Where US & Russia UNITE: The Remarkable Legacy of Royal Ballet Star Sarah Lamb

March 1, 2022

Where US & Russia UNITE:

The Remarkable Legacy of Royal Ballet Star Sarah Lamb

Sarah Lamb in photo by Francesco Guidicini

I’ve lately been enjoying a series of interviews with ballet dancers I discovered resulting from the COVID phenomenon, hosted on the platform Ballet Icons Gala by Olga Balakleets, a concert pianist turned international gala event organizer.

Olga appears to be a sort of ambassador for the high arts – particularly ballet, the beauty of which she admires enough to dedicate herself to bringing the world together through its channels of talent… Olga is able to create and surround herself with an exalted reality in which she chooses to exist, and it seems many benefit from this endeavor.

I found Olga’s interview with Sarah Lamb particularly interesting, largely because of Sarah’s exceptional ballet legacy.

Today, a celebrated premier dancer with The Royal Ballet in London, Sarah talks about her serious training which started in Boston, Massachusetts at age 12, with heavy-weight classical dance educator Tatiana Nikolaevna Legat.

Tatiana Legat is the widow of the great Russian dancer Yuri Soloviev (1940–1977).

A member of the famous Legat family, Tatiana recalls that dance and theater goes way back to her great-great-grandparents – a Frenchwoman who danced at the Grand Opera in Paris and a dancer of Swedish descent – the two met through their career.

Her great-grandfather, Gustav Legat, graduated from a theatre school in St. Petersburg, Russia. 

Notably, Tatiana is the granddaughter of Russian ballet icon Nikolai Gustavovich Legat (in Russian: Никола́й Густа́вович Лега́т).

Nikolai and his younger brother Sergei were prominent dancers, talented character artists, choreographers and ballet masters at the Russian Imperial Ballet, which eventually incarnated into the Mariinsky Ballet, as it is known today. 

Nikolai Gustavovich Legat
young Sarah Lamb with her mentor Tatiana Legat (Sarah Lamb archives)

Sarah talks about her teacher:

It took me time to realize how iconic her family is in the history of dance and Russian ballet and the theatre in Russia. It’s really like being of royalty.

Sometimes it was very rough, she was a very strict teacher, but she gave me so much… she gave us all so much of her passion, her dedication and instilled in us the love of detail and the real discerning eye to think about our technique as being the vehicle through which you can excel and even surpass technique into artistry.

When Olga asks Sarah about the difference in preparation and performance of classical vs contemporary roles, she again refers back to her teacher (Legat), who though usually thought of as a strict classical disciplinarian and not the obvious choice for a contemporary dance coach, brought out the optimal level of ability and expressiveness in her pupil for a contemporary solo in Sarah’s first competition.

Sarah talks about the quintessential nature of a dancer being inextricably connected to “…flexibility… malleability and… chameleon-like quality to take on a new skin… the ability… to… lose yourself in the character” of a story-based ballet or become the “essence [of] what are you projecting” in a more abstract piece, where ”you are the vehicle for this concept.”

The final portion of the interview focuses on the unique project to which Sarah’s family has dedicated itself starting with her grandmother, who established the first [US] camp for children with special needs in 1953.

“It has been every single summer since 1953,” Sarah smiles, until the camp was canceled for the first time ever in 2020 due to COVID related risks. 

Sarah lights up about the entire experience, as she fondly recalls incorporating the ballet segment into the annual play, where she would dance with the campers. “One year we even did an entire Rose Adagio…” 

From Sarah’s display, it is obvious that she sees ballet as a powerful tool with the capacity to build-up our Identity, integrating our mind and body into a powerful unit of creative expression — with multi-faceted benefits — and that this instrument can be applied to a broad spectrum of the human population.

Sarah talks about being a dancer as an “integral part” of who she is: “Anytime I’m not able to dance, I feel like some part of my Identity is missing…” She follows this, tapping into the significance of Identity, emphasizing the importance of ”…making yourself into a fully interesting… fully informed and fully vital human, so you’re not just simply a dancer.”

Sarah’s success story and the values she projects undeniably reflect back to her teacher and the roots of Russian ballet education, which produces world-class dancers, who reach this height of achievement precisely because they are well-rounded, highly-cultivated individuals with a solid knowledge of the fine and performing arts, languages, math, history and literature.

As many attest, a truly extraordinary ballet dancer like Maya Plisetskaya or Rudolf Nureyev, or for that matter, Yuri Soloviev, is a mind that dances, expressing itself through its physical instrument.

Tatiana Legat coaches Mikhailovsky Ballet Principal Dancer, Ekaterina Borchenko; photo by Nikolay Krusser

My non-profit partner and I recently attended several YAGP (Youth America Grand Prix) competitions in the Los Angeles area. While we saw many young dancers with much promise, ardently devoting themselves to this most demanding craft (along with the efforts of teachers, coaches & parents), we observed that what is missing in the scattered studios where ballet education in America predominantly resides is the deeper understanding, the consciousness, of what classical dance truly is.

And this awareness is the foundation of a strong, intelligent dancer, which is really a highly developed human being.

In Russia, there is a centralized system of education for classical dance, which is recognized and supported by the government as not only a serious profession, but a most noble one.

Our mission is to introduce this coveted knowledge and its core values into our system of education, providing young people with a practical method to develop our innate qualities that constitute a well-balanced, strong-minded, purpose-driven individual with a sense of Identity, the ultimate asset that can be applied to any career path.

New York and the Nureyev Tapes

New York and the Nureyev Tapes

Yes, my friends, we have finally made it out of LA… it’s the first time in a very long time!

The trip was sparked by the zeal of our friend Elizabeth Kaye, who beyond herself convinced us that we simply COULD NOT miss the May 18th (2018) performance of ballet stars David Hallberg and Natalia Osipova in ABT’s Giselle!

But what really drove us to make the unexpected journey was the discovery that nested inside the NY Library for the Performing Arts were the invaluable audiotapes that Elizabeth had recorded during her interviews with the one and only Rudolf Nureyev in 1990-1991.

with Elizabeth at the Met for ABT’s Giselle on May 18, 2018

Brooklyn

For our home away from home, we booked an Airbnb in a neighborhood of Brooklyn, both historical and hip, to get a meaty flavor of NY and some off-time from Manhattan which we rode into practically everyday — yes, this global hub takes some getting used to!

A seven minute walk from the place we stayed, we visited this trendy spot in the Clinton Hill area of Brooklyn on more than one occasion. This is one of those modern day dives where you’ll see the fresh juice machine next to the beer on-tap, and where we thoroughly enjoyed the popular Grasshopper drink – a refreshing mix of ginger, green apple, and lemonade.

Here I am at the Outpost with a latte and a side of neighborhood characters. I’m sitting beneath the work of a local artist in the lounge area of the rustic-meets-bohemian saloon, carved-out from the ground section of a large brownstone in the once wealthy neighborhood.

at the Outpost in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn

Set on the street level of an old brick-red townhouse as typical for the NY neighborhood, we found a really decent juice-n-smoothie establishment – just around the corner from the place we were staying.  Every morning on our way to Manhattan, we stopped in to get our fix of ‘live’ food which would fuel us for the rest of the day.

the mega juicer machine at Rejuvenate which seriously caught Lana’s attention

Across from the smoothie bar was this stylish cafe always packed with regulars eager for their drink and a dose of the flavorsome scene. The cute Brooklyn eatery specializing in coffee drinks and a smattering of Israeli style dishes was definitely on our list, but Golda will have to wait till next time!

... sipping my morning juice at Rejuvinate
Golda

Manhattan

Between the ballet performances and the NY Library visits and our time with Elizabeth, the bulk of our activities revolved around Lincoln Center… we even found a large Whole Foods on the way there, which of course made the entire experience complete for us Santa Monicans.

Lana in front of the Lincoln Center complex which houses the Met Opera House, NY Performing Arts Library & home stage of New York City Ballet
... in front of the Met for ABT’s performance of Giselle on May 18, 2018

The Wall of Fame at Metropolitan Opera House, or simply “The Wall” is alphabetically tiled with over 1,000 black-and-white photos of star singers, musicians, conductors, dancers, directors, designers and even vip admins.

... at Met Opera’s Wall of Fame during an intermission for Giselle
Lana in front of NYCB for the Jerome Robbins tribute performance on May 20, 2018
large banners near Lincoln Center advertising Met House performances

Overall, the ballet performances were a treat, just because ballet is such a high art and it really does take you into another realm. See the X-tra! X-tra! section below for a glimpse into our performance menu.

The Nureyev Tapes

The greatest treasure we took with us was the experience of listening to the Nureyev tapes.  On three separate occasions we visited the NY Performing Arts Library, where the dutiful to the point of neurotic coat check lady, who made sure we absolved ourselves of all but the barest necessities before entering the sacred ground of the third floor dance division, got to know us very well.

What we heard was priceless, not only because of its historical value or the content itself, but because we were privy to a conversation with a channel of something akin to the immortal creative force.

It is possible that Elizabeth may be one of those closest to capturing the enigmatic psyche of the force that expressed itself through the physical vehicle of Rudolf Nureyev.  Her prolific and captivating Esquire article on the extraordinary dancer is certainly a testament to this conjecture.

Rudolf Nureyev in 1968 (photo by Colin Jones) & Elizabeth Kaye circa 1980’s

Nureyev is an exceptional figure who encompassed the pinnacle of the ecstasy and agony of the human condition, and who whilst displaying the spectrum of our mortal nature to its extreme, took a leap beyond the bounds of earthly limitation, ushering us into the sphere where the true power of spirit resides.

More to come on the Nureyev Tapes, from which I’ll be sharing segments in upcoming posts!

Vaganova and the Sacred Code of Dance

Vaganova and the Sacred Code of Dance

Irina Alexandrovna Kolpakova in her first performances

Perhaps she does not exist in the very same embodiment as the great master who single-handedly established the system of classical dance used the world over today, but Vaganova certainly does live on in the embodiment of her students, and in turn their students.

Agrippina Yakovlevna Vaganova in her early career

The body that Vaganova did leave behind, is the integral educational framework constructed from extracting and coherently integrating essential attributes of Italian, French and Russian ballet. The home of this system is the elite international academy which carries the name of its creator, Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia.

If Vaganova did choose to live on in specific vessels, one of these would be Irina Kolpakova, who graduated in the last class ever taught by Vaganova.

famous photo of Agrippina Vaganova teaching her last graduation class with Irina Kolpakova on far right (April 1951)
Irina Kolpakova with her dad

In her experience with the great teacher, Irina Alexandrovna apparently acquired the coveted code of classical dance with mathematical precision. Perhaps this is not a great surprise, considering Irina’s father was a mathematician of the highest caliber.

What is remarkable, is how this being-level knowledge that seeped into Irina through her connection with her beloved teacher, has reflected throughout her life and career, molding her potentials into accomplishments that have forged a force of an identity, making her who she is. 

Irina Kolpakova as Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty (Kirov Ballet, 1950's)

The famous disciple of Vaganova who is described as personifying the best features of the Leningrad (St. Petersburg) Classical School of Ballet was invited by one of her former dance partners, Mikhail Baryshnikov, to teach at American Ballet Theatre (ABT) in the 1980’s.  Irina joined the company as Ballet Mistress in 1990, where she tirelessly – by her own account – continues to teach today.

Kolpakova on stage with Baryshnikov
Irina Kolpakova as Rudolf Nureyev’s first Giselle (1959), image from collection of Maude Gosling

Kolpakova encapsulates the essence of the precious legacy she possesses and in turn passes onto others in Victor Okuntsov’s 1986 Russian docufilm “Agrippina Vaganova”. 

Here is the translation:

Her (Vaganova’s) methodology is timeless.

It is so universal.  It’s so universal because it’s very high in its purity of the classical form, classical dance. That is first.

Second, in its extraordinary harmony, harmony of all the parts of the body. This is what Agrippina Yakovlevna paid the greatest attention to: that a ballet dancer did not go out (on stage) with merely strong, beautiful, developed legs, or only amazing, supple, flexible arms while the legs are doing unthinkable things.  Or, for example, with a marvelous back, strong as steel, stable, capable of, ‘aplomb’ as it’s called (aplomb refers to unwavering stability maintained during a vertical pose or movement).

But for the dance to be truly something akin to the Russian soul, the Russian character… this heightened inspiration, this soulfulness, this harmony of all the parts of the body… alive, moving eyes… head… flexible, soft hands and very strong, hard legs and strong, or ‘hard’ toe, as we say.

All of this, is to serve one goal: expressiveness, expressiveness of the dance.  As Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin (famous Russian poet) said:  the flight of the soul through dance’.

– Irina Kolpakova

Kolpakova teaching at Vaganova Academy
Kolpakova teaching at Vaganova Academy

In the timeline of her life and career, Irina has managed to capture an entire spectrum of association with ballet greats from the time of Marius Petipa to the phenoms of today including David Hallberg, Natalia Osipova and Misty Copeland to name a few. 

The well-known prima Diana Vishneva recaps it as follows:

She’s a student of Vaganova, this pretty much says everything.  One of Vaganova’s favorite, last students.  She has worked with ballet dancers who worked with Marius Petipa… this great legacy, this great connection between the tradition, history of the school… she’s a representative of the most real Vaganova school.

Diana Vishneva talks about Irina Kolpakova in Russian Documentary: Irina Kolpakova: “Ballerina, Spring”

Vladimir Vasiliev, The Bolshoi Ballet dance star and choreographer named “God of the dance” and regarded as a classical dancer on the same level as Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov, danced with Kolpakova in the 1984 ballet movie “The House Near The Road”.

Vasiliev said of Kolpakova:

“She is made of steel.  In her is a combination of a delicate nature and a very strong person, a very strong-willed person.”

Irina Kolpakova and Vladimir Vasiliev in the 1984 ballet film: "The House Near the Road"

Diana Vishneva recounts what ballet star Natalia Makarova once conveyed to her about Irina Kolpakova:

“Natalia Romanovna Makarova thought back to when she was younger…”

Diana Vishneva talks about Kolpakova in Russian documentary “Irina Kolpakova: Ballerina, Spring”

I remember when we were in the studio with Alla Osipenko, watching Irina Alexandrovna Kolpakova and saying, ‘it’s impossible to achieve such clean movements, it’s just too despicably good!’

– Natalia Makarova

Irina Kolpakova with Natalia Makarova

In the 2013 Russian documentary “Life in Time: Irina Kolpakova”, Irina sits in her NY apartment in front of her laptop looking over footage of her work with ABT dancers, commenting:  “this is Firebird… with David Hallberg, Natasha (Natalia) Osipova, Marcelo Gomez…”

David Hallberg about Kolpakova: “Beautiful … gorgeous ballerina.... I owe her everything.”

Irina Kolpakova with David Hallberg at ABT

It’s no secret that Irina is a precious commodity at ABT, dearly appreciated by the dancers as well as Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie:

ABT Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie talks about Kolpakova in Russian documentary “Irina Kolpakova: Ballerina, Spring”

She’s a shining example of the purity of Vaganova… beyond the technical aspect…  she has a feeling for the music and the depth of knowledge…  the history of each ballet and how the variations went and how they worked all through time.  She has nurtured 3 generations of dancers at ABT… I really feel they would have not had as good a career as they had, had it not been for her. 

For decades, Irina has brought and continues to bring the same fervor to her work as did her beloved Agrippina Vaganova, recalling her own experience with the formidable teacher:

Everyone dreamed of getting into Vaganova’s class. We worshipped her every word. We tried to understand her every word – which was often very difficult – and to actualize it was even more difficult…

Irina Kolpakova in docufilm: "Agrippina Vaganova. The Great & the Terrible" (2010)
Vaganova’s teaching class in 1951 at the Leningrad Choreographic School (now Vaganova Ballet Academy) with Kolpakova in front

… Our first day in her class, I remember we just practiced the preparatory ‘port de bras’ (positioning of the arms) for one half hour…  like this with the head, eyes, with the arm, open, close and return to the initial position.  And again, and again, and again.  

And we tried to understand what she wanted from us — we had already been doing this before her class every year. And yet this was something a little different.

… She illustrated, she explained, and most importantly she could … make you do what she wanted…

Agrippina Yakovlevna was some kind of phenomenon, and I was unbelievably fortunate…

… to this day, nothing has changed for me, to this day, in terms of Vaganova, in terms of our school.  It’s possible, there are periods of highs and lows, there are periods when instructors are more or less talented, but a school is a school, and such a school as ours does not exist.  From the time of my schooling in 1951, I believe in it as much now as I believed in it then.

– Irina Kolpakova

Irina Kolpakova in docufilm: "Agrippina Vaganova. The Great & the Terrible" (2010)

It is said, that Kolpakova loves the alphabet of movement, how a dance is constructed out of combination sequences… endlessly repeating movements to bring each dance step to perfection… losing track of time as before, when she herself danced.

Passed on through her great predecessor, the code of classical dance is a rare language that speaks through Kolpakova, whose timeless, relentless devotion to this highest art is perhaps an index that she carries something more than the usual packet of energy allotted to a mundane human life, an indication that she may very well be a channel through which pours the great force of knowledge brought into this world through the vehicle of Agrippina Yakovlevna Vaganova.

Kolpakova teaching at Yakobson ballet studio in St. Petersburg

“Thank god that I have the strength and desire to work.  If there’s a desire, there’s strength… there’s some kind of energy there. Don’t know… but I want to work,” says Kolpakova with a priceless, almost forbidden smile coming over her face… as if she knows she is defying time itself.

Consultant: Anna Korotysheva

Rudolf Nureyev Enters our Life: Part 4

I thought we were done with the Nureyev posts, but apparently, not so.  When ‘Nureyev enters your Life’, he’s not leaving the stage that fast!

And so it goes, Anna wasted no time in updating us on the Nureyev expo in St. Petersburg, this time sending us actual video footage of the event.  Of course, I shared the link with Elizabeth, who was eager for a translation of the inside story!

So here it is – the translation of Russia K’s News Channel footage from January 29, 2018.

1. Valentin Baranovsky's photo of Nureyev (1989)

The exhibit “Rudolf Nureyev. The Last Visit.” has opened at St. Petersburg’s Museum of Theatre.  The exhibit features the work of photojournalist Valentin Baranovsky in 1989.  At that time, the legendary “defector” Nureyev came to Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), met with his past teachers and colleagues and even performed on the stage where his career began.  Here is Valeria Kudryavtseva (Russia K correspondent) with the details. 

The short return of Rudolf Nureyev to his homeland – was in the realm of miracles.  Almost no one believed in such a possibility.  In a remarkable coincidence, the exposition “Rudolf Nureyev. The Last Visit.” opened at the Theatre Museum in St. Petersburg, located in the same building (complex) as the Vaganova Academy, of which Nureyev was a graduate.

2. St. Petersburg Museum of Theatre
3. Valentin Baranovsky's photo of Nureyev at Vaganova Academy in 1989

The exhibit captures the moment, in a larger sense, of which Rudolf Nureyev for many years could not even dream of – the return to his homeland, his dear Leningrad, Vaganova, Mariinsky Theatre (at that time called Kirov).

Valentin Baranovsky comments on this photo (#3):

This is the Vaganova Academy, and Rudolf is standing in the very place where he studied as a boy.  Of course, he walked around with sadness, see how his face is here – not so happy. 

The assignment of photographer Valentin Baranovsky was to capture Nureyev’s entire stay in Leningrad on camera.

4

Here he is at the airport carrying his own luggage without the help of a baggage handler (photos 4-5).

5
6

Meeting with friends (photo 6).

Rehearsing Sylphide (photo 7) …

7

… walking out onto the stage of the Kirov Theatre (photos 8-10).

8
9
10

Frames capturing authentic moments, touching close-ups. A life, which very soon became history.

11. Valentin Baranovsky talks about Nureyev's 1989 vist

“I didn’t know that he was ill.  I found out only towards the end, about this situation.  In all the photos I did at first, I didn’t pay attention to his eyes.  There was some kind of suffering in them.  The deep mar of life’s experiences – sometimes you look, and see a sort of parting, a heaviness in the eyes.”

– Valentin Baranovsky.

The fact that despite everything, Nureyev came to Russia, is in many ways a credit to Oleg Vinogradov. The choreographer, who headed the Kirov Theatre for many years during the soviet era, repeatedly visited the dancer in Paris, disguised in a wig and dark glasses. Later on, he obtained permission for Nureyev to visit Russia and stage Sylphide.

“Whenever we met, his priority was to educate me, to show me things I had not seen… costume sketches, decorations, fabric samples.  To show me the footage of ballets I had not seen. To introduce me to choreographers, productions,  I had not known.  My meeting him, knowing him is a priceless gift in my life,” – said the People’s Artist of the USSR*.  (photo 13)

13. Oleg Vinogradov talks about Nureyev at 2018 expo
12. Oleg Vinogradov with Rudolf Nureyev
14. Valentin Baranovsky's Nureyev photo album
15. Valentin Baranovsky

With several times the number of rare photos in the exhibit – Valentin Baranovsky presents the photo album “Rudolf Nureyev. The Last Visit.” at the opening of the event.  Even on social occasions he doesn’t put the camera down.  You never know, when a moment in time may require your work.

source

https://tvkultura.ru/article/show/article_id/219305/

Russia-K (short for “Russian Kultura” or culture) is a Russian television network, broadcasting culture and arts-oriented shows.

Images in this blog are screenshots of Russia K's Nureyev expo video, which showcases Valentin Baranovsky's work. Exceptions are photos 1, 3 and 7 which are actual photos from Baranovsky's archives. Photo 12 source is unknown.

footnotes

*People’s Artist of the USSR is arguably the highest honorary title given to artists of the Soviet Union, a title which today is known as People's Artist of the Russian Federation.

Rudolf Nureyev Enters our Life: Part 3

Inspired by ballet writer Elizabeth Kaye’s experiences with the great artist, I got the ball rolling on “Nureyev Enters our Life”. Now, former Mariinsky dancer and Ballet Master Anna Korotysheva is keeping track and keeping me posted on the exposition taking place this month at Russia’s St. Petersburg, Museum of Theatre. Here’s my next translation of what’s happening there!

Oleg Vinogradov speaks at 2018 exposition

January 28, 2018. Prominent Artistic Director of Mariinsky Theatre from 1977 to 2001, Oleg Vinogradov passionately talks about Russia's go-to ballet photographer Valentin Baranovsky & warm-heartedly about his friend Rudolf Nureyev at the opening of the 2018 exposition 'Rudolf Nureyev. The Last Visit.'

Oleg Vinogradov in his heyday with renowned French Choreographer Roland Petit (right).

Translation begins here:

The exhibit “Rudolf Nureyev. The Last Visit” has opened at the Museum of Theatre  – featuring the work of famous photographer Valentin Baranovsky, chronicling the final visit of Rudolf Nureyev to St Petersburg in 1989.

At the festive opening, Valentin Baranovsky gifted the Museum of Theatre and Music with the album “Rudolf Nureyev. The Last Visit”, placed in the center of the exposition.

The photo documentary of the famous dancer’s triumphant return to his home stage of the Kirov (Mariinsky) Theatre – this is a genuine and accurate document amidst legends and conjectures which accompanied Nureyev throughout his flamboyant and turbulent life.

Photographer Valentin Baranovsky gifts his album "Rudolf Nureyev. The Last Visit." at the exhibit opening

This side of Valentin Baranovsky’s work became especially important for Oleg Vinogradov – Artistic Director of the Ballet Troupe of the Mariinsky (Kirov) Theatre from 1977-2001, who himself organized the visit of Nureyev to Leningrad.

Valentin Baranovsky and Oleg Vinogradov (right) at exhibit opening

Opening day, Oleg Vinogradov, with cutting fervor, evaluated the work of the photographer and chronicler of the Leningrad-Petersburg ballet:

“Valentin Baranovsky – a great artist-documenter. He has taste and understands our profession, in contrast to many current photographers and camera operators.  He feels the still plasticity of classical ballet, which is concentrated in seconds and minutes. During any rehearsals, whoever is present – Baranovsky is always there.  He shoots a lot – he’s a worker, he’s interested, this is his life.”

Of his classmate from the times of Vaganova Academy, his friend Rudolf Nureyev, Oleg Vinogradov remembered this:

“When I traveled abroad with the dance troupe of Kirov Theatre or by myself, as choreographer, we met with ‘defectors’ Natasha Makarova and Rudolf Nureyev, but, of course, in the hush-hush from soviet authorities. This escapade came with makeup, wigs, it was no joke. I never thought that I would be able to arrange the arrival of Rudolf to Leningrad.  But it all happened elegantly and gently, Petersburg style.

Rudolf was a professional of the highest caliber.  At one point he showed me his schedule: there are 365 days in a year, and he has – 340 performances.

left to right: Rudolf Nureyev, Oleg Vinogradov & Ninel Kurgapkina on November 17, 1989

He would go on stage sick, even in a cast, but the public did not want their tickets refunded. Rudolf felt his partners astonishingly, working carefully with each one. In 1989, he was already very sick and the parts of the main (ballet) repertoire were beyond his strength.  We decided to perform ‘Sylphide’, but even in this production there are two challenging variations.

Rudolf said: “I will die after the diagonals.”  I would answer him: “Don’t exert all your strength in the dance, for us and the public what matters most is your artistry encapsulated in this role, your interaction with partners.  The fact that you will appear on your home stage is enough for us.”  And his performance in ‘Sylphide’ was a triumph.

Rudolf & Oleg Vinogradov (right) November 17, 1989

A while back, when the stage of the Kirov Theatre was being broken up for reconstruction, I took one of the old wooden decorations and brought it to Rudolf.  He took it everywhere with him.  And in 1989, after the performance, after the bows, Rudolf returned to the dressing room (I followed him to help): this piece of the Kirov stage lay on the table.

sources

http://theatremuseum.ru/news/nureev_otlr

photos by Pavel Markin

Rudolf Nureyev Enters our life: Part 2

Today, January 26th, I opened my email only to see that Anna had just sent me more info on Nureyev, specifically an interesting link about an exhibit showcasing the very thing we had just discussed – his 1989 visit and performance with the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The article was of course in Russian, and after shamelessly looking for an easy way out with an English translation, which I did not see at the time, I knew that I myself had to translate this wonderful information.  Later tonight, Lana found that there is indeed an english translation to the article, but I have no regrets for my soulful version of it.

So, here it is!

The exhibit entitled “Rudolf Nureyev. The Last Visit” starts tomorrow and lasts until February 11th at the St. Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Music.

The photo display is the work of famous photographer Valentin Baranovsky, chronicling the final visit of Rudolf Nureyev to St Petersburg in 1989.  The exhibit is dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Nureyev’s birthday.  

This year also marks 25 years since the death of the dancer.

St. Petersburg Museum of Theatre, housing the Nureryev exhibition, located on the corner of the famous Zodchego Rossi, the street which it shares with Vaganova Academy

The rarest photos presented in the exhibit are merely a part of the extensive photography material which comprises the album “Rudolf Nureyev. The Last Visit.”  The book came out in the beginning of this year, and as part of the opening of the exhibit Valentin Baranovsky will personally present this unique work.

Rudolf Nureyev was a cult status dancer of the 20th century. Even during his life his name was enveloped in legends, and his fame boundless.

Notoriety accompanied the dancer practically from his school years.  A mere three years after completing the Leningrad State Choreographic Institute, known today as Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, Rudolf went on to perform with the famous dance troupe of the Kirov (Mariinsky) Theatre.  During this short time he became an idol of the sophisticated Leningrad society.

Rudolf Nureyev in La Sylphide at Mariinsky Theatre, 1989

Having defected and become a persona non-grata in his homeland during the years of the Cold War, the dancer was able to return to Leningrad only after 28 years when the Iron Curtain finally came down.

Rudolf Nureyev in La Sylphide at Mariinsky Theatre, 1989

For Nureyev, these (28 years) were years of triumph.  He danced on the world’s most prestigious stages, received the highest honors, and was the director of the Paris Opera.  But he always remembered his dear school on the street Zodchego Rossi and the Kirov Theatre stage – testaments to his first great success.

The Leningrad audiences also remembered their great idol.  When Rudolf Nureyev during the days of his last visit to Leningrad performed in the production La Sylphide, the theatre was packed.

For the dancer himself, this was a farewell to the beloved city from the times of his youth, and with the stage where his career began.  Rudolf Nureyev visited the choreographic academy, and met with his past teachers and colleagues.  The artist’s every step, from his arrival to his farewell at Pulkovo Airport, was tracked through the lens of the famous photographer Valentin Baranovsky.  These photographs are priceless because their value is not only artistic but historic.

Rudolf Nureyev in rehearsal studio
Rudolf Nureyev in rehearsal

Valentin Baranovsky is the most famous photographer in the ballet circles of Russia. His photo archive is unique.  It recounts everything that went on in the Leningrad-Petersburg ballet in the last decades, and everyone who stepped onto the renowned stage during these years.  The work of Baranovsky has become the basis of fine arts books, brochures, and albums published in many countries. Nominated by the press, the photographer was honored with the prestigious “Soul of Dance” award established by Russia’s Ballet Magazine.

SOURCES:

http://theatremuseum.ru/event/nureev

museum image: http://www.museum.ru/alb/image.asp?5573

Rudolf Nureyev enters our Life

Serendipitously, the force of the legendary ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev has come into our life.

First, through personal accounts of a two-year experience with the greater than life icon, from acclaimed dance writer Elizabeth Kaye, who traveled with and spent countless hours in conversation with Nureyev during the final two years of his life. 

Elizabeth has generously donated the audio recordings from this period to the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts cited under the heading Rudolf Nureyev / Elizabeth Kaye.

Having attended several of Elizabeth’s alluring pre-ballet performance talks at Segerstrom Hall, Orange County Performing Arts Center, Lana and I enthusiastically signed up for her four-part lecture series as shown in this poster. 

This is where we learned of Elizabeth’s extraordinary experience with Rudolf Nureyev.

Second, and equally serendipitously, through our dear friend Anna Korotysheva, who in response to my relay of Elizabeth’s story informed me that she had danced on the same stage with Nureyev in the production La Sylphide during his 1989 visit to his alma mater company, Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg.

Rudolf Nureyev in La Sylphide with Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, Russia (1989)

Anna was able to dig up this photo of the historical moment in her ballet career treasure chest, where she stood center stage only a foot or two from the famous dancer.  Though Anna’s face is partially visible behind the soloist standing in front of her, engaged in the scene with Nureyev, we highlighted this unforgettable moment in the life of our long-time ballet liaison.

Enjoy & share this momentous snapshot!