When I heard that the St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre was to pay a visit to South Africa in 2006, I was ready to jump for joy, thinking it was the same company I saw a year or two ago. It was a magnificent company (I see it is discussed in a topic a little further down on this forum). However, this is a different company with a similar name. I hear that Irina Kolesnikova is to star in a full-length performance of Swan Lake. I have never seen her, but to be quite honest, I don't like the pictures I found on the internet of her. She looks very hard and cold. As the tickets are very expensive, I wonder whether this company is worth seeing and would appreciate any comments from anyone who has seen it.

This company tours the UK regularly and are due to start another tour here next month. Their production of Swan Lake is both conventional and attractive. The dancers are of a high standard with many being Vaganova graduates and a number of the younger dancers coming from the Nureyev School in Ufa.

Kolesnikova makes a very good Odette/Odile, in fact I would rate her more highly than many of the dancers that have danced the role with Kirov lately.

Thank you, Mashinka! In that case, I will certainly go and see them!

I have just discovered that Kolesnikova has been nominated for best female dancer award by this year's Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards here in the UK.

Mashinka, that's good news for Kolesnikova's fans, coming on the heels of her disappointment at not having made the final awards-list at the most recent Moscow Int'l Ballet Competition, this past June.

Overall, the Tachkin troupe is very good, among the top six in the city of St. Petersburg (after the 'Big Five' - Kirov, Maly, Conservatory, Choreographic Miniatures & Eifman). They tour extensively and have a very impressive repertoire of the classics.

That's astonishing and quite revealing about the depth of ballet talent in St Petersburg. Its SIXTH-ranked company is nonetheless"very good." Not to mention ... large and in demand, at least for touring. Is there any other city in the world which can make such a claim?

It is amazing, Bart. As far as classical ballet is concerned, perhaps only Moscow has this many very good to excellent professional troupes (Bolshoi, Stanislavsky, Moscow Classical Ballet, Kremlin Ballet, Imperial Ballet, several others). New York & London boast many fabulous dance troupes but not as many of these are purely classical in nature.

Russia is truly the balletomane's paradise. It is a shame that it's not the easiest of countries for the average English-speaking traveler (Russian lang., complicated visas, relatively few budget-travel choices, odd business practices in some sectors...to put it kindly), or we'd all be there in a flash, eh?

There isnt only ballet in Russia. Think of the operas, concerts, the museums etc.
When will the Russians understand (probably never) that it would bring them a lot of revenue if things were made a bit more decent for tourists. As it is now, nothing short of a catastrophe.

Pamela, things are no easier for businessmen & potential investors. If anything, even greater barriers are placed for investors than for tourists! The problem with visas & other red-tape is Topic A at the US-Russia Business Council here in Washington. There is always an underlying climate of suspicion, stemming from decades of living in fear (maybe centuries, if one goes back to certain Tsars).

Russia is my 'second country' by marriage & cultural interests, so it pains me to point out the truth. Of course, when one is passionate about something, all barriers can be overcome.

“… if things were made a bit more decent for tourists. As it is now, nothing short of a catastrophe. ”
“… things are no easier for businessmen & potential investors. If anything, even greater barriers are placed for investors than for tourists!”

The saddest thing is that they can not make ‘a bit more decent’ for themselves. A lot of effort has to be applied in order to achieve most simple things.
I just came back after a whole ballet week in Moscow. To get through security checks into theatre buildings is an ordeal now – it can not be compared to the security check at Covent Garden. A friend of mine was queueing for about an hour (!) to get into the Kremlin Palace to see “Le Dieu blue”. The start of the performance was also delayed by almost one hour. It was wet and windy, and my friend spent a week afterwards in bed with sore throat and cold.