From the Gala of Bolshoi and Mariinsky Ballet in Tokyo, Alina Somova and Adrian Fadeyev in "Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux". Recorded the 1st of September 2007.
Sometimes, ballet is not just about being squared, aligned........... As for Alina's dancing, it's really a pleasure to watch!!! See how graceful and beautiful she made every single steps!!!! Many people say that Alina is not strong enough technically, but in my opinion, her technique is REALLY REALLY STRONG!!! Her legs are incredibly long and slim, it is 100 times harder for her to dance with those long legs!!!
You can see that only in the very beginning of her career particularly in her fouettés which now are absolutely perfect. Other wise if you compare the speed of her gorgeous long legs going up the vertical or doing multiple turns all done very quickly , such comparison with shorter dancers , I think that she is not behind any professionally Vaganova trained ballerina. She has grown so much that the first soloists who are only one step under the principles (or prima ballerinas in Russian) I personally see in some of them slight hesitance despite giving perfectly technical and emotional performance. When compared with Alina, her level of confidence is grown parallel with her technique , musicality, emotional presence, perfect control of these long , strong, amazing legs.
Honestly to all the people hating on Somova I would LOVE to see you do it better!! In my opinion she is an amazing dancer and if i could dance like that i would be very happy. Yes, everyone is entitled to there own opinion but do you have to insult someone on the internet really?
I LOVE HER, I think she's one of the best ballet dancers. Even if I try, I COULD NOT be like her. I understand why people hate her... but all I see is a really beautiful ballerina.
Somova and Fedeyev’s dancing is breathtaking. Somova is so light but so fast and technically just amazing , musically eloquent and artistically demonstrates strong presence. Such a delight to watch.
She does an impressive job of moving her tall-rangy body very quickly, especially in the piqué and chainé turns. However, the Violette Verdy/Suzanne Farrell fouetté-piqué-piqué turns in the coda are beyond her.
@moeonline97 alina is famous because of controversy. She is the image of what people today think a ballerina should be, tall, thin, flexible, perfectly turned out, young. In the end, it is not pleasing to look at because that is not a ballerina, it is a rythmic gymnast. Clearly she didnt pay attention to her balanchine coach. GREAT ballerinas are known for their ability to mold themselves. Did you see her musicality in her solo?
I think a lot of people are getting way too vocal about their opinions on youtube. Personally, I'm not a fan of Somova but I recognize that is just my opinion and I'm certainly not going to hate on people who do like her. Everyone is entitled to their own personal opinions, but you don't have to trash other people or dancers.
@nicolezly I agree. She, Zakharova and Ananiashvili before them have been among the best post-Soviet trained ballerinas to essay Balanchine. I had the great fortune of seeing the Kirov dance "Jewels". What a revelation! To see the Kirov dancers give up a little of Balanchine/NYCB's fleet footwork and scraggly corps de ballet work, and give instead,a touching unity of movement and expressive upper body work to our American epaulement-starved eyes, was a joy. "Jewels" had never sparkled more.
I adore her dancing. I just felt they weren’t coached entirely properly with the Balanchine choreography. The full impact of this extraordinary piece was lost a bit. Especially in the coda. The “fouetté combination” was awkward. Also, many times it looked like she was doing grand jetés with the limbs she was lifting - swinging them into place - rather than posing in a very high arabesque or extension in any direction -(the leg swung into place). Also, I noticed both she and Zakharova danced a slightly changed variation. In the variation, the hops backwards in arabesque are supposed to go all the way back before the series of turns. But for some reason the choreography was altered (maybe it’s a different version, although it’s Balanchine and they’re pretty strict). In any event she is one of my favorite ballerinas with such a pretty face. I think she’s amazing. I just don’t think this choreography suits her style the best (Also Balanchine dancer’s tend to do less with their arms - quieter arm movements. Not so floaty. It’s just a question of a great ballerina in a piece that’s not exactly right for her or the coach/ répétiteur did not get the exact piece “translated” correctly.
I just really really love this pdd. I know early alina has loads of critics, but I still just love it. Tchaikovsky pdd is supposed to be bravada, flashy, showy.
@KirovFan It was just a very short, perhaps twenty second clip, with Peter Martins leading off with the male coda step that travels from upstage left to downstage right, executing a single tour-en l’air a la seconde - chassé - sequence three times and finishing pirouette en dedans. Farrell follows. In the story, “Ballet Theatre” was holding a gala with world-famous dancers participating, Lucette Aldous, Marcia Haydee, Richard Cragun, and Baryshnikov dancing the male solo from “Le Corsaire”.
I think she is absolutely wonderful in this - this is among the most flattering choreography I've watched her dance ...I like A. Fadeyev very much also (he was an excellent partner for Diana in Giselle)
Dont understand all the hate towards her. I've worked with her, she's still young, she works her ass off and nowhere near as bad as some of you all have tried to point out. Being constructive is one thing, trashing someone is different, especially all you 'experts' out there with your cliqued comments regarding Balanchine as if you've worked with him!
@TheBalletFan both of them are PERFECT!!! each ballerina is different from the other ones!! everybody can express their opinion but no-one can injure a professional dancer like them, because certainly they are better than us and even if we have a passion for this art, we can't understand what living for that means!!!
Every ballet dancer should have their own style and try to be different doing what Every ballet dancer does! That's difficult !!! She is doing it and she is different she is a new kind of ballet dancer and that's good !!!! she is great, and perfect on his own way and we should be looking it by that side instead of criticized her!!! Young ballet dancers like me love her and believed me we are a lot around the world bravo Somova!!!!! We love you!!!! It's just the same story like when Svetlana zak
Ich liebe die 2!!!!!! In der heutigen verkommenen Gesellschaft - dass es sowas schönes gibt - eine Freude fürs Auge und die Seele! Ich sehe mir die beiden immer wieder an und bin von Herzen glücklich! Hätten nur mehr Menschen das Auge für diese Schönheit! In Liebe Krystle and Rodolfo
@KirovFan Part Two: On youtube, search “Laetitia Pujol and Karl Paquette”. At 8:52 Pujol makes a game attempt at the step, executing it three times before pulling back and switching to regular fouettés. She does finish the whole sequence however with at triple fouetté.
Arielle Dietz I think Alina is fantastic. She looks magnificent up there to me. I have great admiration for her beautiful extensions. And so much more. So pretty in pink up there.
Natalia is extremely knowledgeable and is one of MANY posters on fora who point out the weaknesses of Alina. Alina has serious deficiencies in technique and doesn't pay attention to music. Also, her long line is too long to the point of being warped, perhaps perfect as a runway model but not a ballet dancer. Makhar Vaziyev and his wife pushed Alina too hard. Let's not blame Natalia and other Ballet Alert posters for pointing out truths.
Laurel Bern Balanchivadze came from Russia. Russians dance his choreography way better than anyone else. Balanchivadze changed his name to Balanchin in America. NYC ballet dances like shit. They claim to have a Balanchin technique, so they do all steps faster but lose the quality. Balanchin was a choreographer from Russia.
This is a Russian choreographer George Balanchine and they dance it a million times better than ABT and NYCB. Stop being jealous. Also, they and Balanchine trained at the same Imperial Theatre school in Saint Petersburg. They're God's and you're dust.
Patricia McBride and Mikhail Baryishnikov. Alina Somova dances beautifully with an almost freakish flexibility. Patricia McBride dances Tchaikovsky Pas de Deau the way Balanchine directed, and it is very different from the way many companies perform it.
I find Alina a amazing ballerina, and for me she is quite a better artist than a technician like Zakharova, when I see Zakharova I get pretty bored while wth Alina it´s imposible to get bored.
Ottimi quelli che con un mio neologismo mi piace chiamare convoli aerei ed elanisti della ballerina ottimamente indotti e tenuti dal partner con bilico di difficoltà massima ed eseguito con una non chalance esecutiva d'acchito sorprendente.Ottime le posture figurali nell'ensembe. Ottimo impadronimento del proscenio direi imperativo a balzi falcati amplissimi ed a tourbillon vorticoso di giravolte su di un solo appoggio di punta da parte del ballerino. Ottima impressione di facilita esecutiva d'acchito per entrambi e di levità fatta tensione motile sorprendente nella ballerina. Superlativi.Bighin Giulio Renzo. 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊
Who coached these duds? it is like they don't understand balanchine at all. to be fair, those who don't understand what i mean, can go buy a copy of baryshnikov and mcbride dancing this, or peter martins and susanne ferrell dancing this, and compare. All the exciting bits in balanchine are taken out in the russian versions, not just by these 2, but practically by every russian i have seen here...
The way the Mariinsky slow down Balanchine is truly bad, it's not Balanchine nor the Tchai PDD it's some bizarre, sub Petipa rip off when danced at this tempo. The whole PDD should be just under 8 minutes, it really is intended to be that fast.
kimmois1 not true. Faster is not better. Especially when the execution of the movement suffers because of the speed. NYC ballet made that BS trying to make people believe nthat their special. Who needs fast jumps when you don't hit the positions right???
Balanchine directed Patricia McBride and Mikhail Baryishnikov. Speed and precision appear to be the way Tchaikovsky Pas de Deax was meant to be performed.
"Faster is not better. Especially when the execution of the movement suffers because of the speed." IN OTHER WORDS lets get rid of petite allegro, because its execution of movement suffers. ( When "Russians" attempt do Balanchine at correct tempo )
All Balanchine productions are overseen from certified individuals from the Balanchine Trust, so correct they are. Balanchine himself said that he changes this particular pas de deux to suit the particular dancers. I have just watched a documentary on Balanchine. It confirmed my conviction that Russian-trained dancers are the best at performing his works.
Not necessary that people jealous. As viewers i think they irritated with the fact that extensions become more important than anything else. As a result we see how dancers with slimpsy technique and zero personality become principals. Which is a step BACK for ballet. Even in gymnastics extension is an INSTRUMENT for a good technique, not a goal itself. I like Alina but not less i like Maria Alexandrova,Tereshkina, Aurelie Dupond and other ballerinas with less impresive extensions.
And now everyone loves Svetlana!!!!! Somova it's like the new Svetlana!!!! I love both dancers!!! But Svetlana goes first!!! Ok ok I know I'll stop now!! Love to you all!!! 8)
@chun25011 Quite so. If anything, Balanchine style was anti-square, favoring daring off-centre movements, open hips, separated fingers and positively unrounded arms. Somova is Balanchine ballerina in absolute.
@KirovFan I know. Precious little of either dancer is recorded on video. I do have an old VHS recording of the NYCB 1993 Ten Year death anniversary Balanchine celebration, telecast on PBS. Kistler and Zelensky lead off with the final movement of "Theme and Variations". No longer in her prime and maybe somewhat hobbled by injuries, Kistler was still in full command of the entire affair, theatrically and technically. I don't know what I'll do when that VHS tape finally wears away.
yes mame.. thats how you do Tchai pas !! excellent!. yeah i know her turns are off and ther are moments when your like ohoh .but i love it . she is the perfect cheap thrill. when you just want to see a skinny blond with her leds twirl around stage wich is what most people think of bakllet anyway. i love it . brava
@punkd87 There is absolutely no comparison between Dupont and Somova in this particular piece. Dupont is all about technique while Somova is all about technique, grace and artistry. As far as Dupont physical quality goes, big boned and neckless, Aurelie would had never been admitted to the Vaganova Academy in the first place.
@balanchinedancer I fear I overstated my case about the tenuous relationship between the Russian Imperial tradition and what Vaganova developed. Clearly she drew from that. The Soviet she helped develop tradition took ballet in another direction by de-emphasizing mime and courtly manners, both of which were considered decadent, and emphasizing pure dance values instead such as the bravura manner. Still, I defer to your greater knowledge of ballet history.
@KirovFan Try to find a video clip from the ballet movie, “The Turning Point”. Suzanne Farrell is recorded executing the most fiendishly difficult fouetté sequence I’ve ever seen. Fouetté-coupé-coupé, fouetté-coupé-coupé, all en pointe with each coupé being done with a half-turn. It’s a typically treacherous Balanchine step that can look dazzlingly delicious when performed by a fearless ballerina. Zakharova simplifies the step, even though I’m sure she’s quite capable of doing the original.
Adrian a des airs de Noureev, il est beau, ne manque pas de présence, mais ne possède pas la puissance de saut qui caractérisait les danseurs russes. Désolé de dire que la jambe de poussée dans le manège de jetés est trop relâchée. Alina est ravissante et toujours spectaculaire, mais il s'agit de Balanchine et non pas de Petipa (que j'admire); ne pas confondre les styles de ces deux génies chorégraphiques.
@dancingonmygrave9 My opinion is MY opinion, I think that you could respect that... I prefer so much Dupont because she can touch my sensibility as an artist. I saw Somova in Don Quixote, Swan lake and she never catched my attention.
Alina was set up for failure after Zakharova left the Kirov and they just needed someone to fill in her her shoes and Somova was the only match for the extensions. It is not her fault.
@KirovFan Part Three: Sorry for going on and on about this, just one more thought: I just watched again Zakharova and Zelensky’s youtube performance. I need to give Zakharova more credit. She modifies the step slightly by doing, fouetté-fouetté-fouetté-coupé-coupé. Repeat. So they’re in there, just not consecutively, as Suzanne Farrell and Violette Verdy before her, did them.
Not hating on the dancers; I'm sure they are beautiful in other roles, but urrrrgh I want to unsee this. The last parts, from the fouettes to the fish dives, were so painful to watch.
Balanchine, is a look. Its not legs up to your ears small head etc. Its everything the fingers the shoulders the attitude. You become a balanchine dancer by dancing balanchine ballets. Alina here does not look uncomfortable dancing this ballet, but she should. She is inexperienced in balanchine. Sweetie, flaunting your wrists like a mad woman is not balanchine. Her gorgeous legs may be behind her head but they are not PLACED there with purpose. A great performance... for a rythmic gymnast.
`Alina's broken wrists and repulsively high legs wrek this. I adore Svetlana's extension because it is controlled and well-placed this is just plain vulgar, her arms are WAY TO HIGH and she just kicks her legs all over the place like a gymnast. If you want to see this done properly watch Darcey's Tchaikovsky-now THAT is something.
I totally agree you can't please anyone,I loved darcy bussel much more in this piece,you sometimes can't explain why you like someone or not.I don't like somova and I don't like zaharova.and still zaharova is technically the best dancers and they are both beautifull dancers,why?they don't move me and don't give me the shivers like osipova,vishneva and obratsova do,they have something extraspecial like the "old" ballerinas. look at ludmilla semenyaka,plisetskaya and then you will see :)
@balanchinedancer It might come as a surprise to you that the Royal Ballet of the UK with some justification, claim that they are the true heirs of the Russian-style, having taken on the former Imperial Ballet ballet master, Nicolas Serguieff as their regisseur. Neo-Russian is a term I coined to describe the Soviet-Vaganova based training that was developed after the Russian Revolution. This style has little to do with what Balanchine did in America and what the Royal Ballet carries on today.
OKAYYYYY!!!!!Enough with the exaggerated, line-distorting extensions already! She's certainly improved a lot in her presentation, but there's a physical deadness about her that extends from her thighs to her ribcage. No amount of high extension can hide the lack of expressiveness there. ANDDD, these two changed the ending of the adagio! Why did they have to go and neo-Russianize that too?
Was die anderen Komentare alles blödes zu berichten haben - ist wohl nur Neid! Wichtig ist doch, wenn man eine solche Darbietung sieht, dass sie einem zu beglücken mag - ist halt subjektiv - mich jedenfalls machen die zwei sehr glücklich! Sicherlich gefällt mir Zakharova auch sehr gut, aber die zwei bringen durch ihre Darbietung sehr viel Liebe herüber- dem gegenüber ist Zakharova technisch ein anderes Niveau, aber für mich KALT! Busserl den zwei... Krystle
After four years of watching Alina, it is sad that she is still so very thin and that her extensions take away the magic of the artistry of the piece. I would love to see her put on some weight and look like a real woman and lower that leg so it is not so distracting from her performance. She could be so magical.
@dancingonmygrave9 You know, Russians look awkward doing Balanchine. They don't have the jazzy, fast feet and frankly they are not trained in the American technique. BTW, Mr Balanchine maybe have trained in Russia but he made his career in the US! Incorporating styles like Jazz, vaudeville, and neo-classism. Although Balanchine technique is based in the Russian system.... Russian dancers really lack the boom! factor American dancers have.
@MrRight1000 The world is not turning around Vaganova and Russian ballet...I hope. I agree that Dupont and Somova are not comparable, but I don't like Somova in Tchaikovsky, Don Q and Swan Lake... For me she is too manieristic and her movements are too disordinated... However, Somova is a great ballerina. But I think that dance is more and more interesting also without high legs and beautiful feets.
It's just the same story!!! Like when Svetlana Zakharova was at the beginning of his career!! Everyone was like: " she dances like a rhythm gymnastic and blah blah blah blah!!! Circus circus and blah blah blah!!!! Stop giving bad vibes to perfectly good dancers!!!!!!
