GISELLE with Saint Petersburg Ballet in Paris

Giselle second act was the best. Because the female dancers as Willis did a good professionally work. Irina Koleshnikova is technically a good dancer, and she was good helped by her Albrecht danced by Dmitri Akulinin who had some quite good solos. Myrtha, danced by Anastasia Habarova (?) was brilliant. In the few solos in second act Hilarion, - Dimchik Saykeev, showed some good details.

For the third year Saint Petersburg Ballet is visiting Theatre des Champs-Élysées in Paris. This time performing the two ballets Giselle with music by Adolphe Adam, Choreography after Marius Petipa. and Don Quixote with Ludvig Minkus famous music. Both these ballets are famous, and well known by the audience, therefore it is a big challenge to show these productions to the Paris audience. So far we have seen Giselle, and it was not a success.

The scenography by Viatcheslav Okunev for the performance is beautiful, so are his costumes and the light design by Nikolay Shlein. The only exception was the outfit for the duke and the princess, and furthermore the top in the first act for Albrecht, was a bit too short.

A GOOD INITIATIVE.

It is a good initiative that St. Petersburg again is having a touring ballet company. But the quality of a ballet company from a country and a city with so famous ballet traditions has to be of much higher quality, to keep the rename alive. Especially when it wants it looks like this company wants to follow in the footsteps, of other world famous Russian ballet companies. Les Ballets Russes, The Bolshoi Ballets, The Kirov Ballet. In addition we know about the famous ballet schools in Russia.

PROBLEMS.

Unfortunately, there are still some problems with the productions. The problem in this performance is that the male dancers in the company corps des ballet in the Giselle production can´t dance at a professional level. In addition, the male soloist in the Peasant pas de deux was a disaster. The female partner was good. When this company is advertising it as being of international first class. It must, at least be a must for this company, that the soloists are first class. Another thing is that when beautiful programs and advertising are telling about a first class company, that don´t make the company first class.

It is a very hard job to build up a company of international class. We sincerely hope that the company will succeed. – To visit Paris and the audience, who are used to the highest quality in ballet, opera and classical music from all over the world, is a challenge. We are looking forward to Don Quixote on Saturday. I would propose to the management to invest more money in good top soloists, not only the technically good ballerinas Irina Koleshnikova and Anastasia Habarova as Myrtha. These good soloists exist in Russia.

The quality of this theatre orchestra was good. Some solos was very nice, especially I enjoyed the beautiful bratch solo in the beginning of second act. Something strange in the tempi in a harp solo in second act, not as the composer wrote it! Conductor Vadim Nikitin.