Jewels Brilliant gems from the Kirov
by John Percival in The Independent
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Over-kill. How else to acc-ount for hundreds of empty seats in all parts of the house at one of Saturday's performances by the Kirov Ballet? We all know that this is one of the three best ballet companies in the world, but repetitive programming and high prices (no reduction for a matinée) did the damage.
The more's the pity, because this programme, Balanchine's three-part Jewels, is excellent and, on the whole, well danced. The absolute star, at two performances I attended, was Igor Zelensky, leading the cast of the last section, "Diamonds", an evocation of old St Petersburg style, set to four movements of Tchaikovsky's Third Symphony.
more.... Still a gem of an idea The Kirov's production of George Balanchines Jewels remains a glittering success
BY DEBRA CRAINE in The Times
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One of the greatest treats for Kirov-watchers in the past few years has been seeing the company take Balanchine to its heart. And why not? George Balanchine may have been the father of American ballet but he came from the Kirov, and Russian style and tradition were in his bones and in his ballets. When the Russians dance Balanchine they bring the continuity of history with them. But what’s even more wonderful is how the Kirov dancers are transformed by the vigour and modernity of Balanchine’s American ballets.
Jewels is the perfect case in point. It was made by Balanchine in 1967 for his New York City Ballet, a plotless work in three acts, each named after a precious stone (a theme reflected in the jewel-encrusted designs). In fact, each of the three amounts to a completely different ballet, with different composers for each.
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