Buddy, I am looking forward to seeing Veronika Part's Odette/Odile at the Kennedy Center/DC next week. Her Siegfried will be Marcello Gomes, one of the ABT dancers who has been invited to dance at this year's Mariinsky Festival, although we do not yet know the ballet in which he'll appear...if he appears.

I would love to be there, Natalia !

I always hope that she will show up at a Mariinsky Festival somehow.

Since Marcello Gomes is invited 'It Only Makes Sense' to bring 'Veronika' along ! (Big smile!)

The next best thing would be if she appeared in London after the Festival this March, where the ABT will be performing "Swan Lake" (no casting yet listed). This is totally possible. I would also love to see Gillian Murphy for the fourth time(!) in "Swan Lake". She really won over the audience at the Festival last year. She Absolutely 'Wowed' me !

"... maybe there are two Tatiana Kuznetsovas out there..."

Tatiana Kuznetsova who writes for the Kommersant newspaper spent her dancing career with the Moiseyev Folkdance Company.

“… the fact Alexei Ratmansky was more or less "pushed out" of his position as Artistic Director of the Bolshoi Ballet…”

It is more than inaccurate. In his interviews the Bolshoi’s Director General Anatoly Iksanov stated repeatedly that he had asked Ratmansky to stay with the Bolshoi and is waiting now for him to come back as a choreographer.
In the same way Ratmansky turned down the offers from Gergiev and NYCB to become the Artistic Director because he doesn’t fancy administrative duties and wants to work only as a choreographer.

“Is there a lack of decent choreographers in Saint Petersburg?”

Could you name them please.

Thanks for this clarification on the Kuznetsovas, coda.

I believe that 'sacto7654' wrote about Ratmansky and the comment on Vishneva not being able to find good choreographers in St. Petersburg. The latter was probably a joke because of the news that DV is rehearsing a new ballet with Possokhov, who lives in San Fco.

Natalia, I have to chime in regarding Part. How lucky you are to see this beautiful wonder in the role of all roles! I hope to hear details on the performance from you, if possible. I'd love to see Veronika in Swan Lake. That will be a performance to savor and remember!

Catherine, I'll chime in for a moment. I saw it last summer in NYC and it was Excellent ! She is really quite in a class of her own !

London--Veronika Part and Marcello Gomes--"Swan Lake" !!!!

March 27 and March 30

( with many other ABT Shining Stars ! )

http://www.abt.org/performances/calendar_index1.asp


Dear Mariinsky Festival Planners,

"It's only a quick flight to get back to London from Saint Petersburg."

I now see that the festival schedule is complete with the addition of Vishneva's 'Beauty in Motion' to the Mariinsky website's schedule (Monday, March 16). So they have finally nailed down what balletandopera.com had first announced to its subscribers two months ago.

I know. Oddly or sadly or humorously, that site is always more up to date than the MT's site. Which is nice, I guess -- there is someplace where you can find up to date information about the performance schedule!

It's official.

March 17
"Don Quixote"--Ashley Bouder (New York City Ballet), Leonid Sarafanov


March 20
"La Bayadere"--Polina Semionova (Berliner Staatsoper), Igor Zelensky


March 21
"Giselle" Diana Vishneva, Marcelo Gomes (American Ballet Theatre)


http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/pla ... 09&month=3

It has been announced on the Mariinsky website that it will be Gomes with Vishnev in Giselle on March 21. Please let me hear it all if any of you are able to go. Wish I could be there. Natalia, if you are able to go, please throw the flowers on stage to Mr. Gomes or deliver them backstage if you can! I would really appreciate it. I can send you a check.

Thanks, buddy & vrsfanatic. Great news!

Vrsfanatic, I'll definitely do the flowers. I'll be in a Bel-Etage box so I am not certain that my throw will reach him but I will go backstage or at least to the stage door!!!

For anyone who might have wanted to see Ekaterina Osmolkina as Odette-Odile ("Swan Lake") at the Mariinsky Festival, we (NataliaN, jpc, me and hopefully others) have a chance to see her on the way home in London, March 23 and probably one other date a few days later. Ivan Putrov will be Prince Siegfried.


http://www.roh.org.uk/whatson/production.aspx?pid=7071

They still haven't announced the Odette-Odile casting for the Festival, so it is still possible that she will appear there as well.


And a reminder, Veronika Part (formerly Mariinsky) and many other ABT Superdancers will also be performing "Swan Lake" in London (March 25-31).

http://www.abt.org/performances/calendar_index1.asp

Thanks for that catch, Buddy. Well, I would not mind it in the least if either Osmolkina or Kondaurova ("Big Red") get to dance Odette-Odile at the Mariinsky Festival...or perhaps even a special guest star from ABT?

How about Lucia Lacarra ?

She now dances with the Bayerisches Staatsballett and formerly danced with the San Francisco Ballet. Did she dance a 'full length' performance of something at the Mariinsky a few years ago?

PS--And then there's Nina! (You did say ABT, but this is special.) If she could do what she did last summer in NYC it would be quite something !

PS II--For anyone arriving a day early here is what's happening at the Mikhailovsky Theatre.

Le Corsaire--March 13

Medora – Irina Perren
Gulnara – Sabina Yapparova
Conrad – Andrey Kasyanenko
Ali – Denis Matvyenko

http://www.mikhailovsky.ru/en/afisha/sh ... 2009-03-13