#raymonda variation

[felix-felixovich-yusupov]

Excerpt from Nicky's diary about Raymonda

7 Jan 1898: "…We went to see a new beautiful ballet called "Raymonda". Glazunov's music was very nice and the staging was good, too…"

Natalia Osipova from the Royal Ballet dancing Raymonda Act III variation.

"Raymonda (Russian: Раймонда) is a grand ballet in three acts, four scenes with an apotheosis, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa to the music of Alexander Glazunov (his opus 57) and libretto by Lydia Pashkova. Raymonda was created especially for the benefit performance of the prima ballerina Pierina Legnani, and first presented by the Imperial Ballet at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre on 19 January [O.S. 7 January] 1898 in Saint Petersburg, Russia... Today Raymonda is performed by many ballet companies throughout the world with choreography that is derived primarily from the Kirov Ballet's 1948 revival as staged by Konstantin Sergeyev. Sergeyev greatly altered, and in some cases changed entirely, Marius Petipa's choreography, particularly in the dances for the corps de ballet. The choreography as revised by Sergeyev remains the traditional text for most of the world's productions of Raymonda, among them Rudolf Nureyev's version for the Paris Opéra Ballet and Anna-Marie Holmes's version for American Ballet Theatre, respectively."

Quote sources:

Quote 1 (diary entry): From the Alexander Palace Archives. link

Quote 2 (about Raymonda): From the Wikipedia page for Raymonda. link

Video source: Posted on Youtube by the Royal Ballet and Opera in 2019. link

[balanchine-ballet-master]

Anthony Huxley and Megan Fairchild in Balanchine's Raymonda Variations, 2023. Click/tap to enlarge.

Photo: Erin Baiano

[ballet-symphonie]

I need to rant somewhere: Catherine Pollack wrote this on her instagram: LIKE WHAT THE FFFFFF. The irony is that she posted videos of Khiteeva dancing BEAUTIFULLY alongside this.

A memorable matinee performance of “Raymonda” took place on March 15. First, there were more than twenty debuts in roles ranging from principal to secondary and character parts. Second, and unfortunately, A. Ermakov was injured during his variation. Another factor, in my opinion, was the accumulated stress caused by his many years of being (and there’s no other word for it) exploited as the company’s tallest and strongest male dancer, tasked with lifting larger female soloists. Instead of getting into shape themselves, these dancers relied on his exceptional partnering abilities. He repeatedly risked his health by lifting performers of weight categories that, by definition, should not exist in classical ballet (though this doesn’t entirely apply to the debuting ballerina). Before long, the tall prima ballerinas of the Mariinsky will have no partner to dance with, because these female soloists simply cannot lose weight.

By the way, Andrei “jumped into” the production, replacing T. Askerov, with whom A. Khiteeva had been preparing her debut (Timur withdrew a couple of days prior). I must commend Alexandra’s resilience and resourcefulness: having lost her partner on stage, she instantly adapted and filled the sudden gap in Jean de Brienne’s coda with an improvised repeat of her own coda using passé relevé—at an incredible tempo and with aplomb. Bravo! In the current climate, stress tolerance is in high demand; the company needs ballerinas it can depend on.

All the same, A. Khiteeva’s inclusion in “Raymonda” is contentious for reasons I’ve already discussed in my notes. Her artistic type is more ingénue than Grand Dame, and her access to the lead roles in “Swan Lake,” “La Bayadère,” and “Raymonda” was justifiably restricted, primarily due to her ballet and physical attributes—her stocky figure and proportions.

“The role of Kitri can be assigned to a highly agile ballerina… But to dance Odette and Odile or Raymonda, a ballerina must have a slender figure, ‘singing’ arms, and long legs. Dancers with a squat figure are not suitable for these roles…,” writes choreographer R.V. Zakharov, and I share his opinion. To be continued…

I thought on the whole, Khiteeva danced very well, especially given the last-minute partner switch. Khiteeva has a lovely presence, vintage port de bras and elegant, restrained classical lines and I've read numerous comments saying her persona isn't done justice on the video. I know Khiteeva is not the most traditional adagio dancer but I was blown away. The dream adagio variation is stunning, smooth, and calm and the details of her port de bras are unmissable. Not to mention, her reprisal of the coda, when Ermakov had gotten injured literally just minutes before, takes nerves of steel (and iron calves).

My main criticisms with her lie in the wedding variation, her legs just look a little shot and you can tell. I thought she looked a bit tired and this affected her upper body and epaulement as well, which was gorgeous for most of the ballet. There was wobbly pointework and some clunky and imprecise pas de bouree. This variation is deceptively difficult because it's so simple and your mistakes are so easily visible, and you have to dance it at the end of a very long ballet. Khiteeva has some progress to make in terms of her stamina for a full-length ballet, especially one as intense as Raymonda but I thought this was a very solid debut.

Regarding Pollack's complaints about on 'overweight' ballerinas. Khiteeva's body type, while not as slender as some of the other Mariinsky dancers, resembles a lot of dancers in major European and American companies. I'm not going to name names but look at some of the top principals at the Royal, Dutch National, and even Paris Opera for instance. Of course, all of the women are in ridiculous shape, but few are as rail thin as many of the Russians, this doesn't affect their ability to dance or portray particular characters in ballet. This is separate from talking about typecasting or technical abilities.

And while I don't disagree that Ermakov is overworked, telling the women that they need to diet to extremes is just not the solution. Google says Ermakov is 195 cm, at that height, he's going to be responsible for dancing with the tallest women in the company. Mariinsky knows what dancers they have employed- and they have a lot of tall, long-legged women. They're not suddenly going to weigh (nor should they) the same as shorter dancers. There is also not an actual 'definition' of a magic weight that a professional dancer has to weigh. I'm sure Pollack is referring to the VBA regulations but those are incredibly stringent, (girls over 50kg are often not allowed to be lifted) and have been consistently tied to eating disorders and also are structured for students going through puberty, not fully grown women. I know for a fact that these are certainly not followed in the professional world. Certainly, there is pressure to be in shape and to be thin, but different bodies carry weight differently and there is a growing acceptance of dancers looking like women and not like toothpicks, especially in the West. Case in point, I weigh more than 50kg, I'm dancing pas de deux, classical and contemporary on stage with a prominent theater, as do many of my colleagues. So much about safe, effective lifts is about technique, coordination and trust, not just about a number on the scale.

The bigger issue, which Pollack makes no mention of is that Ermakov does not have enough help. Among the principal men, Kimin and Stepin haven't been cast with the tallest women, only Askerov can really chip in. Considering the first soloists, Belyakov is useful but Capitane is not tall enough, Korneyev and Konovalov are not the most stable partners, Sergeev is aging out of big classical roles and Zverev's stage presence is frequently lackluster. The second soloists have a lot of young guys, who are slowly developing but have limited repertoires at the moment. I think Malyshev and Baibordin have a lot of potential, but I'm not sure either of them has danced a principal role in a full-length ballet. They can't be go to, pinch replacements with their lack of experience. This is one consequence of MT being so slow to develop their younger men, it means that people like Ermakov and Askerov have more intense workloads and are more vulnerable to injury. Now I wish the MT management did more to combat that, if they want to continue to hire so many tall, lanky women, I wish they would be more proactive about hiring men and continuing to look outside VBA for talent.

[tikitania]

I need to rant somewhere: Catherine Pollack wrote this on her instagram: LIKE WHAT THE FFFFFF. The irony is that she posted videos of Khiteeva dancing BEAUTIFULLY alongside this.

A memorable matinee performance of “Raymonda” took place on March 15. First, there were more than twenty debuts in roles ranging from principal to secondary and character parts. Second, and unfortunately, A. Ermakov was injured during his variation. Another factor, in my opinion, was the accumulated stress caused by his many years of being (and there’s no other word for it) exploited as the company’s tallest and strongest male dancer, tasked with lifting larger female soloists. Instead of getting into shape themselves, these dancers relied on his exceptional partnering abilities. He repeatedly risked his health by lifting performers of weight categories that, by definition, should not exist in classical ballet (though this doesn’t entirely apply to the debuting ballerina). Before long, the tall prima ballerinas of the Mariinsky will have no partner to dance with, because these female soloists simply cannot lose weight.

By the way, Andrei “jumped into” the production, replacing T. Askerov, with whom A. Khiteeva had been preparing her debut (Timur withdrew a couple of days prior). I must commend Alexandra’s resilience and resourcefulness: having lost her partner on stage, she instantly adapted and filled the sudden gap in Jean de Brienne’s coda with an improvised repeat of her own coda using passé relevé—at an incredible tempo and with aplomb. Bravo! In the current climate, stress tolerance is in high demand; the company needs ballerinas it can depend on.

All the same, A. Khiteeva’s inclusion in “Raymonda” is contentious for reasons I’ve already discussed in my notes. Her artistic type is more ingénue than Grand Dame, and her access to the lead roles in “Swan Lake,” “La Bayadère,” and “Raymonda” was justifiably restricted, primarily due to her ballet and physical attributes—her stocky figure and proportions.

“The role of Kitri can be assigned to a highly agile ballerina… But to dance Odette and Odile or Raymonda, a ballerina must have a slender figure, ‘singing’ arms, and long legs. Dancers with a squat figure are not suitable for these roles…,” writes choreographer R.V. Zakharov, and I share his opinion. To be continued…

I JUST read this as well. Catherine Pollack is one of the most hardcore adherents to emploi in the strictest sense, but she’s not unique in the Russian ballet world. She has written scathing reviews of Shakirova (bad proportions, bad technique) and Bulanova (too heavy, bad taste) due to their physiques.

I find her writing to be annoyingly filled with double negatives that make her come across as ambiguous . She compliments certain aspects of Khiteeva’s debut, commends the coach for optimizing the Khireeva’s skills, but ultimately says she’ll never be a prima because of her physique. She’s not the first to critique Khiteeva based on that….but what’s really annoying is that she didn’t actually provide much of a review….she just rambled about “amplitude.”

I’m with you on the ranting.

[balletomaneblog]

The Top Female Vaganova Graduates of the Past Ten Years: Then and Now (Part I)

2015 - Renata Shakirova (Mariinsky Principal)

This was actually a tough one since 2015 was such an amazing year for graduates, especially considering that both the ninth year and eighth years graduated together. But in the end, Shakirova just seemed to me the most professional and technically strong in 2015! A star then and now!

Role I'd love to see her début: The Sylph

Special Mentions: Anastasia Lukina, Nika Tsvikhtaria, Elena Solomyanko

2015 (Laurencia at Graduation):

2024 (Dulcinea Variation in Don Quixote) :

2016 - Alyona Kovalyova (Bolshoi Principal)

This one was a no-brainer. While Maria Ilyushkina is a rising star now, her technique and strength in her Vaganova days were still developing while Kovalyova was the clear featured star graduate. After being rejected from Mariinsky for being too tall, she was offered a contract with the Bolshoi and quickly rose through the ranks, including spending only one year in the corps de ballet!

Role I'd love to see her début: Anna Karenina

Special Mentions: Maria Ilyushkina, Laura Fernandez-Gromova

2016 (Raymonda in Grand Pas shortly after graduating):

2024 (Nikiya in La Bayadère):

2017 - Eleonora Sevenard (Bolshoi Principal):

Another obvious choice, Sevenard was the clear stand-out. She was accepted into both the Mariinsky and the Bolshoi, before choosing the Bolshoi! She spent two years in the corps but was given soloist and principal opportunities right off the bat, including debuting as Masha in the Nutcracker in her first season. She was promoted to principal in 2023!

Role I'd love to see her début: Aurora

Special Mentions: Vlada Borodulina

2017 (Fairy Doll during graduate year):

2024 (Kitri in Don Quixote):

2018 - Maria Khoreva (Mariinsky First Soloist)

2018 was another year like 2015 with tons of amazing graduates. However, the graduate who garnered the most attention before and after graduation and who finished at the top of the class is Maria Khoreva. At only eighteen her technique was shockingly close to flawless and only two months into her first season she was promoted to first soloist! Khoreva has not be dancing for most of the past two seasons due to injury, but she is finally returning to the Mariinsky stage at the start of this season!

Role I'd love to see her début: Parasha (Bronze Horseman)

Special mentions: Maria Bulanova, Anastasia Nuikina, Daria Ionova, Anastasia Petushkova, Biborka Lendvai, Anita Voroshilova

2018 (Paquita shortly after her graduation):

2023 (Odile in Swan Lake last year):

2019 - Alexandra Khiteyeva (Mariinsky First Soloist)

Alexandra Khiteyeva was by far the strongest graduate of 2019. She had been featured in Vaganova graduation performances since her sixth year. After joining the Mariinsky, her initial progress was slowed due to COVID, but after four years in the Corps she was promoted, first to Second Soloist and just recently to First Soloist!

Role I'd love to see her début: Juliet

Special mentions: Svetlana Savelieva, Yulia Spiridonova

2019 (Paquita at graduation):

2023 (Cristina in Paquita):

[patricedumonde]

I need to rant somewhere: Catherine Pollack wrote this on her instagram: LIKE WHAT THE FFFFFF. The irony is that she posted videos of Khiteeva dancing BEAUTIFULLY alongside this.

A memorable matinee performance of “Raymonda” took place on March 15. First, there were more than twenty debuts in roles ranging from principal to secondary and character parts. Second, and unfortunately, A. Ermakov was injured during his variation. Another factor, in my opinion, was the accumulated stress caused by his many years of being (and there’s no other word for it) exploited as the company’s tallest and strongest male dancer, tasked with lifting larger female soloists. Instead of getting into shape themselves, these dancers relied on his exceptional partnering abilities. He repeatedly risked his health by lifting performers of weight categories that, by definition, should not exist in classical ballet (though this doesn’t entirely apply to the debuting ballerina). Before long, the tall prima ballerinas of the Mariinsky will have no partner to dance with, because these female soloists simply cannot lose weight.

By the way, Andrei “jumped into” the production, replacing T. Askerov, with whom A. Khiteeva had been preparing her debut (Timur withdrew a couple of days prior). I must commend Alexandra’s resilience and resourcefulness: having lost her partner on stage, she instantly adapted and filled the sudden gap in Jean de Brienne’s coda with an improvised repeat of her own coda using passé relevé—at an incredible tempo and with aplomb. Bravo! In the current climate, stress tolerance is in high demand; the company needs ballerinas it can depend on.

All the same, A. Khiteeva’s inclusion in “Raymonda” is contentious for reasons I’ve already discussed in my notes. Her artistic type is more ingénue than Grand Dame, and her access to the lead roles in “Swan Lake,” “La Bayadère,” and “Raymonda” was justifiably restricted, primarily due to her ballet and physical attributes—her stocky figure and proportions.

“The role of Kitri can be assigned to a highly agile ballerina… But to dance Odette and Odile or Raymonda, a ballerina must have a slender figure, ‘singing’ arms, and long legs. Dancers with a squat figure are not suitable for these roles…,” writes choreographer R.V. Zakharov, and I share his opinion. To be continued…

What the actual F. Alexandra Khiteeva CLEARED that role and she is nowhere near stocky. What a disgusting takeaway from a beautiful debut. Khiteeva may not have the ideal ballet body by Russian standards but she is an absolutely beautiful dancer who can dance O/O and Raymonda. Wow. Just wow. In this day and age?

[ellianasdeadpointeshoes]

Okay let's do this

-belle Marie getting 1st place contemporary and top 12 classical is so iconic shes a star

-charnstrom sisters world domination. Bellas satanella has me in a chokehold

-I manifested harper doing the raymonda dream variation and it suited her so well she was gorgeous

-Kaia erby is destined to be a ballet star don't fight with me

-no sylvie satanella someone hates me

-Hailey turnbull

-Aliya 1st place contemporary at her 1st adc icb yeah that right

-Harper anderson 1st place classical and 4th place contemporary at her 1ST ADC ICB AND FIRST TIME IN THE JUNIOR DIVISION. Royal ballet is calling your name harpie

-im very suprised ophelia and violent didn't tie for classical they both demonstrated beautiful technique

-Victoria perfection as always

-vera souvannog is also destined to be a ballet star. You can s ue me larkin stans.

-Lilian justi my baby ballerina isn't so little any more

-Ava whitehurst getting 3rd place classical as a 1st year junior has me in my feels

-kya and Lena's duet has me in a choke hold

[steampunkhobo]

It’s my birthday, so I’m sharing by far my most self-indulgent post. I have two all encompassing interests- O Brother, Where Art Thou of course, what this blog is dedicated to, and ballet, which I’ve been involved in for many years and for all of my free time. So I’ve made the natural but very silly choice of combining the two- and not by commissioning the soggy bottom boys in tutus. I’ve gone through my favorite dances and picked the ones that I thought suited the characters best- or as good as you can get with these hillbillies.

I’m only doing variations and not pas de deux stuff or anything with a corps- the solos show greater depth of character, and group dances are more usually embodying a concept than a specific person or energy. These are NOT dances I think they would perform or dances I even think they’d particularly like, but dances that I think embody their energy and spirit. Written an explanation with each for the non-dancey people or people who can perceive these characters in normal ways. And because I can’t shut up about them ever at all.

Anyway:

Delmar:

This is not a particularly showy dance. She’s not getting into any crazy leaps or doing 20 fouetté turns- just a lot of really simple but clean and delicate footwork. It’s easy to underestimate this dance (read: Delmar) but not right to. The things that she gets, she really really gets. And the dance has a spirit all its own. She is in her own little world, something flowery and lovey-dovey, and it’s clear in the dance. She’s dancing for herself (if not textually), and the energy is so entrancing that you get caught in it too. And all that liveliness makes it feel like she’s being silly. Delmar is nothing if not silly.

Pete:

This is a dance that embodies strength- enough strength to get you through 13 years of prison and nearly getting murdered multiple times. (Surely that’s equivalent to dancing nearly an entire piece en pointe!) It’s a strength that’s been worked on and drilled in that it looks natural. To a casual observer, it seems easy, and even when you know it isn’t, it’s easy to forget just how much work it is. Everyone has a breaking point but she is fighting to make sure you can’t see hers. I also just love the confidence. I’d say sass, but that implies it’s unwarranted. She’s earned her confidence. That’s the attitude of someone who is right about most things and isn’t precious about saying it. You can make the choice not to listen to her, but it’s your own damn fault when you miss something or things go screwy for you. She commands attention. She commands respect. After all she’s been through, (Raymonda or Pete, take your pick), that’s the least you can give her.

Everett:

I’m trying to be indiscriminate with the genders, but there’s no way Everett doesn’t get a male variation. There is entirely too much swagger and arrogance in every male variation to go for anything else. And I’ve danced this one, so I know too well how pompous this one feels. Besides that obvious bit, though, this has a lot of flair, especially for a male variation. The peasant dances in Giselle are supposed to be a little less grand, based on folk dances and traditions, and that’s still here, of course- like Everett, a fancy hick is still a hick. But lord, is he trying to be fancy. And to his credit, it works. It’s just. Super transparent. But hell, if you got it, flaunt it. This is a dance that’s being used to court and charm the royals, and lord is Everett a charmer.

Tommy:

I love Tommy and think he’s a really underrated character, but god, we know so little about him. It was not easy to pick one for him 😭 Strangely enough, that works to Dulcinea’s advantage, however. She’s an important but mysterious presence, symbolized and discussed more than seen, appearing out of nowhere and returning just as easily. She’s going to do her thing, and if it behooves her to join your party or meddle in your affairs, she will. But she’s not beholden to you. Just kind enough to help. Also, supernaturally gifted. Just unreal talent. And of course, both performers had to put in a whole lot of work to seem that mystically talented.

Penny:

It’s hard to articulate why this one’s a match. Words are not a dancer’s strong suit. It’s just very light and feminine, fickle and girlish like Penny very often is- but this in no way signifies weakness. She is just as bosterious and strong-willed as Penny should be. Hell or high water, she’s going her own way. Everett’s being a shithead when he says it, but the truth behind him calling her a succubus is that the same traits that are so alluring on her can just as quickly be frustrating when she wants it to be. She’s nobody’s fool. Plus, that last bit with Romeo reminds me of that bit in the Woolworth’s when Penny loses herself a bit too much in Everett.

George Nelson:

The pointed fingers in this dance are supposed to symbolize electricity. And that’s all I have to say about that.

[balletthebestphotographs]

Olga Kishneva Ольга Кишнева

Olga Kishneva Ольга Кишнева, “Raymonda Variation” from “Raymonda Раймонда”, libretto by Lidia Pashkova Лидия Пашкова and Marius Petipa based on a medieval legend, choreo by Marius Petipa (1898) revised version by Konstantin Sergeev Константина Сергеев (1948) with choreo fragments by Fyodor Lopukhov Фёдор Лопухов, music by Aleksandr Glazunov Александр Глазунов, set and costume design by Simon Virsaladze Симон Вирсаладзе, 2024 Skazka Ballet Academy Anniversary Concert, Bolshoi Theater, Moscow, Russia.

Skazka Ballet Academy Website Skazka Ballet Academy on You Tube Skazka Ballet Academy on Facebook Skazka Ballet Academy on Instagram Skazka Ballet Academy on VKontakte

Source and more info at: Photographer Irina Abdullaeva on Threads Photographer Irina Abdullaeva on Facebook (New Born Photographer) Photographer Irina Abdullaeva on Facebook (Theater and Ballet Photographer) Photographer Irina Abdullaeva on Instagram (New Born Photographer) Photographer Irina Abdullaeva on Instagram (Theater and Ballet Photographer) Photographer Irina Abdullaeva on VKontakte Photographer Irina Abdullaeva on World Podium

Note I: This blog is open to receiving and considering any suggestions, contributions, and/or criticisms that may help correct mistakes or improve its content. Comments are available to any visitor.

Note II: Original quality of photographs might be affected by compression algorithm of the website where they are hosted.

[thesolemnhour]

i'm curious, what variation and ballerina would you give to agria

Ama, I am SO glad you asked! I mentioned it here, but I have decided to use my executive power as blog owner to answer this question in so much more detail than you could have ever wanted.

The tl;dr answer is Natalia Osipova. The answer is so strongly Natalia Osipova that I couldn't bring myself to assign her to anyone else, even to characters where it would have made sense like Ariadne, Mino, or Hilde (though I think I found more fitting answers). The emotional freedom of her performances and her dogged stubbornness to stick to her own vision scream Agria.

As for a variation, I am weak, and I can't pick just one, so I have three! Look out below, everyone. Ballet takes be upon ye.

Kitri's Entrance

Natalia Osipova debuted her first principal role as Kitri when she was actually still just a member of the corps de ballet at the Bolshoi in Moscow. Osipova's Kitri is so, so special. The music starts up, and immediately, Natalia just absolutely bowls you over with her force of personality. You never ever ask yourself, "Who is this Kitri character, and why is everyone so obsessed with her?" You're right there clapping along like the rest of the ensemble!

There are so many wonderful details to the way she plays the character. How she tips her head to the side with a big smile at 0:24 to the music just delights me. Wherever she goes, the stage is too small to hold her.

Osipova describes this debut like a Cinderella story. She said something to the extent of, "I performed as Kitri, and the next day, I woke up famous."

2. Giselle Act II (0:00-0:18 and 1:08-2:13 for Agria but by god you should watch all of it)

This is the Osipova role that truly means everything to me.

I want to give a little context about where Osipova was in her career at this point: in 2011, she left the Bolshoi because she found their way of doing things to be creatively restrictive. When someone at the Bolshoi tells you to do these steps in this order, it's not usually up for debate. She didn't sign another contract until 2013 when she joined the Royal Opera House. This performance isn't too long after.

Giselle is sometimes referred to as ballet's Hamlet; the range it demands is tremendous. I discussed it in greater detail here, but I really like to read Giselle as a coming-of-age story where Giselle becomes an adult through the act of dying. Act II Giselle is all regret and wasted potential. Emma Byrne put it best when she said Osipova's Giselle rose from her grave "hollowed-eyed and sunken-cheeked, ready to go into battle for love."

It must have been so difficult for Osipova to follow up such an incredible performance as Kitri at the Bolshoi, and though she'd had a million incredible performances since she'd left, I think putting such a profound stamp on the character of Giselle in this performance proved that Osipova had been right to leave. It allowed her to grow.

Everything about this, from Osipova's place in life to the eeriness she manages to convey to Giselle's theme of regret, fit Agria outrageously well.

3. Raymonda Act III

Osipova in absolute command of her craft! I picked this variation for Lenarius/Leonosa to demonstrate Svetlana Zakhrova's control and precision, but here, I want to point out the way that Osipova throws herself into every role with all of the blood and breath in her body. She couldn't possibly be giving more at any moment. It's thrilling, and it feels like watching a force of nature. This is exactly how Agria would dance.

[miss-mollys-ballet-blog]

I just realized that maybe eventually I will actually be able to do Raymonda's clapping variation if pointe works out.

I might get to dance my dream variation omgggggggggg.

And yes, I know that is YEARS away. But as Shia LaBeouf once said:

[uselessdancedata]

Pre-comp repertoire:

Coppelia 1st act variation

Cupid Don Quixote

Fairy Doll

Flower Festival at Genzano Pas de deux variations

Giselle Peasant pas de deux variations

Graduation Ball pas de deux variations

Harlequinade pas de deux variations

La Bayadere Three Shade variations

La Fille Mal Gardee pas de deux variations

Le Corsaire Odalisque variations

Paquita all (excl. principal) variations

Raymonda all (excl. principal) variations

Swan Lake pas de trois variations

Flames of Paris pas de deux variations

Sleeping Beuty fairies and bluebird oas de deux variations

ah yeah that is definitely more than 10 I was way off 😭 thanks for this!

they still have a lot less to choose from than the seniors though, that's still true

[ballet-symphonie]

Let’s play a game: which dancers are fit for a role in repertoire that their company doesn’t do?

Tiler Peck-Etudes. She would nail the musicality aspect of the lead ballerina. Chun Wai Chan should partner her, Roman Mejia should be the soloist that does the cabrioles and pirouette combos in the Mazurka section.

(She mentioned that she really wants to do Giselle and Manon, but tbh I don’t think she’s a dancer that can carry a strong story)

Nela-Etoile variation from Paquita, Aspiccia from La Fille du Pharoan.

Olga Smirnova-Titania in Balanchine’s Midsummer (Het Nationaale does do The Dream, so I definitely want to see her as Titania in that though haha)

Osipova-The Sleepwalker in La Somnambula, the lead in La Valse, the lead in white in Balanchine’s Walpurgisnacht (aka Faust), Dew Drop in Balanchine’s Nutcracker.

Vishneva (in her prime)-Jeanne from Flames of Paris, also Aspiccia.

Novikova-Phrygia from Spartacus, Adelaide in Flames of Paris

Tereshkina-Aegina from Spartacus

Oooh some interesting choices here.

I'd kill for a Tiler Peck in Etudes. I also think it would be super fascinating to see the Balanchine style in such a classical ballet. We differ on Giselle, I think she would be wonderfully charming, especially in Act 1. She'd need someone of substance to coach her, I hear Ferri is coming back stateside for the Met season?

Marianela would be a dream in Paquita Etoile, I can just imagine her sailing around endlessly in those attitudes so smoothly. I'm not significantly attached to any version of Pharoh's Daughter. What I am much more interested in is Marianela in a full-length Raymonda. I have been tempted by the far too low-quality video of her doing the Hungarian Wedding Variation and I need the whole thing.

Smirnova will certainly get that role, although I'm more interested in her trying her chops in more modern-era works.

I've read some reviews of City Ballet this season saying that La Somnambula has felt a bit flat this season without a compelling leading lady. If nothing else, Osipova can absolutely bring the drama needed for that role. Dewdrop could also be interesting, but we'd need Bolshoi era Osipova and her speed.

I could take or leave Vishenva in Flames of Paris and we've already talked about Pharoah's Daughter. I'd rather see her in some more MacMillan (Mayerling or Isadora) or Maillot (Perhaps Katherina in Taming of the Shrew or Daphnis and Chloe)

Nothing to say about the Novikova and Tereshkina choices, both would be excellent in those roles. I'd also throw Swanilda to Novikova.

[tikitania]

The dancers I follow at Bolshoi are currently scheduled for the following at the moment:

La Bayadere: Yaroslavna Kuprina: Gamzatti Maria Koshkaryova: Gamzatti Sofia Maymula: First variation (kingdom of Shades) X2

La Fille du Pharaon: Elizaveta Kokoreva: Aspicia Yaroslavna Kuprina: Congo X2 & The Fisherman's Wife Elisabetta Nallin: Pas d'action (second variation) & Neva Sofia Maymula: Pas d'action (second variation) Maria Zakota: Pas d'action (second variation) X2 Maria Koshkaryova: The Fisherman's Wife

Swan Lake: Maria Koshkaryova: Friends to the prince X2 Yaroslavna Kuprina: Friends to the prince & Waltz Anastasia Smirnova: Friends to the prince Elisabetta Nallin: Waltz & Three swans X2 Darina Moseyeva: Three swans X2

La Sylphide: Elisabetta Nalin: Sylph Master and Margarita: Diana Vishneva: Margarita The Bright Stream: Elizaveta Kokoreva: Ballerina Darina Moseyeva: Zina's friends X3 Yaroslavna Kuprina: Zina's friends X3

The Flames of Paris: Maria Koshkaryova: Jeanne Elizaveta Kokoreva: Jeanne Anastasia Smirnova: Mireille de Poitiers Sofia Maymula: Amour in the ballet Rinaldo and Armida Darina Moseyeva: Friends to Armida in the ballet Rinaldo and Armida

The Seagull: Svetlana Zakharova: Irina Nikolaevna Arkadina X2 Elizaveta Kokoreva: Nina Mikhailovna Zarechnaya X2

The Tempest: Darina Moseyeva: Cerera

I don't watch the Bolshoi as closely, but I'll add that Margarita Strainer and Ulyana Moksheva impress me quite a bit. I'm am soooooo curious about Kuprina's debut as Gamzatti. She has the best teacher at the Bolshoi, and from what I've seen of her in Raymonda and Swan Lake, she looked lovely.

[balletomaneblog]

Royal Ballet Promotions/Joiners/Leavers Announced for 24-25 Season!!

The Royal Ballet announced company changes for the next season. I'll link the article below! Here are some of my thoughts:

Generally, very pleased with this season's promotions.

For principal promotions (setting aside the fact that the Royal has way too many principals already) Sissens is so talented and deserving of the spot.

Really pleased that Buvoli was promoted to First Soloist, after already having Sugar Plum, Fairy Godmother, Myrtha, and Empress Elisabeth (in Mayerling) she'd definitely deserving of this position. I think she's really had a spectacular couple of years and it's great that she's finally getting attention. I feel similarly about Dias and Sasaki, though I'm not as well-versed in their current rep.

For soloists, if Ikarashi hadn't been promoted to soloist I would have been shocked. Ever since his performance and win at the Erik Bruhn Competition, I've really been following him, he's so so talented and elegant on stage.

Now for the First Artists. I think Tsembenhoi and Pantuso are no brainers. They both debuted Clara this year and Pantuso also debuted Perdita. I'm super happy for both of them. I think they both bring something unique and valuable to the Royal Ballet. I'm also happy about Gallucci's promotion. And finally, I am SOOO thrilled that S. Sasaki was finally promoted to First Artist. I honestly think she should have been promoted a year or two ago, she's just such a refined and elegant dancer.

As for leavers, I was so so sad to hear that Gina Storm-Jensen is leaving for Norwegian National Ballet. I really loved her and was hoping she'd one day be a first soloist. Also, so disappointed about Stanisław Węgrzyn leaving. However, they have severely undervalued him and I'm glad he's finally getting the soloist contract he deserves at Semperoper Dresden.

For the joiners, I am super thrilled that the Prix De Lausanne Prize Winner Airi Kobayashi is joining for next season. Her Raymonda variation at the Prix was so stunning!

[patricedumonde]

The Young Prima of the Bolshoi: Elizaveta Kokoreva

I have to preface this with the fact that I have been an avid Mariinsky watcher ever since my childhood. I grew up watching and studying the likes of Altynai Asylmuratova, Ulyana Lopatkina, Diana Vishneva, and Alina Somova. These dancers, to me, are the standard of classical ballet. The grace, the cleanliness of Mariinsky primas and the corps, has always felt transcendent. However, I have also found that Mariinsky dancers can sometimes lack passion and emotion on stage.

Bolshoi was a sharp contrast to this, as I found their dancers to be passionate and often, bravura. Sometimes though, in performing an exhibition of tricks (this, of course, is not exclusive to Bolshoi dancers), artistry and technique can get compromised.

One dancer I have been watching since her days at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy is Elizaveta Kokoreva. I think it's rare to find a dancer who has impeccable technique, charisma, showmanship, and vulnerability on stage.

I think you all know by now that I am a stickler to rules. I don't care for extra turns nor extremely high jumps if dancers are unable to start and finish in fifth. I think Liza makes terrific decisions on when to add embellishments. I think she's perfect for the Bolshoi because she has THAT showmanship.

Surprisingly, of all the variations she has performed through the years, her dream scene from Raymonda always stuck out to me because of her precision. If you were to cut her movement frame by frame, she is always picture perfect. If you are familiar with Lea Salonga and her diction, Liza is her equivalent in ballet! The clarity in each movement, it makes each step feel so crisp.

As always, there's still room to grow for prima ballerinas. Two observations for Liza, first is she's very controlled with her center. We can see how strong her core is from her balancing acts, those heavenly arabesques! Sometimes though, there are dances that require more softness and flexibility with the torso. Think, Ashley Bouder as Dew Drop for Balanchine's The Nutcracker. I think the slight stiffness can be seen in these steps from Grand Pas Classique and Coppelia. A more pronounced cambré would elevate the step.

Second, everything feels monotonous at times. She's already very reliable in executing every step with precision; she adds embellishments mostly by holding a balance a second or two longer or by slowing down a movement like an Italian fouetté. I would love to see stronger accents here and there, almost like an exclamation point. See below, when she prepares for her series of pique turns at the end of the Kitri variation. It's very soft when it could use more force.

Although it isn't pictured here, I think she has made significant strides in terms of artistry. She has proven to be versatile. I thought that her personality would be limited to more bravura roles, but I have genuinely enjoyed seeing her in Giselle and Chopiniana, and even more modern works like The Seagull and The Winter's Tale.

I think a lot of dancers can learn from Liza. It is evident that she is a thoughtful dancer as all her movements feel so sure. For those of you who don't know, Elizaveta Kokoreva graduated from BBA in 2019 and is now a prima ballerina with the Bolshoi Ballet. She is, in my opinion, still an underrated dancer.

Credits to TheBunduBallerina on Youtube for all of these clips