Opinions of Dancers - Part I
First off, apologies for the big delay in answering these questions. I’m honoured and touched that so many people are interested in my opinion, but I’m now at a point where I can’t keep up with the questions anymore. I’m doing my best and will try to do better, but sometimes there will be significant delays. Sorry :(
Elena Evseeva (Mariinsky, First Soloist)
Elena was Marina Vasilieva’s student at Vaganova Ballet Academy, which I always take as a good sign. Professor Kovaleva tends to get the most praise and recognition out of all the VBA teachers, but I like Professor Vasilieva more. Or, more accurately, I tend to like her graduates more. I think Evseeva is a very solid first soloist. She is stable (from the technical standpoint) and has a sweetness and warmth about her, which makes her pleasant to watch. I haven’t read many interviews with her, but I still get a feeling that she is a sweetheart in real life as well. She isn’t one of my favourite Mariinsky soloists, though. I feel like she’s missing something - strong stage presence, charisma - I’m not sure... He technique doesn’t bother me, and I think she’s a decent actress, but her performances feel a little emotionally “muted”.
Nina Ananiashvili (Bolshoi and ABT, Principal)
Georgia has given us some amazing dancers: Chabukiani, Ananiashvili, Tsiskaridze (I also have high hopes for Ana Turazashvili). I feel like it’s trying to make up for Stalin (this is my first racially and politically insensitive joke on this blog! Yay!) I have a certain reverence for Nina’s generation, and any dancer who trained and performed in Soviet Union (1920s-1990s). That was a very special breed of people and artists. So, even though I don’t like her (just a matter of taste), I respect Nina Ananiashvili enormously and understand that she has well and truly earned her place in the Russian ballet history.
Nina boasted crystal clear technique, amazing lines and fiery energy typical of the Moscow school. But for me, she lacked finesse, nuance and lyricism. I’m the first one to say that one shouldn’t compare dancers, but I can’t help but compare Ananiashvili to Asylmuratova, who was Nina’s contemporary at the Mariinsky. Even though Altynai has always been more restrained and didn’t have the same energy, she still holds my attention and stirs my emotions more that Nina.
Fun story: Once, on a TV show, Tsiskaridze was asked to identify various dancers by their feet alone. When he was shown a photo of Nina’s feet, he immediately said: “That’s Nina Ananiashvili. I can tell by the fake arch”. #salty
Vladimir Shklyarov (Mariinsky, Princpal)
I actually don’t like Shklyarov. I find him kind of boring and overhyped (sorry, Shklyarov fans), and there is something else that has always bothered me about him, but I couldn’t put my finger on it until a critic did it for me recently in their review (and of course I can’t find the bloody thing now that I need it). Basically, I think Shklyarov puts a lot of emphasis on the technical aspect of a role (powerful leaps, etc.), rather than the substance. And even then, the leaps and other physical feats don’t look as effortless as they should. Again, apologies to all Shklyarov fans. Remember, this is only one person’s opinion.
Patricia Zhou (Staatsballett Berlin, Corp de Ballet)
Sorry, I’m not very familiar with Staatsballett as a whole, let alone with its corps members. Sorry you had two wait for two weeks for such a non-answer :(
Valeria Martynyuk (Mariinsk, Second Soloist)
Valeria is very lively, energetic and expressive (uncharacteristically so for a St. Petersburg dancer), which makes her the perfect Cupid and a great Kitri. Her repertoire with the Mariinsky is very extensive, and I’m not quite sure why she isn’t the first soloist. Unfortunately, given that she’s been with the company for 13 years now, it’s unlikely that she will advance any further.
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