We don't yet have casting info for the December 6 Bolshoi in Cinema presentation of John Neumeier's incredible The Lady of the Camellias, but we have this teasing promo with Lantratov and Obraztsova, which will play over and over for about ten times if you don't click on it to stop it. To see the larger than life version, click here.
Cannot wait to succumb to this one.
I saw the Bolshoi's "Jewels" yesterday, and this was the trailer shown at the theater. I cannot wait to see "The Lady of the Camellias"! "Jewels" was fabulous. I loved the dancing, especially the PdD in Diamonds.
I was the only person in the theater though, which worries me about the availability of future ballet presentations.
Posted by: Georgiann | November 16, 2015 at 11:14 PM
Hi, Georgiann.
I wonder if the reason that you were "solo-ing" as the audience is that Jewels was a re-broadcast and much of it is on YouTube. Unless one has a 64 inch TV at home, though, it would be hard to duplicate the thrill on the cinema screen.
Hopefully your local ballet academies and companies encourage students and dancers to see these cinemacasts, because it is the responsible thing to do if one is a teacher. These artists are among the best in the world; the choreography is iconic; and it's not something one is likely to see on the live stage in all metropolitan or medium sized localities.
If teachers and parents take the initiative to steer their students and children toward these types of features, it could have the type of impact that Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts on CBS had on a generation of initially reluctant classical music fans.
Too much arts marketing toward the younger set is geared toward making it as entertaining as pop culture when it should be marketed as essential to growing up. Kids always want to be perceived as mature and grownup. If we as a culture define growing up as smoking, packing handguns, hanging out on the corner, acting like asses for Instagram or worse, then what do we expect kids will want to do?
Posted by: Haglund | November 17, 2015 at 07:37 AM
Well said, Haglund. I totally agree. The ballet schools seem to be too busy rehearsing Nutcracker to consider these opportunities. For many, Nutcracker is all the parents and children know. I have introduced many children to ballet over the years by taking them to a professional Nutcracker or another pre-professional ballet, and even the 3-5yr. olds sit through in awe. In fact a little barely 5yr. old I'm close to sat for quite a while watching "Lady of the Camellias" on my cell phone the other day! She loves ballet!
We have a relatively new ballet school here, Kansas Ballet Academy, that is making a concerted effort to educate the students, parents, and community with performances and lectures. One of the directors, Alexander Smirnov, graduated from the Vaganova school in Perm, and his wife (Stephanie Heston) is local; both have had professional careers. There are increasing more boys enrolling in the school at all levels. We are fairly close to Kansas City, and I now see some students at the ballet. I am very grateful for the effort these teachers are making to educate beyond the classroom.
Posted by: Georgiann | November 17, 2015 at 09:50 AM
One of Russian-speaking ballet websites reports that Svetlana Zakharova and Edvin Revazov of the Hamburg Ballet will star in the broadcast performance of the "Lady".
Posted by: Dreamer | November 17, 2015 at 03:19 PM
Thanks, Dreamer. They're not my first, second, third, fourth, or fifth choice, but the date is still a ways off. We'll just have to wait and see.
Posted by: Haglund | November 17, 2015 at 03:58 PM
11/17/15: Re Jewels last Sunday in NYC, our movie theater's audience was nearly 100% full. Diamonds with Smirnova and Chudin was breathtaking, gorgeous! Also loved Shipulina as the "big girl" soloist role in Rubies. Oh, and I spotted Maria Vinogradova in the corps of Diamonds... she's now married to Vasiliev.
Posted by: SZ | November 17, 2015 at 04:07 PM
Thanks, SZ. My cinema had a good turnout, too.
Posted by: Haglund | November 17, 2015 at 05:41 PM
Thanks for posting this Haglund.
And I completely agree with you, teachers absolutely need to encourage their students and community members to attend these performances, especially in areas where opportunities to see the arts aren't as abundant as they are in larger cities. I am sure that a concerted effort from teachers and dance fans, and really anyone who has interest in the arts to spread the word about these performances will only make their future broadcasts more stable and allow for a more varied rep. The Bolshoi truly make a huge effort to put on these performances for a worldwide audience. I have been backstage during a broadcast and you can't imagine how the whole company, production crew, stage crew, and even the fabulous Katya Novikova takes care and effort to prepare for the transmissions. The whole company comes together and wants to share this beauty with the world. The Lady of the Camellias will be gorgeous I am sure. And from the Bolshoi, it is such an emotional performance. I can't wait to see it live.
Posted by: moviegirl | November 18, 2015 at 11:37 AM
Hi, moviegirl. Thanks for stopping by H.H.
We're really looking forward to it, too.
Posted by: Haglund | November 18, 2015 at 12:17 PM
Cast was just announced on the Bolshoi Ballet in US facebook page! Svetlana and Edvin Revazov are confirmed. Along with Anna Tikhomirova, Semyon Chudin and Vyacheslav Lopatin as Count N.
Posted by: moviegirl | November 18, 2015 at 01:20 PM
Thanks much.
Posted by: Haglund | November 18, 2015 at 01:23 PM
I have meant to thank you for this but have been kept busy by my grandchild visiting. We were part of the audience for the Jewels and it was just magnificent, and I do so agree with all that you said about steering the children towards these cultural events, which is why I went with my grandchild. These performances in theaters are wonderful to have since many of us ballet lovers can't always afford to get to another side of the world, and their visits are seldom.
I totally agree with you Haglund about social media too, and wish that this new generation will look up once in a while from their phones! I can't begin to tell you how many times I have been knocked around on the streets by someone walking into me. Plus we need more of these magnificent performances, than a few of the "less than attractive" or "lack of class" posts I have seen of late from the ballet world, much like the Whiteside and Trenary link I sent a few posts ago. I prefer that my grandchild aspire to class than trash, on and off stage, especially since she is of a very impressionable age.
Posted by: Haglund Fan | November 19, 2015 at 08:53 AM
Thanks, H.F.
Posted by: Haglund | November 19, 2015 at 08:32 PM
I'm spreading the word...my local ballet school said they'd love for the students to know about these ballet in cinema events, and asked if I'd post them. Of course!
Posted by: Georgiann | November 20, 2015 at 05:56 PM
Great Georgiann!
The kids might want to know about the Bolshoi in Cinema FB page: https://www.facebook.com/BolshoiBalletintheUS ; Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/bolshoiballet_us/ ; regular website: http://bolshoiballetincinema.com/ ; and of course Twitter: https://twitter.com/BolshoiBalletUS
All of these are fairly active pages especially when a cinemacast is upcoming.
Posted by: Haglund | November 20, 2015 at 06:06 PM
Thank you, Haglund! Will provide these links.
Posted by: Georgiann | November 20, 2015 at 08:13 PM