Thanks, Francis, for the pictures and everyone else for your continued thoughts and comments.


Night Four

Instant Standing Ovation.

This makes two nights in a row.


Ekaterina Kondaurova


**** Total Enchantment from Beginning to End ****

!!!! Absolutely Magnificent !!!!

Yes, Stepanova is indeed very beautiful - if only she could have been Odette/Odile; she is made for the role with her instinctive musicality, her expressive upper body and wonderful arms. As for Oksana Skorik's 180 degree developpe a la seconde, not only is this not appropriate in a classical ballet, but this is not the Folies Bergeres. Oksana Skorik was not Vaganova trained, but Madame Vaganova must be rolling in her grave to see such a display of vulgarity in a Mariinsky ballerina.

I certainly get your point, Tiara and...no, Skorik did not attend the ARB ("Vaganova Acad") but I thought that the Perm Academy of Ballet was "100% Vaganova" in that all pedagogues go through the Vaganova method themselves and are certified Vaganova-method teachers, no? Their very famous (infamous?) senior teacher, Sakharova, taught Vaganova method, as Ulanova, teacher of Oksana's class (class of 2007), still does.

The high developes have been ingrained into students at the Academy of Russian Ballet (ARB) in StP, too - most notably Somova! - so I don't think that the high developes can be attributed to a dancer not having studied for 8 or 9 years at the ARB.

Edited to change present to past tense re. Sakharova, who recently passed away, as noted below.

Afternoon One

Third Instant Standing Ovation in A Row.


Anastasia Kolegova


!!!!!! What A Dream !!!!!!


(Hopefully more to say about this at another time.)

Perhaps it deserves its own thread, but I haven't seen it mentioned and thus felt it important to note that Lyudmila Sakharova passed away in April of this year. There is a news article at http://www.dayperm.ru/node/35665 .

Thank you, amiaow, for posting this sad news.



Night Five

This will be the fourth performance in a row with an Instant Standing Ovation. Two of them were Oxana Skorik's evenings.


Oxana Skorik


With all due respect to some of the discussion that has been going on here, in my opinion....

Oxana Skorik Could Make A Rock Come To Life !


In Regard To Tonight's Performance


!!!!!! What A Privilege It Was To Have Seen This !!!!!!



Vladimir Schklyarov, by the way -- Sailed !

Afternoon Two


Anastasia Kolegova

Well I'm In Love !

Actually I'm probably in love with all these ladies, but this is Special. Forty years ago it could have been serious.

This will have been the fifth Instant Standing Ovation in a row. This afternoon I was personally determined to try to make it happen and was out of my seat applauding the moment the curtain went down. It was totally unnecessary.

After her Act II Odette duet, about six front seat members of the audience rose and gave her a standing ovation. I joined them. I've seen maybe a hundred Swan Lakes and I've never seen this happen !

At her first performance the lady next to me said, "Gorgeous!" about her dancing. Today the man behind kept saying "Beautiful!" That lady next to me also said that she was quite sensual. This hadn't yet occurred to me, but after a few more minutes I whispered, "You're right ! Sensually she's dangerous !

Question of the day.

How can so much amazing talent be compressed into such a lovable little package ?

I don't believe that she's very big. She's certain not of the long limbed variety and is definitely a good case for 'non elongated' Odette/Odiles. I was reminded once again that Galina Ulanova was not a 'giant'.

I'm not sure about much, but Afternoon One, before arriving at the theater, I was Sure that I would see something Very Lovely. I Was Right! x 100! She floated onto the stage like one of the most graceful clouds in the sky. Her Dreamy Motion kept them company, uninterrupted, for two entire afternoons. As for Grace, Imagery, Sculpture, Aura....you name it, she's got it !


If Oxana Skorik can be described as a -- Genius

And Ekaterina Kondaurova is an -- Angel-Goddess


Then Anastasia Kolegova is -- The Sunshine

She is also a -- Sweetheart !




Two Afternoons Embraced By The *Sunshiny Essence* Of The Amazingly Talented Anastasia Kolegova.

Weekends Will Never Be The Same !



Timur Askerov, by the way -- Sailed ! He might have bumped into Vladimir Schklyarov, still up there from the day before.

And so much other wonderful stuff. This afternoon the company may have been at its best for the series. Everyone shined !


Melanie, if you should read this it was very nice chatting with you at the theater. The sun did manage to peep through the clouds above the ocean just before sunset. It was gorgeous ! There have been great front row seats available all week for watching the magnificent Pacific surf.

Buddy thank you for your updates and impressions. Today the troupe travels northward to the San Francisco Bay Area, where they'll perform at Berkeley starting Wednesday.

Buddy - I think four standing ovations in a row testifies to the company's success with audiences here. A reader of the newspaper critiques would never know how enjoyable it is to attend one of these performances, so your feedback here of audience response is very valuable!

*Five* Instant Standing Ovations In A Row !

Thanks, Catherine, and greatly enjoy the Berkeley performances. I'm sure you will.

Thanks Buddy, can barely sit still!