I have come across a video of Sleeping Beauty featuring Kirov's Diana Vishneva partnered by Roberto Bolle (from Alla Scala ballet company), at the Alla Scala Theatre in Milan.

It was hard for me to believe that Vishneva was a Kirov ballerina - she looked much more "American" in my view - it was not a matter of epaulement (which was present), but that the Kirov finesse and aristocracy I found missing. By "American" I mean a sort of more contemporary approach to a classic. I felt as if the "form" was present, but not the Russian "soul" I have associated with other Kirov ballerinas (Lezhnina, Makhalina, Sizova, Kolpakova)

I do not know if I have managed to make myself understood, but nevertheless wonder if anyone agrees with me? I would be very interested to know.

Silvy

Silvy, I agree. Vishneva is an excellent dancer. She's Kirov trained. She has great virtuosity, technical fireworks and speed. Her's is a flamboyant stage personality. She dances Aurora in the 1890 production, and its in this production that one can really see the disonnant styles of performance. Her's is just a very modern approach to Aurora - and that's OK if it fits the temperament of the piece and the company's temperament. Although her Princess dances beautifully, to me her Aurora seems to lack modesty and seems slightly spoiled. If you boot up ballet.co.uk and look up the La Scala performance, you'll read other opinions recorded by the reviewer overheard from the audience during the intermissions after Acts 1 & 3. She doesn't have the same style as Kolpakova, Sizova or Lezhnina - there's was the old style approach. Also, the Sergueyev production, in which each of the latter ballerinas excelled, had much less pomp and circumstance ie. "aristocracy" than the new/old production.

IMHO, I think she would fit right in at NYCB or ABT. She would be great in the NYCB "Beauty." Although the Kirov has cast her in lyrical/tragic roles, I think her best roles are Rubies in "Jewels" and Kitri - roles that really highlight the attributes I mentioned. Roles with tragic notes like Manon, Nikiya, Juliet, Giselle, Odette/Odile, Diamonds etc.... not 'right' for her stage persona.

I agree with you, to a great degree, Cygnet. I did see her perform Juliet in July, however, and she was splendid.

I thought that she did the best performance that I have ever seen as Nikyia. She was wonderful.

It's perfectly clear what you mean, Silvy , and I agree. We are a long way from the traditional Kirov. We might even argue about the "form" - that too is basically very different.
Besides that, the Mariinsky has been fostering the "one-ballet ballerina" in the last dozen of years. Vishneva is a typical example.

Regarding the Alla Scala "Beauty", I understood it was Nureyev's version, not the original one. :shrug:

Can someone please clarify this issue for me, please?

Silvy

Silvy, as with most of the great classics Rudolf Nureyev made his own transcription of "Sleeping Beauty" - more or less different from the "standard" version he knew in Russia. He staged his "Beauty" for several companies, including La Scala, National Ballet of Canada, London Festival, and of course Paris Opera Ballet. In most cases the male role is (over)developed with Nureyev, as you can tell from the long solo of Prince Désiré in the 2nd Act of his "Beauty" set to the music of the entracte.

After her great season with ABT, Diana Vishneva is with the Mariinsky in London. Her great Juliet last weekend was just followed with Balanchine's Ballet Imperial. John Ross, that remarkably prolific and generous photographer, includes five photos of Diana (with Igor Zelensky!) in his Balanchine Program coverage (and six more of Lopatkina's La Valse):
http://www.ballet.co.uk/gallery/jr_kirov_balanchine_0705

I think Diana is very Russian. I would never mistake her for an SAB-trained dancer. I dont know how to better explain it but I associate Balanchine-trained dancers with a very sharp angular orientation, and Russian-trained dancers with a more squiggly, hula-hoop orientation. Diana's extremely fluid arms and arched back are for me dead giveaways that she's not SAB-trained. I noticed this when I saw Diana dance Rubies. There was just something "off" about it -- her soft arms were just completely out-of-sync with the jazzy, staccato music.

Interesting that Kirov-Maryinksky does Ballet Imperial in the chiffon dresses we associate with Tchai Piano Cto! Since they are predisposed to present BI with restrained (indeed, imperial) classicism of BI (the very thing Balanchine sought to minimize in recostuming the work), I wonder how their dancing looks in this!

Me too. After her ABT Ballet Imperial in the standard tutu, I have trouble visualizing the same performance in chiffon. But maybe the performance was altered to fit in with the setting.

Richard

I was under the impression that Ballet Imperial and Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto #2 are essentially the same ballet with slightly different choreography and different costumes...?

Even though Ballet Imperial entered the Mariinsky rep recently, April 2004, they have changed the look already, seemingly even more toward Balanchine's later vision. The lead ballerina now no longer wears the crown, viz this photo of Diana from last year:
http://www.mariinsky.ru/en/info/gallery/balanchin/imperial2

Vishneva did actually wear a crown - or at least a very large tiara - in last night's performance! (And it looked completely incongruous with the chiffon skirt.)

Hmmmm... Looks like we have a real mystery here. No crown in the first performance (see pix seven posts up) but the crown is back the next night! I would suggest the Mariinsky have it checked by a reputable diamond expert poste haste; some heads are going to roll if the Tsar's Crown Jewels...
Sorry! I guess I've been watching too much Monk lately.

drb, I think the pictures were taken at the dress rehearsal - last night was the first night of the programme in London.

No real mystery, then. Sometimes costume parts aren't all ready or there at dress rehearsal.

Of course, Jane, you're right. Unless one considers the blue leg-warmers also mysterious for "Ballet Imperial" . No jewelry, no makeup. These shots were done at the "dress rehearsal".

Ahhh! The crucial clue...the blue leg warmers! Thanks! It is like getting a free episode of Monk! So now Jane, please tell us what you thought of the dancing, both Diana's and Igor's.

dirac just posted this review of Ballet Imperial with Vishneva and Zelensky.

Perhaps like Kchessinska on her visit to London to appear with Diaghilev's company, Miss Vishneva's diamonds are kept in the jeweller's safe until she requires them. It certainly was a very big tiara!

Such photos are taken during rehearsals, without full make-up, props, accoutrements; hence, we see no tiaras. At Tuesday & Wednesday's performances, tiaras were worn by the principal lead, the secondary lead and the two demi-soloist girls (Selina & Obraztsova). The 'greater' the role, the bigger the tiara.

Diana Vishneva had her Mariinsky debut in Swan Lake last month. Did anyone see the performance? Here are 28 photos from the event, mostly, but not just, curtain calls.
Left click on the photo (or click on the word below-right of the photo) to see next in the sequence.
http://photofile.ru/image.php?id=20145129
If you click on the word directly below the center of the photo, you'll see a substantially enlarged version.

Diana Vishneva's website has just updated her performance schedule, including Carmen in the Moscow Gala on Maya Plisetskaya's birthday.
Lucky Japan!
Dec 20 2005 Tokio: NNT The Nutcracker
Dec 18 2005 Tokio: NNT The Nutcracker
Dec 16 2005 Tokio: NNT The Nutcracker
Dec 5 2005 Paris: Chatelet The Nutckacker
Dec 4 2005 Paris: Chatelet The Nutcracker
Nov 28 2005 Paris: Chatelet Ballet Imperial
Nov 23 2005 Paris: Chatelet Forsythe-Steptext
Nov 20 2005 Moscow: KDS Gala-Plisesthkaya (Karmen)
Nov 13 2005 Tokio: JAC Pa de de
Nov 12 2005 Tokio: JAC Pa de de "R.&J.", "Sl.Be."
Nov 6 2005 Paris: Palais Garnier Rubies (Benjamin Pech & M.A.Gillot)
Oct 28 2005 Berlin: STAATSOPER The Sleeping Beauty
Oct 26 2005 Berlin: STAATSOPER The Sleeping Beauty

Vladimir Malakhov's version of Sleeping Beauty in Berlin looks a bit different from the Mariinsky's, but I gather from reviews that much of the traditional choreography is included.
Here's a nice photo of Diana and Vladimir dancing in the premiere. There are also links to three newspaper reviews, all in German, however.
http://www.tanznetz.de/en/kritiken.phtml?p...id=112&tid=6470
Update 10/30/05:
http://www.tanznetz.de/en/news.phtml?page=...id=114&tid=6486
now has the picture but also review text in English. The Berlin press does not fully endorse Malakhov's shortening of Sleeping Beauty..

For admirers of Diana's Giselle and Swan Lake last Spring with ABT, her site now has slide shows of her in these two ballets (but at the Mariinsky):
Giselle (30 photos):
http://www.vishneva.ru/eng/photo.php?gal=J&no=1
Swan Lake (19 photos):
http://www.vishneva.ru/eng/photo.php?gal=S&no=1
Swan Lake rehearsal (26 photos):
http://www.vishneva.ru/eng/photo.php?gal=R&no=1

Marc Haegemann posted a link to a series of new photos on For Ballet Lovers Only on this thread:

http://ballettalk.invisionzone.com/index.p...ndpost&p=173372

The top row far left photo is a beautiful one of Vishneva backstage.

http://www.for-ballet-lovers-only.com/color1.html

Enjoy!

Vishneva appreciation continues here. I'm closing this thread.