#makarova

[blackswaneuroparedux]

A real ballerina must fill her space with her own personality.

- Natalia Makarova, Russian prima ballerina.

[melmothblog]

Natalia Makarova Documentary

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Thanks to one wonderful follower, we now have a link to the Natalia Makarova documentary released Benois de la Danse YouTube Channel. Thank you to the person who sent this in!

On Saturday, November 21st the World Ballet Festival Benois de la Danse YouTube-channel will post a documentary film titled “Ballerina Assoluta Natalia Makarova” dedicated to the truly outstanding dancer as part of the “LIVING LEGENDS” series. 

[melmothblog]

I have often wondered if Makarova ever met her idols, Tamara Karsavina and (especially) Olga Spessivtseva? They were both still living when Natasha came to the West, so it would have been possible. Does anyone know?

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She has! According to this interview, Makarova met with Tamara Karsavina, Olga Spessivtseva, Matilda Kshesinskaya and Serge Lifar.

The meetings with Karsavina and Spessivtseva were very brief, but Makarova got to have lunch with Kshesinskaya in the latter’s house, where she was accompanied by Lifar.

My mind gets blown when I think about her meeting these people in person...

[melmothblog]

Ask Responses: VBA Graduates Updates Round-Up

what's going on with Oscar Frame? He posted on his facebook page he has to leave his residence within 2 weeks? He hints he is stil with Bolshoi, but I wonder.

I’m not friends with Frame on Facebook, so I can’t see the post you’re referring to. My last update on Oscar was two weeks ago, he appears to be doing fine at the Bolshoi.

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Would you know what happened to Orine Anzai? She hasn't posted on IG in a long time. I hope all's OK.

I have no updates, I’m afraid. She’s still listed as a member of the Mariinsky corps de ballet, though, so she hasn’t left the company and will hopefully come back once she’s recovered.

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Dear Melmoth, I remember Amelishko and Tshvitaria left Mariinsky for Ballet Theater in Samara, however, it looks like they are not there anymore. Do you know where they are dancing? Thanks.

Nika and her husband have gone freelance, so they’re dancing all over the place.

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Has Ksenia Sevenard recovered from her injury?

No updates on that front, I’m afraid...

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Any idea where masha petukhova is now? She seemed to have great potential but I haven’t heard anything about her since she left VBA... heard she was with the Estonian National Ballet but haven’t seen any clips or anything... any updates?

I don’t think Maria is at Estonian National Opera anymore, she’s not listed as a member of the company on their website. Unfortunately, she’s not been very active on social media since last year, so there are no updates on her current situation.

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I’m a bit sad about Bogdashkina, I expected her to have some soloist roles after joining Mikhailovski but apparently nothing still.

It’s not very common for graduates to get soloist roles after they join a company as a corps dancer. For every Bulanova, Nyukina or Iliyushkina there are dozens upon dozens of dancers who don’t get the same opportunities or exposure. That’s the unfortunate reality of ballet. 

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Can you ordinate these recent vaganova graduates based on your preference ? From the one who is the best to bottom ( of course they are all dedicated and hardworking people, it’s just I’m curious about your taste). Alena Kovaleva, Daria Ionova, Eleonora Sevenard, Vlada Borodulina, Maria Khoreva, Maria Bulanova.

I don’t like comparing dances because they are all very different and have individual traits that one shouldn’t and can’t compare. The list below is based  purely on my personal taste and the very important fact that I am more familiar with some of these dancers than others:

Khoreva

Sevenard

Kovaleva

Ionova

Bulanova

Borodulina

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I may have missed it but, do we have any idea where the likes of Kristina Legacheva (beautiful lines), Ksenia Andreenko, Zoya Frolova, etc from the 2019 class ended up? (I assume K. Sevenard still injured.) It blows my mind that a ballerina could get that far in her training and not be taken by a company! I hope they find work.

Unfortunately, I’m still not sure where these graduates ended up at. 

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Do you think it is possible that Khoreva, Bulanova, Nuikina, Ionova, Khiteeva, Savelieva, and Petukhova (I forgot where she is) could all become primas or first soloists with Mariinsky (or where Petukhova is)? These girls all seem supremely talented, and were the toppers of their classes. The past few Vaganova top graduates all seem to be doing really well in theater. Ionova needs a promotion soon, and Savelieva I hope will get more and more solist roles. Top graduates part 2: Ever since 2009, the top graduates either do really well in theater or are completely sidelined. Stepanova is finally a prima, although I think that she was better when she was younger, and in Mariinsky. Bateova is doing well. Marchuk got completely put aside, for some unknown reason. Smirnova and Shapran are both doing very well. Strebko isn't even at Bolshoi anymore, where is she? And what about Olga Makarova? What a talent wasted. I see Lukina will debut in Giselle.

Anything is possible, but if we were to look at things realistically... The number of principal and leading soloist positions at any given theatre is limited and every year VBA and BBA graduate incredible young talent. The competition is intense and not every dancer - no matter how promising and talented - makes it through. Olga Makarova, for example, now works primarily as a ballet teach and figure skating coach, though I believe she is also a freelance dancer.

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Laura Fernandez just signed a soloist contract with the Stanislavsky Ballet. I was trying to get a feel for what that company is like by watching videos. What is their style/reputation? They seem to be more flamboyant than the Mariinsky - more like the Bolshoi.

The Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Musical Academic Theatre was formed in 1941, when Stanislavsky Opera merged with Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre. The theatre was supposed to be more experimental and innovative than the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky (these theatres were supposed to remain “classical”). For example, as I see it, “Nureyev” would’ve been right up its alley, though it was staged at the Bolshoi

According to STANMUS website:

The Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Music Theatre was founded in 1941 when two companies directed by the legendary reformers of twentieth-century theatre — Konstantin Stanislavsky and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko — merged. The new theatre followed the artistic principles of its founders, who applied the system of the Moscow Art Theatre to opera and ballet. Both Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko rejected the current conception of opera as «costume concert». They wanted to bring it closer to drama and comedy, revealing the main idea of the plot through psychologically motivated action. 

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[melmothblog]

Ask Responses: MISC

Dear Melmoth, Olga Makarova is not in Novosibirsk anymore (not listed on NOVAT site). Do you know, by any chance, where she went? Thanks!

Hmmm. I have no idea. I tried looking into it but have so far come up with nothing. I’m sure she’ll resurface somewhere soon. 

What do you think about the Tartar State Opera and Ballet Theatre in terms of opportunities for Alexandra?

I don’t know anything about that place. It’s a regional theatre though, so a top VBA graduate who was good enough to be hired by the Mariinsky should rise through the ranks pretty quickly.

Has the Bolshoi posted their livestream from world ballet day?I can't find it anywhere and really want to see it!

They have. I’ve posted the link here.

I watched the Bolshoi ballet day video. I loved the class, and Eleonora's and Alena's rehearsals, but the rehearsal of the corps at the end made me wince. I don't understand Russian, but the tone and gestures of the guy running the rehearsal seemed agressive and abusive.

I’ve seen people complain about Vaziev’s (that’s who the man is) behaviour in rehearsal, and I only have this to say: he shouldn’t be yelling at these guys, he should fire them. He shouldn’t be wasting his time and effort on a bunch who, despite being seasoned Bolshoi dancers, are utterly incapable of turning their feet out, being in sync, or following basic instructions. People also seem to ignore how patient and polite Vaziev is with the new recruits like Chino or Gerashchenko in that very same rehearsal. How he takes time to take them aside and calmly explain what they’re doing wrong. I’ve seen lots of footage of Vaziev in rehearsal and I’ve read many of his interviews: he’s very tough but very fair. Precisely what the person in charge of the Bolshoi needs to be.

Hi! You have such a wide interest & knowledge about ballet and art, I can see it also on Instagram, and you talk about your research experience, then I wonder: how old are you? If my question is not unpolite, of course!

It’s not impolite to ask. I just prefer to keep that kind of info private. Let’s just say I’m old enough to have received a university education and have had some work experience. 

What do you think of Alexei Ratmansky? How was he regarded when he was director of the Bolshoi?

He’s a good choreographer but the fact that he’s considered a modern genius irks me. The word “genius” has become trivialised to a ridiculous extent. No artist can be recognised as a genius within their lifetime. Their work must stand the test of time and its significance must be recognised by several generations before the creator is honoured with that title.

The dancers’ dislike for Ratmasky during his reign at the Bolshoi is very well-documented. He was a bad manager. As Maria Alexandrova pointed out this was because Ratmansky didn’t really want to manage the theatre, he just wanted to choreograph and stage new productions. He was the wrong man for the job.

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[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?

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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.

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[balkanin]

Sibir zbog klimatskih promjena poharali požari, poplave i moljci

Sibir zbog klimatskih promjena poharali požari, poplave i moljci

SVIMA poznat kao golema, hladna tundra, Sibir zbog klimatskih promjena prolazi kroz preobrazbu koja mu donosi više temperature, šumske požare i navalu moljaca.

Područje koje se prostire milijunima četvornih kilometara istočno od Urala do Tihog oceana ove je godine posebno pogođeno ekstremnim vremenom, koje znanstvenici pripisuju globalnom zagrijavanju.

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It’s not ova #makarova #sevastova #usopen https://www.instagram.com/p/BnJjuFsDH3v/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ey3rzgsffron