In the midst of congratulating all of the Kirov dancers who have been promoted, we did not notice that one of the most beloved of Kirov ballerinas -- certainly beloved on overseas tours -- is off the roster: Zhanna Ayupova. I will definitely miss the delicate elegance of this ballerina. Thank goodness that she was recently filmed in one of her greatest roles, the lead of Balanchine's Emeralds....but when will that film ever be released?

Also recently removed from the roster are Principal Viktor Baranov, 1st soloist Veronika Ivanova and Character Principal Galina Rakhmanova. Ah but "The King" Vladimir Ponomaryev remains, thank goodness.

I may have missed other recently-retired notables. Whoever keeps tabs -- please enlighten us further.

Ayupova was a breed apart; she will be sorely missed! I first saw her
as the second soloist in the "Swan Lake" pdt during the 1986 North American
tour, then went on to witness her Masha, Raymonda, Odette/Odile, Aurora,
and most recently, Emeralds. In live performance, she was grace personified.

Hopefully the Maryinsky's "Jewels" will be released soon. POB's version is available;
and it would be nice to compare both companies in this ballet. Perhaps the POB
dvd has been a consideration for holding back the Maryinsky version. (?)
Thankfully, Zhanna's exemplary and regal Aurora has been preserved, (although in
snippets ), on the dvd "Sacred Stage." She is also featured as the Girl in
"Le Spectre de la Rose," on the "Kirov Celebrates Nijinsky" dvd, filmed during
the Fall 2002 visit to Paris' Theatre de Chatelet. A sublime Prima Ballerina!
Zhanna, thank you for sharing your gift with us !

A breed apart -- well put, Cygnet.

I can't help but notice that Ayupova's "retirement" has been without fanfare or announcement. I actually admire her quiet beauty even more for this -- no big gala to announce her departure from the stage as many ballerinas would insist on having. She remains an image of the old School Kirov that once was. Although I saw her perform not more than a handful of times here in St. Petersburg in the past four years, she nonetheless will be missed!

Well put. Although it does not excuse there not being a Farewell Gala for Ayupova, the fact remains that St. Petersburg does not have a great tradition (or any tradition?) of having Farewell Galas like we have in the West. Assylmuratova was simply removed from the roster in 02/03, for example. Russia has lots of anniversary galas during a career (Vishneva's 10th, for ex.) and lots of "Tribute To" galas well after retirement (umpteen tributes to Dudinskaya, Zubkovskaya, etc.) but none for great dancers at the exact time of retirement. Maybe it's a cultural thing - a fear about "ending" something???

Did Ulanova and Plisetskaya have true Farewell Galas at the Bolshoi when each retired from regular performing? If anybody was there or knows of those galas, please let us know.

Good questions, Natalia. I'm also curious to know the answers. I am guessing it could well be a cultural thing about ending, as that's the only explanation I can think of ...

I never had the chance to see Zyupova live, and now I never will. She remains one of my favorite dancers to watch on video.

Mikhail Messerer, ballet master of the Mikhailovsky Ballet, has asked Ayupova to be a coach for his company. (Dancing Times, September 2009, p.63).

Good for her--but they could really use her at the Mariinsky, whether they know it or not.

Ayupova was a favorite always, but also, for me, among those Natalia mentions, Veronika Ivanova--a lovely dancer, and (as I remember her at least) very much an exemplar of "old school" Kirov purity of style.

Off-Topic but Related: Ivanova's long-time partner (husband?), Nikita Sheglov, is coaching the boys in next year's Vaganova Academy graduation class. The group includes Alexander Saveliev, one of the most promising young male classical dancers since Vladimir Schklyarov's graduation a few years ago. Keep the name in the back of our minds.