Vaganova Then and Now Part 3! Tsiskaridze Boys.
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ต.ค. 2024
- Hello Everyone!
A lot of you requested I do this video so here it is! It was super fun to make.
It's really fascinating going through the years and above anything else, I feel like the exercises are more technically "fancy" not necessarily harder but just fancier and the extrmre purity of Vaganova has also changed. Again not necessarily for the worst but as the time has changed so have the dancers. What's mot obvious is the ethical demands and exaggerated use of upper body as we progress through. Have a watch!
These are always just my opinions and I respect all ballerinas in the videos.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below in a respectful way and please subscribe!
I don't own these videos and they are for educational purposes only. They belong to the rightful owners
Enjoy! Like and subscribe!
----------------------------------
Intensives coming up
balletwithisab...
14 day free trial to the BWI platform
balletwithisab...
My website -
Online classes and courses
Memberships to enhance you training
Live classes and more!
Your secret weapon to excellence
balletwithisab...
MOST RECENT CLASSES AND COURSES
Book a private lesson with me
balletwithisab...
Listen to my podcast to enhance your mindset as a dancer! become more confident, with higher self esteem and self belief.
Join thousands of listeners!
open.spotify.c...
Follow me on Instagram
/ balletwithisabella
Follow me on TIKTOK
www.tiktok.com/@balletwithisabella
Join the BWI Community!
Your secret weapon to excellence
balletwithisab...
Personally I much prefer Tsiskaridze's boy class than the girl class. With the girl class (especially the recent 2024 7th year class) my eyes couldn't even follow the steps because it was so chaotic, plus none of the girls truly stood out among the crowd. With this boy class. although it's still fast but at least I can see why the middle boy is placed there, and I can even spot some other boys with great techniques. Perhaps the Bolshoi style fits male dancers more than female, that's why Tsiskaridze's teaching for the boys has better results?
On another note, I heard a rumor that Svetlana Zakharova is going to retire soon and become the head of the Bolshoi Academy. Can you make a video on her to celebrate and analyze her style? Her performance of 'Scheherazade' remains my favorite of all time!
I remember there was a documentary about this exam. The first boy on the left was really really sick. He eventually went to the Bolshoi but is now retired. He is a model and actor I think. I think is funny/ contradictory to see that there is a Bolshoi dancer trying to make changes to Vaganova when most principals at the Bolshoi (at least half of them) graduated from VBA and not BBA. Always happy to see these videos and your perspective. So insightful.
Thank you for appreciating the value of slowly developing true artistry rather than the "fast fashion" equivalent style that is not as enduring and sustainable.
Here is my perspective. After reading the previous comment, saying of Tsiskaridze that "he wasn't even a great dancer," I took to YT to see what the fuss was all about. Not half way through watching him perform "Narcissus," I was overwhelmed by the grandeur of his beautiful and technically exquisite dancing. Needless to say, I'm bewildered by that commenter's viewpoint. At least in the "Narcissus" role and performance, the energy as well as the expression and technique were truly awe-inspiring. As for his boys and girls' classes, I'm right with you, Isabella❣💐
I am so grateful for your passion and effort to preserve classical ballet! And I agree with you 💯percent❤❤❤
It would be interesting to hear your comments on recent performances of Maria and Sofia on Bolshoi’s stage.
I really enjoyed the new style. If anyone can push ballet forward like this, its the russians. Once they get a few cycles of dancers through this new program its going to have the clean lines and virtuosity.
I enjoyed the video it is so informative thank you! Would love for you to do the full male class
At 66 I started adult ballet her in Australia 🇦🇺 loved it mum 94 got I’ll so I missed out on level three , passion is still there
Interesting commentary once again! We would love to see you also commenting this boys' class center and jumps. As you said, it's a true acid test if one can hold the line and position in the center after such a quick bar...
Just 😱....congratulations to these boys, though !!!
I find Kovolova's girls all really shine for me. They have developed beautiful control and the exercises allow them to show this fully. I enjoyed the dynamicity of Tsiskaridze's boys but some of the exercises were ridiculously fast and not enjoyable on the eye, either technically or choreographically in my opinion. I think its so important to maintain that classic Vaganova feel but maybe balance the exams with a few of the more 'Tsiskaridze' style exercises
Boys exam...I see lots of bent knees. I think it kinds of ruin the purpose of barre that is building strength and also prepearing the body for center. I wouldn't mind seeing a more " classic" barre and a good old slow adagio and then get some more quick choreography afterwards would be more acceptable..the guys would be better placed and warmed up.
Super athletic sport and control discipline ❤
Yes, the whole male exam commentary would be interesting. I apreciate your expertise on the past trends this is actually the first exam I've seen. I like that the males get to have the versatility to be more artistic as well as the typical more masculine roles, it's like the best of both techniques and am not against the females being able to have a combination of styles. I'm also glad if more attention is on the steps and the ballet instead of the particular dancer, it may take some pressure off the dancer as they enjoy the freedom to perhaps be more flexible, graceful, and quick. I wouldn't worry about ballet losing too much traditional classicism, perhaps the change may be temporary and now the change is return back to the way it was aesthetically at one time ages ago.
I quite enjoyed the 2018 girls exam. Very clean to my eye and still beautiful use of the upper body in the style I associate with Vagonova. I felt that the boys exam was too chaotic and technical faults were more apparent. (Not necessarily due to skill, but rather the choreographical decisions that were made). The 2023 class had lost a lot of the upper body movement in the clips we saw. I don't know how much of that was due to the extra challenge of being en pointe vs. what is being taught, but it sure felt like the focus had changed.
Do we have an idea of what other teachers at the Vaganova think of Tsk's teaching style?
PLSSSSS react to the boys exams as well I love watching these videos
I believe that they did better before. Vaganova is not always my favorite because I find them a little cookie cutter (personal opinion). However the previous years focused on what Russian dancers are known for. The current training will not make them dance styles like Balanchine better because the training is not Balanchine. If they want to sustain their style they need to not try to go so far out of the box. There are other schools that do that and are focused on that type of training.
Ils sont mûres pour les pointes (si ces dames le permettent) belle performance. Merci Isabella ❤🩰🩰❤
I notice quite a few of the boys are having trouble getting over their standing leg, so focused on that fast working leg that they just end up hanging somewhere in between.
❤
Tsiskaridze is Moscow, not St. Petersburg. I think it's really as simple as that. He's not the right Artistic Director for the Vaganova Academy. A lot of Russians would scorn me for saying that, but he's doing strange things with a historcially fiercely preserved style.
I, personally, do not consider it progress. It is objectively a significant change. New choreography can be progress, new musical composition can be progress, new stories can be progress. But changing the fundamental movement quality, which is essentially the heart of the St. Petersburg dancer, is alarming.
I'm very shocked by this Nicolai barre. It's brutal. It's not funny. It's sadistic. Damage is being done to the boys' hips and bodies. This teacher Nicolai is obsessed, a control freak and uncaring about his dancers. He's a crazed puppet master mad scientist in his secret and dangerous laboratory. One person should not have this much power and control. But look at the political system from which this company is derived and you understand why he is like that. It's not okay. I shudder that he is teaching women now. Women teachers should prevail with the women dancers, not a man like him. This is an unhealthy system. Very, very disturbing. You are so deathly afraid of criticizing that which should be criticized. I've been watching the Bolshoi and the Kirov/Lenningrad for over 60 years. I went to Russia in winter 1979 and summer 1981 to see the ballet competition. I was once a ballet dancer. I don't think one can really judge all of this properly or be properly horrified unless one was a dancer. You simply can't know what it takes for the body to be doing what it's doing without the deep knowledge of it.
My reaction to the guys exam was: WTF? and WHY?
I mean, there’s NO reason for so many of the movements, combinations, and speed of the exercises.
I feel bad for these cohort of students under his direction. I’m sure (I hope!) he will be invited to leave the school soon, but will have negatively impacted so many dancers that could have had a brilliant future
I wonder if there’s already resistance from older teachers in the school. He needs to be fired ASAP.
He’s ruining Vaganova. Personally ,I’ve never quite even the fascination with the man. He wasn’t that great a dancer and I think his biggest fan has always been himself. I don’t mean to be rude, it’s just my opinion, but he seems to be ruining something some thin so beautiful for his own vanity. 🙏🙏👵🇦🇺
gonefishing: Because I always agree with your comments, and Australia being approx. 8 hours ahead of GMT, you save me a lot of time writing comments because you always get there first. All I have to do is give you an uptick and I'm done❗But this time I actually partially disagree: IMHO Tsiskaridze was technically and artistically a superb and glorious dancer. I often watch videos of him performing. But, I agree, the boys class especially is almost distressing to watch. Some of the young men are "managing" but some are struggling which is not what you would expect of a graduation class. I get the impression that Madame Khovalova is trying to "hold the line". The girls class is more what you would expect from this school. What the future will bring, who knows.
He was an effeminate dancer..a good one but not a role model for any family who wants a bit to dance