That's what we got used to over time. Every day they worked, went on stage, performed what they had to. But no one had enough time or energy to prepare new performances, because old things, the repertoire that is being staged, also need to be rehearsed. Many ballet dancers left precisely because of this routine monotonous work.
There are 6-7 performances per month. And we carefully prepare for each of them, because time allows. For example, recently they danced a modern program, and from each foreign choreographer (whose performances were included in this program. - Ed.) An assistant came, with whom we worked together: he explained some nuances, details. Since January, that I am here, I have already received so many emotions and danced so many things!
- Why do you think there is such a conveyor belt at the Mariinsky Theatre?
It's just that the person who is at the head of the theater (Valery Gergiev. - Ed.) Is the same himself. He is very efficient. One day he is in Moscow for a meeting, three hours later he flies to Munich to conduct a symphony orchestra, and five hours later he is back in Moscow at a reception. He apparently decided that his theater should work very actively. Of course, it's not bad. But sometimes I felt like a miner at the Mariinsky Theater: I worked from morning until night. For example, he often left home at 10 am and returned at midnight. Of course, it was very hard. On the other hand, any theater in the world has its own problems.
“North Korean bombs are not afraid here”
How were you received by fellow dancers in South Korea? Was there any increased interest in you, since you are from the Mariinsky Theater?
I did not notice any special enthusiasm. Perhaps, earlier Europeans in the ballet world of Korea were a curiosity, but now everyone has long been accustomed to us. For example, at Universal Ballet, about half of all dancers came from Europe. There are also Americans. By the way, in Korean ballet, a lot is taken from Russian ballet. In particular, there are many productions of the Mariinsky Theater here. Therefore, it is very easy for me here: I danced The Nutcracker or Don Quixote at the Mariinsky Theater, and I dance here.
- What conditions do Koreans provide to our dancers?
The conditions are very good, in this regard they are great. For example, they immediately provided me with housing - a small apartment, a good salary, which is many times higher than it was in St. Petersburg (however, the prices are higher here), and medical insurance. At the Mariinsky Theater, ballet dancers, by the way, also did it. For example, a few years ago I had a knee operation on it.
- Is the competition in the ballet world higher in Russia or South Korea?
Competition is everywhere, without it you simply do not grow. But she is fit and healthy. I did not feel any sidelong glances or conversations behind my back either in St. Petersburg or in Seoul. But even if they say something about me, I am so immersed in work that I don’t notice it. In general, stories about glass fragments in pointe shoes and smeared suits are a myth. In my entire career in ballet, I have never encountered this. And I hadn't even heard of it. No bases.
- Asia is a completely different world. What was the hardest thing for you to get used to in South Korea?
When colleagues at the Mariinsky Theater found out about my departure, they said that it would be psychologically very difficult for me to live there. But in Seoul, I was so immersed in my profession that I felt absolutely nothing. I just dance without this St. Petersburg race and feel absolutely happy. Unless you need to learn the language. But you can live without it in Korea. The fact is that the local people are very friendly. Once you get lost in the subway or on the street, they immediately come up and offer help in English, asking where I need to go.
- And how do they feel about North Korea? Do you feel tension from such a difficult neighbor?
No. It seems to me that no one even thinks about it and is not afraid of Korean bombs. Everything is very calm here, and it seems that nothing is happening at all. There are no terrorist attacks, no disasters, not even some major scandals. But, despite the fact that it is so comfortable here, I still miss St. Petersburg, my family and the Mariinsky. This theater really gave me a lot. I studied there, gained experience, formed my taste, I danced there. And it will forever remain in my memory.
The tour of the Mariinsky Ballet Company in New York has come to an end. The main impression from these tours is that at best, Valery Gergiev does not understand the art of ballet; at worst, he does not like this art.
Let's turn to the facts.
BAM - Brooklyn Academy of Music - is one of the theater centers in New York. On the stage of BAM, dancers of the modern theater, drama theaters constantly perform, but not large troupes dancing classical ballets.
The stage at BAM is long and narrow. It was impossible to fit the corps de ballet of swans on this "running track", and the number of corps de ballet dancers was reduced. The rest were all the same squeezed in this space so that they almost touched each other in packs, sometimes in tightness forming some kind of "porridge". In such conditions, the best corps de ballet in the world was staged! What kind of “breathing” is there, what magic, when there is nowhere to dance ?! And in general, all the scenes of the performance looked sandwiched between the backdrop and the ramp.
When Ulyana Lopatkina, as Odile, brilliantly spun 32 fouettes in the back of the stage literally on one spot, it became known to me that I was not the only one who was worried: would she hit the Sovereign Princess sitting behind her with her toe in the face?
The theater did not bring its linoleum, and the floor on the BAM stage is slippery. The dancers fell (one of the soloists was seriously injured). I'm not talking about such "little things" as shallow backstage. Or the lack of space behind the backdrop, causing the performers to run under the stage to enter the stage from the other side, if necessary in the performance. How could a troupe be brought to the theater without first checking whether the stage was suitable for a ballet performance?!
There is no ballet conductor in the theater, and this has a tragic effect on the performance of the ballet by the dancers. Neither Gergiev nor the other conductors matched their pace with the choreography.
A ballet conductor is a separate profession, and there have always been such conductors at the Mariinsky (Kirov) Theatre. The most brilliant orchestra conductor in the world does not necessarily have this profession. As not necessarily the most brilliant ballerina can become a good tutor.
When the dancer does not have time to fix the pose and let us enjoy its beauty, or when the performer cannot finish the pirouettes cleanly because the conductor “driven” the tempo, the viewer does not care how the violins are playing at that moment. A conductor can show his art to the fullest by performing with an orchestra at the Philharmonic or Carnegie Hall. Yes, Balanchine adhered to a different principle, but he was both a musician and a choreographer at the same time, and he understood that artists could dance at that pace and what not, and he created a completely different ballet performance.
And, in any case, the ballet of the Mariinsky Theater should not dance like the others, the best ballet troupes in the world, dance. The ballet of the Mariinsky Theater has its own historical features, and they should not be neglected. At the Mariinsky Theatre, the style of classical ballet performance includes the obligatory concept of beauty as an integral part of the performance. This is a distinctive feature of Russian ballet in general. And the ballet conductor must understand this and give the dancers the opportunity to embody this beauty on stage.
Perhaps 100 years ago, the pace was different, but during this time the style of performance and technique have changed so much that these circumstances cannot be ignored.
Moreover, each ballet dancer has his own individual characteristics. Some people need an accelerated tempo to successfully perform a fouette, some a slow one, and the ballet conductor used to always check the tempo with the soloists.
All this is not a whim of the artist, this is the condition under which he can dance in the best possible way. Undoubtedly, music is the basis of ballet, but in a ballet performance, dance dominates. Therefore, the main goal of the theater is to show the performance in its best quality. And this quality depends not only on the skill of the artists, but also on whether the conductor understands the art of ballet.
Gergiev did not think about the performance, which at times affected the quality of the performance.
Program for the play. It would be interesting to know who made it. The program lists Valery Gergiev, director of the Mariinsky Theatre. But Yuri Fadeev is not listed... Yes, his position in Russia is also vaguely indicated: acting. But in fact, Fadeev is the head of the ballet troupe. Fadeev's name is also not in the "who is who" section, where information is given - also not about all the soloists of the theater. But the program included a sheet listing all the solo musicians of the orchestra... Who provided this information for the program with such disdain for ballet?
And - the final chord. The last program is composed of ballets to music by Chopin. The evening began with Chopiniana. The ballet was staged by Mikhail Fokin to Chopin's piano music orchestrated by A. Glazunov. But on tour in America, the ballet was danced to the piano (as they explained to me, Gergiev and the orchestra went to En Arbor for a two-day tour).
There are no complaints about the dancers in such conditions, but we were present at ... the patron's concert of the theater at the factory. I must say that American critics also noted the same shortcomings that I noted. In such conditions, in which the ballet was staged on tour, I have no right to judge the state and quality of the troupe at the moment. Although some prime ministers successfully coped with difficulties.
Of course, Ulyana Lopatkina danced Odette-Odile with the talent and skill expected of her. But I would like to highlight two more acting successes.
Diana Vishneva in Alexei Ratmansky's Cinderella. Why they chose this not the best Ratmansky ballet for the tour - I don’t know (I think the choreographer is also not happy with this choice). But Vishneva took this ballet to another level. She appeared in this performance as a creature from another planet, a different worldview and attitude.
And we should also mention Ekaterina Kondaurova in the second duet in Jerome Robbins' ballet In the Night. It was a bright, talented performance, a kind of masterpiece. And Evgeny Ivanchenko was not only a partner - in their duet the history of relations was “read”.
But back to the general impression of the tour. Why was the opening of the tour of the ballet troupe the performance of ... an opera? ... A small remark, but it fits into the overall picture ...
Over the past few months, three Russian ballet companies have been coming to New York. The ballet of the Bolshoi and Mikhailovsky theaters danced at the Lincoln Center and showed their best side. One ballet of the Mariinsky Theater was put in unfavorable conditions. And if Gergiev is named the sole head of the tour, he should be responsible for them.
But here's the question that worries me. I'm not the only one who sees flaws. Why is everyone silent? Am I the only one who continues to love this troupe so much that I am the only one offended by the disrespectful attitude towards it?
See also Mariinsky Theatre, List of Opera Singers, Ballet Company of the Mariinsky Theatre, Opera Company of the Bolshoi Theatre. Contents 1 Soprano 2 Mezzo Soprano 3 Contralto ... Wikipedia
See also the Mariinsky Theatre, the Mariinsky Opera Company, the Mariinsky Ballet Company, Directors and choreographers of the Mariinsky Theatre, Conductors of the Bolshoi Theater until 2000 after 2000 Konstantin Nikolaevich Lyadov Eduard Frantsevich Napravnik ... ... Wikipedia
See also Bolshoi Theatre, List of Opera Singers, Bolshoi Ballet Company, Conductors of the Bolshoi Theatre, Directors and Choreographers of the Bolshoi Theatre, Opera Company of the Mariinsky Theatre. The list includes opera singers and singers who are and were included in ... ... Wikipedia
Main article: Mariinsky Theater The repertoire of the Mariinsky Ballet includes numerous productions, both created in recent years and those with many years of tradition behind them. Mariinsky Theatre, 2008 ... Wikipedia
Main article: Mariinsky Theater The repertoire of the Mariinsky Theater includes numerous productions, both created in recent years and those with long-standing traditions ... Wikipedia
See also Mariinsky Theatre, Conductors of the Mariinsky Theatre, Opera Company of the Mariinsky Theatre, Ballet Company of the Mariinsky Theatre, Directors and choreographers of the Bolshoi Theater until 2000 after 2000 Smolich, Nikolai Vasilyevich Eifman, Boris Yakovlevich ... Wikipedia
Main articles: Mariinsky Theatre, Mariinsky Theater repertoire Contents 1 XIX century 2 XX century 3 See also ... Wikipedia
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See also Bolshoi Theatre, Conductors of the Bolshoi Theatre, Opera Company of the Bolshoi Theatre, Ballet Company of the Bolshoi Theatre, Directors and choreographers of the Mariinsky Theatre.
What Russian girl has not dreamed of ballet at least once in her life? It can be called our national art. We adore ballet and know by name almost all the primaries and premiers of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky theatres.
On the eve of the International Ballet Day - this year it is celebrated for the third time - we offer you to admire the best of the best, the goddesses of Russian ballet: Svetlana Zakharova, Diana Vishneva and Ulyana Lopatkina.
The embodiment of grace and grace
As well as iron will and unbending spirit. it prima of the Bolshoi Theater and Milan's La Scala—Svetlana Zakharova. She made her debut at the Mariinsky Theater at the age of 17, and for twenty years there has not been a single misfire in her career. She successfully performs classical and modern dance.
“I have already danced all the parts that you can dream of, in a variety of editions. For example, "Swan Lake" was performed in more than ten versions on different stages of the world. I want to experiment, to test the capabilities of my body in something else. Modern dance is a movement that gives freedom. The classics, on the other hand, have limits and rules that you cannot go beyond, ”- Svetlana shared in an interview.
What does Zakharova like most in her profession? According to the ballerina, she is happy while preparing for the performance. Samples, rehearsals. At this time, she sometimes does not sleep at night - music sounds in her head.
The premiere itself no longer causes so much joy. It even becomes a little sad, because what I was so prepared for has already taken place.
By the way, Svetlana does not consider herself a star. "I'm just a man who plows every day" she says.
Refined and fast at the same time
Prima of the Mariinsky Theater and the American Ballet Theater Diana Vishneva celebrated its 40th anniversary this year. But it was previously believed that the career of ballerinas was annoyingly fleeting. Diana not only constantly pleases fans with premieres, but also organizes the international festival Context.
She performs both classical and modern dances. In an interview, Vishneva admitted that combining different directions in choreography is like learning a different language. Last year, Diana even made a film called Language - about the language of her own plasticity.
Vishneva speaks about herself first of all as a stubborn person. She is sure: without perseverance and dedication, ballet is not worth thinking about. “How many sacrifices must be made every day! You need to tame your body and mind. Physically exhausting labor is a prerequisite if you want to achieve something. "Hard labor" is not hyperbole. You need to be able to fly, soar, bring beauty, love... Art requires great emotional, moral and physical strength from you.”
Incredibly artistic
Delicate and at the same time daring... Prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theatre, People's Artist of Russia Uliana Lopatkina will celebrate its 43rd anniversary in October. She is known to the whole world, but she does not like to talk about herself. Ulyana is very practical and prefers action to words.
“This is not Hollywood, in ballet everything is closer to the point. In ballet, everything is proved by work. The work is very difficult, physically, mentally, emotionally difficult, and there is something to respect for people who occupy a high position in ballet - they justify this place with their work, ”- Lopatkina noted in an interview.
Ulyana is called "an icon of Russian ballet".
But the artist does not suffer from star fever at all and believes that each of us in a certain sense can be an “icon”.
We carry holiness within us. It manifests itself in varying degrees, but is potentially inherent in all of us. Maybe that's why people who are especially sensitive to art talk about the icon. So they formulate the feeling that they may have experienced during the performance.
