#khoreva

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Zakharova called it a crystal-clear performance of a great classic. 

Zakharova expected to see Maria and Vladimir to dance “Romeo and Juliet”, but “The Sleeping Beauty” was Maria’s choice; Her calling card, as Vladimir put it. Vladimir was happy to oblige, as they had already worked a lot together and Maria debuted as Aurora at the Mariinsky opposite Vladimir in Feb.

Zakharova pointed out that Maria and Diana Vishneva graduated under the same teacher – professor Kovaleva.

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Episode 6

This piece is often performed at galas, and Zakharova had always wanted to perform it herself but had never had the chance. She said that she discovered nee nuances of the dance while watching Maria and Vladimir.

Vladimir and Maria had to rehearse with Wheeldon via Zoom – something Vladimir had no idea was possible.

Maria expected Wheeldon to be very strict in his guidance, but instead Wheeldon insisted that every duet is different and personal to the dancers performing it. He told Maria and Vladimir the story of the first performance (it was the last ballet Wheeldon created for Jock Soto before Soto's retirement in June 2005).

Maria and Vladimir, per Wheeldon’d instructions, told their own story with their dance, but Vladimir refused to say what the story was (Zakharova thinks it’s the story of two artists who grew close though the competition).

Feedback (note: only Maria gets scored):

Farukh Ruzinatov (Score: 10): Ruzimatov values dancers’ ability to completely lose themselves in the music, the choreography and each other above everything else. He thinks Maria and Vladimir are creating something we will remember and talk about for a very long time.

Alexei Mirishnichenko (Score: 10): Generally positive feedback, especially regarding the musicality of the performance. However, Mirishnichenko pointed out that Vladimir has a more thought out approach to the role in terms of acting, which isn’t surprising because he’s a much more experienced performer than Maria. Mirishnichenko was VERY distracted by the bands on Maria’s shoes (they should be flesh-coloured and shouldn’t stand out).

Denis Matvienko (Score: 10): Denis said he was missing “something” in Masha’s performance. Something “special” in her eyes. It said that this isn’t a criticism of her as a dancer, by any means. She is very young and can’t connect with and express her inner world like an older ballerina would be able to. She should be able to lose herself in the moment and forget about the audience.

Denis asked Maria to talk about what went through her head during the rehearsals. Vladimir told her not to, which prompted Denis to call Shklyarov a “spy” (for being so secretive in this episode).

Maria interprets “After the Rain” as a quiet after a storm of emotion.

Diana Vishneva (Score: 9): Diana says that “After the Rain” is one of Wheeldon’s best works and she had seen all the great dancers perform it. Like Denis, Diana points out that this is a duet for mature artists. Not just in terms of their age, but in terms of their life experience and their interpretation of the music. An artist must understand what they’re putting into their interpretation and why. Shklyarov delivered, while Maria simply needs to keep working.

Post-Show Comments:

Vladimir says that he and Maria discovered new qualities in each other through the rehearsal process.

Maria was asked how she feels about critique. She loves it. It helps her grow and become a better version of herself. 

Diana Vishneva’s feedback: Maria did very well but there were some issues with the fourths position – it wasn’t very “clean” once again (this appears to be an ongoing issue). Diana would’ve used more of the space, as the stage is quite large.

Alexei Miroshnichenko’s feedback: the fourth position issue appears to have improved since Maria received the feedback on day one. Miroshnichenko is glad that Maria took the feedback onboard and made efforts to correct her mistakes. He praised Maria for her performance, which had character. Miroshnichenko also mentioned that he’s glad that Mariinsky has restaged “Paquita” with new costume design, and that the costume Maria is wearing is closer to the aesthetic of Petipa’s period.

Farukh Ruzimatov: “Elegant, tasteful, practically perfect”. – lol man of few words

Denis Matvienko: enjoyed the performance, though the arms were “a bit too high” in some instances. Positions were cleaner than during previous performances. Matvienko praised Maria for listening to feedback and correcting her mistakes.

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Competition Comments

Zakharova asked if Maria had spoken with any of the former contestants. She had. Skyler Brandt had reached out to Maria and said a lot of wonderful things about her experience in the competition (referring to it as a fairytale). Maria also spoke with Nadezhda Batoeva, Renata Shakirova and Kimin Kim.

Maria received two conflicting bits of advice from former contestants: some told her to always be prepared, to come in early and stay focused, while others advised her to relax and let go a little, so things can flow naturally. Maria tried to find a middle path.

Rehearsal Comments

Shklyarov: On stage, we’re all equal, regardless of age, position or awards (Maria says she admires this attitude in Vladimir very much).

Elvira Tarasova: Vladimir is familiar with the role, while Maria has only performed it once.

Shklyarov explains that (at the beginning of the ballet) Raymonda has never seen her beloved in the flesh, so there is an element of romantic fantasy in the variation.

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I find this so fascinating! Thank you for telling me about the videos! I never comment on technique because I don’t know nearly enough about it. Obviously this also makes it hard for me to judge if what Ballet Conrad is saying is correct, but it honestly sounds like good and fair feedback to me. He’s not being malicious or personal in any way, and his main concern throughout this video is Maria’s health. From what he’s saying it sounds like Maria has seen the video and has taken the feedback to heart. 

I also like how he talks about the downsides of hyperextension. Many people envy dancers with hyperextension, not realising the issues that can come with it.

Overall, I found these videos interesting and I learned a lot from them. It would be great to hear what a Russian teacher thinks about them... Ballet Conrad has links to BBA, but I’m curious if Russians would disagree with him on anything.

What were the results of the Bolshoi competition?

It’s still running, so we don’t know the results yet. I’m willing to be that Khoreva will win though.

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Did Khoreva get disqualified from the Russiaculture ballet? She deleted all her posts and the video she uploaded.

This question was sent in on the day YouTube crashed, so I assume it had something to do with that. The videos are up on her YouTube channel.

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Why did Zakharova expect to see Maria in Romeo and Juliet instead of Sleeping Beauty? Is she going to debut in it soon? I thought Maria has really improved, Aurora is her best classical role yet for me. Also, as a side note, I think her debut in Concerto DSCH was really good, and that she is well on her way to becoming on of the best contemporary dancers at Mariinsky. Now that I think about it, she is one of the most well-rounded dancers in the company.

I think she just felt that the two would’ve looked very organic as Romeo and Juliet. I doubt there was any subtext.

I don’t know if she’s one of the most well-rounded in the company as a whole (some of the old guard have spectacular and varied repertoires) but she’s certainly one of the most impressive young dancers.

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Could you once again translate Maria Khoreva’s video of the russia ballet episode 2? Thank you very much!

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Svetlana once again complemented the technical side of the performance, saying it was very “clear”; She also complimented Shklyarov on his partnering skills.

Maria watched and was inspired by Zakharova’s performance of Nikia when she was preparing for the part.

Elvira Tarasova (Maria’s coach) said that she can feel a connection forming between Maria and Vladimir as partners which makes the performance more interesting.

Tarasova did tell Maria to watch her turn out (I think she said specifically in pas de chat?..) and thanked Shklyarov was great partnering work.

Tarasova said that Mariinsky is the mecca of classical ballet, and that [the Mariinsky style / classical ballet] is defined by, first and foremost, wonderful arms / port de bras and coordination. Without these things one shouldn’t even attempt classical ballet.

Maria said that there are particular parts in the ballet when one doesn’t want to concentrate on the technical aspect (presumably she’s referring to the importance of the emotional component of the role).

Tarasova said that it’s hard to explain to young people, who may not have a lot of life experience, what pain and loss is (when preparing for a role like this one).

Following on from this post.

I'm a latecomer in life to ballet, and so lack some technical knowledge that I'm now building. The Ballet Conrad channel has been immensely informative. His post on Khoreva really got me thinking. If her technique is relatively poor, and her acting ability is unremarkable (which I think most people, including her, are aware of), why does she get so much hype? Those are pretty much the only two components of ballet: technique and artistry. Myself, I believe Bulanova is the standout 2018 graduate.

I don’t think Maria’s technique is poor. Rather, there are certain aspects of her technique which are problematic and can cause major health issues later down the road. It’s also been suggested that her technique was better when she was at VBA, being coached by Professor Kovaleva, and she may not be getting the same quality of coaching at the Mariinsky. As for her acting skills – I think that’s something that will improve with experience. Don’t forget, Maria is still, technically, a recent graduate. That’s on of the problems with young dances being promoted to such a high rank so soon... There’s an expectation that they will perform at the level of seasoned soloists, which almost impossible. I don’t think the hype around Khoreva is unjustified – she really is quite remarkable in many ways – but she should’ve been given more time to progress and mature before being promoted.

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Ballet Conrad is right about cross training. It has nothing to do with ballet and develops habits and muscle memory that contradict the purity of classical form. I'm very surprised that this has caught on in Russia, where the ballet institution purports to be all about preserving classical tradition. Knowing the veneration the students and dancers have for, and the deference they show to, their teachers and elders, I'm surprised this trend hasn't been nipped in the bud by the latter contingent.

I don’t know how to answer this question. I have no idea how teachers at Vaganova and coaches at the Mariinsky view cross-training. There are some interesting point (and counterpoints) in the comment below though.

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@everythingplusthekitchensink​: So, not Russian, or Russian trained per-se, but I have had Russian teachers, I know my technical stuff.Anyways, I like a lot of what he is saying, the bent knees, and the moving hip - totally fair. I think the Russian training overlooks a lot about hyper-extension and what needs to be done in regards to training (see Alina Somova), so yes, Maria is lacking in that. Also, the way they hold their hips in order to be perfectly turned out really ignores basic anatomy on anyone who isn’t naturally super turned out. You need to roll the hip backward in its socket (basic way of putting it but yeah), in order to achieve true turnout, and that would stop the hip from lifting.In regards to the foot clenched in battement glisse, that is also a very Russian trait - no one rolls through their feet at any point. It’s not something I like, I find it very ‘bumpy’ especially on pointe in variations. Its also a technique used by Balanchine for very fast movements (I was taught to use this on occasion, when you are going too fast to roll through the foot). This should not apply at any other time unless choreographed. Roll through your feet dammit!I have to disagree with his comments about strength training. I think it is completely necessary for dancers. A ballet class does not always give you the strength and endurance you need for a ballet, especially modern ballet. However, I would caution dancers on making sure they are doing the RIGHT type of cross training, and to consult professionals on the right exercises and to make sure you are doing them correctly. I’m really not a fan of dancers sharing their routines with everyone, unless its clips to show their personal exercises. This can be really harmful to young dancers watching for a multitude of reasons.Also, when he is correcting her variation and rehearsal, I think it would have been important to note that the performance was filmed before that rehearsal. Also, I think her rib movements are less about a looseness, and more about a dancer’s perceived idea of adding to the movement. She is adding arms and back movements to her dancing that she has seen other dancers do. I think coached properly, she would be not be moving like that. Anywho, would love to chat more about this with anyone! (Original Post).