#mariinsky

[tikitania]

RIP Vladimir Shklyarov….

I woke up to the news that beloved Mariinsky Premier, Volodya, has died. I know nothing about the circumstances. I am absolutely gutted. Clearly, something tragic occurred….He was just 39. Shock and disbelief for now. Updates to follow….

[balletomaneblog]

The Top Female Vaganova Graduates of the Past Ten Years: Then and Now (Part I)

2015 - Renata Shakirova (Mariinsky Principal)

This was actually a tough one since 2015 was such an amazing year for graduates, especially considering that both the ninth year and eighth years graduated together. But in the end, Shakirova just seemed to me the most professional and technically strong in 2015! A star then and now!

Role I'd love to see her début: The Sylph

Special Mentions: Anastasia Lukina, Nika Tsvikhtaria, Elena Solomyanko

2015 (Laurencia at Graduation):

2024 (Dulcinea Variation in Don Quixote) :

2016 - Alyona Kovalyova (Bolshoi Principal)

This one was a no-brainer. While Maria Ilyushkina is a rising star now, her technique and strength in her Vaganova days were still developing while Kovalyova was the clear featured star graduate. After being rejected from Mariinsky for being too tall, she was offered a contract with the Bolshoi and quickly rose through the ranks, including spending only one year in the corps de ballet!

Role I'd love to see her début: Anna Karenina

Special Mentions: Maria Ilyushkina, Laura Fernandez-Gromova

2016 (Raymonda in Grand Pas shortly after graduating):

2024 (Nikiya in La Bayadère):

2017 - Eleonora Sevenard (Bolshoi Principal):

Another obvious choice, Sevenard was the clear stand-out. She was accepted into both the Mariinsky and the Bolshoi, before choosing the Bolshoi! She spent two years in the corps but was given soloist and principal opportunities right off the bat, including debuting as Masha in the Nutcracker in her first season. She was promoted to principal in 2023!

Role I'd love to see her début: Aurora

Special Mentions: Vlada Borodulina

2017 (Fairy Doll during graduate year):

2024 (Kitri in Don Quixote):

2018 - Maria Khoreva (Mariinsky First Soloist)

2018 was another year like 2015 with tons of amazing graduates. However, the graduate who garnered the most attention before and after graduation and who finished at the top of the class is Maria Khoreva. At only eighteen her technique was shockingly close to flawless and only two months into her first season she was promoted to first soloist! Khoreva has not be dancing for most of the past two seasons due to injury, but she is finally returning to the Mariinsky stage at the start of this season!

Role I'd love to see her début: Parasha (Bronze Horseman)

Special mentions: Maria Bulanova, Anastasia Nuikina, Daria Ionova, Anastasia Petushkova, Biborka Lendvai, Anita Voroshilova

2018 (Paquita shortly after her graduation):

2023 (Odile in Swan Lake last year):

2019 - Alexandra Khiteyeva (Mariinsky First Soloist)

Alexandra Khiteyeva was by far the strongest graduate of 2019. She had been featured in Vaganova graduation performances since her sixth year. After joining the Mariinsky, her initial progress was slowed due to COVID, but after four years in the Corps she was promoted, first to Second Soloist and just recently to First Soloist!

Role I'd love to see her début: Juliet

Special mentions: Svetlana Savelieva, Yulia Spiridonova

2019 (Paquita at graduation):

2023 (Cristina in Paquita):

[vaganova-blog]

Maria Khoreva rehearsing Swan Lake 🦢

[anjelalala]

"When he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars, and he will make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night"

Fly High, My Prince........ 🕊

Rest in Peace, Vladimir Shklyarov

My favourite, you are a bright star above, dancing amongst angels. Im in absolute shock and despair. Talented, Charismatic, I have no words.

[papaija]

Olga Smirnova and Victor Caixeta in Maillot's Nutcracker pas de deux, Prix de Lausanne 2023 gala

[mariaspir]

Did anyone see the castings for Coppelia? It's all very odd, there's Principals (with a capital P) doing Coppelia and Dr. Coppelius, and lower ranks doing Swanilda and Franz. Also there's people dancing both parts in different performances? My eyes caught Nagahisa and Shirinkina dancing twice, with Shirinkina doing both Swanilda and Coppelia, which seems like a waste in merely 5 shows. Wtf is this production going to be?

ETA: I think I worded it weird: I mean it's a waste to exhaust May and Maria when there's such a small number of shows, instead of giving the opportunity to other dancers. Off the top of my head Svinko and Bulanova could definitely do the part.

[patricedumonde]

Happy World Ballet Day!

Here’s Angelina dancing the peasant pas de deux variation from Giselle. Perfect until the last turn but she still did a marvelous job!

Def reminds me of Evgenia Obraztsova �� Looks and temperament!

[miss-mollys-ballet-blog]

Renata is debuting as Raymonda!!!!!

[havlasha]

Every time I think I cannot top my love for Lopatkina, I revisit another clip of perfection ❤️

The truest form of artist, her body literally creates the melody for the music it dances to.

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A post shared by Кирилл Копытов (@pro_theatre_)

[tikitania]

Svetlana Savelieva, a fan favorite at the Mariinsky, is competing in the Arabesque Ballet completion on April 20 @ 12PM Perm Time!

She’s dancing variations from Don Quixote & Swan Lake. Wishing her the best!!!

Vaganova Ballet Academy graduate (class of 2019) and Mariinsky dancer, Svetlana Savelieva, photographed by Maria Novinskaya.

[tikitania]

Zakharova basically retired?? She’s now going to be the headmistress of Bolshoi Ballet Academy.

I’m guessing this is a soft retirement. She’ll probably show up for a gala every now and then, dance Dying Swan or some other elder prima variation. I mean….Alessandra Ferri is “retired” but still performing.

I kind of wish she would take over Vaganova, and Tsikaridze the Moscow school. But it seems that job was always hers and his rectorship the consolation prize.

[balletomaneblog]

Ok I'm sorry, I'm a huge huge fan of Diana Vishneva, but she really needs to retire from the Mariinsky. The fact that she's probably still receiving a huge salary, which could be reallocated to spots for new principals or soloists, when she only performs in one or two contemporary ballets a year is unfair. Her upcoming Zobeide is her first performance this season and I'm pretty sure she only performed once last year.

And even if she's no longer being paid as a full-time dancer at the Mariinsky it irks me when companies list dancers on their roster that don't/hardly ever perform with them any longer, like with Copeland at ABT.

[anjelalala]

Bolshoi Theatre New Rising Star: Maria Koshkaryova

Photos by: Alisa Aslanova for Ballet Magazine Russia

MARIA KOSHKARYOVA brightly announced herself at the XIV International Ballet Competition in Moscow last summer, for the three rounds of which she prepared six numbers in a month. Being at that time a final year student at the Academy of Russian Ballet and an intern at the Mariinsky Theatre, Maria did not set herself any overarching goals and went to the competition with a modest “ not to surprise anyone ” attitude , but went home with first prize in the solo category. 

At the same time, she first appeared on the Historical Stage of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia, which, according to her, she was immediately fascinated by.After graduating from the academy, Maria moved to Moscow, where she is about to begin her first full season as a soloist of the Bolshoi Theater ballet troupe. The young ballerina told our publication about combining study and internship in the theater, the difficult choice that determines one’s fate, and whether the opinions of others are important.

CLICK THE LINK FOR FULL INTERVIEW:

[tikitania]

I came across this photo, and I believe it’s Anastasia Kolegova…first soloist at the Mariinsky.

[mariaspir]

Do you know why Jaden Grimm (the American who graduated vaganova in 2023) is leaving Mariinsky?

I'm guessing she wanted more opportunities.

Any VBA grad could excel at any European company, especially someone from the top of Kovaleva's class. She can be a soloist in a few years in a smaller company, while Mariinsky has a corps de ballet full of soloist level people. I've heard it described as a "talent graveyard", and for a lot of people, it's true.