#mibc

[budda-boltun-1985]

[scenic-places-of-the-world]

Russia, Moscow

by Alexander Vershinsky

[kraseevo]

Moscow international business center or just “Moscow city” (August 2017)

by Viktoria

[tikitania]

Hey tikitania! I know it just started, but any thoughts on the Moscow IBC so far?

Hello Anon….I haven’t had time! I watched the first part of Round 1 Juniors and was a bit underwhelmed—and turned off by all the Swanilda variation. A lot of stiff but cloying performances, which is what I hate about competitions. I chalked it up to nerves. But the Moscow boys look so good overall! Why can’t Vaganova crank out top notch male dancers if Moscow (and Korea) can?

I hope to watch more of Round 2, but I’m on a family vacation, so I imagine that I may only get to highlight reels between the time zone differences and travel.

Interesting that Tsikaridze is not a judge. Is the clock ticking on an ARB replacement? 🤔

[tikitania]

Midsummer Thoughts - Pt 1

I'm back from vacation! And one of my stops was a short stay in NYC where I saw Sylvia on the Met stage. Schvenko was scheduled for the 7/9 performance, but she was replaced by Misseldine! What a unexpected treat! Apparently, she and Royal had very little rehearsal time, but you'd never know it.

After having recently attended Houston Ballet's Sylvia (choreography by Stanton Welch), I can definitely say that I prefer Ashton's version, especially for the way he creates a clever and loving tribute to 19th century spectacle ballets with a wink to Orientalism. It's like a Faberge egg in ornate, antique scenery and characters, but well-formed and succint. It's easy to take in, clocking in at one hour and fifty-two minutes over three acts, which mercifully provides enough time for an early dinner beforehand and a decent bedtime aftewards.

Misseldine is a gorgeous dancer….there is really nothing to critique, although I've read that other ABT dancers are better storytellers in Sylvia. This was my one and only, so no opportunity for comparison. My only critique overall is that the female ensemble in Act 1 could have been more in sync.

The other big event this summer was the MIBC, which I felt rather ambivalent about at the beginning, and even more so by the finale. I'm just not a competition person. The highlight for me was seeing Tereshkina, Kim, and Shakirova perform the slightly different Mariinsky version of Legend of Love on the Bolshoi stage as the special kick-off performance for the competition. Talk about three dancers who are at the peak of their artistry and craft! Of the three stars, Tereshkina was…INCREDIBLE. She just turned (I think) four-four, and she just keeps getting better. What a goddess! I beleive the clip below if from the July 2 performance at the Mariinsky…not from Moscow but the form and feeling are so close.

As for the competition itself, I think the MIBC is trying to regain its global relevancy and not really succeeding. I had hoped that there would be more corps/corphyee dancers from the Mariinsky, Bolshoi, Perm and European theaters who wanted to try and grab the brass ring, but that didn't really materialize. Asian participants seemed to dominate, especially the Koreans. It's fine. They churn out a lot of excellent dancers who need to find work elsewhere. But with the political situation being what is in Russia, I imagine the competition in four years will have a similar make-up. [Added later] But Crystal Huang willing gold in the juniors division left me feeling….blah. Her dancing and stage presence just feels so disingenuous to me. Everything is calculated to the millimeter and I don't enjoy it. She's got the floor routine of ballet down pat.

Of the Mariinsky's three winners and bronze medalist, I like Ryoma Hudzeleu the best. He brought an array of classical styles and proved himself to the audience. But his promotion to first soloist along with Peneva and Orohovsky was shocking! All three are great dancers, but if I were calling the shots, I would have let them steep at 2nd soloist for a couple more years, while still casting them in Principal roles so that they could refine their style and build up on their repuations with less scrutiny. Being non-Russians, I suspect that they have to work twice as hard to gain the audience's respect and admiration versus any Russian. But did the trio's entry in the competition, their wins, and their subsequent promotions all felt a bit…"baked in," from that start? It's just speculation, and I do have a lot of questions. Like…dancing Basilio on a sprained ankle?! I don't think it was worth it! But maybe he felt like he had no choice but to justify a gold? Not sure... Anyway…this has turned into a long post. I have more thoughts that I'll share in part 2.

[tikitania]

Daria Pankova (the only Vaganova student present) got eliminated after round 2 of MBC. Personally Pankova has never been to my taste and I'm not sure what they see in her, but I'm just surprised that there was nobody on the panel looking out for her? Doesn't that reflect really badly on Vaganova?

I’m not surprised….it was gutsy to compete in her graduation year. I’ll give her that. It felt like a lot to squeeze into the last two weeks of June.

Her Gamzatti was powerful but lacked finesse, which is my overall critique of Daria Pankova. Same with her Paquita variation. The elegance was missing. Maybe she just needs a bit more time or rest. I’m disappointed for her, but not surprised. Anyway, she’s off to the Bolshoi and I wish her luck! They have a large incoming cohort from what I gather.

I was surprised that she was the only current Vaganova student in the competition, or did I miss something? It’s odd and not sure what to make of it. Not sure if this reflects badly on the school. It’s always felt a bit arbitrary to me.

[tikitania]

just found out that the koreans who won mbc senior gold in the men's and women's duet division aren't even pros, they're both 20-year-old university students! so pros won the junior division and students won the senior division haha

Haha! It did feel a bit topsy-turvy with the new age cut-off. I guess they train until 20/21 in Korea??

[tikitania]

Hello:)

Do you know who will dance at this year graduation performances at VBA and BBA? VBA is doing 4 performances: Ballades, Children pas de deux?, Classical Symphony and Suite from Don Quixote (is that the first act or the third act?). They have good 7th graders and 8th year graduates so the solist roles will be interesting.

And do you know if there will be promotions at the Mariinsky theathre? I have a feeling they lack of young women and men solists.

P.S This summer is Moscow ballet competition and it will be interesting to see who will go there from VBA and BBA. Some 7th year girls from VBA follow it at instagram. And I think that Maria Koshkareva will participate in a senior group.

Hello Anon, answers in order below: 1) Vaganova & BBA casting... I have no idea! I'm assuming that the names bandied about as the top girls and boys will be cast in the leads, but I have not paid a lot of attention. I am, however, very excited that Classical Symphony is one of the chosen ballets. I love the Prokoviev score, and it's great for showcasing Vaganova students. Love this choice.

I'm also very curious about the Ballades piece as I follow this choerographer couple on TG, Sofia Gaidukova & Konstatin Matulevsky (NEVERDANCEFORCER.) From the few rehearsal clips that I saw, it looks very much like a big ensemble piece that will feature a few couples. As for Don Q, I'm assuming that it will be Act 2 because it has some good character dance sections as well as the Dream Scene that showcases corp formation work and highlights standout students in the three main variations: Cupid, Queen of the Dryads, and Dulcinea. Act 1 feels too much like scene setting and doesn't really pay off in a divertisment program. Act 3 would be asking a LOT of students, and I just dont' see it happening. Act 2 starts around 01:12:00

2) Mariinsky Promotions. I love to speculate on this topic, but given that they've recently promoted Kuznetsova, Enikeev, Baibourdin, Peneva, Gudalev, and Orohovsky to 2nd soloist. Khiteeva, Bulanova, and Borodulina to 1st soloist, I don't really see that much movement. BUT here's what I think should happen just based on each dancer's debuts and workload this past season: Corps —> Coryphée Anastasia Yaromenko Daria Ustyuzhanina Maya Paliolinis Polina Parfenova Veselina Ilieva

Kahlid Mardini Akim Bakaev Anton Osterov Mikhail Barkadidja - He got injured in his Ali debut, but hoping it's not serious Danil Zinoviev

Coryphée / Corps —> 2nd Soloist Maria Chernavskaya - assuming she'll be 100% after her rehab Evgeny Deryabin Ramanbek Beishenaliyev Aaron Osawa-Horowitz 2nd Soloist —> 1st Soloist Anastasia Lukina Maxim Izmestyev - He is way too talented to be 2nd soloist Alexei Timofeev 1st soloist —> Principal Roman Belyakov

Nikita Korneev Christina Shapran ** ** I've been hoping that they give her classic roles again (Giselle, Odette/Odile, Nikiya.) I'd love to see her dancing at the level again next season. If they do, they should make her a principal. I've read that she's prone to injury, but she is so lovely on stage. I'm truly puzzled why she is so underutilized. Lilac Fairy every blue moon doesn't seem fair. Just look at her!

3) MIBC - From the Mariinksy, I think Peneva, Orhovsky, and Gudaleva will be there — the latter two definitely since their coach, Leonid Sarafanov, confirmed it in an interview. All three have something to prove…that their hiring as soloists wasn't a mistake. I'm a huge fan of Gudalev. He's very special. From Vaganova, I have no idea! Your guess is proably better than mine. I'm thinking that any student who wants a contract with the Mariinsky or Bolshoi who already hasn't been offered a contract will enter. But I can almost guarantee that Koshkaryova will not be there. She's already a leading soloist at the Bolshoi and rising star in the ballet world. She has no need. Dancers who enter this competition are trying to get noticed: Either they want to leave their regional companies and work in the major cities. Elena Svinko was a leading ballerina in Krasnoyarsk, and got an offer from the Mikhailovsky after the 2022 competition, followed by a Mariisnky contract; or talented students who are trying to get noticed outside of their school; or corps members looking to advance their careers within their own companies, which Maxim Izmestyev did in 2022. Fateev couldn't ignore him after that!