CULTURE

Mariinsky Stars Welcome Guests at the Royal Ballet

By Kevin Ng

Special to The St. Petersburg Times

Natasha Razina / For The St. Petersburg Times Yevgenia Obraztsova dazzled as Aurora in the recent Royal Ballet production of ‘Sleeping Beauty’ in London.

The Royal Ballet in London has invited two Mariinsky ballerinas as guest dancers this year. Following Yekaterina Osmolkina’s guest appearances in “Swan Lake” in March, another star, Yevgenia Obraztsova (who was in Cedric Klapisch’s 2005 film “Russian Dolls” as well as in Bertand Normand’s 2006 film “Ballerina”), appeared in “The Sleeping Beauty.”

Last Saturday, for her second and final performance, Obraztsova was superb and showed herself to be fully at home in The Royal Ballet’s production of “Beauty.” This production was premiered in 2006 to celebrate the illustrious British company’s 75th anniversary and artistic director Dame Monica Mason based it on the company’s landmark 1946 production by Dame Ninette de Valois which reopened the Royal Opera House after the Second World War. This production is far superior to the Soviet production by Konstantin Sergeyev that is danced by the Mariinsky Ballet this year, and which was also shown at Covent Garden last summer during their London tour. Sergei Vikharev’s reconstruction of the original 1890 Imperial Ballet version of “Beauty,” which is, unfortunately, seldom danced by the Mariinsky, is still the definitive production of this classic.

Obraztsova was a classically pure Aurora in the best of Mariinsky traditions. Every element of her dancing was perfectly pitched, as well as being rich in detail. Her dancing maintained the complex balance required by the Rose Adagio in Act 1. In the Act 2 vision scene, she was warm and tender, giving an exquisite solo, and in the final wedding act she was radiant in the grand pas de deux.

She was strongly partnered by the Royal Ballet principal David Makhatelli, although he was not as technically polished, his solo lacking precision. Earlier last week the Royal Ballet star Alina Cojocaru (a favorite of St. Petersburg audiences and a regular guest with the Mariinsky) also gave a superlative performance with her regular partner Johan Kobborg, which was even more satisfying than the Obraztsova/Makhatelli performance. These “Beauty” performances were splendidy conducted by another Mariinsky guest, Valery Ovsyanikov.

Another significant ballet program was staged at the Mariinsky Theater the week before. The Mariinsky Ballet revived Balanchine’s 1952 masterpiece “Scotch Symphony” after a gap of more than 15 years. This staging was by Ben Huys, a former New York City Ballet dancer. Balanchine staged this ballet to music by Mendelssohn following his visit to the Edinburgh Festival. The great choreographer, captivated by the Scottish landscape and the theatricality of the military parades of the Scottish regiments, created a very poetic ballet.

Alina Somova was expressive in the lead role, while Alexander Sergeyev was full of passion as her cavalier. The Mariinsky corps de ballet was wonderfully alive and vibrant, illuminating the engaging patterns choreographed by Balanchine. The whole cast was triumphant in the final joyful movement.

For The St. Petersburg Times The Mariinsky, after an interval of more than 15 years, has revived Balanchine’s 1952 ballet ‘Scotch Symphony.’

“Scotch Symphony” and another Balanchine masterpiece, “Theme and Variations,” were the first two Balanchine ballets to be staged in Russia — the Mariinsky (then known as the Kirov) Ballet staged them under former artistic director of ballet Oleg Vinogradov.

Fittingly, this new program also included “Theme and Variations,” Balanchine’s fantasy on “Sleeping Beauty.” Viktoria Tereshkina danced the demanding lead role gloriously, and Vladimir Shklyarov was, as usual, technically dazzling.

This excellent program was completed by “In The Night,” created by Jerome Robbins, the second greatest New York City Ballet choreographer after Balanchine. A chamber ballet set for three couples, it depicts the three stages of a woman’s relationship with her lover, danced by three different female dancers.

In the first passionate duet, Maria Shirinkina and Filipp Steppin were youthful and flowing. In the aristocratic second duet, Konstantin Zverev danced with a noble bearing, partnering a radiant Maya Dumchenko. And in the emotional final duet, Mariinsky prima ballerina Uliana Lopatkina was excellent. The ending was moving, with the three different couples uniting on stage and greeting each other.

The Mariinsky Ballet will depart early next week for a three-week tour to Japan.

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