Vaganova Today: Bringing you the best Russian ballet news

A Young Mariinsky Prince: Nikita Korneyev from Russia to Germany…and back

A Muscovite raised in Germany, Nikita Korneyev is now in his ninth season with the Mariinsky and has long been dancing solo roles. Vaganova Today sat down with him to learn more about his international career path. For the Russian version of this interview, please click here.

You come from a ballet family?
My parents were both dancers, we have a dynasty in my family. They worked in the N.Kasatkina-V.Vasilyov troupe in Moscow but we moved to Germany in 2000. First they worked at the Semperoper in Dresden and later in Weisbaden and Essen.

Did you also want to dance?
Yes, I wanted to dance as well. My father, on the other hand, told me that it was a very difficult and hard profession. But that didn’t scare me. During my childhood I did lots of sports: I played tennis, track and field, and soccer. But when I started to take ballet, I understood that with my parents it would be a lot easier in this sphere, because they know a lot more about it than any of my other pursuits, and with their experience it would be easier for me to study.

I was in the theatre throughout my childhood since my parents worked there. I saw things backstage, from the wings, in the dressing rooms, and the performances. My first experience onstage was in Moscow when I was 5 years old in “The Nutcracker”. We rode on sleighs in the first scene, it’s a slightly different version of the ballet.

From Kharkov to Petersburg: Mariinsky Prima Ballerina Oksana Skorik

With one of the cleanest techniques in classical ballet and an enviable physique, ballerina Oksana Skorik has had a difficult path to the top, yet created a furor among ballet fans when she began her career. She told VaganovaToday about her story and philosophy. Click here for the original Russian version of the interview, and read on for more.

How did you begin dancing?
People often say when someone wants to become a ballerina that the desire was most likely their mother’s wish. My mother also took ballet in her childhood, but just for two years. Then she moved and no longer took classes. But I was always dancing, jumping and skipping, and my mom sent me to arts school to direct my energy there.

Nobody counted on or intended on me becoming a ballerina, there was no focus on the idea that I should become a ballerina or fulfill my mother’s dream. I’d say they sent me to ballet class to “give me something to do.”

In Kharkov, we had a school of the arts; they taught drawing, music and choreography. At the age of 5, I attended preparatory classes there. But it’s difficult to call what they did “choreography” — we didn’t turn out our legs. They would sit us down, for example, in the butterfly position, stretch us in the splits a tiny bit, bend back a little bit, so that we would be able to stand in fifth position later on, and we learned some choreographic elements.

From Saratov, Russia to California: Nikolai Kabaniaev on teaching in the US

From Saratov, Russia to San Francisco, California, former Kirov Ballet soloist Nikolai Kabaniaev shares his philosophies about the art of ballet and teaching classical ballet in America. The Russian original of this interview can be found here.

How did you get started in ballet?

My mother worked in the Makeup, Hair and Wig Department of the Chernishevsky Saratov Theatre of Opera and Ballet, and from the age of two I spent time backstage in the theatre.

Rest in Peace Vladimir Shklyarov – Nov. 16, 2024

It is with shock that we post about the loss of one of ballets biggest superstars, Vladimir Shklyarov, who passed away overnight. The Honored Artist of Russia, a superstar in the ballet world known for his electric onstage expression and virtuoso technique, was born in 1985 and joined the Mariinsky in 2003. Our condolences to his two young children, his ex-wife, friends, fellow dancers, and all of the viewers whose lives he touched. Rest in peace.

From Kyrgyzstan to Petersburg: Ramanbek Beyshenaliev

Ramanbek Beyshenaliev has been with the Mariinsky for 10 years and is attracting increasing attention. Read more about his journey from Kyrgyzstan to the capital of Russian ballet. The original Russian version of this interview can be found here.

____________________________

I’d like to talk about your biography. You were born in Kyrgyzstan. How did you enter the world of ballet?

Yes, I was born there and studied there. I didn’t want to dance per se, but my uncle is a ballet dancer and he wanted me to dance. He saw my physical traits and each year said “Take ballet classes, take ballet classes.” For three years he begged me. I studied in regular school until the 5^th grade. My sister started to take ballet classes and I decided to go with her. I continued because I enjoyed it.

My parents also supported me in ballet.

As winter weather peeks in — with snow predicted this last week in October for Petersburg — the wintertime setting of Mikhail Fokine’s 1911 production of “Petrushka” seems an apt choice for October billing. As the first in a three-ballet program on the 24th of October, the rather dark tale of the puppet retains its relevance today despite the macabre nature of the work.

In the Mariinsky version, set by Harry Christ in 2010, the curtain opens to turn-of-the-century Maslenitsa celebrations on a Petersburg square somewhere near the Admiralty building. Three dolls, the Moor, the Ballerina and Petrushka dance for viewers, but before they enter, street performers entertain the crowd for money, and drunken merchants perform traditional Cossack type knee-bends while guards dressed in long cobalt coats maintain order.

The puppet show magician, played by Nikolai Naumov, serves as the overall initiator of the action when he peeks through the puppet stage curtain with only his head,which seemingly floats without a body. Sharp turns of his head accent Stravinsky’s score, adding a note of mystery and intrigue. With a long white beard, hat and gold tunic frame a paunchy stomach, he enters the square playing the flute and bribes the guard to open the show curtains. Out come the three puppets to the curiosity of the crowd: the Moor, performed by Luka Dobosh, the Doll by Maria Shirinkina and Aaron Osawa-Horowitz as Petrushka. Naumov, Osawa-Horowitz and Dobosh all debuted in this particular performance.

Character Roles at the Mariinsky: Nikolai Naumov on Acting Technique

With 30 years’ experience on stage at the Mariinsky Theatre, from the corps de ballet to solo parts, Nikolai Naumov now primarily performs acting roles. He spoke with VaganovaToday about his career and about acting technique on stage in the great theatre. The Russian version of this interview can be found here.

You were born in the city of Pushkin. How did you start dancing?

Prior to me, my family had no relationship to the theatre, much less to ballet. But two family members participated in the world of music, my aunt Vera, who is an amazing piano teacher, and her daughter who is my cousin Nadia, an incredibly talented pianist and simply an ace in her profession!

From Tashkent to Petersburg: Mariinsky Prima Renata Shakirova

Renata Shakirova seems to be everywhere at once. As one of the most “in-demand” ballerinas of the Mariinsky, she is constantly performing around the world, from Europe to Asia, even during her time off. This lovely young lady brings the same sparkling presence to an in-person conversation as she does to each performance. Read on to learn about her journey from Tashkent to Petersburg, and what life is like for a young Mariinsky Prima. You can find the Russian version of this interview here.

– – – – – – – – – –

You were born in Tashkent. Is your family from the world of ballet?
My mother’s roots are from Bashkiri. When I was about 4 years old, we returned to the republic of Bashkortostan to the city of Sterlitamak. In childhood, I was very active. My mom was a teacher. When her students graduated, she took me with her and I danced all evening. Everyone was surprised, “Such a small child and she doesn’t get tired!”

A Frenchman at the Mariinsky: Even Capitaine

Since January 2023, Even Capitaine has been working with the Mariinsky Ballet as a first soloist. We learned the details about his intriguing path in the world of ballet and in Russia. You can find the Russian language version of this interview here.

You have a unique story. How did you enter the world of ballet?
I attended a typical academic school and my mother wanted me to do something other than school. First I took fencing classes for 2 years, from ages 5 to 6, but then it ceased to be of any interest to me. At age 8, since my younger sister took ballet, I decided to try it. I went to a non-professional school after academic school once a week. For two years I did that, and then said I wanted to study more professionally. I was living in the French countryside in the small city of Sistelle near Toulouse. There aren’t many people there.

And so you had to travel to Paris?
Yes. At first they didn’t accept me. I continued to study ballet and did home school so that I could devote more time to ballet classes. I continued that way until I was 13 and the second time I applied, they accepted me in Paris.

2024-2025 Ballet Season – Petersburg and Moscow

The 2024-2025 season at the Mariinsky and Bolshoi Theatres, now both headed by director Valery Gergiev, began the first week in September. While the Bolshoi has already presented “The Sleeping Beauty” to start off its season, the Mariinsky audiences are awaiting the 17th of September when “Swan Lake” will be performed in traditional fashion as the first ballet for the new performing year.

In his Moscow press conference last week, Gergiev announced plans to bring some new ballets into the repertoire, naming those set to music by Stravinsky and Prokofiev. He alluded to “young talented choreographers” (we assume he refers to Alexander Sergeev, whose premiere of “Coppelia” for the Mariinsky took place 2 months ago), as capable of bringing some of the ballet scores into movement form. He specified “Scythian Suite” which would be a completely new work, alongside “Prodigal Son” (which used to run in the Balanchine version at the Mariinsky), and “Firebird” and Petrushka” (both of which are already in the Mariinsky repertoire). Hopefully the repertoires of the two largest theatres will not start to duplicate each other, but it sounds like he intends to bring the ballets that exist up north to Moscow. We shall wait and see.

The Mariinsky’s new “Coppelia“ – Season Closure – Aug. 2024

To close out the 241^st season, the Mariinsky presented the premiere of its new “Coppelia”, a ballet that has not run in the company’s repertoire since Oleg Vinogradov presided over the ballet troupe. Choreographer/dancer Alexander Sergeev, with significant choreographic experience already under his belt, created a full-scale contemporary production that uses multimedia, novel pastel-hued costumes, steps from well-known neoclassical ballets, and a slight twist to the libretto that adds intrigue to this old story.

Kian Manghise: From California to Russia, a young American rises in the Mariinsky’s ranks

A young Californian boy completed his training at the Vaganova Academy and joined the Mariinsky Ballet not long ago. We met with Kian Manghise and discussed his career trajectory and what it’s like to dance in Russia.

Kian, how did you start dancing? It’s a pretty classic story, my sister was dancing in a winter show in California, where I grew up. The school needed toy soldiers for the production and said, “if anyone has a brother or cousin, bring them in.” I really didn’t want to go at all, and I was about 10 and thought ballet was just for girls. Typical. They forced me to go after a long conversation, and I ended up really liking it.

The Bolshoi’s “Queen of Spades” at the Mariinsky – Summer 2024

Based on music from the opera by the same name but with a score recreated by Yuri Krasavin specifically for this production, Yuri Possokhov’s “Queen of Spades” premiered at the Mariinsky in July 2024. Describing the ballet, Possokhov stated, “It’s a fantasy. For me the most important thing is to give the production the meaning that I want the audience to understand.” This rather dark ballet thus focuses mainly on the story of the hero, German, his unquenched thirst for the secret of winning cards, and the concept of fatal love. Possokhov states that he offers an author’s stage interpretation of a literary work using a unique libretto by Valery Pecheykin. That libretto, seemingly set in the 19th century, takes the overall themes of the luck of fate, and the power of gambling addictions to distract human beings from the most important parts of life, and turns them into visual vignettes over a two-hour program.

Debut in La Bayadere – Mariinsky Theatre – 13 July 2024

This year’s White Nights festival has included numerous changes at the Mariinsky Theatre: the troupe’s second “tour” to the Bolshoi stage set for mid-July with “Fountain of Bakchisarei”, the appointment of the troupe’s first “artistic director” in many decades, the premiere of a new version of “Coppelia” (coming July 25^th) and also a few debuts in the existing classical repertoire.

On 13 July, Evgeny Konovalov performed the role of Solor for the first time alongside prima ballerina Renata Shakirova. (We have an interview with Renata in the coming weeks, please stay tuned). Konovalov, a graduate of the esteemed Gennady Seliutsky and now in his 12th season with the company, is a polished performer with lovely lines, supple arches and considerable flexibility. His princely onstage demeanor plainly depicted Solor’s noble rank. In the Act 2 variation, crisp, elevated double cabrioles soared above the stage, and his tours à la seconde displayed a steely leg with a perfectly pointed foot finishing the line. His partnering was faultless, especially the challenging Act 1 overhead lifts (Solor must not overstep the fire pit, which has happened with other performers). And Act 3’s final manège of double assembles brought goosebumps.

The Fountain of Bakchisarei in Both North and South – July 2024

As a precursor to their week-long run of “The Fountain of Bakchisarei” at the Bolshoi Theatre in mid-July, the Mariinsky troupe presented three performances of this ballet at home first, which included a handful of debuts. On 12 July, Camilla Mazzi portrayed a gentle and tender Maria who was clearly in love with her fiancé, and projected the emotions of a princess while maintaining clean lines and careful positioning. Despite some partnering glitches between the two of them in the initial sequence of supported sissones, Alexei Timofeyev proved a strong partner and gracious prince as Vatslav, with the requisite epaulement in the right places. When his chivalrous attempt to protect her during the battle with the invading Tatars unfortunately fails, Mazzi’s fear was palpable as they snatched her away from the burning palace. Sparks literally flew onstage during the sword fight between the Poles and Tatars; and this impressive choreography reveals its complexity in the number of people onstage all fighting in different places at once.

Coryphees in “Le Corsaire” at the Mariinsky – Summer 2024

With the White Nights Festival in full swing, some of the Mariinsky’s traditional ballets feature relative newcomers on stage, not yet seen by most Western ballet fans. The administration has dipped into the ranks providing some of th youngest dancers with opportunities to dance principal roles.

On 04 July, Daria Kulikova, a long-legged, expressive beauty still in her first season with the company and ranked coryphée, danced Medora in “Le Corsaire”. The role carries much of the weight of the libretto forward, both in terms of steps and choreography, and although no one can compare to Altynai Asylmuratova in this role, Kulikova’s extensions and joyful smile, at least in physical terms, reach some approximation.

The experienced Timur Askerov, honored artist of Azerbaijan, partnered her as the pirate Conrad with ease in both the solo and duet sections. He infused sharp accents where needed and maintained clear pantomime, seeming to enjoy his stage time and the role.

Premiere of “Concert Dances” by Alexander Sergeev – June 2024

As part of a three-day festival dedicated to Igor Stravinsky and falling on the composer’s 142th birthday, the Mariinsky offered several evenings of Stravinsky-based music, including the premiere of dancer/choreographer Alexander Sergeev’s latest work, “Concert Dances”, an intelligent multi-layered ballet that highlights the structures in Stravinsky’s score and includes allusions to choreographic works from Balanchine to Ratmansky.

The premiere was nestled into a mixed bill that started with Bronislava Nijinska’s “Les Noces”, always a challenging work with unusual counts and steps that the Mariinsky dancers handled with considerable mastery. Alexandra Iosifidi performed the role of the Bride alongside the extremely tall Vadim Belyaev as the Groom, and Anna Smirnova with Maxim Izmestiev as the two soloists.

282nd Vaganova Academy Graduation Performance – 6 June 2024

The 282nd graduating class of the Vaganova Academy demonstrated the results of their training in 3 performances on the Mariinsky’s historical stage in a three-act mixed bill in early June.

An except from “Flora’s Awakening” featured two girls cultivated by Academy rector Nikolai Tsisaridze. Ekaterina Morozova, who essayed Flora and, in Act 3, the Lilac Fairy, seemed the most polished and graceful of the bunch. She accented well-centered turns in arabesque with graceful port de bras and appropriate épaulement.

The non-intuitive sequence of tendus into à la seconde and then retiré passé did not phase Ekaterina Efimova, a graduate of pedagogue Irina Zhelonkina, whose welcoming smile added warmth to her role. Polina Parfenova, also one of Tsiskaridze’s charges, performed a driven, sharp-edged Diana and later reappeared as the Silver Fairy in the final act of the evening (from “The Sleeping Beauty”). As Geba, Veselina Ilieva from Bulgaria skimmed across the floor in ballonés and carved soaring arcs with her ronds en l’air, demonstrating a legato softness alongside strong musicality in her delivery.

The Mariinsky’s “Fountain of Bakchisarei” – June 2024

“The Fountain of Bakchisarai”, referred to as a “choreographic poem” in four sections based on the work by Alexander Pushkin with a prologue and epilogue and created by Rostislav Zakharov in 1934, is a quintessentially Russian ballet in its philosophical leanings which juxtaposes the refined civilization of Slavic (in this case Polish) Europe with the barbaric practices of the Tatars. Yet overall themes of greed and grief underscore the moral obligation to temper desires and adhere to strictures that preserve life and love.

On the eve of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the Mariinsky’s historical stage welcomed a full house to a rare all-star cast. Olesya Novikova, the lately appointed prima ballerina, danced Maria alongside fellow prima Viktoria Tereshkina as Zarema. Alexander Sergeev danced the dashing Vatslav, and Danila Korsuntsev, now a pedagogue and coach inside the theatre, has shifted to a handful of acting roles on stage, and he played a stern, distraught Girei, the head of the Tatar harem.

Opening of the White Nights Festival – 27 May 2024 “Giselle”

Coinciding with the birthday of the city of Saint Petersburg, the Mariinsky’s annual White Nights Festival began on 27 May with summer heat flowing through the city. A full house ushered in the start of this yearly celebration of dance, symphony, and opera delights.

Although they’ve not performed together in this ballet previously, Oksana Skorik and Nikita Korneev joined forces in the leading roles of “Giselle” on opening night. The dashingly handsome Korneev, a first soloist since 01 May this year and now regularly performing principal roles, danced an emotionally engaged Albrecht who managed to lift Skorik like a feather in Act II.

12 3 4...