One other thing that videos can do is capture the choreography, for example, if it is a premiere. It enables people to go back and remind themselves what the choreography was, but I agree that it does not take the place of foot to foot teaching.

I know from Pilates and yoga that I fall (or I should say fell past tense since I have fallen off the wagon) into the same bad habits. if I do not have an instructor reminding me. I also experienced this back when I was young and helped out part-time teaching Pilates. Clients learned much better when I touched them and moved their body into correct alignment because what feels straight is sometimes totally uneven. You can watch a video and mimic what is being done, but you do not really see what you're doing wrong until someone actually touches you and moves your body into the correct position or shows you the way you are doing it and how you should be doing it instead.

So I think for actual dancers video is probably only a way of checking if what they felt they were doing translated across the stage physcially. But for learning a role, I can totally see how you really, really need the pedagogue.

For revivals of ballets that have not been done for a while, I suspect a video (that shows the entire stage) is a great help to the person staging the revival (if the choreographer is not available), if there is not a particular Trust that sends someone to help.

For the viewer I think video is better than nothing, but "in person" is always much better. An element of an "event" or some unique charisma or a feeling in the audience can really change your mood or way you experience it.

Actually that's a great point. The dancers at the Mariinsky also often use videos of previous performances to learn just the steps in new roles -- I mean for example, a soloist being given a new role that no one has taught her, she will use the video to initially learn the order of the steps. (especially if it is not a classical ballet, but something new, say Ratmansky's Cinderella, or something from the Forsythe ballets, and maybe the young dancer hasn't been in that ballet yet). But then she goes to rehearsal and that is all carefully combed through along with the pedagogue.

Some good ideas have been expressed here about videos that we could give more time to if we have a chance. I think that they offer a great deal, but have to be kept in perspective. They can be fine aids for the artists and also give a lot of insight and enjoyment to those of us who never see as many live performances as we would like to.

Yana Salenko of the Berlin State {Opera} Ballet just debuted on the Mariinsky stage as Kitri in Don Q. Kommersant's Olga Fedorchenko reviewed the evening:

http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/2385116

Xander -- Prince Siegfried (Swan Lake) -- March 6 !

It couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Bravo !

(with Yulia Stepanova, a double debut)

http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/pla ... /6/1_1900/
(thanks to sophia at Dansomanie for finding this)

My attention wandered during the Esina Kennedy Center Swan Lake and I had purchased tickets for the Bolshoi Giselle with Zakarova/Hallberg. I imagined Esina as Myrtha with a Somova Giselle. Are they cast together? Does Askerov ever partner Somova? I also noticed one of the big swans and thought casting her would have enhanced Askerov's performance. That evening during Kolegeva/Zuzin I realized the mesmerizing dancer in Spanish was the big swan who diverted my focus during Esina's Odette. An intermission program check listed Stepanova. Esina did have beautiful marble sculptural poses. Do the pedagogues work with her on a regular basis?

My first Kirov-Mariinsky Swan Lake was in 1986 at the Mann Music Center in Philadelphia - Lyubov Kunakova as Odette/Odile.

Maps, a partial response to your questions. Until recently I always associated Timur Askerov with Oxana Skorik. They work very well together. In the last year they seem to be cast more with other partners. One reason may be to give Oxana Skorik more experience outside of her usual comfort range. It appears to be working fairly well. She seems to be growing and becoming more confident. On the other hand, Timur Askerov is a very solid and supportive partner, whom the Mariinsky would maybe like to share with other ballerinas. It worked very well with Olga Esina in Swan Lake last October. They may also want to give him a chance to develop his own identity and style.

A quick check does show Timur Askerov scheduled to appear with Alina Somova in Don Quixote, March 26.
http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/company/ball ... ny/somova/
(see Upcoming performances, box upper right)

Regarding Olga Esina, she is scheduled to be Giselle at the Festival. I'm really looking forward to this one.

Let's talk about Xander (Xander Parish) for a moment. He and Yulia Stepanova debuted in Swan Lake last night.
,
I've just had a chance to see the video clip of the Act I Odette duet, but I like them both very much.

This young man has Class !

She is absolutely Lovely !

Bravi ! , you two, and much success and happiness.

Xander will also be debuting in Sylvia with Alina Somova at next month's Festival.