observations 7/19

The first installment of New York City Center's Studio 5 series, which featured Tiler Peck being coached by Merrill Ashley, was a bit dull perhaps because it was over-burdened with details. However, Tiler looked lovely.

July 30th may prove to be more interesting when Nina Ananiashvili provides some online Swan Lake mentoring to Sara Mearns. (Hopefully, the moderator will keep his gaping mouth closed.)

When Sara Mearns was 2 years old and presumably not quite yet in pointe shoes, Bolshoi ballerina Nina Ananiasvili was a guest artist at New York City Ballet along with the incredible Andris Liepa. Together they danced Raymonda Variations and Apollo. Both danced in Symphony in C but with different NYCB partners. Nina danced the 2nd Movement  with Otto Neubert, and Andris danced the 3rd Movement with Melinda Roy. This all occurred in 1988 – five years before Nina first danced with ABT.

Sometime following her stint with NYCB, Nina stared down the increasingly restrictive Bolshoi and told them that she would quit if they didn't allow her to dance with other companies in addition to the Bolshoi. They blinked first. In 1993, Nina found herself on ABT's stage which she would call her second home for the next 16 years.

We're looking forward to this session on July 30th which becomes available at noon for a full week. Even though Sara is considered by some to be a Titan in Swan Lake on her own stage, she has never danced Odette/Odile in a traditional Petipa/Ivanov version of the ballet. What are we missing because of that? Might Nina be able to influence Sara just as Ulyana Lopatkina influenced Maria Korowski's Swan Lake? Not likely if this session is their only meeting. What we can hope for is that they will establish a rapport that perhaps will lead to something more. Let's also hope that Sara chooses to wear a practice tutu instead of the cut-off, cut-up garb that dancers think helps them relate to the common folk who are more interested in athleticism than artistry. Over the past four months, fans have seen enough of this garb. We miss the real ballet costumes and magic that they convey. Besides, who in their right mind would consider not wearing a practice tutu to rehearse Swan Lake with an iconic Bolshoi ballerina such as Ananiashvili?

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

People, listen.

We have to do better than this -- especially on 10th Ave in Hell's Kitchen where there seems to be a wide range of interpretive citizen compliance.

This is not HK Cool:

However, ten blocks south, this dude is definitely HK Classic Cool.

 

Comments

[Zachary]

I hope that the Ananiashvili-Mearns meeting proves to be fruitful. Maria Kochetkova often travels to Tbilisi to work with Nina and hopefully one day Sara can do the same (or Nina could go to New York, but it might be more fun for Sara to go to the land of Balanchivadze). Also your assertion about Sara is not fully true, she did perform in the Rome Opera's Petipa/Ivanov production of Swan Lake in 2009 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxuVZQw1tDw). Regardless, REALLY looking forward to what Nina has to say.

- On another note, Andris Liepa has been doing great work in Uzbekistan as head of their state ballet in Tashkent. He has mounted productions of Firebird, Scheherazade, and La Bayadere.

[Haglund]

Thanks for the edit regarding Sara's Rome Opera S.L., Zachary. Wouldn't that be fabulous if Sara got a stint at Nina's exceptional company?

[Diana]

When I explain to non-ballet goers what proper fouettes should look like, I point them out to a YouTube video of the Georgian Goddess doing 32 perfect ones. No tricks, no doubles, no travelin' no nothin'. Just 32 perfect turns on a dime, the way Cynthia Gregory used to do.

I don't know why, but I'm having major Cynthia Gregory flashbacks. It's all these old videos.

[Haglund]

Nina, Assoluuuuuuta!

Cynthia Gregory was the first Odette/Odile I ever saw. I just had no idea at the time that everyone else I would see for the next 20 years wouldn't be as good.