The 2017 Paquita created by Yuri Smekalov with Yury Burlaka is now in it’s 8th season on the Mariinsky stage, and the three-act dancing extravaganza combines everything from gypsy and Spanish character dancing to one of the most classical Grand Pas in the classical repertoire. Last month, the four-performance run featured a number of debuts and showed the troupe in top form.
Petersburg audiences typically crowd in to see several Mariinsky dancers, and Renata Shakirova, one of the troupe’s youngest primas, is one of them. She performed the leading role of Paquita alongside Timur Askerov on April 26th.
This ballet’s overly long libretto is slightly confusing, shifting from a wealthy upper class Spanish mansion, to a gypsy camp replete with a smoking campfire and wild dancing, with a “horse” that gets lassooed by the newly appointed gypsy, Andres, and finally to the wedding of Andres and Paquita. Much of the corps de ballet dancing en masse is done in character style, while the soloists perform frequent saut de basques, and pique turns that open into arabesque with Spanish port de bras that decorate the choreography throughout.
Shakirova enters as a spitfire with sissones that explode in the air. She’s the consummate actress who excels as a spicy heroine or seductress, so the role of this Mediterranean girl is right up her alley. This ballet requires a duet alongside Kristina, her friend, that turns into a trio with Andres. Maria Shirinkina performed Kristina with flair and excellent timing. She almost sped ahead in the partnering sections with Nikolai Naumov, who performed Andres’ father with noble style. Naumov managed to catch her in the promenades, and the result was an electrical mini duet with perfect balance.
By Act 3, Shakirova delivered her variation with sharp quick accents, and attacked her 32 fouettes with such vigor in the final act that she repeatedly pulled into triples, remaining completely on axis, and finished on time with the music to roaring applause. Askerov infused considerable effort into both his acting and technique in this performance which resulted in a pleasant presentation of both dramatic effect and long lines: crisp cabrioles to the front, long split jetés and tight petit batterie.
The Four Officers – Maxim Izmestiev, Yaroslav Baubordin, Ramanbek Beyshenaliev and Pavel Mikheev appear handsome, formal, and organized in their quartet, an ode to the Raymonda quartet but dressed in fine looking uniforms.
If you can survive until the third hour of this performance, the real draw are the historical variations in the last Act. There are 6 of them followed by Askerov’s variation, many taken from previous ballets with music interpolated. Anastasia Plotnikova danced the adagio harp variation with slow piqué arabesques with grace. Daria Ionova demonstrated superb control in the piqué fondu sequences in the fourth variation. Shirinkina, who appears in a sparkling gold tutu for the last Act, danced the slow sauté à la seconde that ends in a step-up turn into arabesque with utter control, perhaps more lyrical than any of the 6 ladies.
And to crown off the evening, children from the Vaganova Academy, dressed adorably in red and white Polish national costumes, performed an invigorating mazurka.
For lovers of the classical ballet heritage who may visit St. Petersburg at some point, this ballet is a certain bet for an evening that encompasses the best the Mariinsky has on offer.
Valery Ovsyanikov conducted.
From top: Renata Shakirova and Maria Shirinkina in “Paquita”, photos (c) Mariinsky Theatre, by Mikhail Vilchuk (2022) and Natasha Razina (2022) respectively.