Ladies & Gentlemen, Alina Somova will be making her debut as Kitri in 'Don Quixote' tomorrow night at the Mariinsky Theater, partnered by Leonid Sarafanov. (Heaven help him with those lifts!)

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Can you Elborate? Is she large?

She is at least a foot taller than he. Her arms and legs are both
extremely long. Physically, she's not in proportion to his physique, so this is not only
a mismatch, but yet another miscast. She has long acrylic fingernails
that are hazardous, and that's dangerous for Leonid (and other partners), because they
have to worry about being slashed by them. Add to all of that the fact that she is a
gymnast, devoid of port de bras, epaulement, turnout, competent technique - (never mind
professional), and a footlight flirt, and you have what may shape up to be one of the
most, uh, entertaining Kitri debuts in the Maryinsky Theatre's history.

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

Albert Einstein

I saw this pair perform the Don Q pdd at a gala last year. Even for Don Q, she was WAY over the top. Her grand battements were downright violent at times and she has quite a sway back. I really liked Sarafanov though.

Acrylic nails?!? Is that even allowed for ballet dancers? (Well apparently so...)

I'll be interested to read reports on this performance on Ballet Talk!

Maybe they'll just send on somova, but not allova.

Bad, Mel! Bad!!!

I can't believe this. Surely they have better Kitri's to put out there?

I can just see her hypermobile body going into one of those beautiful Plisetskaya sissones and getting her leg stuck around her torso.....

Planet Kirov is becoming a more alien world every day. Are there other better and potentially better Kitris in the company? Of course they are, but for reasons best known to themselves the Kirov continues to promote Somova despite all her shortcomings.

I imagine everyone has seen a dancer in a role s/he wasn’t suited to but usually it’s out of necessity, because that dancer is the best the company happens to have at the time. The Kirov has no excuses as they can call upon the services of many of the world’s best, but perversely they keep putting Somova stage centre. Its as if the company is deliberately sabotaging its own reputation.

Wow. And I thought Volokova was bad.

I got an email from a friend in St. P who saw it last night. Here's just some of the highlights:

"She had the very best partner, the champion in jumping and turning, dashing Sarafanov. BTW, I took notice of their difference in height. Not everything was perfect. Firstly, she had trouble with her lifts, which are done with one hand only. Still remembering the way Cojocaru carried them through, Somova didn’t look comfortable. Perhaps her extra-long legs of hers got in the way, but I suspect that it was just nerves. She tends to “loose” her leg when dismounting from the lifts, which makes them look somewhat off balance as if she was sliding away. Perhaps spectacular Manon lifts and turns is not her thing. She had some technical difficulties with her fan-work.

Then there were the fouette turns. The toe of the working leg was way too low to maintain perfect line. Well, she tried
and did some doubles. And as one can see, just like in some photos, she takes too long to fully extend her knee. These shortcomings, however, did not mar the feeling of utter joy which her Kitri radiated with characteristic generosity. She was spectacularly beautiful no matter which costume she put on."

.

In general, she reports that the patrons on the lobby level loved it - but not the Czar's Box level or the upper tiers. You see, this just goes to show you that in today's Maryinsky, you can smile your way through a performance and not have to dance, just change costumes. Well, I guess "Giselle" is next .

Ugh Ugh Ugh.

Out of curiousity, as I have never seen the Kirov's Don Q live, what would folks say were some of the better (recent) performances? And what about if they had to choose a Kirov dancer to debut as Kitri/Basilio/etc?

Well, they recently imported Natasha Osipova to dance it with Sarafanov. Just before that, his partner was Novikova.

I love Osipova - interesting that they imported her - I must not have been keeping up with this section of the boards.

Surely that's not to say that they don't have a decent Kitri of their own?

Here are photos of the Osipova/Sarafanov DQ (what company in the world wouldn't find Osipova an upgrade?) from Russian Interpress:
http://www.interpress.ru/index.php?t=list&news_id=13408

To compare Osipova to Somova is to compare a Porsche to a Yugo. Natalia Osipova is a whole world above Mme Somova.

I am not sure it is right to say that they IMPORTED Osipova. This was a usual guest star appearance in the Mariinsky’s annual festival. A young starlet in this case. Similar to the appearance of Cojocaru/Kobborg in “R & J� and Ganio in “Giselle�. Tsiskaridze has been appearing at their festivals every year for the last, I think, six years.

Apart from Novikova the Mariinsky has other Kitris – Osmolkina, Golub, Tereshkina, Sheshina and Vishneva. In my humble opinion none of them, even Vishneva, can at the moment match Osipova’s zest, technical skills and amazing self-abandonment in this role.

By the way, on the 4th of July Somova will be dancing Don Q. with Lobukhin. I hope Sarafanov is OK.

Coda, apologies for not being clearer, as I did understand initially that she was there as a guest.... I shouldn't have insinuated that it might have been more long term! Thank you for your comments on the Mariinsky's 'own' Kitris!

The last two Kitris I saw were Novikova and Nioradze with the latter being the better simply through being the more experienced. I think from the list Coda has supplied I would most like to see Tereshkina in the role

Among the Kirov's active Kitris, Vishneva remains unparalleled in the role, IMO. During the mid-90s it was very much her signature role -- until she debuted in Rubies, which became her new trademark. Vishneva literally jete'd into stardom when she first performed Kitri at the Mariinsky, while still a 16-yr-old student. She did not graduate from the Vaganova Academy until a year-and-one-half following that first Kitri.

Among the now-retired Kitris, Irina Tchistiakova was quite remarkable. She was Ruzimatov's main Kitri until Vishneva took over.

The future? I am anxiously awaiting Yevgenia Obraztsova's debut in the role. Imagine with her bubbliness and panache, coupled with amazing technique. Obraztsova & Sarafanov together in Don Q -- that is my dream pairing.

The Vazievs are giving Kitri to her again?! Tomorrow?! That's less
than a week later! Poor Mikhail. As for Leonid, I doubt it. How can anyone
be "OK" after dodging nails like these and a runaway fan? Pink nail polish
is one thing, but one inch nails? That's a non-starter.

http://danse-photos.goodforum.net/viewtopi...sc&start=20

IMO both Novikova and Tkachenko are the best Kitris the Maryinsky can field at this moment.
The logical choice for Kitri last week was Tereshkina; she deserves a long overdue shot at this role.
But lately, the managers aren't into common sense. Of the previous Maryinksky generation,
Tatiana Terekhova was untouchable as Kitri.

You see, Mashinka, I knowingly omitted the names of Nioradze, Makhalina and Aupova because they seem not dancing Kitri any more.

Tereshkina *did* dance Kitri at the Mariinsky a year ago, around June or July 2006. I don't know why she has not danced it since then.

Look at this photo

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/artic...HEUL.DTL&o=

Based on this recent photo, Somova is much smaller than Sarafanov and is shorter on pointe than Sarafanov.

Thanks for the link, alexaa1a, and welcome to BalletTalk!

The photo also suggests that since the Kirov's City Center season last spring, Somova has shed a few pounds. It even shows in her face.

It's Sarafanov who has bulked up and doesn't give the impression of being the elf of years past. Somova looks about the same. She has always had the long bony jaw.

I've met Sarafanov and he is rather tall, certainly above six foot, I imagine it was his very youthful looks that made people imagine him to be a little chap. I think he's grown a bit over the years too.

I agree Mashinka: Per "alexaa1a,s" link, he has indeed picked up height. Alina has always been long and
lanky. She's an amazon. When I first saw Sarafanov & Somova together in the Le Corsaire pdd in '04,
(one of her first assignments in the corps), she was taller. Corsaire was the first pdd they were assigned
together, then came Don Q pdd, then she was given the first variation in "Paquita," then Odette/Odile.
Another PD, Irma Nioradze was paired with Sarafanov in the full length "Bayadere" in '04. Based on the pic,
he's past her now, because Alina is definitely taller than Irma. When Somova's Kitri debuted last year, my
Petersburg friend confirmed the difficulties Leonid had with the overhead lifts in Don Q Act 1 and other sections
of the ballet. Kitri is a soubrette/virtuosa/comedienne/allegro role. Somova may be a borderline soubrette, (?)
but because of her height and long limbs, "virtuosa" and speed do not come easy for her. Conversely, because
of her long limbs she should be good in adagio. Although her Odette and Nikiya are less coltish, she hasn't
yet delved into nuance, explored dramatic development, nor mastered legato and phrase completion.

When she graduated in '03 she was fuller. Today, she's extremely fragile looking, although I must concede
that her spotting with piourettes and fouttees vis a vis general placement has improved. For example, her
regular fouttees and Italians still bounce but are now sur place. IMO I believe that it's her arms
which are out of proportion to the rest of her body, that and her over-extended knees. Of course,
she can't do anything about that, but great ballerinas find ways and means to conceal physical boondoggles.
However, bent wrists, petrified fingers and long nails which accentuate them do not enhance line. For example,
Mezentseva's arms were also quite long, and she was built almost the same as Somova, albeit her
torso was more compact than Somova's. Of course, (no comparison with Alina), but Galina's
port de bras, epaulement, hands, fingers, placement, technique, artistry, and dramatic skills, in short -
attention to detail, was impeccable. Maybe this is what they see in Somova, and are trying to bring
forth. (?)

I think, if they must cast her in classical roles, obviously she looks best with the tallest men, but with men who
look like grown men (in the face), such as Kozlov, Fadeev, Korsuntsev, Kolb & Ivanchenko. These gentlemen are
danseur nobles. Of these, Somova's been paired frequently with Kolb & Fadeev. Kozlov & Korsuntsev are Lopatkina's
main partners, and Ivanchenko's services are widely used by the female leads in the company. Sarafanov and another frequent partner of Somova's, Anton Korsakov, aren't danseur nobles, but both have been assigned danseur noble roles. Technically Sarafanov and Korsakov can do these roles, but artistically they're unconvincing in them. Of these
two, Sarafanov is the superior technician, MO.