CriticalDance Forum

<BR>Nina Ananiashvili<BR>NOTE: ABT's (miserable) photo deleted, and replaced with this one from Houston Ballet<P><BR> <BR>Andrei Uvarov<P><BR>Carl Hartmann of the Associated Press reports on the prolonged standing ovation for Nina Ananiashvili and Andrei Uvarov after the Bolshoi's first performance in the US since the collapse of the Soviet Union:<P> <A HREF="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/20000531/aponline150848_000.htm" TARGET=_blank>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/20000531/aponline150848_000.htm</A> <p>[This message has been edited by grace (edited June 27, 2000).]

grace-many thanks for the better photo...the other one really was sub-par...<P>question for anyone out there in cyber-land. The Bolshoi is coming on tour to Seattle. Has anyone seen them recently? I was wondering if it's worth spending the "big bucks" ticket price...I'm not a real "full-length" ballet fan....but Nina is supposed to be phenomenal..I'm wondering how she would compare to say...Natalia Makarova...oh gosh, now I'm showing my age...deary me. I saw the bolshoi eons ago ..they did "Spartacus" ...quite an extravaganza.

The general view of the Bolshoi in their London visit last year was - the more trad. the better. The 'Spartacus' choreography did little for me. And the new productions of the classics were panned.<P>'Don Q' was very well received - so go for the trad productions of the trad rep. would be my advice. If you go to ballet.co.uk, Links, Reviews, Advanced and search on the Bolshoi, you'll pull up a lot of UK reviews from that period. Come back to me if you have any problems.

Meanwhile, Octavia Roca believes "The Bolshoi Ballet Re-Emerges With New Vigor and Artistry" in this review:<P> <A HREF="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/06/05/DD86044.DTL" TARGET=_blank>http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2000/06/05/DD86044.DTL</A> <BR>

And here's one from the Orange County Performing Arts:<P> <P><BR>Are we happy now?

Only Romeo & Juliet will be performed in Seattle. Nina A. will be performing on Wednesday (6/14) and Saturday (6/17). The original plan was for her to do the opening night R&J plus one performance of Don Quixote. Some months ago, the promoters decided that Don Q. was not selling well enough, and excised it from the schedule. (Only two performances were originally scheduled here.) I believe that we are one of the few locations where good tickets may actually be had for most any performance. This does not bode well for repeat visits. I would encourage anyone within driving distance to make an attempt to see one of the performances. Seattle audiences are elusive and ticket buyers for stand-alone events are always a challenge. I have yet to attend a serious dance performance (whether Alvin Ailey, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Ballet Nacional de Cuba) that has even come close to selling out the Paramount (ca. 2700 seats). Single ticket buyers are very price-sensitive, and the prices for these performances are very high, indeed, by acculturated standards hereabouts. (For the price I paid for two tickets to a single performance, I could easily have purchase a couple of season tickets to PNB or the Meany Hall Dance Series, for example.) Nonetheless, our opportunities to see companies at this level are rare, indeed, and need audience support.

The Bolshoi Ballet began its American Tour at Washington D.C.'s Kennedy<BR>Center this past Tuesday with rave reviews. We have included reviews from<BR>The New York Times and The Washington Post for your enjoyment. If you<BR>haven't already purchased your tickets for the Bolshoi Ballet at the Orange<BR>County Performing Arts Center, there are still tickets remaining, but they<BR>are selling fast. So call today! See below for details.<P><BR>The Bolshoi Ballet<BR>At the Orange County Performing Arts Center<P><BR>Don Quixote<BR>June 27, 28, 29 at 7:30 p.m.<P><BR>Romeo and Juliet<BR>June 30, Jul 1 at 7:30 p.m.<BR>July 1 at 1:30 p.m.<BR>July 2 at 2:00 p.m.<P><BR>Tickets: $20, $50, $70, $85<P><BR>On Sale at The Center's Box office or by phone at Ticketmaster (714) 740-7878.<BR>For more information, including casting, visit <A HREF="http://www.ocpac.org" TARGET=_blank>www.ocpac.org</A>

Anita Amirrezvani of the San Jose Mercury News thinks a "Strong Bolshoi rises from decade of trials":<P> <A HREF="http://www.mercurycenter.com/premium/svlife/docs/bolshoi12.htm" TARGET=_blank>http://www.mercurycenter.com/premium/svlife/docs/bolshoi12.htm</A>

Reviews of Wednesday night's opening performance of R&J in Seattle:<P>R.M. Campbell in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:<BR> <A HREF="http://www.seattlep-i.com/classical/bolshq.shtml" TARGET=_blank>www.seattlep-i.com/classical/bolshq.shtml</A> <P>and Mary Murfin Bailey in the Seattle Times:<BR> <A HREF="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/entertainment/html98/danc16_20000616.html" TARGET=_blank>www.seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/entertainment/html98/danc16_20000616.html</A> <P>Mr. Campbell's sorry review is, in my view, incorrect on the state of the walls and wigs, and astoundingly unenlightened on the need to "update" the "dramatic gestures." Regarding his irrelevant commentary on the Kirov's 1992 appearance in Vancouver (which I attended): this was a Whitman's Sampler program of "Kirov Highlights" (including some ill-advised contemporary choreography characteristic of the Vinogradov era); nonetheless to characterize that company as he does in the context of this review (and at a distance of eight years) is simply outrageous. He misidentifies Romeo (Sergei Filin, not Uvarov) and Tybalt (Vladimir Moiseev, not Belogolovtsev). Finally, his gratuitous swipe at the orchestra is far off base. This is a massive and very difficult score; the orchestra is comprised of musicians who regularly play in the PNB orchestra, plus some other outstanding free-lancers. They got one orchestra rehearsal and one rehearsal with the dancers under two different conductors. From my seat, the playing was never less than competent and far exceeded that level for the majority of the evening. <P>Ms. Bailey's commentary demonstrates that she did her homework and has a far better apprehension of the significance of this ballet than the obtuseness on display in Mr. Campbell's review. It is marred only by the misspelling of the choreographer's name as Lavrosky, instead of Lavrovsky. And she manages to accurately list the cast. Thank you, Ms. Bailey. For shame, Mr. Campbell.<p>[This message has been edited by Francis Timlin (edited June 16, 2000).]

<BR>Andrei Uvarov<P><BR>A provocative headline from LA Times dance critic Lewis Segal: "The Bolshoi Steps Back"<P> <A HREF="http://www.calendarlive.com/theater/20000622/t000059341.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.calendarlive.com/theater/20000622/t000059341.html</A> <P><BR>And here is a story of a locally (in LA) produced TV program on the Bolshoi:<P> <A HREF="http://www.calendarlive.com/tvent/20000623/t000059598.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.calendarlive.com/tvent/20000623/t000059598.html</A> <p>[This message has been edited by Azlan (edited June 23, 2000).]

Francis, your review of the reviewers in Seattle shows just how inaccurate and damaging critics can be. I pity those people who read just one newspaper.

The headline of SF Examiner's Allan Ulrich's review reads, "Bolshoi's return to California triumphant." He writes, "L.A. show recovers from the doldrums of post-glasnost era."<P>Read his review:<P> <A HREF="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/examiner/archive/2000/06/23/WEEKEND1116.dtl" TARGET=_blank>http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/examiner/archive/2000/06/23/WEEKEND1116.dtl</A>

<P><BR>Meet Prima Ballerina Nina Ananiashvili <BR>at Rizzoli Bookstore<BR>South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, Orange County, California<P>Wednesday, June 28 at 3:00 p.m.<P>where she will be signing copies of the charming new book,<BR>Swan Lake. With Ms. Ananaishvili portraying Odette/Odile, this<BR>romantic story is brought to life by Nancy Ellison's captivating photography.<BR>

LA Times' Claudia Figueroa writes, "Their latest tour will not only help support the newly independent company but will give audiences a closer look at the direction in which the company's development is going, said David Eden, the Bolshoi's tour producer, who coordinated the tour with the Kennedy Center."<P> <A HREF="http://www.calendarlive.com/theater/20000624/tdp0009507.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.calendarlive.com/theater/20000624/tdp0009507.html</A> <P>But the headline from Lewis Segal's review reads, "Problematic 'Don Quixote' Has a Few Bright Moments."<P> <A HREF="http://www.calendarlive.com/calendar/20000624/t000059705.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.calendarlive.com/calendar/20000624/t000059705.html</A> <BR>

Molly Glentzer of the Houston Chronicle wrote from Chicago, "Bolshoi mesmerizes with grace and flair":<P> <A HREF="http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/ae/dance/577240" TARGET=_blank>http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/ae/dance/577240</A>