#kovaleva

[qqquinoxtikk]

Comparison of Kovaleva's exams in 2013 and 2019

[asteticas]

IRINA KOVALEVA — PHOTOGRAPHY BY LIDA MARKOVA.

[melmothblog]

Were Natalia Makarova and Lyudmila Kovaleva in the same class at Vaganova? If so, who was their teacher? And do you know anything about their relationship? Professor Kovaleva mentioned once in a video on Vaganova’s channel that she had an injury that prevented her from becoming a lead ballerina. Do you think she would’ve made it otherwise?

-

They graduated in the same year, 1959, but they trained under different teachers. Kovaleva graduated under Natalia Kamkova and Makarova graduated under Elena Shiripina. Both Kamkova and Shiripina were Agrippina Vaganova’s student, and the latter worked closely with her (as Vaganova’s assistant) from 1934 to 1941.

It’s impossible to say what could have been and it’s even hard to judge retrospectively, but I think that Kovaleva had a good, solid career as a soloist. Could she have been as great as Makarova? Probably not. Dancers like Makarova come around once in a blue moon.

d i s c l a i m e r

[vegcaroline]

Diana Vishneva, beginning her studies at the Vaganova Ballet Academy, with professor Ludmila Kovaleva.

[melmothblog]

Upcoming Promotions

The Bolshoi hasn’t made an official announcement about these upcoming promotions, but I have received so many tip-offs about them (huge thanks to everyone who has messaged me), that I’m just going to go for it.

Alena Kovaleva and Eleonora Sevenard will soon be promoted to Leading Soloist and Soloist respectively. They are already listed as such in the Bolshoi London tour programs. I’m sure the formal announcement will come soon.

Both Kovaleva and Sevenard are Vaganova Ballet Academy graduates. The former was part of the 2016 class (class of Kasenkova), while the latter graduated in 2017 (class of Udalenkova).

Photos by Sasha Gusov.

d i s c l a i m e r

[melmothblog]

Nikolai Tsiskaridze and Professor Ludmila Kovaleva at work (Professor Udalenkova and Yulia Kasenkova sitting on the right). Vaganova Ballet Academy. Photo by Andrew Lush.

[melmothblog]

An expert from the Gramilano review of the Bolshoi’s performance of “La Bayadere” at La Scala earlier this month:

Even younger than Smirnova was when she danced her first Nikiya is Alena Kovaleva who is just about to leave her teens, and was extraordinarily accomplished throughout. She is also extraordinarily tall, at 1.78 metres (5ft 10in), yet incredibly manages to have complete control of those long limbs and yes, her pirouettes, both to the left and right, were flawlessly executed.

[melmothblog]

Alena Kovaleva, Vaganova Ballet Academy graduate (class of 2016) has been promoted to First Soloist at the Bolshoi.