I wanted to post this link to a review by respected writer and photographer Mark Haegeman, regarding a recent performance with a nearly all-Vaganova trained cast at Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam:

http://www.danceviewtimes.com/2007/Winter/10/dnb07.html

Artyem Yachmennikov, who is now no more than 23 or 24 years old, left the Kirov for a soloist position at Dutch National last fall. And he has just completed his first principal role, as Solor, alongside the very talented Larisa Lezhnina, who also left the Kirov years ago, and has since received much more recognition in Western Europe for her beautiful dancing.

Mr. Haegeman echoes many of my own sentiments regarding the caliber of Kirov training, and so I thought it prudent to share this excellent review here.

These interviews with Lezhnina by Marc Haegeman have probably been linked to before, but it seems like a good time to link to them again.

April 18, 1998:

http://www.kirov.com/hstories/lezhnina/hilezhnina1.html

August 2002:

http://www.for-ballet-lovers-only.com/L ... nterv.html

I've only seen Lezhnina on video, but she's one of my favorite Kirov dancers, with what I think of as a very sophisticated style. She reminds me of Gelsey Kirkland and Joanna Berman in that she appears to be totally aware of what every part of her body is doing at any given moment.

Yes, DJB, Lezhnina is a talent. I saw her in numerous performances in 1990-91 when the Kirov was in San Francisco, as the Fairy Doll, in Paquita and I believe several other ballets. She is a honed professional in every sense of the word. I haven't seen her on stage since then, but judging from Mr. Haegeman's review, she has only improved with time!

Incidentally (separate note) I bumped into some information today saying that Daria Pavlenko will be offering master classes in Prague this coming August.

Please let me join the club.

Catherine, thank you very much for your most recent and always fine reviews of the Mariinsky performances. Also as a follow up to your very interesting interview with Altynai Asylmuratova is an older, but I find very insightful interview with Altynai Asylmurtova by Marc Haegeman. She is now as you know the Artistic Director of the Vaganova Academy and she had just started at the time of this interview.

She says among other things...

"...Galina Ulanova, Marina Semyonova, or a bit later Natalia Dudinskaya, you can see a certain coordination of body and arms, a musicality - you might call it 'singing with the body' - and above all an emotional depth to the dancing..."


http://www.for-ballet-lovers-only.com/A ... nterv.html


[Added a few minutes later.]

Quote Catherine:

"Incidentally (separate note) I bumped into some information today saying that Daria Pavlenko will be offering master classes in Prague this coming August."

I wll have to check my calendar ! (smile emotican).

Buddy, thanks for the post.

As for Pavlenko, I believe it was the second week in August .