#bolshoi video

[miss-mollys-ballet-blog]

Eleonora Sevenard in Marco Spada.

#eleonora sevenard #Marco Spada #bolshoi ballet #prima ballerina #ballet #ballet video #Bolshoi video

[anglerfishenthusiast]

the part that i did all this for starts after a few seconds and then lasts until the video ends but it was SO necessary you all hear how the music shifted because that played such a major role in me tearing up. my editor crashed 4 times getting this so you all MUUUST watch this... you have to... ue ue ue ue oh my god ballet.

#SOB SOB SOB SOB SOB SOB SOB. BALLET. #this is the bolshoi theatre production from 2013 if youre curious... its all on youtube in two parts #i had to get it in a lower quality to be able to download and post it on my old ass laptop but the video original is in HD #lemon squeezy.txt #ballet

[magaramach]

the thing about watching proshots of ballet is sometimes you will be chilling and then just. massive fucking racism out of nowhere. i was watching this nutcracker production from the ukranian national ballet in 2018 and they had people in blackface (like actively red lipstick black paint afro wigs). saw the 2007 paris ballet of cinderella and they had white guys in first nations headdresses human sacrificing girls in pacific islander costumes. and it's not even called for in the ballet's story so that it's a decision if you want to do historical accuracy or modernization, like the arabian coffee number in the nutcracker where there's orientalism that you have to decide how to do tastefully. they were just straight up like hey you know what would be fun???? RACISM!!!

#i know russian ballet is supposed to be best and the bolshoi has the most beautiful dancers or w/e #but at least american and english ballets won't make exit the video halfway through because i'm not fucking watching blackface #kin & the void #ballet

[ballet-symphonie]

Hi!!! I'm totally new to ballet and I know nothing about it, so I have a genuine question. I saw a video on YouTube that had Marianela Nunez, Natalia Osipova and Svetlana Zakharova as the best ballerinas in the world. Can you please explain to me what makes them so incredible? (I know nothing about technique so they all look out of this world for me) I would love to read a more in depth analysis from you❤

These three are perhaps the most popular ballerinas of the 2010s but the three couldn't be more different.

Osipova's strengths, especially as a young pro, were her outstanding virtuosity and endless, soulful energy. Look at old videos of her dancing Don Quixote at the Bolshoi or Mikhailovksy, her jumps seem to float with effortless rebound and the speed at which she can accelerate is also unique. She's fearless on stage and her risk-taking both technically and emotionally is always reinvigorating.

Zakhraova first gained acclaim for her natural facility and flexibility, her long hyperextended legs, arched insets, and tremendous mobility left audiences spellbound. Her turnout and cleanliness are often regarded as nearly textbook. Her lyricism and adagio prowess shine in roles like Odette/Odile from Swan Lake. She just has this regal, imposing aura that takes over the stage.

Nunez is a slightly different case. While she was certainly a prodigy, she wasn't a world star until later in her career and had a slower development compared to the two Russians. She's remarkable because she's showing the magic of what possible with pure technique and placement. Her balance and suspended quality of movement are inimitable. It's so hard to be that precise, and even more remarkably she's a better dancer now in her late 30s/early 40s than she was as a teen wizard. She just exudes a genuine love for the art form with every step- you see her smile and you fall in love too.

#natalia osipova #svetlana zakharova #marianela nunez #ballet #ballet ask #royal ballet #bolshoi theatre #royal opera house #ballerina

[patricedumonde]

I'm not sure what I'm missing about Koshkaryova recently but I have found her dancing underwhelming thus far? I thought she was fantastic at the Moscow IBC (Shirin variation!!!) but since then she has looked very messy. Her Corsaire, DQ bridesmaid variation and Paquita varation- all seemed noticeably off the music, frenetic, turned in and slightly sloppy turns with stiff arms. Also something about her epaulement seems off. I hope this is not related to preparing too many new roles too quickly. Additionally, I don't understand the double standards Valiullina is facing about her body type. Some people complain that she is too heavy for ballet yet fail to find fault with to other brilliant, less than stick-thin ballerinas like Maria Alexandrova and Angelina Vorontsova. I find Valiullina lovely with very effortless technique, an good jump and commanding stage presence, so naturally think the comments about her weight are quite unnecessary.

Probably because being good in competitions doesn't translate to being good in a major stage. I think there's two ways to think about this.

First, she's a fresh graduate. It's normal for her to be nervous. They're not just debuts, they're debuts on her first few months with the company. I think every legend in ballet has had their fair share of failures on stage. She'll probably have more solid footing after her first year. Second, the expectations for her are high because she's the top graduate and she's already a soloist. The bar is a lot higher for her than Yaroslavna and Sofia. Anything she will do, whether it be average or above, will likely be overlooked since we're expecting more from her.

That said, there's a lot to work on and I think she will and probably is working on them. Aside from her Paquita debut (Trilby Variation), I think she's been fine. Also, I don't know what she danced in Corsaire? Or if Bolshoi has performed Corsaire this season.

Here's a video of Natalia Makarova talking about her failures!

For Sofya, ugh I love her. You can tell that she's a thoughtful dancer. She's not a risk taker like Maria. Her technique is flawless and she's captivating on stage. She is my bias hahaha. To be honest with you, I don't look at instagram comments nor overtly negative telegram channels/forums so I'm not aware of the comments about her body. If there's an overwhelming amount of people judging her for that, that is disappointing. Does she have a more mature body, yes. Does it affect her dancing in any way whatsoever, no. She literally has the same body type as Maria Bulanova! I don't see why they can't accept her as well. She has so much potential, I hope they never hold her back just because she doesn't have the body of her 13 year old self?

#russian ballet #vaganova #bolshoi ballet #maria koshkaryova #sofia valiullina #patrice answers

[tikitania]

Nutcracker Season!

Nutcracker season can elicit an array of feelings. Some love it, some hate it. I was falling into the indifferent category. I don't live in a major city, so the month long onslaught of ballet school-civic rep level productions has me a bit bummed out…and ready to tune it all out. AND THEN…I stumbled upon this very interesting panel discussion lead by ballet critic, Alastair McCauley, comparing the original Lev Ivanov Sugarplum PDD to the Balanchine version, getting into the nitty gritty of the score and the choreographic language that can be found in both versions, pointing out the various ways in which Balanchine quoted Ivanov. This is so interesting and only available online until Dec. 17, so hurry and watch it while you can. Who knew about the original version of the Sugar Plum sliding across the stage on point on a hidden stage tracking device?! If you do anything, watch this first video with the panel talk and demonstrations. The videos I included after that are just if you want to get obsessive like I did to dig deeper. Panelists: Suki Schorer, Wendy Whelan, Sara Mearns, Jonathan Stafford. (Watching Suki coach is worth watching!) NYCB Dancers: Chun Wai Chan, Ashley Hod (Balanchine version) & Anthony Huxley, Emma Von Enck (Ivanov Version)

MacCauley mentions the Fonteyn version a few times during this talk, so I found it for you. The tempo is certainly much faster, and it really makes you appreciate Fonteyn's speed! But I actually prefer the slower tempo, which allows the music to really soar. But I also wondered if it was the audio quality of this historic recording is simply too compressed and tinny to do it justice.

The Mariinsky dances the Vasily Vaionen version of the Nutcracker, and I wanted to see how it compared to the Ivanov version. I really love the Mariinsky version. It's a departure from Ivanov, but still very classical and regal. PPD below with Baby Shakirova.

BONUS: If you want to watch the full Mariinsky Nutcracker, here's a 1994 recording with Larissa Lezhnina and Victor Baranov. And for some real fun going down the rabbit hole, this is an amazing Soviet black and white recording of the PDD with the late Svetlana Efremova (SHE IS AMAZING!) and Sergei Vikulov. Notice that the extra four cavaliers are not in this one, so the choreography is adjusted. I have a thing for soviet era black-and-white ballet films. Not to be overlooked, the Grigorivich version at the Bolshoi is worth mentioning. There are a few things that stood out to me. Its religiosity, for one. The PDD essentially starts with Masha and her prince praying together as if at a mass. And then, towards the end, are the huge lifts that end with an upside down ballerina (not my favorite pose…)

Interestingly, ABT's version by Ratmansky also incorporates the same big lift, but transitions into a spin. You can see it here, and it's a much smoother transition. Ignore the weird speed manipulation in this video. It can give you motion sickness.

AND….I found this POB version. The Nureyev choreography is horrible and Tsikaridze knows it. He can barely hold back his own laughter as how bad this performance is. When I watched this, my first thought is that Nureyev must have been a misogynist because the Sugar Plum/Clara choreography is so god awful that it seems like he's trying to humiliate ballerinas. Poor Myriam Ould-Braham, she does her best to dignify the choreography with her impeccable technique, but there is no saving this. Another thing that bothers me is that the couple are hardly dancing together, it's like a bad ballet class where they dance side to side. I hope this version soon disappears forever. Watch at your own risk. It made my blood boil.

Okay, that's it for a while. I may go see the Houston Ballet's Nutcracker if I have time. But I will mostly be focused on taking time off with the family, puttering in the garden, and catching up on my ever-expanding to-do list. Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season!

#ballet #prima ballerina #nutcracker #deep dive #nycb #NYC Ballet #Alastair MacCauley #Bailet history #Lev Ivanov #sugar plum fairy #mariinsky ballet #Bolshoi #margot fonteyn #royal ballet #ABT #Ratmansky #grigorivich #Soviet ballet film #russian ballet #Nutcracker Season is here #rudolf nureyev #great dancer terrible choreographer #time for the hot toddies #Youtube

[nhozemphtekh]

I’ve probably said this before, I don’t recall but whilst looking through my grade 5-6 sketchbooks, I actually used to make Odile a self-insert in the earlier stages of making her, and OC x Canon with Peepers because I loved peepers so much at the time 💀

I don’t now cause’ it’s not me but I did have a story of their “love.”

If I kept the OC x Canon thing, their story would begin with Odile and Peepers already having pursed a relationship on Homeworld before Peepers was slowly falling into Villainy with Hater. For context, Hater’s species had worked with the Watchdogs for quite some time, having some history together as one strong bond in arts of conquering. Odile and Peepers were like an ordinary couple that met through Peepers being a family friend as they both come from governmental backgrounds. However, when Peepers met Hater and developed a friendship over time, it begins to disrupt the romance Odile built in her head until Peepers comes to the conclusion of wanting to properly end things with her, yet she begs him to stay as she was afraid of what could happen to him out in the galaxy. For a time, Peepers gives into her which doesn’t last long, and Odile leaves him. This action only drove Peepers down the path he took, eventually forgetting about Odile.

When the story shifts into the AU, Peepers ends up meeting her again when he introduced female watchdogs into the empire, not recognizing her. While the story goes on, Odile still being upset, she begins dropping hints of her identity and transferred into administration as a way to get to Peepers, this process took years until she finally achieved the role of a secretary and partially works alongside Peepers, seeing it as a chance to get him back for what he did so many years ago. 💀💀💀💀

Odile then begins trying to sabotage him and his career while he is beginning to catch on.

Funny story about this old idea

I went to see a Swan Lake performance in Russia by the Bolshoi, around 2018 when I was visiting family (I’m Russian-Canadian) and I ended up watching Wander Over Yonder on my little CD player with my mom’s coat covering me so the light wouldn’t disturb anyone, but that didn’t last long when she got mad at me, making me sit through the entire ballet. It was Act II.

I thought it fit perfectly as this scene was about the prince meeting the swan, but instead, I interpreted the ballet mime with creating a story for my OC x Canon thing.

Where it’s Peepers and Odile meeting and eventually grow into pursuing a relationship, it’s all good until one day [1:53 video 💀], peepers announced he is going to serve the empire as Odile tries to grasp around the fact, and begins to reason with him, like she’s saying, “You, a commander? Please.. Why can’t you see what could happen to you. I don’t think you should listen to that skeletal.” As peepers listens to her and gives in for a time, however his companionship with Hater soon disturbs the relationship, Odile wants to keep Peepers away from him and later tries to send letters of threats against him to “save” Peepers but fails. Eventually, it crumbles apart and she leaves.

I also named Odile after this ballet. “Odile has deceived him.”

In My fanfic, there’s a few references to the ballet as way of crediting it. I Just need to finish rewriting it.

#my ocs #wander over yonder oc #woy oc #woy watchdog oc #other tags: #oc art tag #yeahhh #Youtube

[balletomaneblog]

Opinions on Maria Koshkaryova debut as Paquita at the Bolshoi? Personally i'm fifty fifty. On one side i love it because she looks as if she's absolutely loving the dance, the art. On the other side it's not as clean, it reminds me of really old old ballet videos, which is why i find her beautiful, but also somehow different?

I feel fairly similar. Oddly, the more I watch the clips of her Paquita the more I like it even though, like you said, there are some technical problems. My thinking is more that she's just been given so so many roles so quickly and if she had more time it would have been cleaner. Additionally, I think there's a possibility that she was really nervous. After all, she's an eighteen year old performing a lead role on the Bolshoi stage.

Recently, she debuted Masha in the Nutcracker and I thought that debut went really well, likely because if you look at her schedule, she had way more time to work on it than her other big debuts so far. Her Masha made me so relieved for Koshkareva because she seemed a lot more stable and sure of herself.

And you're right, there's definitely a joy for ballet in her performances which I believe is part of why people enjoy watching her so much.

#ballet #bolshoi #maria koshkareva #debut #paquita #nutcracker

[lonelyneuronaboard]

"... they did intensive stunt/martial training..."

"... they did most of their stunts..."

*Kristina being an ex Bolshoi dancer*

*video of Alba being a spider money and doing her stunts*

What I'm hearing is that they could probably kick my ass in real life.

#and i would thank them for it #warrior nun #warrior nun season 2 #alba baptista #kristina tonteri young

[kameliendame]

The Bolshoi Ballet posted an obituary on their youtube channel for Pierre Lacotte, who passed away on April 10th. This is such a sweet video. They included backstage footage of him interacting with all the dancers as well and you can just tell how much he loved to be at the Bolshoi and how much he was loved in return. No wonder he was staging so many of his ballets there, overseeing everything from the rehearsals to the broadcast. Rest in peace to one of the greatest choreographers of the 20th and 21st century.

#im afraid we lost an immeasurable amount of knowledge with his passing #not just that but the abilty to stage big ballets in the style of petipa #jean guillaume bart im counting on you!!!!! #pierre lacotte #video #paris opera ballet

[balletretrospective]

Dancers at the bolshoi who are working/have worked under Nadezhda Pavlova

Elizaveta Kokoreva, Margarita Shrainer, Anna Tikhomirova

Immediately these dancers, while all unique, seem to have such a similar approach. Whether its nurture or nature I cannot say, but I would like to talk about some of the special attributes that make their approach so compelling.

All of them have these lovely long limbs, and also have the energy to match. Often when you see long ballerinas their energy travels in towards them in a very soft and vulnerable way. The difference here is that they radiate out through the whole stage. Even in video you can see this amazing fiery and proud attitude. The best example of this I can give is Kitri from Don Quixote. They have all given an exquisite performance and were able to truly embody the character. Impetuous, unruly, joyous. Something that most of this bodytype do unsuccessfully, think Zakharova (don't get me wrong, she makes a stunning swan and her nikiya truly something it just wasn't the right role for her, kitri isn't a regal ice queen)

Next, their jumps! You can tell they can jump without ever seeing it happen. Their centres of gravity appear to be higher than most. As though they choose to keep their feet on the ground. This even further aids their expressivity

Finally, their maturity. They are all so young and yet they dance as though they are taking a break from their responsible life and diving into the memories of youth. It doesn't have any sense of naivety to it, rather a devil-may-care decision to recapture the bright essence of youth. Its splendidly done and has a lot to do with the sophistication of the port de bras mixed with that dazzling lightness.

Any other similarities you see between these dancers and their coach?

#russian ballet #vaganova #bolshoi ballet #bolshoi theatre #ballet #ballerina #anna tikhomirova #elizaveta kokoreva #margarita shrainer #nadezhda pavlova

[miss-mollys-ballet-blog]

Anastasia Stashkevich and Ildar Young in What A Breath.

#i am so obsessed with this part #it's so intimate and beautiful #anastasia stashkevich #ildar young #what a breath #bolshoi ballet #ballet #bolshoi video #prima ballerina

[precej-okej-coprnik]

1: Gotta Be One of My Favorite Genders. Photograph. Know Your Meme. 2021. https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/002/108/748/50d.jpg

2: Benois, Alexandre. Petrushka's Room. Painting. Wikimedia Commons. 1911. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ef/Petrutxca_de_Fokine-1911.jpg/1200px-Petrutxca_de_Fokine-1911.jpg?20160720090631

3: Benois, Alexandre. Costume Design for Petrushka. Drawing. MaryAnn Adair's 'Is it art' Blog. I Basically...can you tell me..is it art? I Page 29. 1910s. https://i0.wp.com/maryannadair.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Alexandre-Benois-costume-design-for-Petrushka.jpg?resize=1200%2C1200&ssl=1

4: Liepa, Andris (as Petrushka). Stravinsky- Petrushka (Bolshoi Ballet Russe Film). Youtube video thumbnail. YouTube. 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVXkBIWmQQs

5: Nijinsky as Petrushka. Photograph. Bridgeman Images. 1911. https://images.bridgemanimages.com/api/1.0/image/600.XLE.17937730.7055475/3770792.jpg

6: Benois, Alexandre. Petrushka. Costume design for Vatslav Nijinsky. Drawing. Early Twentieth-Century Russian Drama. 1911. https://max.mmlc.northwestern.edu/mdenner/Drama/plays/playimages/costume-44.jpg

7: Barbier, Georges. Petroushka. Painting. BBC Radio 3. 20th century. https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1008x567/p01sxpql.jpg

8: Zemlianichenko, Alexander. Ballet dancers perform during a dress rehearsal of the Petrushka ballet by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. Photograph. Texas Public Radio. 2017. https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8bdc599/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1700x1151+0+0/resize/1760x1192!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fd279m997dpfwgl.cloudfront.net%2Fwp%2F2017%2F03%2F0309_ballet.jpg

9: Crickmay, Anthony. Rudolf Nureyev as Petrushka. Photograh. Victoria and Albert Museum. 1975. https://www.vandaimages.com/media/1000rh0060-Rudolf-Nureyev-in-Igor-Stravinskys-Petrushka-at.jpg

10: Lepape, Georges. Petrouchka: Nijinsky. Gouache. Artnet. n. d. https://www.artnet.com/artists/georges-lepape/petrouchka-nijinsky-LKwphdzbrwdlmzL8Js4liw2

11: Nureyev Dancing in Petrushka. Photograph. The Rudolf Nureyev Foundation. https://nureyev.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/petrouchka1.jpg

[whatanybodygets]

Maybe you were joking but you should make a post about inej's dancing! I'd be happy to read anything about your inspiration behind this fic

First off, anon, I owe you a massive apology because this has been languishing in my inbox for literally forever, and I promise I wasn't ignoring you I just sometimes get overwhelmed by the prospect of interacting with other humans!

So, this is in reference to which real-life ballerina is the inspo for Inej's dancing in Adagio, and the answer to this is Natalia Osipova.

Now, she's not everyone's cup of tea, I know. A lot of people think she's too theatrical, she is Bolshoi to her bones and some people do not enjoy that style (I do), in terms of classical technique she sometimes sacrifices the line for the 'wow factor'. But.

As it happens, these are things that I think lend themselves well to Inej's character. I enjoy Osipova exactly for her theatricality, she is never ever boring to watch. There are some dancers - a lot of dancers - who have picture perfect technique but they look dead on the inside when they perform. There's no spark. There's no magic. For me, Osipova has that in spades, and I think that Inej would too - she is a performer at heart. Her knockout performance is the mad scene in Giselle (nobody does Giselle like Natalia Osipova) but I also really enjoy this more subtle example during the white swan coda in Swan Lake - you can feel her despair at the end.

Also, this woman has the most jaw dropping jump of any ballerina dancing today, maybe ever. Gravity does not apply to her. Her speed and timing are insane. She is a tiny package of explosive energy. Inej Inej Inej. And yes, as I mentioned above, she does sometimes sacrifice a clean line for the sake of the 'wow', but my read of Inej is that she has a certain theatrical bent and she's also a bit of a show off, and I think that this is a flaw her dancing would realistically have.

And also, Natalia Osipova was the ballerina I saw the first time I saw Swan Lake, and I just have a huge sentimental attachment to her.

Incidentally, in the Giselle scene I linked up there, the dancer playing Albrecht is Carlos Acosta, who is my 'dance double' for Jesper. Not only is he (and this is not an unpopular opinion) the finest dancer of his generation, he has the most incredible stage presense. I've had the pleasure of seeing him dance live as well, and he is hugely charismatic, he basically radiates charm which is bang on for Jesper. And he has the same theatricality I love about Osipova. I wish I had gotten to see them dance together live. Have a video of him in Don Q.

This was long, and hopefully not boring. The short version is that Adagio-verse Inej and Jesper's irl 'dance doubles' are Natalia Osipova and Carlos Acosta.

#asks #overly long ballet thoughts #in case anybody wanted to know #fic: adagio

[ballet-symphonie]

Let’s play a game: which dancers are fit for a role in repertoire that their company doesn’t do?

Tiler Peck-Etudes. She would nail the musicality aspect of the lead ballerina. Chun Wai Chan should partner her, Roman Mejia should be the soloist that does the cabrioles and pirouette combos in the Mazurka section.

(She mentioned that she really wants to do Giselle and Manon, but tbh I don’t think she’s a dancer that can carry a strong story)

Nela-Etoile variation from Paquita, Aspiccia from La Fille du Pharoan.

Olga Smirnova-Titania in Balanchine’s Midsummer (Het Nationaale does do The Dream, so I definitely want to see her as Titania in that though haha)

Osipova-The Sleepwalker in La Somnambula, the lead in La Valse, the lead in white in Balanchine’s Walpurgisnacht (aka Faust), Dew Drop in Balanchine’s Nutcracker.

Vishneva (in her prime)-Jeanne from Flames of Paris, also Aspiccia.

Novikova-Phrygia from Spartacus, Adelaide in Flames of Paris

Tereshkina-Aegina from Spartacus

Oooh some interesting choices here.

I'd kill for a Tiler Peck in Etudes. I also think it would be super fascinating to see the Balanchine style in such a classical ballet. We differ on Giselle, I think she would be wonderfully charming, especially in Act 1. She'd need someone of substance to coach her, I hear Ferri is coming back stateside for the Met season?

Marianela would be a dream in Paquita Etoile, I can just imagine her sailing around endlessly in those attitudes so smoothly. I'm not significantly attached to any version of Pharoh's Daughter. What I am much more interested in is Marianela in a full-length Raymonda. I have been tempted by the far too low-quality video of her doing the Hungarian Wedding Variation and I need the whole thing.

Smirnova will certainly get that role, although I'm more interested in her trying her chops in more modern-era works.

I've read some reviews of City Ballet this season saying that La Somnambula has felt a bit flat this season without a compelling leading lady. If nothing else, Osipova can absolutely bring the drama needed for that role. Dewdrop could also be interesting, but we'd need Bolshoi era Osipova and her speed.

I could take or leave Vishenva in Flames of Paris and we've already talked about Pharoah's Daughter. I'd rather see her in some more MacMillan (Mayerling or Isadora) or Maillot (Perhaps Katherina in Taming of the Shrew or Daphnis and Chloe)

Nothing to say about the Novikova and Tereshkina choices, both would be excellent in those roles. I'd also throw Swanilda to Novikova.

#ballet #ballet ask #too many people to tag #ballerina

[patricedumonde]

Deep Dive: Eleonora Sevenard’s Debut as Carmen

26 November 2023 — Eleonora Sevenard, in my opinion, has been a reliable dancer for the Bolshoi. Among the promotions of the new prima ballerinas, Alyona Kovalyova, Eleonora Sevenard, and Elizaveta Kokoreva, Elya's promotion was the one I expected to happen the soonest. I have watched her since she debuted as The Spanish Doll (Fairy Doll) in Vaganova and I always thought she rose to the occasion. She's versatile and she has character, which is why it pains me to write this review.

One of the first things I took note of in this variation was how nearly every movement had an accent, as if every thing was emphasized. When everything has emphasis, nothing has emphasis. This is how I felt with the whole performance. One of my favorite interpretations of Carmen is Ulyana Lopatkina's so we'll compare the two for this deep dive.

It was obvious from the beginning that Elya chose to do more outward movements. In this iconic diagonal, you'll see the difference between outward vs inward movement, especially with the hands. My personal preference is ending with the arms and hands going in. When Ulyana does it, there's a matador-like quality with her stance. Carmen, in my opinion, should be a temptress inviting the audience towards her. Between the two, I think Ulyana feels more intriguing.

If there's one word to describe the score for this variation, it's pompous. While it may be tempting to match every grand sound with an equally grand movement, I don't think it makes for good choreography. There was simply too much flailing and tossing of the arms. It felt as though I wasn't even watching the same choreography. Although, I think this may be because I was distracted with her arms, I could barely see what her body was doing.

My consolation was that she nailed this part. You have to match the rest with a rest, and Elya did that here. I just wish she settled for more rests, more subtle movements in other parts of the dance.

Again, from start to finish, the widespread arms and hands were just ever-present. I expected more.

Now, I understand that it may be unfair to compare her side by side with Ulyana, but Elya's already a prima ballerina.

To add to that, here's a video of Anastasia Smirnova's interpretation of Carmen in the Moscow ballet Competition. I thought she was a happy medium of Elya and Ulyana's interpretations. While I still prefer Ulyana's, I would undoubtedly rank Anastasia's performance over Eleonora's.

P.S. I wanted to also add gifs of Maya Plisetskaya but I didn't have time to do a three part comparison :(

#deep dive #russian ballet #eleonora sevenard #bolshoi ballet #ballet review #dancer updates