Catherine, it is bigger than one thinks. The space is deeper than the auditorium (audience seats). I have seen SWAN LAKE and GISELLE there, in years past. There were 16 swans (or Wilis) instead of the usual 24. They danced comfortably. ALL of the soloists were from the Mariinski, e.g., my Giselle was Veronika Ivanova, who rarely got to dance back in her home theater. [This was ca 2002; Ivanova has since retired.]

The stage of the Hermitage is tantamount to stages of U.S. community colleges that can comfortably stage productions by visiting Russian troupes. Just a smaller corps than normal.

Natalia, is this a company that routinely gives opportunities to Maryinsky rank and file who don't make the Management's "Favorite Short-List?" Veronika Ivanova, was a very good "journeyman" dancer. She was often given the step-in girl demi-soloist roles. Very reliable; she was a purist. Kolpakova coached her occaisionally. She got some chances under Vinogradov, in the late 80s and early 90s, but besides Aurora, Masha and Juliet, nothing else major; and like you mentioned, she rarely appeared in leading roles. IMO, Ivanova was good, but she couldn't be compared with Lezhnina. Ivanova wasn't as charismatic or as pure a classicist as Larissa. An good example of this can be seen on the Makhalina/Zelensky 1990 "Swan Lake" dvd, where both ladies dance the Act 1 pas de trois. On the same dvd, Ivanova's one of the Cygnets. In December 1992 I saw their Mashas, practically back to back, and Lara's interpretation, both technically and artistically, was superior.

It is, Cygne. Ivanova and her partner, Nikita Sheglov, used to dance there a lot. Also Zhanna Ayupova. Ditto Tatyana Tkachenko among more recent graduates. By the way, I first saw 'La Volochkova' perform Odette-Odile there ca 1994 right after her graduation, before she became a household name. The casting is never known in advance for the Hermitage performances...so it is always 'pot luck' to find out who will be dancing the leading roles. I've never been disappointed, though.

Last year I saw Elena Sheshina (Mariinsky) perform Odette-Odile ("Swan Lake") there and she did a very fine job of it.

Interesting, Buddy. As a star pupil in Dudinskaya's last graduation class, I am sure that Sheshina did a lovely job. Now when-on-earth would any of us get to see Sheshina dance a leading role in a major classical ballet at the Mariinsky? Never. She does not have their "requisite body type." We have to go to the Hermitage to experience these hidden treasures.

Svetlana Ivanova as Aurora, perhaps? Or Yana Selina?

Those would be two that I would love to see.

Sheglov and Ivanova now both teach at the Vaganova school. But even last fall both continued to take company classes...

Thanks, Natalia, for the info on the Herm Theatre. It just struck me as so tiny, but if even 16 swans can fit well, then...that's something.

Speaking of the Festival, any "three day wild guesses" on who's going to dance what role in the new production of Konyok Gorbunok? I'll take one guess: at least Leonid Sarafanov in the role of Ivan (if they want to match the pictures from the 1964 Russian book version of the poem). It will be very interesting to see who plays the role of the Tsar Maiden, though.

guessing:

Novikova with Sarafanov for cast 1

Somova with Shklyarov for cast 2

Sounds good !

I think that you might have mentioned somewhere that Leonid Sarafanov could be dancing three night later in "Don Quixote" with Ashley Bouder (NYCB)--should be great ! That would be a lot of high energy dancing for Leonid Sarafanov.

Right, Buddy. That's why I think that Sarafanov will have the opening night of HUMPBACKED, giving him a bit more time to recover for the DON Q with Bouder, who appears to be coming. She has just been cast in Theme & Variations in her home company in NYC, telling us that she is back on the mend. Hurrah!

Excellent news ! Thanks.

Here is some more information about the Hermitage Ballet Theater. (This is from a private commercial site)

http://www.balletandopera.com/index.htm ... 1-Mar-2009

Listed "Prima Ballerinas" here are Elena Kotsubira, Natalia Potekhina andValeria Vasil'eva. Can anyone tell us about them.

http://www.balletandopera.com/photos_in ... erina.html

Here is the Hermitage's own site.

http://www.hermitageballet.com/

Buddy, Kostubira is listed among the Hermitage principals on this link, with bios. She is a 2000 graduate of the excellent Perm Academy and has been dancing with Hermitage Ballet for the past two years, according to this. Interestingly, other principals of the troupe include Mariinsky principals and soloists, such as Irma Nioradze, Tatyana Tkachenko, Anastasia Kolegova and Sergei Popov. Check this out:

http://www.hermitageballet.com/site/807174/page/907546

Natalia Potekhina is not on the above list BUT I found a separate page for her (from another private commercial site offering tickets to Hermitage performances). She is a grad of the ballet school in Kazan, Russia:

http://rus-ballet.com/static-potekhina-1.htm

Now let me search for Valeria Vasilieva...OK, I found her in a news article from Bashkiria, where the Nureyev Festival is held periodically. One 'Valeria Vasilieva' is mentioned as a soloist of Moscow's Kremlin Ballet.

http://www.kiziltan.ru/print/enews-6172.html


I am venturing a guess that all of these dancers have permanent companies but do lucrative "guest gigs" with Hermitage Ballet, during different seasons and/or on tours. Tkachenko was definitely part of last year's tour through the Southern USA.

Thanks so much, Natalia. Here is one more if you don't mind. Tatiana Kuznetsova, who was in the 2004 "Reserve Troup" at the Mariinsky.

http://www.kirov.com/roster/roster2004/ ... e2004.html

I ran into her name at the Bolshoi forum from Russia. She has been invited to perform with the ABT in NY this June. I think she may now be associated with Nina Ananiashvili's Georgian company.