#Kamila Sultangareeva

[balletomaneblog]

why do you think kamila sultangareeva has transferred to the bolshoi ballet academy? i just noticed this and was caught a bit off guard, since i feel like it’s usually the other way around

I have no actual confirmed reasons. I first found out when I saw her in a video of the Grand Pas in La Bayadere from the BBA graduation show and I was totally surprised.

Like you said, it's much more common for dancers to transfer from BBA to Vaganova (like Plotnikova and Kulikova) since it gives them a much better chance of being accepted into the Mariinsky. Conversely, very rarely have Vaganova students so late in their education transferred to BBA.

A concert put out by Vaganova on their youtube channel in April shows many students performing pieces from the graduation shows. Kamila performed the Gulnare variation and a variation of one of the soloists in the Laurencia Pas de Six. This makes it seem like the Vaganova leadership had intended to cast her as both Gulnare in Le Corsaire and in the Pas de Six in Laurencia. Sultangareeva was also in the front of the class during exams and was also cast as Two Snowflakes and Four Couples in Pink Waltz in this year's Nutcracker. So it seems that the Vaganova instructors and leadership were all very supportive of Sultangareeva.

So . . . kinda weird. If I wanted to speculate, maybe the reason is that she's just not interested in one day joining the Mariinsky and wanted to be closer to Moscow theaters. Even more of a leap, there could be a possibility that Vaziev wants to give her roles with the Bolshoi while still a student in Moscow the same way he did for Sergeenkova and Maymula. Or it could be a totally different reason 🤷‍♀️.

Personally, the strangest thing for me is that she left with only a month or two left in the school year, right before grad performances! That's very unusual and I think it probably upset some people at Vaganova since it likely messed up their casting.

[ballet-symphonie]

Do you know where Kamila Sultangareeva is going?

I believe she still has one more year at VBA?

ETA: she has switched to BBA, very interesting

[patricedumonde]

Do you think Sofya Valiullina can progress further with Bolshoi? Especially with new hires/graduates coming into the company soon. Not sure what the consensus is in Russia but from what I see majority of Russian comments on Instagram and YouTube of her performances are rather negative. I know it is impossible but I really think she is so perfect for so many ballet companies outside of Russia. I can see her at Royal ballet. Also, any news of Kuprina ?

Tough question re: Sofya. It depends on how many graduates are going to Bolshoi and how many of them have soloist potential. Kamila Sultangareeva will definitely be one of them. I still have high hopes for her bc she is being given soloist roles, but you’re right in assuming that it might die down this coming year. It really depends on who’s coming!

Tbh I want to see more Vaganova graduates in America too. I really thought it would’ve been awesome to have Jaden Grimm in ABT or SF Ballet. Sofya in Royal Ballet would be such a dream, her repertoire would increase drastically!

More VBA graduates should consider Vienna State Ballet too, it’s now under Alessandra Ferri’s leadership!! There are also so many companies outside of Russia that would serve them all well. Berlin, Munich, Dutch National, Paris!

As for Yaroslavna, I saw her dressed up like she was going to class back in January/February. This was on her instagram story but that was it. No hints at a return to stage so I’m definitely worried about that.

[tikitania]

Hi there! About your ask on VBA graduation exams, I saw two girls that were also very commented: Daria Kulikova and Pinja Rissanen, from Yulia Kasenkova's class. But I very much agree with you, these girls are insanely talented. Kovaleva is known for having very successful students, but I so prefer Kasenkova's class this year. I really hope these girls go to good companies. (I'm personally rooting for Karamysheva and Kulikova). And don't worry, Kuprina is very safe. Being a trainee at the MT basically guaranteed her invitation for the company. I'll say something though, the girls that joined the theater from 2015 forward will probably get less opportunities at the company, when this graduates arrive. And the ones from 2019 forward will probably get buried, sadly. These girls are no joke lol. I was VERY impressed. Koshkareva is the closest thing to Vishneva, since Diana herself. Olga Smirnova is probably the most famous one after Vishneva, but their styles are different so

I agree that this graduating class is super talented…and I completely forgot about Kulikova. She was a Moscow student who transferred over in her 8th year to Vaganova. But let's see how they do in the transition from school to the theatre. For their sake, I hope they can develop at a more even-keeled pace, rather than thrown into lead roles like Khoreva. However, with Konduarova and Tereshkina injured and so many first soloists reaching the end of their careers…(Eseeva, Novikova, Osmolkina, Kolageva, among others) I think there's quite a bit of room at the top to be honest. Another little tidbit I learned is that Kamila Sultangareeva (7th year) ditched Vaganova mid-exams and transferred to the Moscow School - it created quite a scandal. She was the 3rd prize winner at last year's Moscow Ballet Competition.

[ballet-symphonie]

MOSCOW IBC QUESTIONS

(I'm back? Maybe?)

omg do you agree with the freaking result of Moscow IBC 2022? Sminorva 2nd??? seriously cmon... also the juniors, im pretty weirded out, but Maria Koshkareva definitely deserved Prize I!

Smirnova in 2nd is absolute garbage, I'm sorry. I have nothing else to say.

Koshkareva in first is entirely logical but I'm not sure if I agree with the rest of the results below her, especially because the final round was supposed to be weighted more. And basically, everyone was a hot mess in round 3 because no one could get through the Girgorovich repertoire. Valiullina danced a variation that did her absolutely no favors and she was falling out of turns left and right, the same can be said for Yeonjoo Jung and Karamysheva. And for crying out loud, Kuprina fell on her face!

I'd give the 2nd prize to Kamila Sultangareeva who really upped her game in the 3rd round by showing 2 diverse variations executed incredibly well. And I think I would have put Alicia Pak above everyone else for 3rd, yes she's young but she has a dynamic quality of movement, a natural jump and danced two Grigorovich pieces beautifully in the 3rd round.

But then decisions like I made lead to questions about how you judge the competition to begin with, are you judging by who dances the best on that night? By who has the most potential? Best body type? Most powerful school/teacher/connections? That's a whole separate topic and the results change drastically based on how you judge.

I also think the boys results below first place are a bit iffy as well and a pretty decent indication of competitors' schools influencing the results. I think I would have had Siheon Jeong higher than all of the VBA boys.

Masha Koshakaryova won Gold in the juniors, Anastasia Smirnova won silver medal bc judges decided to not award gold? Which like...I really really dislike when competitions do that. She did do a great Carmen and Odile variation though. I would be very happy to see her debut either one (idk if Mikailovsky even does Carmen though)

I also disagree with them not awarding medals. Competitions should be judged based on who competes, not based on some imaginary standard. If you're the best out of who shows up, then you should win first place, no questions asks. I can understand reserving the Grand Prix for truly outstanding talent, but the rest of the prizes should be given out in full. Dancers need the money!!!!

I don't think MK has a Carmen production? (Happy to be corrected here) and I want to see her in O/O eventually....but not before she matures a bit more in her adagio dancing.

Hey Ale! Is there any chance of some of the competitors in IBC to join in the BT? Such as Smirnova for example...

I mean anything is possible, who knows. Vaziev and Grigorovich will decide. Stylistically, I think she could do very well under the BT of 10-15 years ago, but with what style of dancers are currently being favored...I'm not sure we'd see a ton of her there. She could mold herself into what I think of as the 'classic BT' style, but there's not a lot of that left in the theatre currently.

But honestly, for Smirnova, I'm not sure how many people are on her side at this point. She's caused a lot of tensions jumping back and forth between MK and MT, it makes her look like a 'risky' dancer to have in a company and there is plenty of speculation going around that her switching companies damaged her relationships with influential people on the jury and cost her the gold.

I really don't understand, Anastasia Smirnova has the technique, stage presence, star quality, and performed her solos outstandingly yet isn't awarded first place and ties for second? What do they have against her?

As I said above, her company switches have likely given them something to hold against her. Some might not love her style but I think it's very hard to objectively disregard the stability and elevation of her technical feats and her overwhelming charisma.

omg russian audience are talking.... valiullina taking bad rep about her ibc performance. idk she's a bit well known since she was a child, too much expectations on her shoulders. people are quick to judge.

The forums (and people online in general) love to talk trash. Some people aren't always the best dancers in a competition setting. You've really got to have ice in your veins to go out there and give your best performance on strong legs. This competition was by far the biggest stakes performance she's ever taken and she didn't quite rise to the occasion. She's also got a TON on her plate right now (so does everyone at VBA but everyone handles pressure differently. The 'sink or swim' method isn't for everyone, maybe it would have been better for her to compete in a duet or even as a not competing partner but who knows, what if's are useless.

very bold of valiullina to dance odile and raymonda in front of yuri grigorovich himself. 😳😭 i think she got nervous, her routines werent the prettiest, but ok, well done, it's over.

She got through it, that's about all there is to say. What's really unfortunate is that she never seemed to shake the nerves that were there from the first round. Instead the opposite happened and her stability completely disappeared by the final round, she stepped on stage and I felt like she had very little confidence in her own abilities.

I know gamzatti is hard, so is odile, and esp raymonda.... and sofia's performance... did not look so great.... it was all over the place. A for effort I guess, i think shes young and extremely nervous., and small preparation time bec of grad concert. I do hope she'll strive to improve, and better performances in the future. Koshkaryova's pretty impressive, i especially enjoyed her contemporary, Maestro. I think she'll win.

See above for Sofia

I think her contemporary is a bit tacky and cheesy but so is most of the choreography that was made for this competition. It shows her skills well and that's what's important.

Regardless of the results at Moscow IBC, Illuishkina has grown so much as a dancer in these past few years. She’s so confident now and her turns are so much better.

100% agree and her prize is totally deserved. She's improved tremendously this year, first the showstopping Nikiya and now this!!

Why do the jury members always look so grumpy and have such bad posture lol? If I was a dancer I would be terrified to see them like that in the audience.

Not me about to defend a bunch of old white men....but sitting there watching for like 3+ hours straight and about 6-7 hours a day and having to write so much so quickly isn't exactly pleasant. It gets old, really fast. They're all old dancers and have bad backs....give their posture a break ahaha. But luckily, the dancers most likely can't see them clearly. With the harsh stage lights contrasting with the dark house, it's very difficult to pick out anything more detailed than lumps of people. They certainly can't see all of Tsiskaridze's eye rolls or Fayteyev putting his head in his hands.

[ballet-symphonie]

I also thought Maria Koshkareva as 165cm. She always seems tiny, guess her class are of the taller side like Sofya Valiullina, the Kholodkova twin, Polina and Ksenia. Sofya seems to be 3 inch taller than her so she’s 5’ 10 atleast

Was watching the VBA 2020 concert showcase, there’s a girl dancing Japanese doll София Тай. Was wondering what happen to her because never notice there’s another Sofia in their batch.

On the topic of concert, thought Kamila Sultangareeva would be dancing.

It would be a tight year but at least we’ll see graduation concert where the actual graduating year dancing. Although it’s kinda sad seeing Pinja Rissanen, Remie Goins and Alisa Garkavenko not there.

Yea I'm fairly certain that I have the relative order of heights correct. but I simply had the girls at a shorter scale. Koshkaryeva, who always looks so short next to her classmates, says she's 170, then Sofya Valiullina must be around 175+ in my opinion.

I don't know anything about Sofia Tan, could only find that video plus a few videos of her dancing in exams. Judging by her name, she's likely a foreign student. I wouldn't be surprised if she left the academy during the pandemic and then didn't return.

Was definitely surprised to see Kamila Sultangareeva's absence. I've heard some conflicting rumours about injuries/health concerns and I'm not sure what's going on. Hopefully, she's doing well and we'll see her during Nutcracker.

I'm honestly not sad for those girls because I couldn't morally or ethically justify attending VBA right now. Vaganova is certainly a legendary school, but let's not act like its the only school on the planet capable of producing excellent dancers. And while I'm only familiar with Remie Goins, I highly suspect that she's in a training environment that is going to be giving her much more attention and individually

[patricedumonde]

I’m going to ask about the 2023 class too (they’re just so exciting!). Did you see videos from their graduation performances? What did you think of them and of the casting choices? Honestly, I was sort of expecting them to highlight Maria as the star and everyone else to be getting prominent but soloist roles or something. But it seems they split the spotlight, with Yaroslavna opening and Sofya closing the performance as Laurencia (if I remember correctly, Renata Shakirova danced Laurencia at her graduation).

Got to be honest with you, I don’t know much about the 2023 class. 😅 Was the girl who danced Gulnare in the 2023 class? Was that Alicka Barinova? (Now that Kamila Sultangareeva is in BBA, I just know Alicka haha) If so, she’s graceful and that’s all I can say from the grad performance bc we really didn’t see much.

Honestly, that was by far, the worst graduation performance we’ve seen in a few years. You are totally right with the top three students sharing the spotlight. I felt like they didn’t even showcase their strengths that well 🥲 I don’t know why instead of having two Medoras, they didn’t just make Yaroslavna Gulnare and Masha Medora. Yaroslavna is a very delicate dancer and Masha is more bravura which is why I think Yaroslavna would’ve made a great Gulnare.

Also, since Masha is more of a bravura dancer, I would have casted her as Laurencia instead, and Sofya as Medora. (And yes, Renata did dance Laurencia for her graduation so it’s very full circle for Sofya if you watched the documentary 😆) Angelina Karamysheva also deserved more time on stage, with a proper solo.

Ugh idk, I get that everyone is tired of Paquita but it was just a perfect way to 1. get every top student a solo, 2. put the spotlight on the top graduate, and 3. preview the incoming graduating class. It was also a great way to compare each graduating class. The 2017-2019 performances just featured all our favorite students and I didn’t feel that the last graduation performance. It’s really unfortunate. I don’t even remember anyone from the year before either bc they gave the principal roles to Sofya and Masha. 🙃 The last two performances were just idk, not my favorite.

Rant over!!!

[balletomaneblog]

the main inconvenience that kamila caused by leaving wasn't the graduation performances because they had multiple casts already for her parts (gulnara and pasquala), it was the exams because she left after taking only half of them. she left two days before the duet exam and her partner had to relearn all her parts with alisa barinova in two days, who ended up partnering twice because kamila had had very difficult parts that couldn't be done by just any girl. they also had to switch some things for the acting exam but they had much more time for that. it's very strange to leave two days before an exam like that (especially a duet exam because that kind of screws her partner over), it almost feels like something very sudden happened to force their hand. the gossip mill was saying that it was because bolshoi academy is having their 250th anniversary this year so their graduation performances are a milestone this year, and they didn't have enough good girls to fill out their main roles so they approached kamila, and since their performances were in one month she had to go there asap for rehearsals. I'm not sure what to make of that because it sounds so drastic. another possibility I heard was that she and her parents went directly to the bolshoi theatre to arrange an internship, something like what you said, but I don't know if that explains the tight timing. it's a very strange situation all around.

Thank you for the additional information. It must have been very stressful for her duet partner, Barinova, and her partners for her Acting exams. The whole thing is so strange.

I don't think Sultangareeva went to the BBA to help with the castings for their graduation because it seemed like she didn't have any huge parts. As far as I know she was a Grand Pas dancer in La Bayadère Pas d'Action and in Classical Symphony. I don't know if her role in Classical Symphony was also a solo part, but I know at least that she wasn't the Part 1 soloist. So I would think there was at least one more girl in all of the BBA who could have done these roles. Personally, if I were a BBA dancer I would have been annoyed that they had cast someone who had been in the school for only a few weeks in the graduation shows, instead of dancers who had been there all year.

But then again, I really can't think of a different reason for why she left when she did.

[ballet-symphonie]

Hi, Do you know why vba doesn’t include Kamila Sultangareeva (6/Ⅰ) on the list of their students who compete in moscow ibc? Vba posted the list on their telegram and Instagram, her name isn’t there. They skipped her name for some reasons, or just forgot?

I thought of two possibilities:

It's a mistake/they forgot

She's entered as an independent, essentially competing without being registered as a VBA student.