#I’ve never been more perplexed in my life 😂😂😂😂😂

[angesaurus]

Here is today’s secret santa gift. A used coffee table book about the Philadelphia Phillies that was published in 2010.

[elegantballetalk]

Thank you for your balanced take on Tsiskaridze’s classes. This is just a rambling collection of thoughts I have in response to you and the other commenters:

I actually agree with you that Russian dance in general is having problems with slow pace, so an injection of speed can have some benefits.

I also absolutely agree that it is structured like a Bolshoi exam. Something I have noticed is that the dancers in the few Bolshoi exams that have been put online always look less polished/artistic than the Vaganova exams - this often perplexes people used to watching Vaganova exams online, but clearly it doesn’t hold the dancers back once they reach the theatre. You could argue that actually 18 yr olds shouldn’t be expected to have the artistry of professionals, that is something they can gain as they grow!

However, I saw a comment on the last exam videos which keeps coming back to me - these girls auditioned for the Vaganova and have been working away there for as much as seven years, presumably with the expectation that they would come out looking like Vaganova dancers. Even if they are well-trained and employable, the fact that they haven’t been taught the full style feels like a bit of a betrayal.

but actually, thank you all for interacting and participating with me on this page! yes, I do always try to look at strengths and weaknesses, things I like, and things I dislike. I remember when his exam dropped last year, most of the Russians were complimenting the exam, while calling the girls overweight (absurd😂) while most of us westerners were criticising the exam while calling the girls healthy and strong. I do remember thinking all the criticism was a bit too much, that the exam did have some really good qualities, while missing others, but I remember it to be “interesting”.

I am liking the direction of a faster tempo and no legs at 180 degrees, I think that’s almost old school, and if done properly with musicality the result is incredible. I do not love the obsession with pointe shoes. I do not get it! (But I did see a clip of a girl absolutely doing the best hops en pointe I’ve ever seen in my life). My personal opinion is that pointe shoes should be worn at the barre and at the centre only if the person is not rehearsing later and does not have access to many ballet classes—which is definitely not the case in the Vaganova—so I find it cruel and tiring, but at the same time, there are some aspects of pointe which are easier than being on flat, so except for the pain, perhaps there are advantages. I do think it’s a pity to do jumps in pointe, because they are less beautiful, but it is more realistic and functional to do them in pointe.

now, about the experimental barre: the truth is I don’t know if NT is following a methodology or if he’s just creating those combinations for aesthetic purposes. If it’s just for aesthetics I would hope that his class work is normal, and then he choreographs interesting exercises for the girls purposely for the exam. If there’s a methodology behind them, I’m so interested to learn about it and decide for myself.

what you’re saying about the Vaganova style is so interesting, I hadn’t thought about this betrayal. But I think you can take consolation in a couple of things, firstly is that they’ve been trained in the pure style for six years: that amount of training is just not going anywhere. Secondly they will continue to be trained with the best teachers once they join a company, so they will keep learning and honing their craft. Thirdly, I will never forget NT saying that he took on a weak class, so somehow I think they thought it would be okay to “experiment” on them because they would have been left in the shadows regardless, so they might as well try something with them. Ethically very shady, but perhaps the girls are grateful for this different type of training. Most of them are also physically shorter than the average Vaganova graduates, so I’m sure they appreciated working on things which suited their body type rather than forcing themselves into an aesthetic and mold that wouldn’t be kind to them. I did like what NT was saying last year that not all girls should do all the jumps, because some jumps are dangerous and if somebody isn’t ready to do a particular jump she shouldn’t risk an injury for the sake of doing it. Let’s see if this year everybody was ready for everything. Lastly, I do think that if they want to they are fully proficient in that Vaganova style, but for the exam’s purpose they are exhibiting other qualities. But I do think that they do look Vaganova, not Vaganova adagio (I mean, we haven’t seen them really do one) but I do think the arms , wrists and fingers are in the St. Petersburg style, (while some things really are not) but, if given the chance to display those vaganova qualities I’m sure they would be as proficient as the other graduates. And at the same time I do not think that Vaganova academy should just produce only Maria Khoreva style of dancers, what I think they excel at is creating dancers which are company ready on graduation, while in other schools they usually need some years before being at that level. I do think that even the “worst” in any Vaganova graduation class could pull off soloist roles fresh out of school while other schools tend to have less consistent high results.

Of course these are all personal opinions and conjectures, and just based on the clips, a better opinion will be formed when we have the full exam, but for now, this is what I think, let me know!!

thank you again for your post, I really love to have these kind of conversations