After the great success of these days' Swan Lake,Svetlana Zakharova seems to have been nominated new étoile of La Scala Theatre,after Alessandra Ferri's farewell.I don't know if it's good news.For sure I heard many bad comments on this.Thinking about what Ferri gave us from the emotional point of you I feel she will not be up to her level.We'll see....

Point of view...sorry

Mmm...Zakharova, ah?...

Interesting that she's been named an Etoile. I understand better the Royal Ballet's title of "Principal Guest Artist." How much time does Zakharova spend at La Scala, dancerboy?

Svetlana has been coming many many times as guest dancer at La Scala.It was supposed to happen.In the last two years she went for Swan Lake,Sleeping Beauty,Don Chisciotte,Giselle and every gala.We saw her many many times.Something had to happen.The real question is whether she will stay and accept the contract or gets back to Russia and refuse the opportunity.She can't be at the same time principal dancer at Bolshoj and at Scala....

I think it all depends on the wording of the position. A lot of dancers have multiple positions in different companies. I'm most familiar with the ABT arrangements.
Ferri was both a Principal Dancer at ABT as well as the title she held with La Scala. Nina Ananiashvili holds the same ABT slot as well as slots in Georgia and at the Bolshoi. Diana Vishneva is also PD at ABT as well as whatever her title at the MT

And so it goes with the men. Malakhov, Corella, Acosta have multiple "homes"

What about her duties as a Russian member of Parliament?

Mashinka, Sveta Zakharova is a Russian MP? Did she just come into
office with the recent election? How long has she been a politician?

Is there a contractual reason that this can't be the case? I thought that Ferri had been a Principal at both ABT and La Scala. Vishneva and Malakhov are/have been Principal Dancers at more than one major company.

They tell me she's coming for some ballets and does others in Russia or anywhere.Until next Swan Lake in april with Matvienko,i think she's in Russia.

Zakharova and Politics?

Why does that seem wrong?

I'm sorry, she might have wonderful views on what there is to "change in the world", but all the time she spends rehearsing and performing and being famous, I reckon she lacks the needed amount of time to really know the things going on in the world.

When I saw her perform Giselle with the Bolshoi in April '06, the lady sitting next to me told me that I was very lucky to catch her with her 'original' company. She barely performs at home anymore, or so the lady said, and she's abroad a lot of times. She only dances as much in her hometown as her contract demands of her. I don't know what to think of it, though - on one hand an artist needs to get around, breathe the air of different theaters and cities to broaden their horizon, on the other hand - what do too many trips do to one's ego? And isn't this the general debate with Zakharova, or am I wrong?

Figure Skater Anton Sikharulidze is member of the Russian Duma, and he is now the chairman of the State Duma Sports Committee. The Russian government sees fit to put experts in its government to oversee funding and direction. I don't see why a ballet dancer couldn't provide similar expertise in the arts. She certainly would have more experience than a random friend, donor, bureautcrat, or lobbyist appointed by a government.

Yes, if what she does concerns arts, I'm definitely in for it. I just thought she'd get to decide more general things.