FRIENDS OF NINA IN JAPAN'S IMPRESSIONS OF NINA'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR OF JAPAN 2001 |
Two Japanese Friends of Nina have
generously written up their impressions of the various events that comprised Nina’s all-star tour
of September
15: Dress Rehearsal at Friends of Friend No. 1: When we entered the theater, we immediately noticed the hall was filled with a strained and tense atmosphere, so we became nervous and tried not to make any noise---not even the beating of our hearts. This was a first experience for us, and we were most excited. We somehow felt it was not even appropriate that we should be there. The tension was due to the artists’ sincere and serious attitude---all the dancers, the artistic director, conductor and technical staff were united in their goal to give the audience the best possible performance. Their uncompromising attitude charged the atmosphere of the 2,300-seat hall. Communication was made mostly in Russian, occasionally in English and a little Japanese. Though we could not understand much from the spoken words, we could discern much from the action. During Three Preludes the dancers were concerned about tempo, the timing of the first notes and the ending of the piece---especially the male dancer’s landing after a jump. The dancers explained their idea by humming the music and beat to the conductor---and they repeated this until all were satisfied with the results. Sometimes the conversations became heated; steps and positions were also repeated until dancers and musicians were comfortably synchronized. Though we were told the dancers might not be wearing costumes for this rehearsal, most did so, a further proof of their professional concern for the success of the gala. The Japanese audience had not seen Nina since the
autumn of 1999, when she danced her amazing Kitri and Giselle with the Bolshoi. [I]
observed that Nina’s brilliance has increased and her warmth and grace as Aurora
enchanted us. At the last pose of Don Quixote
(part of the surprise encore in Some people may say that this is a matter of course since these dancers are professionals. However, even they are human, and their physical condition might vary due to jet lag and tight scheduling. We need not have worried however. The dancers’ vigor and high spirits at this rehearsal assured us that our high expectations for the gala would be met. September
16: Opening Night, Friend No. 2: The long awaited opening day finally came. Although it was a bit cloudy outside, my heart was leaping as I headed for the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan to see Nina’s 20th Anniversary Performance Tour. The interior of the hall overflowed with a virtually sold-out crowd, all filled with expectations for the performance. I heard the announcement for the start, the lights dimmed, and finally the moment I had been anticipating for weeks and months came. I felt ecstatic as I always do whenever I see Nina onstage. Alexei Fadeyechev, artistic director of the tour, appeared first. Although he seemed wider compared to his prime days as a star of the Bolshoi, his warmth and dignity communicated to the audience. And it was a delightful surprise to see him wearing one of Nina’s 20th anniversary commemorative T-shirts. He directed the dancers in the first number, an idealized lesson at the barre. (For a detailed review, please turn to the “As We See It” section of this website.) The lesson began in a quiet atmosphere. As the class progressed, it was interesting to get a glimpse of how demanding professional dancers’ lessons really are. When the “lesson” ended, it was equally enlightening to see the dancers pack their belongings to exit the stage. Nina and Uvarov remained for Three Preludes; the sad piano music, the pure white costumes of the dancers and the atmospheric lighting, gave me a melancholic but romantic feeling, taking me beyond the everyday world. The harmony of the dancers’ height and dancing, especially Nina’s delicate movements which extended to her fingertips, proved supremely beautiful. I am sure I was not the only one wishing that time would just stop. [To avoid repetition, the editor has excerpted the following from Friend No. 2’s extensive comments]: On Yuri Possokhov’s Aria---I was pleasantly surprised by his latest performance…[In 1993] I remember thinking it was regretful that he didn’t move my heart, even though his technical level was fantastic… [this time] his technique could deeply express the inner side of mankind. On Agon---It appeared that they [Inna Petrova and Dmitri Belogolotsev] were challenged by the tempo of the music, but the cool performance of these two stylish dancers was fiercely fabulous… Nioradze’s Giselle was a fragile but dignified beauty…Picone lacked the profound feeling for Albrecht but his jumps were superb…The highlight of Part I was the Black Swan Pas de Deux from Swan Lake [Nina and Sergei Filin]. It seemed that many of the audience had been anticipating this performance and the hall reverberated with excitement…Nina makes you think that she has overwhelming magical powers that could enthrall everyone watching her. With that soft, lovely smiling face, you don’t have to be Siegfried to be effortlessly mocked by this ultimately charming Odile. As for Filin, his supreme elegance makes him the ultimate prince. He is dazzling even just standing on the stage. He may not be as dynamic as Uvarov, but his neat, refined dancing is extremely beautiful. Part II consisted of excerpts from The Sleeping Beauty. [While the orchestra played
the Garland Waltz] my heart was filled with a happy feeling at Tchaikovsky’s lilting
melody; the image of the color pink, like cherry blossoms filled my mind. Then, Nina as Princess Aurora made her appearance;
watching her pure and innocent loveliness brought a smile to my face. Her light and bright
steps made one believe that this princess was brought up filled with happiness, not
knowing any anxieties or complaints. Nina was indeed a gorgeous Before seeing this excerpted version of The Sleeping Beauty, I was worried that the production, without corps de ballet and elaborate stage scenery, might not reflect the splendor of the complete ballet. However, this constellation of stars, with their brilliant dancing, more than made up for the missing elements. At the start of the Rose Adagio, an incomparable line-up of princes swept onto the stage and bowed to the audience, their elegance and dignity making a masterpiece of this moment. [Later], when Nina stood still in incredibly long balances on pointe, the hall reverberated with applause and “bravos.” What makes Nina’s balances incredible is the seeming lack of struggle---she flows into the pose and stays there as if with complete ease and naturalness, showing no strain from head to toe. The Bolshoi version of the “Entrance of Prince Desiré” overflows with vitality and dynamism, and with Sergei Filin dancing the role, it seemed even richer and more colorful. His finesse, even in fast jumps imbues his character with nobility. In the “Bluebird Pas de Deux,” Petrova’s Princess Florine touched my heart---her elegant gaze and delicate hand motions were admirable. Belogolotsev’s valiant jumps were also unforgettable. As the “Grand Pas” commenced, I had mixed feelings of delight and sadness, knowing the program was about to end. In a pure white costume, Nina danced with clarity and freshness; Uvarov, as her prince, displayed dynamic jumps. At the finale, it was clear that in this company of stars, Nina was like the central jewel in a necklace of brilliant gems. When Fadeyechev reappeared on stage to ask if we wanted an encore, the entire hall erupted in joy. Nioradze offered a solo called Etude and Picone showed off his form in Blue Blood. Then, to loud cheers, the music of the “Grand Pas” from Don Quixote started. No matter how many times I see Nina’s Kitri, it always makes me feel energized, regardless of how depressed I am feeling. Her performance is really magnanimous, filled with brightness, like a large sunflower. I was impressed again by Nina’s ability to
change the color of her aura to suit each character she performs. She seems to reveal a
different side of herself with each role. I believe I am not the only one who is dying to
see her in new ballets---perhaps Raymonda and The Snow Maiden, which she has never danced in September
17: As soon as I finished my work at the office, I
rushed to the Bunka Kaikan with my heart pounding. Of course it was not enough for me to
see the gala just once, and I was impatient to see the same program again. (Friends of
Nina in Although they danced the same numbers, the performances this evening seemed much smoother and lyrical. I myself should have been physically tired after working all day, but it was amazing that I felt so much better physically and mentally when I saw Nina dance. Her energy onstage seems to reach out to me---her performances have become like essential vitamins for me! During the intermission, I heard lots of people saying they loved Nina’s beautiful performance. I was happy to share the feeling of excitement conveyed by her magnificent artistry. September 20: Workshop at Dream Hall
in Friend
No. 1: The Fuchu-no-mori Foundation, wishing to have an active ballerina coach
their students, had asked Nina about that possibility in 1997. Aware of her status as one
of the biggest stars in the world, and her tight schedule in Qualification for the workshop was simple and
fair. Ballet students 10 to 18 years of age (5th grade of elementary school to
3rd grade of senior high school) were eligible. Students who had more than five
years’ experience in toe shoes took intermediate class; the others were placed in the
beginners class. Each class had approximately 25 students; a pianist and interpreter were
provided. The beginners class was held from Nina entered the studio with Alexei Fadeyechev, her longtime partner at the Bolshoi. Both of them wore Nina’s “Sketch” T-shirt—Alexei’s in black, Nina’s in one of her favorite colors, blue, which contrasted well with her black pants. The barre lesson started with pliés and ended with grand battements and stretch, in common with usual ballet classes, although some may do stretch before grand battement. Nina commented that she recommends doing the stretch at the end of the barre series because the body needs to be fully warmed up when the stretch is done. She also stated that stretching is very important and encouraged the students to do it everyday at home, further recommending that they do it after taking a bath; if the body is not warm enough, it could cause damage. The center lesson consisted of adagio, battement tendu and combinations such as tendu and pirouette, fondu and pirouette, grand battement and changement and some sequences of steps such as assemblé, échappé, glissade, sauté, brisé, sissone, etc. The class ended with port de bras. Throughout the class, Alexei showed the order of movement, while Nina set the example for the adagio. The audience arose in spontaneous admiration of her graceful and free and easy execution. At the beginning, every student seemed understandably nervous. However, they paid serious attention to the instructions and remembered the order of each series of steps. When they became uncertain at the grand battement, Alexei stopped the pianist and showed them the sequence again. Although Alexei’s figure is not as trim as when he was still an active dancer, his fifth position is just perfect, and his leg movements, for example, at tendu, were beautiful. They were exactly those of a principal dancer of the Bolshoi---showing the importance of excellent basic ballet technique. Alexei and Nina created a warm atmosphere and tried to put the students at ease. Nina is an excellent teacher and gave detailed explanations. She gave equal attention to each student, taking their hands, feet and legs to show correct positions. She often demonstrated the correct movement and position herself and also showed wrong examples. It seemed the students understood her demonstrations clearly. They repeated the movements, with Nina reviewing their progress and giving further pointers. Nina tried to find good points for each student and mentioned them. This must be quite encouraging, and it impressed the audience, along with her detailed explanations. There was one student who had broken her arm and could not do the barre. However, during the pirouettes, Nina encouraged her to do the step without using her arms, just like Kitri---thus using her handicap in a positive manner. This really showed Nina’s consideration and warmth. For the Question and Answer session after the class, the organizer collected questions in advance. Questions included how to have a good instep as a dancer, achieve a beautiful arabesque, turn-out, keep balance, turn pirouette and fouetté and dance with a smile onstage. Nina actually executed the steps and taught key points. She also demonstrated exercises to achieve good instep and turn-out. She emphasized that she herself did not have good insteps when she started as a dancer ( she was a figure skater before taking up ballet), so she had to practice everyday to get them. As with the stretch, she stressed the importance of daily practice. Conscientiousness at daily lessons is the key to dancing with a smile on stage. [By this, she probably meant that a dancer must master the basics of technique, so she can concentrate on expression when she is preparing to go onstage.] She added that, “If I don’t dance with a smile, nobody can enjoy my performance.” She continued that a ballerina cannot dance Giselle only with a smile, so it is important to be conscious of various expressions at daily class. The
Foundation opened the workshop for free to students who couldn’t participate in
the class, and also for fans of Nina. It was very worthwhile to see and an excellent
opportunity to learn. Friends of (There are articles on this workshop in Clara, December 2001 issue by Shinshokan and Ballet, January 2002 issue by Ongaku no tomo sha. Top ballet photographer Hidemi Seto kindly allowed us to post photos he took at the workshop, please enjoy them. We take this opportunity to express our sincerest and greatest appreciation for his cooperation.) September
22: Friend
No. 2: I was thrilled to go to Fuchunomori Geijutsu Gekijo Hall, knowing the
response of the audience would be wonderful there. I have been to the Hall several times,
and I have learned that the audience in At these performance, I had the impression that
the movement of the dancers had become even lighter and more joyful compared to the Bunka
Kaikan ones. Unfortunately, instead of a live orchestra, the music was played on tape
here. The noises on the tape were a little unpleasant to my ears. Nevertheless my heart
filled with joy at Nina’s gorgeous Odile and splendid Aurora. It was interesting to
further observe the differences between Filin’s [Entrance of the Prince] and
Uvarov’s Prince Desiré [Grand Pas], both excellent but varying in dynamic nuance.
Amanda McKerrow, who did not arrive in time for the September
24: This was my first visit to September
30: On Sunday morning I headed for October 6: As this date approached, I was sad to realize that this was the last day of Nina’s 20th Anniversary Tour. The day before the performance, I went to bed early so that I could be in my best condition---not to miss a single second of the gala. Hokkaido Koseinenkin Kaikan Hall, probably the
largest hall in
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