News about State Ballet of Georgia, March 19, 2005
In a recent
conversation with Nina, she was happy to report that SBG is developing in great strides
and she is particularly proud of the progress made by the corps de ballet. (See extract
from an article on the performing arts in Georgia published by The Financial Times.) Morale in the company is very
high, and the Georgian government is being very generous in compensating the dancers for
their hard work.
The company
has already presented premieres of contemporary works, as well as a full-scaled staging of
Grigorovich’s The Nutcracker during the
Christmas holidays. Currently SBG is showing off its corps in a new production of Swan Lake, staged by Alexei Fadeyechev---who
has expanded his poetic vision of the classic masterpiece, presented in abbreviated form
during Nina’s most recent tour of Japan. (See review --- “Nina’s Tour of
Japan, February 2004.”)
In this
four-act version, designed by Vyacheslav Okunev, Act I starts in a rehearsal studio, with
the Dancer playing Prince Siegfried being criticized by the Artistic Director and being
left alone to contemplate his role. The scene changes and the ballet proper---with all of
Petipa’s original choreography intact, including the Polonaise and the pas de
trois---commences.
Act II is
pure Ivanov, as Act III is all Petipa once more. Act IV highlights
the dancing of the corps de ballet, with Odette only appearing at the end---when the
setting has reverted to the rehearsal studio---and the Prince/Dancer sees her reflected in
the mirror of his imagination.
The first
night honors (March 16) went to SBG’s Lali Kandelaki and Irakli Bakhtadze. Two other
pairings included Bolshoi guest stars Nadezdha Gracheva and Andrei Uvarov plus SBG’s
Anna Muradeli and David Khozashvili.
The company
will present a new Don Quixote at the end of
April, with Fadeyechev again working with Okunev on the staging.
In May, the
company presents an all-Balanchine program consisting of Serenade, Apollo
and Western Symphony. (N.B. for those who are
concerned about Sergei Filin’s recent injury---he is expected to recover in time to
dance Apollo.) NYCB veterans Maria Calegari and Bart Cook are staging these masterpieces
by the Georgian choreographic giant.
The season
will close with Ashton’s La Fille Mal Gardée.
Plans for
the 2005-2006, starting in September include a premiere of Trey McIntyre’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, paired with
Ratmansky’s Leah and possibly Rudi van
Dantzig’s Four Last Songs. Lavrovsky’s
Romeo and Juliet will be staged in December.
Chronology
of SBG Presentations by Opening Dates:
Nov. 7,
2004
Green/Second
Before the Ground/Dreams About Japan
Jan. 8,
2005
Grigorovich’s
The Nutcracker
March 16,
2005 New
Swan Lake
April 25,
2005*
New Don Quixote
May 19,
2005
All-Balanchine
program
June 30,
2005
Ashton’s
La Fille Mal Gardée
September,
2005 New Midsummer Night’s Dream/Leah/Four
Last Songs**
December,
2005 Lavrovsky’s
Romeo and Juliet
*tentative
date
**tentative repertory
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