Maria Iliushkina, Russia (First Soloist of the Mariinsky Theatre) First Prize Winner (Women, Duets) XIV Moscow Ballet Competition 2022 Senior Round 1 Duet 1 (Repertoire) Female Variation from Grand Pas Classique
I always found her utterly charming in roles more akin to what Obratzova shines in and i'm shocked at how much I like her in something I've always associated more with dancers in the Smirnova and Tereshkina "category" of dancers. She is nice and cheeky, very stylish but in a different way. Reminds me a bit of Lauren Cuthbertson in the restraint.
Great comments and thanks for including some of my favorite dancers. Lauren can be very "cheeky" ❤❤❤They all bring something wonderful and unique to the ballet stage. 💖
That was my first impression, but I think it's as much the dance as the performer. The woman's part is set to a rhythmically steady almost stately tempo until the very end when it speeds up a bit. The part doesn't allow for much expression. Mostly, the Grand Pas Classique is a show technique. On this part Maria performed very well. Other examples I found here on RU-vid show a similar expression by the woman dancing the part. Doing a comparison is part of the fun of RU-vid. Many call this dance a crowd pleaser. I couldn't agree more, it certainly is that.
