The State Ballet Theatre of Russia
Press Material
“…Compagnia di Voronezh, in particolare per il repertono classico-accademico cui essa e fedele e per l'accuratezza e serieta della preparazione dei suoi ballerini, tuffi danzatori di offima scuola e di buon livello…”
Tino Dalla Valle, Ii Messaggero, 1993
Appalausi Lunghissimi e scroscianti per Tatiana Frolova nel ruolo della principessa Aurora… una giovane ballerina flessuosa, musicale, perfetta sia nei gin sia nei salti. Non a caso Ia grande Maximova, principale interprete di Aurora, disse vedendola in quei panni che Ia Frolova sembrava nata apposta per quel ruoloi.
Andrea di Nicola, II Tempo, 1993
“Enchanting from start to finish, the State Ballet Theatre of Russia managed to bring a tear to my eye… The whole performance was executed with ultimate precision which saw not a step out of place, allowing the audience to suspend disbelief and be transported to fairyland”.
Andrea Goddard, Chronicle & Echo Northhampton, 1994
“Wunderbar deimonstnert diese Compagnie, OdaB das Corps de ballet bei den Russen gleichberechtigt ist mit den Solisten”
Miffeibayerische Zeitung, 1998
“The essential ingredients of fine dancing and some interesting choreography are there.” “An enterprising impresario, prepared to spend money on decor and costumes… might find in this company a winner. “The company could boast two ballerinas of very different style, Alexandra Alimova… and Tatiana Frolova…” “They have some excellent character dancers and a fair standard of male dancing…”
Mary Clarke, “Dancing Times”, London, England, 1998
Das Deutsche Theater hat… eme Perle [Qiselle] der russischen Ballet-Kultur prasentiert… Tatiana Frolova ist nicht nur die erste in Voronezh, sondern eme Weltklasse Ballerina. Und die Gruppen- und Solo-Variationen wirkten “alter”, authentiseher als zum Beispiel die der Munchner Fassung von Peter Wright”.
Malve Gradinger, Munchner Stadtanzeiger, 2002
Hailed by the New York Times as a production “….full of enchantment'” with “lovely scenery” and “graceful costumes”…
New York Times, 2007
The State Ballet Theatre of Russia's presentation of Giselle at the Kravis Center on Friday was pleasantly shocking because its strengths were inversely proportional to those of most American ballet companies who present this work.
Many American companies can hammer out a production of this romantic favorite where the only noteworthy component is the technical brilliance of the two leads. But very few, if any, get the rest of the picture right.
The State Ballet Theatre of Russia's rendering turned this model on its head. Many elements of this ballet that American companies routinely butcher, such as the port de bras of the corps, or the pantomime and acting in the first act, were executed with effortless precision. Ironically, though, the weakest links in the production were the technical abilities of the two principals who danced the roles of Giselle and Count Albert.
The first thing that strikes the audience is the intricacy and elegance of the set. The curtain rises on the opening of the first act, which takes place in a village, and the backdrop is lit with a bright turquoise hue that complements the yellows and browns used to depict the cottages in the village. Brambles and branches hang in the borders of the three-dimensional space to create depth in the scene. The costuming is equally well-executed and contributes to the professionalism of the troupe's presentation. Although technically past their primes, Tatiana Frolova and Vladislav Ivanov do very well with the characterizations and emotions of Giselle and Count Albert. In the scene where they first meet, you can feel Giselle's hesitation and shyness around a man of royalty who is disguised as a peasant. As they take the audience through the joy of their young love, the revelation of Albert's betrayal and Giselle's impending psychological breakdown, it is riveting to observe how every movement and gesture has a musical cue.
Alexander Lityagin is excellent as Hans, the village gamekeeper who craves Giselle's affection. I found myself watching Lityagin whenever he was onstage (during the mad scene in particular) because of how convincing his reactions were. Another outstanding performance was given in the second act by Ekaterina Liubikh, who danced the role of Queen Myrta, leader of the Wilis. Liubikh is supple and strong, with delicate port de bras and a commanding presence. The corps de ballet also did a fantastic job as the Wilis; the dancers moved as one body and held their arabesques with statuelike steadiness.
The attention to artistic detail throughout both acts should be the gold standard for others presenting full-length story ballets.
When pantomime, acting and dancing are executed with intent and musical integrity, guided by meticulous coaches who know precisely what they want, the result is positively mesmerizing.
By SUSAN FULKS, Special to the Daily News, Saturday, January 03, 2009
