#nikiya did try to stab her in gamzatti's defense there is that

[thesolemnhour]

I wouldn't be surprised (and wouldn't mind) if you're not doing this anymore, but ballet ask game 🩰 for Helmi?

IM SO SORRY THIS TOOK FOREVER FOR ME TO GET TO! I had to stew on what I wanted to give Helmi for a while until it came to me. However, I am always and forever taking ballet asks they are so fun!!

For Helmi, I would assign Ekaterina Krysanova's Act II Gamzatti Variation from La Bayadère. The eagle-eyed among you may recall that this is the highest honor that I can bestow: female ballet villain. Gamzatti is such a juicy villain, and she's one of my absolute favorites

For context, Gamzatti is celebrating her engagement to a man we the audience know to be in love with the ballet's true protagonist, Nikiya. But she's a princess so what Gamzatti wants, Gamzatti gets.

It's not enough, though, just for her to get everything she wants; she just has to rub everyone's noses in it, Nikiya's and the audience's. She's gotta do the happiest dance in the world about it, all big jumps and broad smiles. My favorite read on this is that Gamzatti kind of knows what she's doing is wrong and deeply unkind, but (a little like Helmi!) she's too proud to admit fault or change course.

Krysanova's performance here also really adds something to me. She's so big and exaggerated in her movements. She's wants us to know exactly how happy she is about the state of affairs. And even though she is ostensibly the villain, she is totally dazzling! I could watch her all day; she sweeps me away in her brashness! All of this really reminds me of Helmi's sort of childish audacity, and I live for it.