#russian ballet dancers

[the-cricket-chirps]

Oskar Schlemmer

Costume Design, Triadisches Ballett (Triadic Ballet)

1921-1929

(New Production, 2014, color photos: Wilfried Hösl)

#oskar schlemmer #ballet #costume #costume design #russian avant garde #bauhaus #german art #german artist #avant garde #ballet costumes #clothing design #modern art #art history #aesthetictumblr #tumblraesthetic #tumblrpic #tumblrpictures #tumblr art #aesthetic #beauty #ballet dancer

[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

[mariocki]

Roger Delgado makes a brief appearance as an unnamed but helpful Argentine diplomat, in Overseas Press Club - Exclusive!: Two Against the Kremlin (1.13, ABPC, 1957)

#fave spotting #roger delgado #overseas press club exclusive! #two against the kremlin #delgado!master #classic doctor who #doctor who #abpc #1957 #classic tv #a very pleasant surprise! i assumed i was all done with finding blorbos in OPCE but then up pops Rog for a little scene in the final episode #he's an embassy diplomat‚ which was kind of his stock in trade role before he fell into villain work #not much variation in images bc he's only onscreen for about 30 seconds to give Ralph Bellamy's US newspaperman some tips on #getting his family out of Moscow. I've mentioned in other OPCE posts that the veracity of the 'true stories' told is difficult to pin down #Bellamy is playing journalist Eddy Gilbert‚ a very real person‚ and the details of his marriage to a Russian ballet dancer‚ Tamara‚ and the #opposition they faced from Russian authorities is certainly true; their relationship was well known enough to have inspired a film‚ 1953's #Never Let Me Go starring Clark Gable as Gilmore and Gene Tierney as Tamara (albeit with names changed and some highly dramatic additions #to their story). how much is true of the rest of this tv ep is anyone's guess but it's certainly among the more believable #and there's nothing too objectionable (accounting for cold war era attitudes‚ i mean)

[countess-of-edessa]

maria khoreva: has been posting on Instagram about how she'll be performing at the YAGP New York gala for a while now, obviously not keeping it a secret at all and lots of ballet people have been discussing it

some stupid representative in albany: you kept this a SECRET from us so we couldn't protest because you were trying to sneak in the Russians under the radar how dare you they're representatives of Putin >:(

#well if they were real good people they would have lost everything in their lives to speak out against a tyrannical government and end up #changing nothing obviously #I guess some people think differently but yes I understand the Mariinsky is a state sponsored theatre and I understand not having the #theatre over here to perform as a company. but not allowing individual dancers over here to perform as individuals who happen to work #for the theater is so stupid to me #yes the state funds the theater. American tax dollars contribute to various arts funds here #I don't want to be called Biden's representative when I go to other countries for work #ok sounds good you first #2/3 of the 'Russian' dancers invited are May Nagahisa and Kimin Kim who are not even Russian #and trust me I literally wrote the book (thesis) on Russian ballet as propaganda I literally did do exactly that #I still find this moronic. No one is out here doing Spartak or the Red Poppy or Taras Bulba or anything like that #stupid stupid stupid

[drawingwithlight]

RUSSIAN BALLET DANCER SERGEI POLUNIN

BY DAVID LACHAPELLE, 2017

#photography #DAVID LACHAPELLE #Russian #ballet dancer #SERGEI POLUNIN

[forever70s]

Rudolf Nureyev on the June 28, 1976 cover of People Weekly

#rudolf nureyev #rudolph nureyev #ballet dancer #dancer #1976 #people weekly #retro magazines #russian

[hckat]

Mark Olich photography [x]

#mark olich #photography #ballet #ballet photography #ballerina #classical ballet #ballet dancer #dance #dancer #dance aesthetic #ballet aesthetic #swan lake #giselle #ruassian photographer #russian ballet

[revoltedstates]

Bailarines rusos by doblecachanilla Via Flickr: Bailarines del Estudio Ina Czernetski practicando al aire libre, 1925.

#Vintage #Dancer #Ballet #flickr #1920s #russia #russian

[vintage-russia]

Russian ballet dancers Margarita Kandaurova and Mikhail Mordkin perform "Waltz-Caprice" (1916)

#Россия #Russia #russian culture #russian #Маргарита Кандаурова #Margarita Kandaurova #русская балерина #russian ballerina #Михаил Мордкин #Mikhail Mordkin #русский артист балета #russian ballet dancer #1910s #1916

[spoiledstrawberry]

mecore

#rudolf nureyev #ballet #ballet dancer #russian #1970s #70s

[the-cricket-chirps]

Pavel Tchelitchew

Costume Design for Concerto: Femmes Corps de Ballet

ca. 1942

#pavel tchelitchew #russian artist #russian painter #russian avant garde #costume design #costume #ballet #ballet dancer #modern art #art history #france #aesthetic #beauty #art on tumblr #tumblr art #tumblrpic #tumblrpictures #tumblraesthetic #aesthetictumblr

[hauntedbystorytelling]

1920 ─ LE THÉATRE ─ Nº 384 | Kabinett Auktionen Mme Ida Rubinstein. Rôle de Cléopâtre. Théatre National de l'Opéra. Antoine et Cléopâtre ─ Acte V [Photo Sabourin (succ. de Bert)]

view more on wordPress

#ida rubinstein #role portrait #cleopatre #antoine et cleopatre #ballets russes #dance costume #le theatre magazine #le theatre #tanzkostum #huge headgear #egyptian revival #egyptian costume #1920s #1910s #sabourin #danseuse #danzatrice #Tänzerin #russian dancer

[patricedumonde]

Deep Dive: Daria Kulikova’s Debut as Princess Florine

23 November 2023 — Daria Kulikova's debut as Princess Florine was perhaps my favorite debut of hers from this season. Daria graduated from the Vaganova Ballet Academy in 2023 from Yulia Kasenkova's class and throughout this piece, all I can think of was how she embodies the best qualities of Kasenkova's students. Alyona Kovalyova and Maria Ilyushkina are one of my favorite dancers from this generation. As early as now, I can tell that Daria also shares the poise and dainty nature of her academic sisters.

In fact, "academic" is the term I would use the most when describing this interpretation. With the music being already excruciatingly slow, this arabesque became even more challenging than it already is. I think Daria executed this in such a a picturesque manner and she landed ever so softly on the ground while also being more liberal with her lean as she listens to the bluebird.

Just for fun, I have included a short clip of a young Svetlana Zakharova in the role. Both dancers were breathtaking in the first few seconds of the dance. Even I, as a watcher, wanted to lean in to hear where the sound is coming from.

Nikita Korneyev was also a very attentive partner here. This is what I am looking for from male dancers when partnering first year company members. Since he's anticipating her every step, Daria only gets to worry about striking her poses. You can even tell from how their looks linger that they are absolutely comfortable as partners and are not just going through the motions of the choreography.

There was just so much clarity (I am not used to) in this interpretation. It is almost an oxymoron for me how slow this piece is but also how crisp they make the movements look. Especially during the coda, we all got to appreciate their chemistry and how in sync they are with each other and by extension, with the music!

Princess Florine's variation. At first I thought, "oh maybe she just has very dainty arms" but there's actually quite a bit of difference between her arms here and in her Queen of Dryads. In my mind, there's seemingly a race in who's got more expressive arms. It's either Alexandra Khiteyeva or Daria Kulikova. I just throughly enjoyed how Daria started this dance. You can almost feel the music emanating even from her fingers.

This wouldn't be a deep dive of mine without an obscure fixation on something small. Daria's choices on where to look, how to tilt her head, and how much farther to lean, were all correct here. It is very rare for me to see such grace and ease from a young dancer.

Perhaps my only two asks from this already glowing performance is to show a bit more clarity with the pas de bourrée. I think the English dancers are really good about this but that is also due to their tempo being faster. There's, naturally, a highlight on the quick step. With this slower version, I understand that the pas de bourrée could get lost but it would make for a nice treat for the diagonal.

The other is in the coda, I already think Daria does a wonderful job, especially with her expressive arms. I think a more pronounced lean towards the standing leg will help bring the other leg higher and help prolong the extension.

In the coda, I think Daria does a wonderful job in being dynamic with her movements. Slowing down, and seemingly stopping time, before quickly closing in for her turns. It was just an absolute delight to watch.

Overall, this debut was my favorite of the new graduates this year. Happy holidays to all!

(Credits to Ma Iru for the video)

#russian ballet #mariinsky ballet #ballet #ballet review #daria kulikova #yulia kasenkova #vaganova #princess florine #dancer updates

[havlasha]

Prima Ballerina Assolutas

I was reading Maya Plisetskaya’s autobiography (great read!) and it got me thinking. I still find it sad that the phrase “Assoluta” has sort of been laid to rest. Originally designated to Pierina Legnani by Marius Petipa to describe, who he felt, was “The leading dancer in all of Europe”. Although, it was never a refined system and a good chunk of the few designated Primas with the title are disputed/unofficial. Petipa himself formally objected to Kschessinska being awarded the title (one of many petty feuds between the prima and the ballet master. Honestly 1800s Mariinsky troupe drama is so entertaining I could go on all day about it) But it adds a level of prestige, in a world of so many companies both national & regional. It’s certainly a shame that certain dancers never got the honour awarded to them, despite being the greatest heralded (and in demand) dancers of their eras (think Sylvie Guillem, Ulyana Lopatkina, Darcey Bussel). The only still dancing assoluta left is Alessandra Ferri and she is slowly fading out, especially with her new role at the Weiner Staatsoper. 

As far as current Primas with the potential for the title, I really think Zakharova could have easily been awarded one by now. It’s a shame that her long-standing controversial political associations have likely hindered any potential for that sort of honour internationally. Just for her sheer presence in the dance world I can’t think of another dancer who holds such a grip on what is considered a “prima”. In talent terms, Osipova should be up there too for her contributions to the world of flying. 

Anyway: here’s some photos of the currently recognised Prima Ballerina Assolutas:

Pierina Lagnani - Italian - Mariinsky Ballet

Mathilda Kschessinska - Russian - Mariinsky Ballet

Alicia Markova - British - ENB/ The Royal Ballet

Attilia Redice - Italian - Rome Opera Ballet 

Galina Ulanova - Russian - Bolshoi Ballet

Alicia Alonso - Cuban - Cuban National Ballet (Unofficial)

Maya Plisetskaya - Russian - Bolshoi Ballet

Eva Evdokimova - Bulgarian/American - Royal Danish Ballet (also unofficial/sanctioned - appointed by the Mariinsky)

Margot Fonteyn - British - Royal Ballet

Yvette Chauviré - French - Paris Opera Ballet

Anneli Alhanko - Swedish - Royal Swedish Ballet (appointed by the Bolshoi)

Phyllis Spira - South African - Royal Ballet/CAPAB Ballet

Alessandra Ferri - Italian - Royal Ballet/ABT/La Scala

#mariinsky ballet #ballet #bolshoi ballet #classical ballet #paris opera ballet #russian ballet #ballerina #ballet dancer #Ballethistory #mariinsky theatre

[artadorkable]

So much red 🍭🍬🍫❤️

#art #design #designer #drawing #asthetic #characterdesign #fashion #fashion design #costume design #nutcracker #ballet #dancer #fantasy #store #magic #candy cane #Russian #jewelry #bronze #Pearl #gem #headdress #dress #glitter #glimmer #holiday #holographic #sparkle #winter #christmas

[mewi-or-lara]

there is no straight explanation of this

#don't shame your kids for male russian ballet dancers kink #toh #the owl house #the owl house oc #toh oc #toh ceallach #animation #kinda??? #video #Mr. Bobblz #toh grimwalker #grimwalker #mewi draw