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.
As Gulnara, go-to-girl Elena Evseeva offered a sprightly, sunny disposition and pristine execution. Beginning in Act 1, her joy is contagious. Cloud-like cabrioles and springy temps de flêches decorated her solos. She completed the series of double fouettés with her arms overhead, a feat revealing particular strength that few ballerinas can replicate. In Act 3, she luxuriated in a fouetté arabesque long enough to glance and smile at the audience. Evseeva dances even with her eyes and stands out for her ability to hold the audience into the palm of her hand.
American–born Kian Manghise, also a coryphée, now rising through the ranks (stay tuned for our interview with him in August) performed the signature role of Ali with flair and an innate sense of the roles’ plastique. Manghise is blessed with a flexible back, high arabesque, and lines that approach those of Farukh Ruzimatov at times, but with a cooler demeanor. He is will be interesting to watch going forward.
Ruslan Steniushkin embodied every inch of the naïve, often comical yet insistent slave trader Lankedem. With an impressive physique, his double retire-passé jumps immediately landing in grand plié revealed both extreme ballon and flexibility. He completed his variation with a triple pirouette and infectious smile that exuded charisma. One wonders what he would be like in other leading roles.
The three Odalisques performed their respective choreography faithfully but only Camille Mazzi came close to the elegance and polish required in this difficult trio. In Act III”s Jardin Animé, the corps de ballet compensated for this by truly bringing the choreography to life, creating a visual delight to the famous Drigo/Delibes musical section.
Unfortunately this is the last Corsaire of the season, but two sets of premieres will happen in the coming weeks: the Bolshoi’s tour of the “Queen of Spades” to the Mariinsky, and Alexander Sergeev’s new version of “Coppelia”. Much awaits both locals and tourists in the House of Petipa this summer.
Photos by Natasha Razina (c) 2024 courtesy of the Mariinsky Theatre.