Japan celebrated Nina's 20th
anniversary at the Bolshoi with a tour of nine cities and ten performances in
three weeks. It included a workshop for ballet students in Fuchu and book/souvenir signing
session in Tokyo. The Friends were able to see first hand, the special appreciation for
Nina by the Japanese. Above, a young fan poses with Nina during the artist's
personal appearance at Chacott, Tokyo's largest ballet store. The signing session was
arranged by the Friends of Nina in Japan, in cooperation with Japan Arts.
Tokyo
Having missed the opening night of Nina’s
tour of Japan at Tokyo’s Bunka Kaikan, the Friends made it to the second performance
there (Sept. 17), which, as it turned out, was being taped by NHK for telecast in
November. Keeping the contemplation of the horrors of September 11 on hold for a while, we
were rewarded for our efforts (simply getting a flight out of New York’s JFK Airport
was a saga) by a program consisting of choice highlights performed with sparkling verve by
the all-star troupe.
The evening started with a “class of
perfection” à la Messerer; the dancers entered a studio setting in
“warm-up” clothes (much more stylish than actual practice clothes) to take up
positions at three barres backed by triple stage-high mirrors. Alexei Fadeyechev, the
troupe’s artistic director, took charge, specifying sets of barre exercises that were then, of course, carried
out with exquisite precision and style by this elite company. This series of exercises
segued in flawlessly into Ben Stevenson’s Three
Preludes, with Nina and Andrei Uvarov left together at the central barre, now lighted
to suggest a moonlit night, evoking the poetic mood of the choreography and
Rachmaninov’s music. The first of these Preludes uses the barre ingeniously, serving
to both unite and divide the dancers who act like hesitant lovers at the start, their
first moves suggesting a mirroring of feelings. The ensuing pas de deux has the ballerina
twirling a leg across the barre, standing on it supported by her partner, or sliding under
it to join him. Though they end up divided by this wooden pole once more, we know a
barrier has been crossed. With the barre gone,
the second Prelude begins (and ends) with the lovers swaying forward and backward, steps
that seemed to refer to an Act I pas de deux in Raymonda. The choreography suggests their developing
feelings. Especially effective is a repeated series where the ballerina unfolds both legs
while held aloft and the lovers lyrically melt into beautiful poses, alternating limbs
extended. Uvarov’s height, in relation to Nina’s, is especially welcome in this
adagio, as their fully extended bodies add a sublimely gorgeous dimension to the slow
unfurling movements. The faster rhythm of the third Prelude allows the partners to express
their love in swift, flowing steps. A final, rapturous lift serves as their exit. It was
gratifying to note a new sense of emotional involvement in Uvarov; his lover was totally
convincing, a quality formerly lacking in his partnering (as previously noted in
reviews—see Romeo and Juliette, Giselle). This time, Nina’s sublime lyricism
and acting was met with a satisfying response from Andrei, giving the audience a fuller
experience of the ballet’s poetic and romantic mood. (Alexei Melentiev was the
excellent pianist for both Class and Three Preludes.)
The terrorism crisis had prevented the arrival of
Amanda McKerrow in time for the Tokyo performances, so there were changes in the program.
Yuri Possokhov offered a solo titled “Aria,” to recorded music by Handel.
Dressed only in red tights and wearing a full-face white mask, he entered to march-like
rhythms, soon followed by an aria from Alceste.
The choreography, basically abstract, gave the artist ample opportunity to display his
mastery of movement. Kept mostly close to the ground, he captivated with his expressive
arms sculpted torso and strong legs, showing excellent control and balance contrasted with
swift, diagonal turns in the air. Possokhov’s magnificent physique created mythic
shapes in space; the piece ended with the dancer “picking up” the mask with his
face and slinking off stage as mysteriously as he entered.
The rest of the regular program was accompanied by
the Tokyo City Philharmonic, impeccably led by Alexander Sotnikov. (Other venues, alas,
had to do with recorded music, save for the piano-accompanied pieces.) Inna Petrova and
Dmitri Belogolotsev were impressive in the pas de deux from Balanchine’s Agon, dancing with remarkable unity and
articulation of steps. In purity of execution, they honored the classical roots of the
ballet. The couple are well-matched in size and temperament and they gave a performance
that I think would have pleased Balanchine himself. Giuseppe Picone and Irma Nioradze
tried hard to capture the elegiac mood of the Giselle
Act II pas de deux. Nioradze, in common with her current Kirov colleagues, has a tendency
to overdo the leg extensions in the famous arabesques, and her arms did not always shape
themselves in the requisite Romantic ideal. However, she made her own statement as a
Giselle of a somewhat impetuous kind---even as a spirit. Picone held his own in his brief
solos, displaying his usual elegant lines and fine cabrioles. Their unscheduled appearance
together probably accounts for the scant rapport between the dancers.
Nina and Sergei Filin lifted the spirits with the
“Black Swan” pas de deux from Swan Lake.
Nina was in top form as a scintillatingly commanding, black-feathered Odile; Filin,
dressed all in white, was a noble but particularly vulnerable Prince Siegfried. Odile
continually insinuated herself into his introspections, dazzling his hesitations away. The
ever-present mirrors serving as backdrop provided extra thrills, letting the audience
savor both artists’ perfection of form, especially Nina’s exquisitely seductive
arm and shoulder movements as she echoes Odette’s swan wings. Filin’s slow
release of Nina’s hands on a balance was perfectly timed and punctuated the moment.
Filin’s solos were all about noble lines; he favored legato movement and soft
landings over sheer physical force, but also ended movements with characteristic Bolshoi
panache. What more can one say about Nina’s complete mastery of this role, except to
express once more the joy of seeing her execute the impossible with complete élan---her
fouettés are the ultimate expression of Odile as irresistible temptress.
A suite from The
Sleeping Beauty, framed by a sumptuous backcloth suggesting a chateau in the Loire,
formed the second part of the program. The orchestra’s sparkling “Garland
Waltz,” built up expectation for Aurora’s entrance. With the four princes played by dancers of this
caliber---Belogolotsev, Picone, Possokhov and Filin (in order of appearance), I can say
that I have never seen such a truly aristocratic lineup of suitors. With their looks,
impeccable bearing and individuality, they would present any Aurora with a tough choice.
Nina’s ever-youthful Aurora took them all for granted, of course, as she captivated
them all with her coltish charm and insouciance. Her particularly secure balances drew
bravos from the audience. Nioradze followed
with the Lilac Fairy’s variation, notable for ear-grazing ronds de jambe which pleased the audience. Filin
swept onstage with the Prince’s entrance sequence, dancing flawlessly and making this
difficult, quicksilver passage look easy. Petrova and Belogolotsev were again perfectly
matched as Princess Florine and the Blue Bird; Petrova proved delightfully charming and
captured the audience with her delicate footwork; her exceptionally light turns made it
seem she was about to take flight. Belogolotsev shone in a fleet run of evenly paced
brisés. The Grand Pas, with Nina and Uvarov, proved more than an exhibition of classical
technique. With their developing rapport, one felt that this was an aristocratic love
match, with feelings expressed in dance. Uvarov, in fine form, showed remarkable elevation
in his jumps, with notable cabrioles and a series of split jumps on a diagonal. Nina made
a lace doily of the delicate “little” steps in her variation. Her effortless
sissonnes always take my breath away. But above all, her command of technique allows her
to carve space and hold time in her hands, as it were. Every step gets its worth---and
every step is worthy of the finest execution. At the end of the finale, Nina bowed to
every member of the court (and company) and they all bowed back. The audience merely
acquiesced in the joyous end of the evening. Or so we thought.
It turned out that we were in for a
treat---encores were offered for the lucky Tokyoites. Fadeyechev returned to the stage to
announce additional pieces. Nioradze danced a contemporary solo (in halter top and slashed
skirt) to taped choral music with a percussive undertone. The work suited her particular
gifts---articulate arms and a penchant for staccato movements. Picone, in sleeveless
T-shirt and shorts entered a capella, then
demanded “Musica” and got a J. Strauss tune. His cheekily charming solo showed
off his dashingly angled jumps and his ability to stop and balance on a dime. Then the fun
really took off when the strains of the Don Quixote
grand pas began. Nina and company have made a signature piece of this number on numerous Japan
tours, and the audience was loudly delighted with its addition to the program. Nina
appeared in a simple black bodice and red tutu. Uvarov and all the other males in the
company showed up in tights and Nina’s 20th anniversary T-shirts. At one
point, Nina held a balance for what seemed like fifteen seconds, and the hall erupted in
bravos. Petrova and Nioradze shared fouetté credits, spinning in opposite directions. The
boys showed off their favorite set of jumps. Near the end, Fadeyechev, no longer in
dancing trim, made as if to join the fun, but was stopped by the other males, who then
proceeded to spin out the finale. There was much joy in Tokyo that night---enough to make
this reviewer forget a 14-hour flight in a middle seat---in economy.
Hiroshima and Kyoto (Biwako)
The Friends caught up with the company in two more
venues. Apparently Hiroshima had never before seen Nina so the audience was in for a
wonderful surprise (Sept. 28). The city’s Koseinenkin Kaikan is not ideal for
ballet---the stage was too shallow for the dancers--- but the troupers did not stint in
their efforts. McKerrow had joined the company by then, so we were able to enjoy
Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, on
the original bill with her and Picone. Though their partnering lacked a certain finish,
the dancers blazed through their variations with the confidence and daring required in
this piece. Possokhov, with his strong emotional projection, added nuance to the Giselle pas de deux with Nioradze, who seemed to
also to get deeper into her role.
At Biwako Hall, the sparkling, state-of-the-art
performance hall in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture (a ten-minute train ride from Kyoto), the
dancers were able to go full out and give an overall outstanding performance. (Reportedly,
the stage in the main auditorium is only slightly smaller than the Bolshoi’s.)
Inspired by the quality of the stage and a sold-out house of obviously knowledgeable
balletomanes, every one seemed to draw extra energy from inside and put on more sparkle.
(We happened to know that a couple of dancers had been injured by this point in the tour,
but you wouldn’t have guessed this by their scintillating dancing.) Here McKerrow and
Picone were more smoothly together, and Nioradze and Possokhov made magic in Giselle. More viewings deepened the pleasure of
seeing of Three Preludes danced with refined
rapture by Nina and Uvarov. The “Black Swan” seemed sharper, and The Sleeping Beauty excerpts built up to a truly
Grand Pas to cap the evening. It rained all day on September 30, but I’m sure
everybody was glowing with warmth at the end of this extraordinary afternoon on the shores
of Lake Biwa.
N.B. Our Japanese colleagues, who
are to be commended for their great work on the Japanese-language version of this website,
between them also saw performances in Tokyo, Fuchu, Takamatsu, Biwako and Sapporo. They
are writing a journal of their experiences.
Spider's Note: It was a revelation to observe
the Japanese fans' appreciation for Nina. Normally reserved and quietly in rapture during
the dancing, they explode with energetic applause and a chorus of "bravos" at
the right moments. Still, at the highest notes in the dancing, they could not contain
themselves and turned participatory by bursting into rythmic applause to accompany Nina in
her journey to 32 fouettés (between Black Swan PDD and Don Q, they got 64 in
Tokyo!). Naturally, Nina and company fed on this and showed what they can do in these gala
performances. The highest notes came in Tokyo when Nina held a flutter-free balance in The
Sleeping Beauty for more than 10 seconds, only to top it in the Don Q encore! The latter
may have exceeded the magnificent 14-second high C by Enrico Caruso in "Di Quella
Pira", preserved for posterity in TAP Records' compilation of 40 tenors singing this
aria. Whether she actually held the flutter-free balance for more than 14 seconds doesn't
matter because she looked completely in control and could seemingly have gone on forever -
besides, science strongly suggests that it is harder holding a balance flutter free than
holding a high C this long.
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