Nina Ananiashvili & State Ballet of Georgia U.S. Tour

"Nina Assoluuuuuta" is bringing her State Ballet of Georgia back to the States for a tour in April 2023. So far, we've found dates in New York, Minneapolis, Fairfax, VA, and New Orleans. It appears that New York, Fairfax, and New Orleans will see Balanchine's Serenade and Concerto Barocco along with Yuri Possokhov's Sagalobeli. The Minneapolis program will be Concerto Barocco, Mozartiana, and Sagalobeli.

Tickets here for the NY performance at the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts. In the Serenade picture, note the yellow stripes. It would be nice if NYCB just gave those costumes away and returned to the original design.

 

Comments

[JP]

I saw this company perform Barocco a number of years ago and I was a bit disappointed. They did quite well in the tailor-made Possokhov piece, and I can’t speak to serenade. I imagine the quality must have taken a step up if they are bringing Balanchine to America, or at least I hope so! It has definitely become more of a “destination troupe” for dancers in the last 5-7 years, so that probably helps.

[Haglund]

A few dancers have recently arrived in Georgia from Russia, most notably Laura Fernandez from Stanislavski. Looking forward to seeing the company again -- the last time being more than ten years ago when they presented a mostly Ratmansky program at Avery Fisher Hall.

There are clips on the internet of the company's Concerto Barocco from six or seven years ago. Beautiful dancers, challenging lighting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjDals5CwLk

[Dreamer]

I saw Laura Fernandez a couple of times when she was still a corp de ballet member of the Mariinsky and they performed La Bayadere and Jewels in California in 2019. Beside her non-Mariinsky port de bras, she stood out as someone who was always a bit late musically. My most recent encounter of her was just two weeks ago at the gala performance ”Reunited in Dance” organized by the Segerstrom Center and curated by Xander Parish. Fernandez danced a Pas de deux from the Nutcracker and her partner was a very handsome ex-Stanislavsky soloist Borish Zhurilov. She has always been a very petite dancer but seems to have lost even more weight. At times she looked so fragile that it made me nervous. But at least she didn’t fall off pointe like almost every other ballerina at that gala. Frankly, I am puzzled as to what Nina saw in Fernandez to give her a Principal position. But then again, Nina appears to be fond of Kochetkova.

[Haglund]

Fernandez does seem rather sparrow-ish. There's an interesting exchange on an I-gram video of her rehearsing Odette:

"_fairytale_95
You're a great dancer, but extremely skinny...
14w

laura.fernandez.gromova
@_fairytale_95 thanks🤍 yea for me the most important is to have energy and feel comfortable in my body🫶🏻 which I am

jeanserge21
@_fairytale_95 Well, a body of ballerina... Probably muscle and bones.

laura.fernandez.gromova
@jeanserge21 🙈🥰 "

But when the dancer's head begins to look a bit large for the rest of the body, it's probably time to re-think.

[AllieKenney]

This company is doing the Nutcracker in Turin, Italy for about a week starting this Friday, Dec 16.