#gamzatti

[patricedumonde]

Deep Dive: Maria Koshkaryova’s Debut as Gamzatti

21 October 2023 — Masha's debut as Gamzatti in La Bayadere was a shock to many, and for good reason. This role requires not just technical proficiency but also maturity, and heavy acting. To make things more interesting, she was side by side Ekaterina Krysanova who became principal in 2011 and Vladislav Lantratov who became principal in 2013. For a dancer who just graduated 4 months ago, this wasn't just a challenging task, it was also impossible.

That said, let's go through some scenes that could have easily been corrected prior to the debut.

On the left, Maria Koshkaryova and on the right, Eleonora Sevenard.

This might be a hot take, but despite male dancers not being the center of attention in a pas de deux, I actually fully expect them to lead (Like in ballroom dancing.) In the movement above, I expected Vladislav to at least initiate eye-contact with Masha; this way, Masha would feel more comfortable to look at him as well. You'll notice the difference with the partnering of Elya. Instead of the movements looking hurried, you can see that there is a slight pause when they look at each other.

Here, there is clearly a lack of blocking. Masha should have turned instead of shuffling back. This way she can 1. See where she should go and 2. Look confident in doing so. This was likely from a hasty preparation for the role. There's simply too many moving parts for her to learn.

On the bright side, I thought her Italian fouettés were good. Excruciatingly slow, just how I like them! The fouettés, she played it safe by going with all single turns and honestly, I thought that was a smart decision. Incoming explanation on why.

Falling off balance here wasn't an accident, it was a blunder. She went for the 2.5 turns instead of a clean 1.5 you see on the right side. The clip on the right is perfect. Good preparation, clear spot, and solid landing.

One of the things I love about Gamzatti is that you can add a lot of embelishment to every movement. Maybe it comes with time and experience, but instead of just switching profiles here, Masha could have really emphasized more with her hands. Literally, a swish and flick could have added a lot.

JUMPS. The height is there. The look to the audience on the second jump could have been held much longer. Most importantly, the arms should be more controlled. When Masha braces herself before each jump, it isn't clear if she's passing through first position or even at a bras bas. When there's too much change and lack of clarity with the arm movements, the jumps don't seem effortless.

Here's a clip of Elya in the same part of the variation and she chose to be more consistent. (This is the part where the author realizes that she is a big fan of cleanliness and clarity which extends to her preference of risk-averse dancers)

Let's move on to arguably the hardest part, which is why I won't dwell on it too long. I will stand by my earlier statement, I cannot believe they would let her go against Ekaterina Krysanova, who is 20 years her senior. Especially in a confrontation scene like this, the disparity is palpable. Masha needed more confidence here and instead, it looked a bit apprehensive.

On the left, she should have been more "in your face" and she should have invaded Ekaterina Krysanova's space a lot more. After the first arabesque, that must have been 2-3 feet, she should have approached much closer than that.

Throughout this scene, I felt that Masha's facial expression remained unchanged. At the beginning, Gamzatti should be more accusatory and by the end, she should be full on, taunting. In all fairness, I can somewhat see it in the movement.

I saved this for last as it really stood out to me. The fall did not make sense. However, it would have made a lot more sense if she already came from a kneeling position! I would have preferred if she decided to beg on her knees, AND THEN fall in the manner that she did. It just seemed physically weird because of the way Ekaterina pushed her.

Honestly, this is all I am willing to go over. The first person to blame here would be whoever casted this. The second, maybe, would be her coach who agreed with that decision.

I see that the consensus here is that this debut is premature, and it is. Masha is a talented dancer. If you have seen her other debuts and felt that she was unprepared, surely it makes sense now, right? Imagine learning all those new roles on top of learning the entirety of Gamzatti's in La Bayadere.

C'est impossible.

#russian ballet #bolshoi ballet #maria koshkaryova #deep dive #ballet #ballet review #dancer updates #la bayadere #gamzatti

[lemon-snickety]

My top 5 ballet dream roles

#5- Rubies Soloist (Jewels)

I love the energy of the role and all the petite allegro

#4- The Firebird (Firebird)

So much drama in this role, I’m also dying to wear the costume

#3- Dark Angel (Serenade)

Even though this role is generally for taller dancers (I’m only 5’5), but I love adagio. Also, serenade for strings makes me cry

#2- Gamzatti (La Bayadère)

I just love a good diva, and that’s exactly what Gamzatti is. Her wedding variation is my absolute favorite classical variation

#1- Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)

This would be my dream lead role. The Rose Adagio is probably my favorite section from any classical ballet and I would kill to do it. She also doesn’t have to do the big 32, which makes me so happy because I hate fouettés with a burning passion

#ballet #ballerina #ballet dancer #dancer #top 5 #dream roles #ballerinas of tumblr #sleeping beauty #aurora #rose adagio #gamzatti #la bayadère #serenade #dark angel #tchaikovsky #balanchine #firebird #rubies #jewels #classical ballet #ballet variations

[enchanted-keys]

Marianela Nunez as Gamzatti (Royal Ballet 2009)

#marianela nunez #gamzatti #la bayadere #royal ballet #ballet #balletedit

[tikitania]

Yaroslavna Kuprina and Maria Koshkyarova are debuting gamzatti... Although I think they are amazing and have great potential it just seems too soon for me. I watched Maria's don quixote bridesmaids variation in Beijing and in my eyes it lacked a bit. I m sure that they will definitely become great ballerinas and will thrive no doubt but it feels a little rushed. What are your thoughts??

Too soon, yes. Unsurprised, no. This is the way at the Bolshoi Theater. They don't just push talent through the ranks quickly, but skip it altogether. I saw the snippet of Koshkayova's variation in DQ. She can do all the things, but I agree with you, it lacked the sparkle that makes DQ so fun. But I don't think it's indicative of much. It was a tour coming on the heels of a punishing/exhausting graduation season. Let's see if she grows as an artist. I found this interview with her rather interesting:

(I use my browser to translate.)

UPDATE HERE: I started thinking about this variation and tried to figure out why Koshkaryova's felt lacking, and here are my thoughts.

Now, here is Anna Tikhomirova dancing the same variation, (different costume.)

First off, the tempo in the first one (Koshkaryova) is downright lugubrious. And I know Maria can jump, but the grande jetes feel like she's lurching rather than floating. Swapping out jetes in a circle for Italian Fouettés at the end makes it feel like a show pony trick. But my biggest complaint is the crazy slow tempo and and lack of port do bras, which really sucks the life out of this variation. Tikhomirova's is much faster and musical, especially on the turns! I love her port de bras throughout. This feels like how this variation should be dance, full of joy and bravado. And her jumps are wonderfully light and look effortless. Not to knock Koshkaryova (and this is during a tour, which probably has its challenges, and she's *just* graduated) but this performance makes me wonder what her coaches are emphasizing.

#ballet #russian ballet #bolshoi ballet #kuprina yaroslavna #maria koshkaryova #gamzatti #Anna Tikhomirova #Don Quixote #Ballet Variation #Bridesmaid Variation

[balletomaneblog]

What do u think about valiullina debuting as myrtha, and koshkareva and kuprina debuting as gamzatti?

What’s your opinion for each dancer?

Ok so I am not even going to go into how they're too young because obviously that's true.

Sadly, Kuprina has been removed from all up-coming debuts, likely due to an injury. However, I think she's perfect for Gamzatti so I'm fairly sure they'll give her another shot at it once she gets better. I think Koshkareva will do fine with this role, but I will say that they've given her a lot of jumping girl roles like the First Bridesmaid in Don Quixote, Paquita, etc, and I honestly like her a lot better in adagio. So I hope that she gets more of those kind of roles in the future.

As for Valiullina, I really love her and it's great that she's been given Myrtha, similar to Kovalyova in her first season. However, I see her far more as Giselle and Kuprina more as Myrtha but I'm sure she'll do a great job. It just better not stop her from getting her Giselle debut one day!

As for my general opinion of each dancer, I do enjoy that they each are fairly different from one another. I honestly don't have a favorite, though I do have a soft spot for Valiullina ever since her Raymonda last year. But they're so so young so I'm very excited to see their debuts in the next month and get a better picture of them in the beginning of their professional career!

#ballet #bolshoi #maria koshkareva #sofia valiullina #yaroslavna kuprina #debut #gamzatti #myrtha

[thesolemnhour]

I wouldn't be surprised (and wouldn't mind) if you're not doing this anymore, but ballet ask game 🩰 for Helmi?

IM SO SORRY THIS TOOK FOREVER FOR ME TO GET TO! I had to stew on what I wanted to give Helmi for a while until it came to me. However, I am always and forever taking ballet asks they are so fun!!

For Helmi, I would assign Ekaterina Krysanova's Act II Gamzatti Variation from La Bayadère. The eagle-eyed among you may recall that this is the highest honor that I can bestow: female ballet villain. Gamzatti is such a juicy villain, and she's one of my absolute favorites

For context, Gamzatti is celebrating her engagement to a man we the audience know to be in love with the ballet's true protagonist, Nikiya. But she's a princess so what Gamzatti wants, Gamzatti gets.

It's not enough, though, just for her to get everything she wants; she just has to rub everyone's noses in it, Nikiya's and the audience's. She's gotta do the happiest dance in the world about it, all big jumps and broad smiles. My favorite read on this is that Gamzatti kind of knows what she's doing is wrong and deeply unkind, but (a little like Helmi!) she's too proud to admit fault or change course.

Krysanova's performance here also really adds something to me. She's so big and exaggerated in her movements. She's wants us to know exactly how happy she is about the state of affairs. And even though she is ostensibly the villain, she is totally dazzling! I could watch her all day; she sweeps me away in her brashness! All of this really reminds me of Helmi's sort of childish audacity, and I live for it.

#helmi #ballet ask game🩰 #pwotr pals #nikiya did try to stab her in gamzatti's defense there is that

[kameliendame]

Valentine Colasante and Jérémy-Loup Quer in Nureyev’s production of La Bayadère

ph. Julien Benhamou

#valentine the only one to dance nikiya AND gamzatti its what she deserves.jpg #valentine colasante #jeremy-loup quer #paris opera ballet #jlq

[dozydawn]

Natalia Osipova & Marianela Nuñez

Pavla Pećušak & Edina Pilčanić

Mayara Magri & Lauren Cuthbertson

Svetlana Zakharova & Zuzana Zahradnikova

Yuhui Choe & Hikaru Kobayashi

Gillian Murphy & Hee Seo

“Gamzatti has heard that Nikiya is a beautiful temple dancer, but when she lifts up her chin and first sees her face, it’s like, ‘Oh, no.’ She’s stunningly gorgeous.” Gillian Murphy.

#la bayadère #la bayadere #pose compilation #ballet

[annelise-eastes]

Well I got my live-streaming privileges revoked today 🙃 Join me on Patreon for more livestreams!

#ropeart #shibari #bd/sm rope #self tie #rope harness #hip harness #ropebondage #rope bunny #roped girl #rope switch #bdsmlife #bd/sm kink #bd/sm community

[evolvingsidekick]

Some Yagp finals

Chloe Hennessy (16): Swanhilda; Grateful Bond

Crystal Huang (15): Gulnara; Valse Masquerade

Ellary Day Szyndlar (11): Paquita; Weeping (yayy I love this one)

Fiona Wu (13): Awakening of Flora; Broken Bow

Harper Anderson (11): Medora; Instrospection

Harper Schwalb (10): Fairy Doll; Gilded Swan

Isabella Charnstrom (11): Scarlett Sonata

Isabella Howard (16): Etudes; Over it, Scene

Isabella Tjoe (13): Paquita; Song of the Black Swan

Kiera Sun (13): Aurora Act III; Mist

Kya Massimino (13): Kitri Act III; 24

Melanie Mccintire (17): Etudes; Beyond the Mirage

Reese Braga (10): Le Matin

Savannah Jackson (9): 3rd Odalisque; Recall Your Face

Savannah Manzel (13): Concerto; Gamzatti

Victoria Carrillo (11): Queen of Dryads; Lux Aeterna

[patricedumonde]

Deep dive still in progress... BUT first impression?

I, too, would be awkward and shy if you wanted me to be menacing towards Ekaterina Krysanova.

Me, probably: You mean you want ME to throw HER around??

In all seriousness though, why would you cast a 19 year old in this role? Opposite someone who's been prima for more than 10 years? Opposite someone who's 20 years her senior? They need to stop doing this to Masha. That poor girl... She has so much potential and there are so many soloist roles she could do well. Prince's friends in Swan Lake was a good start, maybe a shade in La Bayadere instead? First variation in Don Quixote grand pas is also good. I could even see her in the principal role for The Nutcracker. BUT Gamzatti, and Diamonds in Jewels? It's doing her more harm than good.

This deep dive will require extra care because I only want the best for these graduates and I never intended for this blog to be overtly critical and negative. I'll be objective and we'll go through the little nuances that could have made this debut better.

These will be my reference videos if anyone wanted to watch them

#russian ballet #bolshoi ballet #vaganova #maria koshkaryova #dancer updates #la bayadere #gamzatti #ballet review #Youtube

[ballet-symphonie]

OK, I kind of see what you're saying with tricks in exams. I just hate hate hate tricks. They usually lose the musicality of the steps and it's extremely jarring to watch. Especially in slow combinations where things like grand tours usually are, trying to fit a triple in the music changes the tempo in a way I dislike. The kind of thing that only looks good in a 10 second TikTok video, but has no business in a class combination, much less on a stage.

See this is where I disagree, ballet is always evolving. Dancers are capable of feats now that were basically impossible in earlier generations due to cross-training, improved dancewear, nutrition, and an influx of different techniques. Dancers are raging perfectionists and class time is exactly where they improve themselves and push their boundaries and the limits of technique. What do they work for if to not show it on stage?

I think the bigger issue is about sensible choreography and instruction. Like some of those YAGP Esmereldas where they’re still turning after the music changes or doing the ending ballonees in a circle willy-nilly, that's garbage coaching. But if it's fitting with the music or the intent, I think showboating can absolutely be done to great effect on stage and some of the greatest ballerinas have shown that. Marianela is perhaps the most convenient example, with extended balances in Aurora variations, super suspended turns in Odette's final diagonal, 4-5 pirouettes in Gamzatti. Osipova is, of course, the blueprint for this, adding jumps into the Flames of Paris coda, throwing in 'double-doubels' in so many diagonals, her original first act coda for DQ, super suspended balances in Giselle, etc.

#ballet #ballet ask #balleruna

[enchanted-keys]

Marianela Nunez as Gamzatti (Royal Ballet)

#marianela nunez #gamzatti #la bayadere #royal ballet #ballet #balletedit

[tikitania]

Gold Standard Roles...

ANON ASK: Who do you think are the “gold standard” for roles? This is so much fun! Questions like this would normally send me down a YouTube rabbit hole, but I'm just going to go off top of mind, so I don't get lost in the interwebs!

Odette/Odile - Ulyana Lopatkina, Ekaterina Kondaurova & Oksana Skorik both a close 2nd. Nikiya - Polina Semionova Gamzatti - Maria Alexandrova & Osipova Giselle - Alessandra Ferri (White Nights was my gateway drug to ballet fandom!) But Carla Fracci is just…chef's kiss. Raymonda - Olesya Novikova Aurora - Evgenia Obratsova Medora - Tereshkina (she can do it all) Gulnare - Nagahisa (I don't really recall to many Gulnares, but her stood out.) Swanilda - Natalia Osipova Kitri - Marianela Nunez WHAT A FUN ASK! THANK YOU!!!!

#prima ballerina #ballet #ballet greats #love them all #too hard to choose #gold standard

[balletomaneblog]

Hi there! :) How was Lukina's debut as Gamzatti and Batoeva as Nikiya?

Heyyy! Sadly, I really saw almost nothing from Batoeva's debut so I can't really comment on it. As for Lukina, I saw almost everything except for the fight scene with Nikiya in the first act. I saw the adagio from the Grand Pas all on instagram but when I went to rewatch it, I couldn't find it anymore. If anyone knows who posted it that would be great!

Anyway, from what I remember of the adagio, I liked it. And I really enjoyed her variation, which is posted on youtube, by the way. My biggest issue with Lukina in the past has been that she's had some stability issues. But since last season I've noticed how much stronger and more confident she's seemed on stage and it's really made me eager to watch her. When I watched her Gamzatti variation I never worried for a second. She had complete control of the stage. I'm very glad she was given this debut. Of course, there's work to be done on developing the role, but that's always the case with debuts.

It's funny, if you had asked me a couple years ago between the two 2015 grads, Shakirova and Lukina, who would debut Gamzatti, I would have been sure it would be Shakirova. And now I think it would be awesome to have a cast with Shakirova as Nikiya and Lukina as Gamzatti!

#ballet #mariinsky #mariinsky ballet #anastasia lukina #gamzatti #debut #la bayadere #renata shakirova #nikiya

[thesolemnhour]

i have to ask for pas de deux

Let's go!! Thanks Cas I was hoping someone would ask for this one!

“You’re Solor, then?” “No,” he supplies helpfully, “I’m Lann.” For a second, it does not compute. That’s not a Bayadère character. To Agria's horror, her puzzlement must show on her face because a laugh bubbles up from underneath his straight face. Oh, she realizes, feeling altogether foolish. His name.

Solor is the male lead in La Bayadère for the unitiated! Agria is dancing the part of Gamzatti, the villain.

#i thought this would be a fun ballet au snippet without Completely giving the premise away #dolly knows this one lol #taylor writes #lann has a life outside of dance. UNLIKE SOME PEOPLE #ag tag