“all ballets are about love”: Denis Rodkin and Eleonora Sevenard about working in the Bolshoi Theatre, partnership and competition. Lost Illusions Have you ever fallen during a performance?

On August 3, the article “A Triumphant Return to the Bolshoi” was removed from the “Friends of the Bolshoi Ballet” forum by a moderator with the wording “This is not an article, but a stream of consciousness of a fan with poor Russian and a lack of thinking.”
This is not surprising, since the article expressed assessments that were diametrically opposed to those expressed by the moderator himself in June after the anniversary concert of the Academy of Russian Ballet at the Bolshoi Theater on June 19, 2018. There is a special “ARB” thread on the forum, but for a month and a half not a single coherent statement has appeared on it. The moderator's post was published in the "Ballet 271" thread, dedicated to what is happening at the Bolshoi Theater. A serious discussion broke out in this thread after Mahar Vaziev’s interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta. Particularly excited by the participants in the dispute was the question of Tsiskaridze’s possible directorship. And then the distortions and distortions of facts began. After a remark about Nikolai Tsiskaridze’s successful performance of his duties as rector, a remark followed: “So two-thirds of the teachers remained at the Academy. They ensured success." But excuse me, if two thirds remained, then it turns out that one third quit! But during Tsiskaridze’s rectorship, only one teacher left the Academy, who clearly does not qualify for this “one third”. To my comments about incorrectness, the answer is “how difficult it is to talk to you.”
Distortions of facts on this forum are not news to me, but the absence of the main moderator Mikhail Alexandrovich from the discussion is surprising and alarming. Usually he reacts very quickly to any mention of Tsiskaridze or the Academy. Doesn't tolerate positive feedback. This is all the more surprising since since the organization of the “Friends of the Bolshoi Ballet” forum, Nikolai Tsiskaridze has helped “promote” this site, as well as lectures on ballet at the Bakhrushin Museum. However, over time, he became enemy number one for Mikhail Alexandrovich. Since January 2013, in a personal discussion with him, I have observed the transformation of a previously respectable forum into a tool for harassing the artist.
My “baptism” took place after the New Year’s “Nutcrackers” on December 31, 2012 and January 2, 2013. The story about the performances in which Nikolai Maksimovich and his student Angelina Vorontsova danced resulted in a tedious discussion about the circle of rotations in the pas de deux code, which was staged for Vladimir Vasiliev (left-handed) on the left foot, but the dancers are right-handed, in agreement with Grigorovich, stood in the corner of the stage while the partner performed the circle. We went through all the performers, finding out who was “spinning” to the left and who was standing. Lefties were spinning - Vasiliev, Gudanov, Gordeev. Standing Mukhamedov, Lantratov and Ovcharenko. The whole fuss flared up because I testified about Tsiskaridze’s circle to the left. The video confirmed that I was right, and one of the participants, Amaliris, exclaimed: “So Tsiskaridze can go both right and left?”

It turned out that way. Very unpleasant for dancer haters. Therefore, the discussion dragged on for many pages and in the end, somehow Mikhail Alexandrovich turned it to a comparison of the choreography of Grigorovich and Neumeier. Soon ballet specialist Natalia Zazulina joined us. We had a very interesting conversation on January 16-17, 2013.
Even then I was wary of the diversion from the theme of “The Nutcracker” to Grigorovich. We ended by discussing the "Golden Age". Then I realized that this is a typical technique for “chattering” a topic when you don’t know how to “undercut” your opponent.
The next discussion awaited us after “Sleeping Beauty” on March 16, 2018. The subject of my dispute with Mikhail Aleksandrovich was the notorious double assemblies, which, in his opinion, the dancer did wrong, but what the mistake was, he did not explain. Each time showing the weakness and unconvincingness of my arguments. A whole group of forum participants Tamura, Leshaa, I.B.A, Alexander Yakovlev tried to prove the unprovable, namely that Tsiskaridze is a “mediocre dancer.” Well, the question naturally arises, what did Grigorovich and Petit, Forsythe and Wheeldon see in him? How did people respected in art nominate him and reward him with “Golden Masks”, State Prizes and made him the youngest People’s Artist of Russia at the age of 27?
It was completely impossible to argue, since again the topic was diverted into the direction of various editions of The Sleeping Beauty. With Amaliris and others, we analyzed Gerdt’s performance and Sergeev’s edition, found out the duration of the variations, and remembered the manuscripts from Harvard. In a word, just not to talk about the ovation that the audience awarded the famous dancer.
According to the debaters, Artem Ovcharenko has long surpassed his teacher. The proof of this, according to Leshaa, was the poems written by the audience. This is how Artem inspires his fans. No one writes poems about Tsiskaridze, only prose and mournful cries of “Bravo”. And I was asked to compose a sonnet about Nikolai Maksimovich. Then Mikhail Alexandrovich rushed in and announced the move to the next topic.
But the most amazing and funny thing happened in May-June. The next Nureyev Festival opened in Kazan. Tsiskaridze was accused by the forum participants of his only performance in the West in Nureyev’s “La Bayadère” in the last century. I had to correct that it’s already in the 21st century. They argue, but they can’t learn the dates. Connoisseurs. In addition, in 2009, Tsiskaridze brilliantly danced Nureyev’s “The Nutcracker” at the Grand Opera. It should be noted that the famous French theater allows only French graduates to dance on its stage. An exception was made for the only unique dancer from Russia.
Tsiskaridze came to Kazan with his student Angelina Vorontsova to dance “Giselle”. This was a unique event not only for Kazan residents, who gave the magnificent couple a twenty-minute ovation. This was the penultimate “Giselle” and the only one in which he danced with Angelina. That's it, fate didn't give them another chance. That’s why every frame, every photo from that festival is so valuable.

I carefully monitored all publications, videos, television news and placed them in the “Tatar Academic Theater” thread. She wrote not only about Tsiskaridze, but also about the performances of Evgenia Obraztsova and Valery Gergiev. Then about the gala concert, hosted by Tsiskaridze. This thread was in the top forum news, twenty thousand views in a few days. This infuriated Mikhail Alexandrovich and he constantly reproached me for “smoke screen checkers.” The theme of the Nuriev festival became a kind of red rag for him. He seemed to be arguing with Rudolf Nureyev. Now he has removed many of his lines. Readers thanked us for the interesting material about premieres in the theater, films and exhibitions about Nureyev. What did Nuriyev do wrong before Mikhail Alexandrovich?
But Tsiskaridze’s haters did not calm down. I don’t want to repeat what they wrote about Angelina’s debut. Such malice is astonishing.
At the end of May, another festival began with the participation of Tsiskaridze in Vladikavkaz, “Visiting Larisa Gergieva.” The topic under this name was filled with interesting material. Tsiskaridze’s performance together with Yulia Makhalina in “Scheherazade”, the arrival of Maria Guleghina, their joint Lezgin dance with Nikolai Maksimovich, captured on video. The participants read about everything with great interest. And then I receive a personal message from Leshaa with a rude demand to send congratulations to Larisa Abisalovna on being awarded the Order of Friendship of Peoples by the President of North Ossetia and congratulations to Maria Guleghina on her birthday. The enraged Mikhail Alexandrovich threatened to close the topic, but did not keep his threat. Apparently smart people advised me and Larisa Abisalovna not to offend me in vain. Well, Maria Gulegina too. The topic is still on the forum.

That crazy summer, for the last time, I tried to open a thread “Angelina Vorontsova” about the successful debuts of the young ballerina already at the Mikhailovsky Theater. But the topic was deleted by Mikhail Adeksandrovich with the wording “You haven’t been to her performances yet, and the list of roles is of no interest to anyone.” But when next year I actually attended Angelina’s debut in Swan Lake, I did not have the slightest desire to share my impressions with the participants of this forum. For what? You will hear nothing but rabid criticism. I clearly understood that it was not even about me, not about my Russian language and not about my thinking, but about the obvious dislike of the main moderator of the forum for two characters - Nikolai Tsiskaridze and Angelina Vorontsova. This was noticed not only by me, but also by other participants, for example, Gella, who left the forum, wrote a small note in her LiveJournal “Love according to orders.” She called a spade a spade in May 2013 “Mikhsan praises those who are ordered, but also scolds those who are ordered.”
Due to the abnormal situation, Irina Mil, whose posts about the performances she attended were the best, was regularly sent to the ban from the forum. But because of disagreements with Mikhail Alexandrovich, she was sent to a ban for a week or even a month, that is, access to the forum was blocked. How many times have I been surprised by her stoicism and endurance.
I appeared on the forum less and less. In June 2015, we again argued with Mr. Moderator about the graduation performance of the Academy of Russian Ballet in the Kremlin Palace. He did not agree with my word “gave an ovation.” He was there and didn’t notice this very ovation, although the audience rose in one impulse. On June 30, 2015, she published the following text on the forum:
“Agrippina Yakovlevna Vaganova, whose name the Academy of Russian Ballet proudly bears, received a royal gift from its rector on her birthday - a brilliant graduation performance in the Kremlin with the participation of young stars who embody the future of Russian ballet.
This is symbolic. Moscow is stunned, conquered, delighted. While critics of serious ballet publications are silent, there is an enthusiastic roar throughout the city. Comments in superlatives on forums, Facebook, Twitter, live magazines, VKontakte groups. Spectators share their impressions of the extraordinary event in the ballet and cultural capital. Everyone understands that the rector held the exam together with the 2015 graduates in the capital. His arrival at the Academy two years ago prompted a flurry of questions about his impending failure in this position. The prom, I’m not afraid of this word, dispelled the prediction of the unlucky Cassandras. Tsiskaridze passed the exam as rector of the Academy of Russian Ballet with excellent marks. He showed extraordinary organizational skills and carried out a trip that his predecessors had not dared to undertake for almost thirty years.
For two years, on video, I watched the talents of Anastasia Lukina, Renata Shakirova, Nika Tskhvitaria blossom from role to role, from simple to complex. This is called the correct introduction to the repertoire, the definition of individuality, the search for the right image, that is, who is suitable for Aurora and who is suitable for Laurencia.
The choice of performers is spot on. Unmistakable. Irreproachable. But behind the successes of young ballerinas there is a huge, colossal, titanic rehearsal work. The rector spent days and nights in the rehearsal rooms. The Vaganites, under his leadership, took Moscow by storm. But Muscovites were happy about such sweet captivity. The St. Petersburg residents danced with inspiration, streams of energy flowed from the stage and charged the gigantic hall, which not everyone can rock.
The logical conclusion was a standing ovation that did not end. The spectator called the young artists again. Bravissimo!
A few days later, namely on July 4, 2015, Mikhail Alexandrovich ironically answered me:
“Letters from afar about the storming and capture of the Kremlin, about sweet captivity and the ruckus in Moscow, about the rector’s exam and a gift to the late Vaganova. - all these empty and meaningless slogans do not cause any complaints, of course.. For the third time I urge you to stop and not clog the topic with flood.”

I haven’t written about 2017 anymore. Well, what happened in 2018 was described above. And why is he angry?

The Bolshoi Ballet project continues.

During the filming of the program, the dancers practically lived in the Mosfilm pavilion: they rehearsed and performed. The parts had to be learned in a few days.

Amanda Gomez and Wagner Carvalho are a couple from the Tatar Opera and Ballet Theater named after Musa Jalil. The Romeo and Juliet dance was prepared in a week.

“To learn everything so that you are free is not enough time. I want to dance more and then show it off. But our project is like this - that’s also the difficulty,”

‒ admitted Amanda Gomez.

Participants of the Bolshoi Ballet are the best young ballet dancers from Russian cities and other countries: the Czech Republic, Brazil, America.

Julian Mackay was born in the USA. Now he is a soloist at the Mikhailovsky Theater. I combined my work with filming the project.

“I flew from Paris to St. Petersburg in the morning to be in St. Petersburg and rehearse “Cinderella.” And in the afternoon I was already flying to Moscow to rehearse here,”

- said Julian Mackay.

Participants are not afraid of difficulties. Julian's partner was injured just before the start of the project. And in just a few days he found a new dancer at the American Ballet Theater. Skyla Brandt learned routines from videos.

“Skyla had three days. She learned some things on the plane, came and knew some things better than me,”

The second program of the project is dedicated to Duets - Soviet, neoclassical, classical Pas de deux staged by Petipa, Grigorovich, MacMillan. The Bolshoi Ballet sets the bar high.

The jury includes masters of world ballet. They evaluate the male and female partners separately. The verdict is rendered immediately, although sometimes the opinions of the judges are radically opposite.

“You can’t just listen: everything was good, everything was amazing, you need to add a little tar,”

- says choreographer and jury member Vladimir Malakhov.

The severity of the jury members is slightly softened by the project leaders - Andrejs Žagars and Svetlana Zakharova - who empathize and support the artists. Prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater, Etoile La Scala is performing for the first time as a TV presenter.

“It's a big difference from what I'm used to doing. When we go on stage, we don't have the opportunity to repeat, do a second, third, fourth take. Our artists who perform here don’t have this either. But Andreis and I have such an opportunity,”

- says prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater, People's Artist of Russia Svetlana Zakharova.

This television project is an opportunity for young artists to experiment, open up in a new way, and try on unexpected images. The audience has several weeks ahead to enjoy the Bolshoi Ballet.

The action takes place in Paris in the 30s of the 19th century.

Act I

Prelude

Scene 1

Scene 1. Morning Paris
The square in front of the Paris Opera lives its daily life. The actors are rushing to the morning rehearsal. Lucien, an aspiring composer, accompanied by friends, heads to the theater. He is full of hope, dreams of staging his works on the famous stage... Lucien turns to the Director, but he waves the young man away. Friends advise him not to give up, and Lucien nevertheless decides to enter the cherished door.

Scene 2. Ballet foyer of the Paris Opera
A rehearsal is underway - the dancers are doing their morning exercise. The lesson is twice interrupted by the appearance of the ballerinas, Florine and Coralie, accompanied by patrons - Camusot, who finances the theater, and the Duke, a social bon vivant. They represent, as it were, two rival parties: Camusot supports Coralie, the Duke supports Florine, her rival.

Lucien timidly enters the hall. Under the gaze of those present, the composer is lost, but asks permission to perform his composition. Lucien begins to play - timidly at first, then more passionately. However, listeners are not captivated by his music, passionate and full of romantic aspiration. The groups of guests and dancers who had surrounded the composer disperse. It becomes clear that the outcome of the test is predetermined - after all, the theater director listens to the opinion of all-powerful patrons. Lucien's hopes are dashed. Desperate, discouraged, he is ready to leave, but Coralie stops him. She was deeply moved by the music of the young composer. Using her influence on Camusot and the director, Coralie obtains an order for Lucien: he is instructed to write music for the ballet La Sylphide, created specifically for Coralie.

Scene 2

U Lucien
Lucien is struggling to write a ballet. Coralie enters. Her appearance inspires the composer, in her he finds his Muse. The main theme of the future ballet has been found. Inspiration and love, when united, give birth to music.

Scene 3

Behind backstage at the Paris Opera
Premiere of the ballet La Sylphide. Lucien is excited: how will the public perceive his debut? Scenes from the play unfold in his imagination. In the place of the Young Man, a romantic seeking happiness, Lucien involuntarily sees himself. A romantic scene of a love explanation unfolds, painted in elegiac tones: separation is inevitable. The sylph must disappear - earthly love is inaccessible to her. Like a dream that easily escapes, it flies away... The premiere is a huge success. Everyone applauds the young author and La Sylphide Coralie. Florina is full of envy, the Duke shares her feelings.

Act II

Scene 4

U Coralie
Coralie is happy with Lucien. The success of La Sylphide brought them both fame and love. The lovers' happiness would be complete if the situation in Coralie's house did not remind them that everything here belongs to her patron, the banker, that she is not free. Suddenly Camuso appears. The banker, who has not been opened for a long time, suspects Coralie of infidelity. In vain Coralie tries to pass off Lucien's top hat as part of his concert costume. Not wanting to lie, Lucien comes out of the hiding place where Coralie hid him. Camusot can only leave. However, the banker is confident that life will again put Coralie in his hands. Coralie and Lucien are happy: it’s as if a weight has been lifted from their shoulders - they are free.

Scene 5

U Duke
Camusot and the Duke, having forgotten about their recent rivalry, are united by the desire to subjugate Lucien to their will, to make him an obedient pawn. The idea of ​​the conspiracy is simple: to lure the young man, blind him with the brilliance of fame and money, and force him to write a ballet for Florina. Florine gives Lucien an invitation to the Duke's ball.

Costume ball at the Duke. Lucien appears. He has changed - a tailcoat, white gloves, careless gestures. In the frenzied masquerade fun, among beautiful women and smart men, the young man loses his head. Lucien pursues a stranger in a Sylphide costume and tears off her mask - this is Florine, whose charm he cannot resist. At the Duke's invitation, the young man sits down to play cards. Lucien plays, and everything is arranged so that he gets lucky. A mountain of gold grows near him, and the power of unfamiliar passions intoxicates him. The desired thing happened: Paris is at his feet; money, women, fame - everything belongs to him. At the moment of highest tension, Florina appears on the card table. The seductive passion of her dance finally conquers the young man, and he falls at her feet.

Scene 6

U Coralie
Coralie is worried about Lucien. Friends try in vain to distract her from her disturbing thoughts. Soon Lucien arrives, but not alone - Florine and the Duke are with him. Lucien is in an extremely excited state. He grabs handfuls of gold from his pockets - his winnings. Now luck, happiness, recognition, love should always accompany him in life. Intoxicated with success and wine, he does not notice his friend’s sadness and anxiety.

The Duke and Florine take Lucien away. His departure becomes a disaster for Coralie; she experiences spiritual death, the loss of beautiful illusions. The gold Lucien left on the table causes another outburst of despair. Friends, unwitting witnesses to the dramatic scene, unsuccessfully try to calm her down. In despair, Coralie says goodbye to her love.

Act III

Scene 7

Ballet foyer of the Paris Opera
Lucien is disappointed and depressed. It was as if, having achieved what he wanted, he lost his freedom and creative independence. He composes a ballet for Florina, but Florina, the Duke and the Ballet Master reject his ideas. They need a submissive composer of banal, lively melodies - the necessary “raw material” for creating a spectacular but empty ballet about a dancer who has conquered robbers with her talent. Reluctantly, Lucien improvises, adapting to their demands. The Duke's hypocritical approval flatters the composer's vanity; he obediently writes down trivial, convenient tunes.

Scene 8

Ballet "B" mountains of Bohemia"
The Duke pays for the clackers' applause and enthusiastic reception of the new ballet written for Florina.
Premiere. Robbers performed by dancers await travelers on the highway. A carriage appears in which a ballerina (Florina) and a maid are riding. Robbers stop the carriage and threaten the travelers with death, but the ballerina's charms subdue them. While they are dancing around her, the police appear, called by the efficient maid.

Klaka creates success for Florine, but not for Lucien: his music is just a banal accompaniment. Only the polka, written to a simple tune commissioned by Florina, received applause. The Duke and Camusot ironically congratulate Lucien, Camuso hands the composer money. Lucien's illusions, hopes for success and glory, dreams of seeing Paris at his feet dissipated. Realizing that for the sake of money and these false congratulations he betrayed Coralie’s love and his musical gift, Lucien runs away from the theater in horror.

Scene 9

Embankment of the Seine
The Seine embankment in thick fog. Lucien came running here with thoughts of suicide. But I don't have the strength to die. In the troubled mind of the young man, the image of Coralie appears - the only person who sincerely loved him. To return to her, to return himself, atoning for his betrayal - with such thoughts he rushes to Coralie.

Scene 10

U Coralie
The room is empty: all the furnishings have been sold for debt. Maid Berenice folds theater costumes. At the sight of the Sylph's tunic, Coralie is overcome with memories of rainbow illusions, lost forever. Camusot enters with a confident step. An experienced businessman, he calculated everything correctly, persuading Coralie to return to him. Coralie is indifferent to her fate: she doesn’t care whether to die or return to the banker. She leaves with Camusot.
Lucien runs into the empty room, but it’s too late. Coralie is gone. And Lucien painfully realizes that the lost illusions will never return.