EXCELLENT news, Cassandra!

Thanks Cassandra! This is wonderful news!

A well, deserved review of Lopatkina/Korsuntsev's "Swan Lake" by the always eloquent Clement Crisp:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/1bc702ca-b770-11e0-b95d-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz1TEK5fHff

"...we must love the best when we see it. "

I wouldn't argue with this assertion either:

I also totally agree.

I actually was able to make a trip to London for one night to see Alina Somova's "Swan Lake."

It was absolutely worth it !

She was Enchanting !

I hope to be able to return to London for some of the later performances on my way back to the US and will write if I can.

Alina Somova

For the moment I tend to describe her artistry in terms of two dominant characteristics. Both are wonderfully compelling.


*A High Art Phenomenon*

In the nature of Alina Cojocaru, Diana Vishneva, Veronika Part, Natalia Osipova....This could be described in terms of Magnificent Expression, Remarkable Development of Characterization, Creating of New Artistic Worlds, Multi-Dimensional Technical Prowess....


*A Sublime, Ethereal and Ultimately Graceful Artistry*

In the nature of Ulyana Lopatkina and others. This might be seen as A State of Compelling Refinement as well as A State of Transcendental Expression.


I have to say that I love both, but am extremely touched by the second category, the 'Sublime, Ethereal and Graceful', and believe that she shines and will continue to grow wonderfully in this area.

She is so exceptionally talented that it would be hard for her not to want to develop her artistry in all its dimensions, which I think is what she is trying to do. What impressed me very much in her most recent "Swan Lake" performance was her Success in Assimilating so much of this.

But another thing that I do like very much is her continued 'Youthfulness,' her desire to try new things, experiment, explore, discover, and take chances. As much as I look forward to seeing her as a 'Refined' Artistically Ethereal Goddess I also love seeing her as a sort of Child, experiencing a new wonder at the Joy and Fascination of a World of Beauty. This is something that I hope she will always keep as she continues to develop, refine and enchant.

I’ve so far seen two Swan Lakes, Victoria Tereshkina and Vladimir Shklyarov on Tuesday 26th and last night Diana Vishneva and Igor Kolb. On Tuesday the performance struggled to take off with a listless first act saddled with the most boring Pas de Trois I’ve ever seen the company give. Matters weren’t helped by Shklyarov’s lack of dramatic presence at the beginning, though to be fair to him he brightened up in the other acts and his actual dancing was impeccable. Tereshkina saved the performance the minute she stepped onstage, dancing with soul and intensity and the duets with Shklyarov were beautifully phrased. The white acts were superior simply because of the turgid nature of much of the black act ensemble dancing, with honourable exceptions of the Spaniards led by Islom Baimuradov and Vassily Tkachenko’s sprightly Neapolitan, the dancing resembled a third rate touring company with only the matchless swans reminding me that I was actually watching the famed Kirov Ballet.

Things improved dramatically last night (28th) with the long awaited return of Diana Vishneva. For many years Vishneva was denied the opportunity to dance Swan Lake whilst inferior performers danced the ballet repeatedly. I had heard conflicting reports as to her effectiveness in the role but she brought to the stage an old style glamour and performed in the traditional Kirov style without any hideous hyper extensions and furthermore she eschewed the drawn out tempi so beloved of the pose and jump brigade: she was in fact a breath of fresh air. Her performance wasn’t without minor flaws (there was a sticky moment at the end of the fouettes for example) but overall it was an outstanding interpretation of Odette/Odile and one that should have her colleagues reconsidering their deviation from the true path. Vishneva’s partner was Igor Kolb also on fine form and offering rock sure support whilst filling out the role of Siegfried to come across as a Prince with a personality. In act one the Pas de Trois came very much alive with three different dancers from the ghastly trio of Tuesday and the masterly performance of Kolb turning his party into a real event in place of the aimless comings and goings of two nights before. Sadly the music on both occasions was blighted by musicians playing out of key and the funereal pace of the overture robbed it of its drama.

There have been some mixed feelings amongst the London Kirov fans at the end of the first week, but it seems that the long awaited return of Vishneva was the major event with ecstatic comments regarding her performances in Swan Lake and Scheherazade.

I went to the matinee of the Fokine programme and still feel the company has been lumbered with inferior productions of all three ballets, with Scheherazade being particularly cringe-making although the leading pair, Kondaurova and Kolb were both very good with Kondaurova a sultana on heat as she arched her back and writhed in the middle of the stage and I'm assured male temperatures were considerably raised at the sight. The night before I'm told Zelensky made an ass of himself as the Golden Slave, even colliding with another dancer at one point, though Vishneva was apparently sublime.

This week we get the Don Q's and the Balanchine programme, so hopefully the company will have settled in a little and things will improve. The orchestra that I complained about in Swan Lake redeemed itself for the Fokine, with stunning interpretations of both Firebird and Scheherazade: we now need the dancers to follow their example.

Judith Mackrell reviews Uliana Lopatkina and Daniil Korsuntsev's performance of "Swan Lake" for The Guardian.

The Guardian

Mark Monahan reviews the same performance for The Telegraph.

The Telegraph

Sarah Frater for the Evening Standard.

Evening Standard

Judith Flanders for The Arts Desk.

The Arts Desk

Zoe Anderson reviews "Swan Lake" for The Independent.

The Independent

Judith Flanders reviews the Fokine evening -- "Chopiniana," "The Firebird" and "Scheherazade" -- for The Arts Desk.

The Arts Desk

First review as usual from the Evening Standard's Sarah Frater:

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/theatre/r ... -review.do



Skoryk certainly does: a bad one.

Will write more about Don Q. when I've seen the other cast.

More reviews of the Fokine program.

Clement Crisp for the Financial Times.

Financial Times

Mark Monahan for The Telegraph.

The Telegraph

Sarah Frater for The Evening Standard.

Evening Standard

Two more reviews ofthe Fokine program.

Zoe Anderson for The Independent.

The Independent

Judith Mackrell for The Guardian.

The Guardian