09.02.2010, 00:48
Mariinsky Theater returned "Petrushka" to the stage
Date of publication: 22:49 08/02/2010
Source: "Oreanda-News"
City: St. Petersburg
OREANDA-NEWS. (http://www.oreanda.ru/)
The legendary ballet by Mikhail Fokine and Alexandre Benois returns to the Mariinsky stage.
For the first time in the theater, Fokine's ballet was staged by Leonid Leontyev in 1920. Especially for the Maslenitsa 2010 festival, work on the return of ballet was carried out by the American dancer and choreographer Gary Crist. Christ took part in production rehearsals for the revival of Petrushka for the famous ballet company Joffrey Ballet in New York in 1970 under the direction of Diaghilev's friend, soloist Ballet Ruess and famous choreographer Leonide Massine.
In 2006, Crist choreographed Petrushka for the American Ballet Theater and then for the National Ballet of Canada.
The premiere is being rehearsed by Alexander Sergeev and Philip Stepin (Petrushka), Irina Golub and Evgenia Obraztsova (Ballerina), Islom Baimuradov and Ruben Bobovnikov (Arap).
The performances will be conducted by Valery Gergiev.
Http://www.oreanda.ru/ru/news/20100208/culture/article451942/ (http://www.oreanda.ru/ru/news/20100208/culture/article451942/)
09.02.2010, 15:17
In my opinion, the most brilliant work of Mikhail Fokin is “Polovtsian Dances”
A pure work - a masterpiece.
10.02.2010, 00:06
Broadway installation
// "Petrushka" at the Mariinsky Theater
Newspaper "Kommersant" No. 22 (4322) dated 02/09/2010 (http://www.kommersant.ru/daily/?date=20100209)
Http://www.kommersant.ru/Issues.photo/DAILY/2010/022/KSP_010811_00008_1_t207.jpg (http://www.kommersant.ru/dark-gallery.aspx?id=1318484&picsid=418070&stpid=21) 1 of 4 Gary Crist staged “Petrushka” simply as on Broadway, and I won a lot from it Photo: Valentin Baranovsky/Kommersant (http://www.kommersant.ru/photo/)
Http://www.kommersant.ru/Issues.photo/DAILY/2010/022/KSP_010811_00003_1_t204.jpg (http://www.kommersant.ru/dark-gallery.aspx?id=1318484&picsid=418072&stpid=21)http: //www.kommersant.ru/Issues.photo/DAILY/2010/022/KSP_010811_00007_1_t204.jpg (http://www.kommersant.ru/dark-gallery.aspx?id=1318484&picsid=418073&stpid=21)http:// www.kommersant.ru/Issues.photo/DAILY/2010/022/KSP_010811_00019_1_t204.jpg (http://www.kommersant.ru/dark-gallery.aspx?id=1318484&picsid=418074&stpid=21)
Premiere ballet
The Mariinsky Theater presented the premiere of the ballet "Petrushka", which for almost a hundred years has been attributed to the choreographer Mikhail Fokin, although each successive director, under the guise of Fokine's restoration, openly composes his own performance. New version Gary Christ reviewed by YULIA YAKOVLEVA.
Last time The Mariinsky Theater staged “Petrushka” ten years ago: then the text was handled by Sergei Vikharev, who had just become famous for his phenomenal reconstruction of “The Sleeping Beauty” in 1901. But this time he failed: if he restored the “Sleeper” according to archival documents and did it with an excellent sense of patina, then in “Petrushka” I simply remembered what I learned when I was a Soviet dancer at the Kirov Theater in the terry stylistic timelessness of the 1980s. In Vikharev’s “Petrushka” (signed, according to the mystical ballet custom, by Mikhail Fokin), the dancers did what Fokine hated (and which could not have happened in the original): they dangled listlessly in symmetrical mise-en-scenes and won applause with bravura academic stunts. Ten years later, the Mariinsky Theater realized that this could not be done.
But the candidacy of another priest, ready to once again evoke the spirit of Fokin, plunged everyone into a stupor. Gary Crist's CV made one suspect that a rogue had infiltrated the theater-museum: he did not dance in any of the old classical troupes with traditions, but he staged Broadway musicals and videos for MTV. Suspicions grew into confidence - but only until “Petrushka” actually began.
Well, let’s say a citizen named Batozhan Dashitsyrenov, designated in the program as a “decoration restoration artist,” should be sent to manage the painting of false facades, which in St. Petersburg they like to cover buildings under renovation. Let's say the last picture didn't have time to rehearse - the people on stage clearly didn't know what to do with themselves. Let’s say that the performer of the role of the Ballerina doll Irina Golub should not puff herself up, lifting her leg to her temple so that her pantaloons sparkle - this, firstly, is contrary to style, and secondly, Mrs. Golub still cannot boast of the height of her step (this is not for you Diana Vishneva or Svetlana Zakharova). But otherwise... For the first time during the career of this ballet in modern history The Mariinsky Theater can be understood by the critics of the 1910s, who wrote prose poems about “Petrushka” and immediately referred to Dostoevsky, Gogol and Alexander Blok.
The ballet has come to life, and the blood flow regularly spreads throughout his body what Soviet ballet historians called the spirit Silver Age: I feel sorry for poor ridiculous Petrushka with his clumsy love for the stupid doll, nostalgia for the never-before-seen Maslenitsa booths of Nikolaev St. Petersburg floats in, Blok’s lines come to mind. This is a crushing blow to the ballet mysticism that has been practiced in Russia since time immemorial. It has always been believed that it is possible to properly evoke the spirit of some dead choreographer only if a person first served as a novice at the Academy of Russian Ballet, then served at the Mariinsky Theater, breathed in the holy air of tradition, was saturated with the historical dust of the wings and all that. And then a Broadway professional came and staged the historical text as if it were not Holy cow, but just a task from the producer. And it turned out that there is neither a period ballet nor a musical "Chicago", but only a work that was done either well or poorly. It’s impossible to imagine how the Mariinsky Church will continue to live with this discovery. But most likely he will forget it, like a bad dream.
10.02.2010, 17:59
This is how amateurs who broke into the ballet theater, not familiar with the traditions of Russian ballet theater, who do not understand style and form, are engaged in making money, covering up their lack of education with big names with whom they happened to work.
Unfortunately, the same thing applies to Russian so-called “restorers”. Nikolai Tsiskaridze was the last to distinguish himself. It seemed to the dancer that if he is the “first soloist” of Russia, then he also understands something in the matter of restoration. Having “restored” Mikhail Fokine’s La Sylphide (Chopiniana), he so disfigured this romantic masterpiece that there is nowhere else to go, in terms of costumes, it’s just Moulin Rouge, what a romantic ballet it is!
Referring to Fokine (where did he read this) that the ballet should be “cheerful, in short pink tunics”!?)
I’m reading Mikhail Fokin’s memoirs “Against the Current”, ed. 1962, p. 210:
“When I looked at the engravings and lithographs of the ballerinas of the romantic ballet (Taglioni, Grisi, Cerrito, etc.), I clearly saw that their dance was different, that their goals were completely different. Not a demonstration of muscular strength, but pure poetry. Easy to understand this colossal difference between the two periods of ballet, if you look at any illustrated history of it. Behind the pages of poetic romantic ballet there are pages of decadent, acrobatic ballet. What a contrast next to sublime beauty.
In my “Réverie Romantique,” as I called my new “Chopiniana,” I tried not to surprise with novelty, but to return conventional ballet dance to the moment of its highest development. .... Costumes, so as not to cause expenses to the charitable society, were made in a particularly economical way. The longest ones from the tallest dancers were selected from the old tunics. They covered them with an additional long skirt. ... As for the reform of the ballet costume for the production of Chopiniana ("Sylphides"), ... The style of these blouses was a repetition of the Bakst costume made for Pavlova a year ago. They dressed in old corsages. Nevertheless, a corps de ballet unprecedented at that time appeared on the stage. Twenty-three Taglioni surrounded me. I checked the hairstyles to make sure everyone was combed smoothly and parted. Now I often observe that the ballerina of some troupe performing La Sylphide distinguishes herself by the special color of her wreath. Everyone has pink wreaths on their heads (isn’t that where Nikolai got the color of his tunics from?!), and the ballerina’s is white or blue.”
As you can see, there was no mention of any short or even pink tunics in the text by the ballet author. Why, excuse me, did you have to understand the text so wrongly and embody your delusions on the stage of the first theater in Russia?! At the same time, tell it publicly in the program “Ticket to the Bolshoi”.
The most interesting thing in all these “restoration” stories is that the so-called. Restorers first of all want to make money, and only then they are not interested in anything. Their restored “masterpieces,” God willing, will last one season and then fade into oblivion, thereby saving the repertoires of our theater workers from illiterate and arbitrary arbitrariness with the creations of the masters of the past.
In one of his interviews, Nikolai said the words: “.... Like me, she did not tolerate it when dullness began to creep into the Bolshoi Theater...”
Didn’t the stone he threw hit his own garden?!
17.02.2010, 23:34
Ballet seasoning
2010-02-17 / Irina Gubskaya, St. Petersburg
The central event is “Petrushka” by Mikhail Fokin to the music of Igor Stravinsky. The performance originates from the first Parisian seasons of the Russian ballet, 1911, by Alexandre Benois and company. “Petrushka” is not a farce-fair show, but a child of the Silver Age; pierrot, not harlequin. The performance took shape in the nostalgia of those who have left forever, but who have not yet fully realized it. And they transferred the style “a la Russe”, Nizhny Novgorod in French, to another culture. “Petrushka” is a relative of the high society fashion for masquerades in Russian costumes, where the empress wears a sundress with diamonds.
Leonid Leontiev transferred the production to the repertoire of the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theater in 1920. In the “modern history” of Kirovsky, Oleg Vinogradov put his radically his own (and noticeably impressed by Bejart) on Andris Liepa and Sergei Vikharev. Both performers subsequently celebrated with their “Petrushkas”. Liepa headed a factory for the production and distribution of cranberry opuses under the “Russian Seasons” brand, which had been abandoned for many years. Vikharev resumed Leontiev’s editorial office at the Mariinsky Theater ten years ago in a rather chaotic manner. The performance hardly ran, but it justified itself with just one festival performance by Vladimir Malakhov.
In the West, “Russian Seasons” is still known better and more accurately than in Russia. And as soon as it comes to the originals, they turn to foreign specialists for them. Which is logical - although the ballets are Russian, they were not born in Russia. The Mariinsky invited the American choreographer Gary Crist, in 1970, when he was a dancer, who saw the revival of “Petrushka” at the Geoffrey Balle troupe in New York by Leonid Massine (Robert Geoffrey, like most Western choreographers, was not indifferent to the legacy of the “Russian Seasons”).
In the new “Petrushka” there are all the signs of a Maslenitsa festivities - from the awkwardly executed, but recognizable design to the Maslenitsa grandfather and the mummers... But there is an inconsistency: the performance clearly requires constant movement extras. And she seems to be pretending to be something, but she feels like she doesn’t know what to do. That is, the usual ballet version of the famous “what to say when there is nothing to say” does not work. They come to life here only in dance fragments, turning the intended whole action into fragments.
Perhaps the first, pre-festival screening of “Petrushka” would have been brighter - but before it they showed “Scheherazade” with Diana Vishneva and Igor Zelensky. Vishneva turned a banal alcove story into a tragedy of a disastrous mistake. After her, the tragedy of the doll, which does not yet have a soul - but it already hurts, did not sound. Maybe because the dolls turned out not quite dolls - but they also did not live up to the eternal images of a booth. They just honestly performed the choreography and carefully kept the stillness of indifference on their faces. So the performance itself turned out to be the most “puppet-like”: it still needs to come to life and grow.
And Yuri Smekalov’s opus “Premonition of Spring,” specially composed “for Maslenitsa” to the music of Anatoly Lyadov, turned out to be a very convincing work. If it were not for this masterpiece, one could still doubt the crisis of choreographic thought. After "Premonition" even Mariinsky nightmares recent years like “The Magic Nut” or “The Golden Age” are remembered in a magical golden aura. An abyss of choreographic fantasy: the leading performer of the troupe portrays a rotating pancake with fringes or gets tangled in scarves, the prima is a piece of dough sprouting with streaks of mold. The rest of the premonitions are quite gray. Unless Winter is in something, albeit banal, but sparkling - a crown, thorns, twisting arms and lifted legs. And Death is so glamorous: naked torso, glossy pants, wriggles very plastically - not quite rubber or mime, but very good for a ballet dancer. Otherwise, the choreographer is not able to connect the two movements. All this in a concert hall with good acoustics and a movie screen instead of decoration.
As for the general repertoire balance of the festival, on the operatic and symphonic scales, in addition to Valery Gergiev himself, there are pianists Denis Matsuev and Alexey Volodin, violinists Sergei Khachatryan and Vadim Repin, singers Ferruccio Furlanetto, Sergei Aleksashkin, Vladimir Vaneev, Evgeniy Nikitin. Premieres: “The Miserly Knight” by Rachmaninov, “The Story of a Soldier”, “The Tale of the Fox, the Rooster, the Cat and the Ram” by Igor Stravinsky with the participation of artists from the Demmeni Puppet Theater. So the ballet at the festival seems to be a “tribute to formalism”: the main part of the troupe left in the crowded “Sleeping Beauty” on tour to America. On the other hand, the Mariinsky Theater has a ballet festival, but there is no opera festival yet.
Http://www.ng.ru/images/2010-02-17/237179s.peg (http://www.ng.ru/culture/2010-02-17/100_petrushka.html?insidedoc)
Ballet seasoning (http://www.ng.ru/culture/2010-02-17/100_petrushka.html?insidedoc)
The Mariinsky Theater timed the next ballet premieres of the season to coincide with the sixth Maslenitsa festival.
On Monday I went to St. Petersburg - the Mariinsky Theater is hosting the 11th international festival ballet and I was invited to watch the dress rehearsal of one of the performances. Choreographer and dancer Benjamin Millepied staged a one-act ballet about love with the short title “Without” and before the premiere you could watch the last rehearsal. The ballet troupe of the Mariinsky Theater is one of the best in the world, so it was incredibly interesting to watch the work of the soloists involved in the Millepied ballet.
After the selection of soloists, the performance was rehearsed for almost a month. On the last day before the premiere, we first went through the whole thing, adjusting the lighting solution on the fly (the video below shows these conversations between the director and the lighting crew), and then Benjamin worked with the couples, honing individual elements. As they say in ballet, the dance “grows with meat”: some new details are added, the nuances of movements change.
The choreographer's final rating is excellent.
Three hours on stage have passed, and Lena has four more rehearsals today - she is preparing for her benefit performance in her native Izhevsk.
And a few more photos of the Mariinsky Theater:
The Mariinsky Theater is named after the wife of Alexander II, Empress Maria Alexandrovna. It opened on October 2, 1860 with Mikhail Glinka's opera A Life for the Tsar. In the early years it was used not only as a musical theater, but also as a drama theatre.
IN Soviet time The Mariinsky Theater was called the Leningrad State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after S. M. Kirov.
Table hockey, dominoes and French horns - this is where the musicians of the Mariinsky Theater Orchestra live.
The rails along which the carts with decorations roll are called the “road of life” in the theater.
The bell behind the stage is an indispensable attribute of theaters where Khovanshchina and Boris Godunov are shown.
Once upon a time, this is how I knitted “soft” decorations for pads. Only in the Bolshoi they were not metal, but made of wooden beams.
In the prop shop.
The famous place in the theater is the Golovinsky Hall, located directly above the stage. “Soft” decorations for theater performances have been created here for 150 years. The most famous artists of their time worked here - Golovin, Benois, Bilibin, Korovin, Fedorovsky, Virsaladze. Somewhere here Chaliapin's feet were painted in oil paint - he stood in this place in the costume of Boris Godunov, and Golovin painted a portrait of him.
In this hall one of the most famous stories the beginning of the last century - a quarrel between the poets Maximilian Voloshin and Nikolai Gumilyov. They did not share the heart of the poetess Cherubina de Gabriac (Elizaveta Dmitrieva) and then, in imitation of Pushkin’s duel,
Diana Vishneva, Kimin Kim, Ekaterina Shipulina and other primas and premieres of high ballet ─ through the lens of one of the best fashion and celebrity photographers Oleg Zotov. Oleg told Marie Claire about what it was like to photograph people with perfect bodies and amazing plasticity.
“A funny story happened about 10 years ago. The secretary of Mr. Hoji Hanaoka, a famous Japanese ballet director and dancer, unexpectedly called me and said that Hoji wanted to shoot a fashion story from me. At the appointed time, at the appointed hour, a taxi stops, a handsome Japanese man gets out and takes out huge Louis Vuitton suitcases of unprecedented beauty. Next to him is a very beautiful, tall model - a Russian girl with white hair. I ask: “What do you expect from me?” He says, “I want you to film us dancing.” Naturally, nothing worked out. The model couldn't dance at all. I watched for about ten minutes as both suffered in front of the camera. Afterwards he suggested leaving the dance and changed the concept. The results were completely unexpected and interesting photographs. A month later they send me Japanese magazine, where the shooting was published. Already in telephone conversation I ask Mr. Hanaoka: “Explain, I’m just funny, why me?” He replies: “You did what I really wanted - unexpectedly, amazingly. You see, in Japan we have people who professionally film ballet. All angles are predictable and understandable. Everyone turns out equally wonderful and boring.” Why am I telling this story? Besides, I’m not a ballet photographer, I’m a fashion photographer who takes pictures of people, movie stars, theater stars, and sports stars. But when you are a fashion photographer, you have to come up with something unusual, maybe strange, but definitely not ordinary and boring. And if a ballet dancer gets into your lens, you get the best tool for creativity.”
The author of the series, Oleg Zotov, is a fashion and celebrity photographer, Nikon ambassador in Russia (his works can be seen on the pages and covers of magazines, including ELLE Spain and Vogue Italia) “When a model or actress is in front of the camera, the photographer works with a person who knows how to manage his emotions. When a ballet dancer is in front of the camera, the photographer works with a person who has a perfect body. A body with a crazy culture of movements, honed by years of training at the machine. Any movement, pose ─ is already beautiful. There is no place for the awkward, inappropriate, or ugly. Everything is checked there. But sometimes it gets in the way. Sometimes a dancer needs to be “knocked out” of this ideal state.”
Yuri Smekalov, soloist of the Mariinsky Theater, director, stage director, choreographer “Ballet dancers are distinguished by their crazy work ethic. For example, I need the model in the frame to jump. Naturally, after asking the model to jump three times, I will ask: “How are you? Are you feeling dizzy? Are you feeling well? Ballet dancers, on the contrary, will ask you: “How many jumps do you need? Is 200-300 enough?”
When Kimin Kim stripped himself to the waist and did the splits, the jocks gym went to the side. And they didn't appear again
Kimin Kim, Premier of the Mariinsky Theater “I filmed the premiere of the Mariinsky Theater Kimin Kim in the gym. It was very funny. Several bodybuilders immediately began to flex their muscles and approached me, hoping that they would get into the frame. And then a slender man comes into the hall, dressed in all black man. When Kimin was naked to the waist, the jocks tensed. Perfect body. When I did the splits, the pitching went to the side. And they didn't appear again. Kimin is the real reincarnation of Bruce Lee. I told him about this. And I found out that Kimin has a black belt in taekwondo. At one time he thought for a long time: ballet or taekwondo. Ballet, of course, acquired a completely unusual person.”
Maria Abashova, ballet soloist of the St. Petersburg State Academic Ballet Theater of Boris Eifman 
Diana Vishneva, prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater, Principal dancer of American Ballet Theatre, CONTEXT festival founder, People's Artist of Russia, Laureate of the State Prize of Russia “In this photo, Diana is walking in a jacket along Rosenshtein Street. "Red Triangle" in St. Petersburg. By and large, anyone can capture Diana Vishneva beautifully on stage. But look how stylish she looks in an abandoned space. The second photo shows Diana at the Yusupov Palace.”
Maria Abashova, ballet soloist of the St. Petersburg State Academic Ballet Theater of Boris Eifman “Ballerinas don’t eat cake” is a myth, complete nonsense. Everything burns down during rehearsals."
Irma Nioradze, Georgian and Russian ballerina, People's Artist of Russia “Once I worked at the Mariinsky Theater for a week. I was amazed. The dancers have approximately the following routine: at nine in the morning they come to warm up. At ten in the morning ─ the main rehearsal, then the “classes” begin. After little time recreation. Then more classes. In the evening there is a performance. We went to dinner, and it was twelve o'clock in the morning. During the day they managed to eat several cakes. “Ballerinas don’t eat cake” is a myth, complete nonsense. Everything burns down during rehearsals.”
Oksana Skorik, prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater 
Irina Golub, leading soloist of the Mariinsky Theater “A good photographer must be a psychologist in order to create comfortable atmosphere in front of the camera. This is the first point. The second point is the confidence of the photographer himself. I don’t know if the analogy with a doctor is appropriate, but if a doctor’s hands shake during an operation, what kind of trust can we talk about? And, of course, the most important thing- inspiration when you no longer think about technical details– exposure, exposure, how to set the light – only creativity, the hero and the photographer.”
Denis Rodkin, Prime Minister Bolshoi Theater
Igor Tsvirko, leading soloist of the Bolshoi Theater “Today classical photography has no better times. Modern technologies, they win. Nowadays, of course, it is very difficult to surprise with beauty. But there is no retouching or photoshop in my photographs. This is really very important. Only the right light, pose, angle, makeup artist and, perhaps, clothes.”
Ekaterina Shipulina, prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theater, Honored Artist of Russia An exhibition of photographic works by Oleg Zotov will open in Paris on October 16 under the auspices of the Russian Center for Culture and Science. The main characters of the cycle “The Beauty of Russian Ballet” will be the stars of the ballet of Boris Eifman, the Mikhailovsky and Berlin, Mariinsky and Bolshoi theaters. In particular, the project was attended by prima of the Bolshoi Theater Ekaterina Shipulina, prima of the Mariinsky Theater Diana Vishneva, premier of the Mariinsky Theater and winner of the show “Bolshoi Ballet-2” Kimin Kim, prima of the Berlin state ballet Elisa Carrillo Cabrera, Bolshoi Theater premier Denis Rodkin and many others
Daria Barinova, ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater 
Kristina Shapran, ballerina of the Mariinsky Theater “The idea of organizing a “tour” of photographer Oleg Zotov was born together with Maria Shandalova, who now oversees projects in Russian Center science and culture in Paris,” says producer Anastasia Pritz. ─ The very implementation of the idea became possible thanks to the new director of the Center, Ekaterina Solotsinskaya. The task was set ─ to hold relevant and modern events to popularize Russian culture in France. The goal is to show new trendy things, but at the same time remain in the format of traditional art. The traditions of Russian ballet have long been global and enable the art to truly be international. The exhibition “The Beauty of Russian Ballet” also reflects the classical idea of ballet, its beauty and plasticity, but at the same time it is executed in modern style, and, what’s especially nice, without the use of Photoshop or other computer retouching.
Irina Ivanovna Golub is a Russian-born ballerina, formerly of the Mariinsky Ballet, once known as the Kirov Ballet.
Born in what was then Leningrad, and a graduate of the A. Ya. Vaganova Academy, Mrs. Golub joined the Mariinsky troupe in 1998 at the age of eighteen. Known for her extraordinary beauty and critical acclaim for her dancing, she was acclaimed in George Balanchine's Mariinsky production of Jewels, in which she danced Rubies. She also appeared in leading role Prokofiev's Cinderella and in the role of Juliet are also the composer's Romeo and Juliet. In 2001, she first danced the role of Masha (Clara) in Mikhail Shemyakin's controversial production of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker. Golub also performed the role of Masha in the recent revival of Vasily Vainonen's more traditional 1934 version of the ballet.
She was named one of the "25 to Watch" in 2003 by Dance Magazine.
in 2007, she danced two small roles in the Mariinsky's production of Swan Lake choreography by Konstantin Sergeev.
In February 2010, Ms. Golub began appearing as a ballerina in the Mariinsky Ballet's new revival of Igor Stravinsky's Petrushka.
She was recently part of a ten-cast ensemble in choreographer Benjamin Millepied's ballet, Bez, which uses the music of Frédéric Chopin.
Her acclaimed performance in Balanchine's Jewels can be seen in the October 2011 DVD release of the Mariinsky Ballet production. On DVD she can also be seen as Masha in Shemyakin's The Nutcracker and in her two roles in Swan Lake.
In June 2012, Ms. Golub appeared as Hermia in the premiere of George Balanchine's Mariinsky Theater production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, a ballet based on Shakespeare's play with music by Felix Mendelssohn.
She also starred as Carmen in the Mariinsky Theater production of Carmen Suite, showing the music of Georges Bizet as adapted and re-staged by Rodion Shchedrin.
Personal life
In October 2012, Ms. Golub married actor and performance artist Andrei Kislitsyn. He has appeared in two films, Drink Tea Outside, and The Fir Tree (Or Six Degrees of Celebration), a hit in his home country of Russia but has yet to be shown in the US. He is currently touring with the show Alegria, at Cirque du Soleil.
In August 2013, the couple gave birth to their first child, a son.
The article has been automatically translated.
Irina, Andrey, there are many interviews in the media in which you talk about your career, creative plans. And say almost nothing about your personal life. Is this a taboo topic or can you tell us how you met?
Irina:
No, not forbidden. I was going to visit my friend, Honored Artist of Russia Alexandra Iosifidi. By the way, she is now the godmother of our son Vanya. And I went into a cafe to grab something to eat. There I met one of my friends who was sitting at a table with Andrey. I was invited to join the company. I agreed. A conversation ensued. And about two hours later Andrei accidentally dropped, they say, on July 17th from Cirque du Soleil I'm flying to Nice. Imagine, it was on this date that my friend and I also had tickets to Nice - we were flying there on vacation! Such a coincidence! In general, Andrey and I have a lot of similar coincidences.
Andrey:
Everything happened as in good novels: We looked at each other, and everything immediately became clear. True, almost immediately after we met, I left St. Petersburg for two weeks on business. Came back literally for a day and immediately invited Ira on a date. She agreed, but did not come alone.
Irina:
One was afraid. That’s why I came with my godmother Yulia Kasenkova. She is a soloist of the Mariinsky Theater, an excellent teacher who works in various theaters, and now she is also a teacher at the Academy of Russian Ballet. AND I. Vaganova.
Andrey:
As it turned out, I was given an audition and my candidacy was approved. Literally the next day I went on tour with Cirque du Soleil. And Ira and I began to call each other and correspond. In general, when I'm Once again arrived in St. Petersburg, he immediately said: “That’s it, you’re my girl.” I intuitively felt that Ira was the person I needed, the person with whom everything would be fine. And my intuition did not let me down.
Irina:
For me, such a statement was a complete surprise. But I agreed with everything!
- And how did you manage to fit the relationship into your busy schedule: rehearsals, tours?..
Irina:
Andrey was then touring with Cirque du Soleil and invited me on the tour. The first city was Nuremberg. There Andrey created a real miracle for me. We went up to the roof, Andrey waved his hand - and a rainbow appeared in the sky! I still don’t understand how he did it!
After the tour, we returned to St. Petersburg and decided to introduce our mothers. Both were very worried, wondering what to wear. And in the end they came in absolutely identical outfits! Polka dot dresses, pearl beads. We laughed so hard then!
After our mothers met, I went on tour again with Andrey. We were in Nice, Cannes, Monte Carlo, and then came to Paris. There Andrey dragged me to the very top Eiffel Tower…
Andrey:
And he proposed! Moreover, I wanted it to be the most clown-like. Therefore, at Cirque du Soleil, I took a gold rope, packed it in a thousand bags and at the very top of the Eiffel Tower took it out and tied it on Ira’s finger - I didn’t know the size of the ring at that time. Here, one might say, he made a second proposal - to give birth to a son, Vanya. And he recorded a video message to his future son, which you can watch now on "Sahar TV", where we run our column. This video message said: “My son...”))) On August 2, exactly a year later, when Vanechka was born, we showed him this video.
Irina:
It was all very romantic! After the proposal, we went to Jerusalem to bless the rings in the Temple of the Lord. And then there was an engagement party in Tel Aviv, for which the entire Cirque du Soleil gathered! There were songs with a guitar, a volleyball tournament, great amount balloons, hearts...
And then I had to return to work, and Andrey had to continue touring. And we simply did not have the opportunity to get married, because according to the law, from the moment of filing the application to registration there must be certain time. But Cirque du Soleil and the Mariinsky Theater asked the registry office to sign us up as soon as possible. They made concessions to us. As a result, Andrey came to St. Petersburg, and we got married.
After the wedding, I took a vacation from the theater - I worked a lot, so it turned out to be quite long. And then another one - already on maternity leave. All in all, Honeymoon, which we spent in Venice, went well. Vanya was born on August 2, exactly a year after Andrey proposed to me.
- In general, relations developed rapidly.
Andrey:
They have developed and are developing boldly, without inhibitions. Forward and only forward. Not many people can decide to do this. Some people think that we need to be on the safe side. And some even say that we live like this only because we have only been together for two years, they say, this is still a candy-bouquet period.
Irina:
But people marry for love. And not when they have lived together for 10 years and go to the registry office only because it is necessary.
From Novosibirsk viewers - the most powerful return
Irina, not many artists with such a rapidly developing career as yours are ready to decide to have a child...
Irina:
Andrey and I decided that it was better to have a baby now. And then - to engage in joint projects.
One such joint project is "Our method", in which you talk about Vanya’s upbringing, is very popular on the Internet. Are you planning anything else?
Andrey:
- “Our Method” is a comic project. And now so much material has already accumulated that we don’t have time to upload it. As for serious projects, there will be a million of them! Over one is enough high level, we’re working right now - staging a play together. In it we combined different facets of our talents. For example, there is Irina in plastic ballet. My wild clownery. A good team from St. Petersburg is working with us on the play. But we will launch this project in Novosibirsk. We hope to present it to the audience in October.
I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself - I’ll just say that the working title "Jorando", named after the main character - an angel, Cupid, whom I play. This project has a great future. I've been moving toward it for five years. And I have never been as close as I am now.
Irina:
In many of his interviews, Andrei said that he dreams of this project. Even when we first met him, he immediately told us about this idea. He described what he needed for the performance dancing girl. And I was amazed! Because, while describing the heroine, Andrei was simply telling my life!
There is something for everyone in Giorando. For children it will be just a fairy tale. This will give adults something to think about. In general, this is a genre in which we give only 50% of the information, the remaining 50% must be thought out by the person himself.
- And in an interview seven years ago, Andrei said that he would not want to work at Cirque du Soleil. Perhaps I should put something on for him...
Andrey:
And I came to this again. No, I wouldn’t want to work. I would stage something for Cirque du Soleil.)) By the way, I actually staged a number that is currently on in Las Vegas. And he didn’t even take money for it - just some gifts for Vanechka.
Cirque du Soleil was an important three-year school for me. The show “Alegria”, in which I worked, is an important project, in which it is useful for every actor to participate. But these were all goals. And “Giorando” is a dream. The Alegria show closed in December. And I think it happened at the right time.
- Why did you decide to present the play “Giorando” in Novosibirsk? Is your favorite audience here?
Andrey:
Every city, every country has its own nuances. But Novosibirsk is closest to me. There is a powerful response from the audience here. I know that no matter how hard I give it, I will get twice as much. Therefore, you give your all to the audience and know that everything will be fine.
In Novosibirsk I have never worked under pressure - there is always a friendly atmosphere here. I don’t know if it’s because they know me here, or if it’s just the mentality. But it seems to me that it’s still the second. Because, as one of the recent concerts showed, only 10 people from the audience had already been to my performances. All the rest are new people. But the atmosphere is still friendly, the impact is still powerful.
- How are miniatures born?
Andrey:
I don’t work with literature, or with playwrights, or with directors. Life gives me so many ideas! Only Vanya - to learn and learn from him. While he is not yet square-headed like us adults, you can take everything from him!
Andrey, one of the most interactive parts of your PontyMiMO program is improvisation. Were there any words from the audience that you couldn’t come up with a miniature for?
Andrey:
Certainly! For example, in St. Petersburg I was asked to show Ukraine, Maidan, Putin. I have rules: I am out of politics, out of religion and out of jokes below the belt. All my miniatures fit age limit 0+.
How do you get ready before a performance? In the end, you may not be in the mood, but you still need to go on stage...
Irina:
On the day of the performance, I don’t even go to the theater in the morning. I warm up myself, concentrate and go on stage. It is very important not to spill the emotions and thoughts that need to be conveyed to the viewer. Otherwise, you can go on stage completely empty. And this is the same as being on the street without clothes...
Andrey:
The energy of the stage is very important to me. Therefore, you must definitely come up and snuggle. I am a little fanatical about the setup before a performance. If this "PontyMiMO"- this is one attitude, you need to go on stage, start communicating, create a friendly atmosphere. And if you have to convey a deep theme, as, for example, in the performances “Krivlyaka”, “The Last Harlequin”, “Between the Lines”, then you need to be alone for half an hour and think.
As actor, theater teacher and director Mikhail Chekhov said: “An actor is a surgeon of the soul.” And this is very important to understand. We make an incision in the soul, put something in it, and sew it up. But there shouldn't be a scar left. So that it doesn’t turn out that they cut and walk over the wound in boots. Ira and I take this very seriously.
Vanya invents his own dance
- I saw a video on the Internet that Vanya is already trying to exercise at the machine. Did you spy it in ballet classes?
Irina:
Vanya invents some kind of dance of his own! At first he saw step and began to try to repeat it, then he moved on to ballet elements. Of course, I’ve been to ballet classes more than once. Grandparents live far from us. That's why Vanya is always with us. In the morning and afternoon, Andrey goes about his business, his son is with me. And in the evening I go to the theater, and Vanya stays with dad.
- Do you train daily?
Andrey:
Along with the fact that Vanya needs to be washed, fed, walked, in our daily schedule There is always time to pump up your body. For me it’s at least 40 minutes, for Ira it’s an hour and a half. That's why we are always in shape.
My training is physics. I work on American program insanity. Ira has stretch marks and plastic surgery.
Irina:
Andrey also works daily with the choreographer of our performance, Vladimir Varnava. There are complex performances in which you have to stand on your head and do a lot of other things.
Do you have to stick to a diet to stay in shape, or is everything excess burned off during rehearsals and performances?
Andrey:
IN Cirque Du Soleil I lost two kilograms during the performance. Ira for the performance is about the same. At rehearsals - less. Our work is physical activity and adrenaline. Therefore, in order to have energy during the day, we usually eat well before bed, and little during the day. And about six hours before the performance it is better not to eat at all. This is a power system that has been proven over the years. But for people whose lives are not connected with serious physical activity, it's unlikely to fit.
True, sometimes I gain so many calories! And all because Ira is a wonderful cook. If I had known about this on the day we met, I would have proposed immediately! Moreover, the dishes are always light and dietary. A cold borscht- This is actually some kind of love potion! And, as one of my friends says, while you are burning with some kind of project, everything will be digested into energy. At least eat a bicycle wheel.
Irina:
All my life I haven't had enough time to cook. And now that it has appeared, it’s so interesting to experiment. Learn recipes from your mother, aunt, try something new.
- What is vacation for you?
Irina:
Rest means sitting together on the Fontanka and working on new interesting projects. Rest is all we enjoy.
Andrey:
In our life, in general, everything is the opposite. For example, if we go to London, this does not mean taking pictures. Most likely, we will have two performances a day and one day off. Otherwise, try keeping us in a hotel, all the walls will be torn up, and the TV will be thrown out the window!
- Do you have a TV at home? Or has it already been thrown away?
Andrey:
Yes, but we mostly watch cartoons with Vanya. Ira has days when there is no performance, and she can be distracted by something. And in my head the processes go on non-stop. Therefore, it happens - once - and the idea comes!
Irina:
In addition, on modern television they talk a lot about problems, someone is always complaining about something.
Andrey:
Many people complain non-stop. But it seems to us that if you remove two completely unnecessary emotions: laziness and self-pity, going towards your intended goal becomes much easier.
Dossier
Irina GOLUB, ballerina.
Born in Leningrad. In 1998 she graduated from the Academy of Russian Ballet. AND I. Vaganova. Member of the Mariinsky Theater troupe since 1998. Repertoire: “La Sylphide” (La Sylphide), “Giselle” (Giselle, Monna, Zulma), “Corsair” (Gulnara, trio of odalisques), “La Bayadère” (Gamzatti, Grandpas, trio of shadows), “Sleeping Beauty” (Princess Aurora , Princess Florina, Fairy of Diamonds, Fairy of Playfulness), “Swan Lake” (prince’s friends, two swans, little swans), “Raymonda” (Henrietta, Grandpas), “Don Quixote” (Kitri, Cupid, flower girls), “Romeo and Juliet" (Juliet) and many others - full list at www.mariinsky.ru. She toured with the Mariinsky Theater company in the UK, Germany, and China. She was repeatedly recognized as the opening of the season, the best performer of her part.
Dossier
Andrey KISLICIN, actor, director.
Born in Prokopyevsk. Graduated from the Novosibirsk State Theater School. The author and creator of the show “Stool” and Animation Show - in the cabaret-cafe “Stray Dog”. Director and creation of the MiMO theater. Film actor - acted in films " last minute", "Idiot", "Christmas trees", in the series "Waiting for Love". In the film “Drink Tea on the Street” he acted as a producer, screenwriter and leading actor. He continues to make films and videos, and act in commercials. He gives master classes in pantomime all over the world. He worked as a clown in the visiting team of the Nikulin Circus. He performed at Cirque du Soleil, took part in Vyacheslav Polunin’s “Snow Show”, and the World Festival of Street Theaters “ Open sky"and many others.
Dossier
Ivan KISLICIN.
Born in St. Petersburg. At the age of six months he danced step dance on the stage of the Comedy Theater named after. N.P. Akimova. He constantly goes on stage with his dad, Andrei Kislitsin, in particular, he performed at the Cirque du Soleil. He tries his hand at ballet, vocals, acrobatics, playing the piano, and took up remote control fencing with his dad. Main character project "Our Method".
text: Tatyana Bushmakina.
photo: Oleg Zotov, Valentin Kopalov.
