What do you think of Yesenia Anushenkova and Elisabetta Nalin?
As usual… usual disclaimer: they are so youngggg, so who knows!
They’re both interesting however, Yesenia because she’s not the typical VBA grad, she graduated from Boris Eifman Academy in 2024, but… very interestingly, had joined the Mariinsky Ballet already as a trainee in 2023–and then made coryphee with VBA trained Alice Barinova—they’re often doing roles together. Fun fact, Yesenia l used to be in the same class as Darina Mooseva, who transferred to BBA, graduated in 2024, and is now at Bolshoi doing quite well for her first season, the two of them seem to still be friends.
The Italian Elisabetta is equally interesting, being a foreigner in Russia, I believe before her four years at vaganova she had studied at La Scala, and she ended at Bolshoi! She was in the same class as Alicia Barinova, and right next to her for the exam, since Kamila Sultangareeva moved to BBA, and was really featured in VBA graduation performances, she was the lead in the Spanish wedding and did Liliac Fairy for the first few performances before passing the role to Ekaterina Morotzova. At the Bolshoi she seems to be getting quite a lot of roles, alongside Kuprina (2023 grad) and her friend, Zakota, who also graduated in 2024 but was top of her class in the parallel class, who ended up at the Bolshoi with her. I recently saw she was rehearsing sulphide. The only thing I don’t love is how extremely hyperextended her knees and how extremely arched her foot is, when I watch clips I’m always afraid her knee will snap backwards and it might affect the lightness of her jumps. But the rest of her looks really strong and healthy, so I’m sure she can absolutely manage and has the muscles to protect herself, but visually sometimes it makes me afraid.
About their dancing… honestly I don’t have anything interesting to say? Sorry 😭 I don’t have anything to critique or praise, they’re just babies in their first official season! Lets see 🤷♀️
