The lissome Ulyana Lopatkina made her stage debut as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, a memorable role well suited to the grace and elegant pliancy of this artist, for which she was awarded the “Golden Sofit” for best debut. People’s Artist of Russia and laureate of the State Prize, the Prima Ballerina of the Mariinsky Theatre (St. Petersburg, known in the Soviet Russian era as the Kirov Ballet) will be appearing in Israel for three performances with soloists from the Mariinsky Ballet and leading Russian Ballet companies. A program of the favorite scenes from the repertoire of Classical Ballet will be performed by leading dance artists from the Mariinsky Ballet and other leading companies, in Tel Aviv, Beer Sheva and Haifa, from January 28 – 30, 2016.
Lopatkina began studying ballet as a young girl and was accepted to the prestigious Vaganova Academy, winning the Vaganova-prix competition in 1991. Internationally acclaimed in her illustrious career, her repertoire includes classic roles in Giselle, Le Corsaire, La Bayadère, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Raymonda, and Maria Taglioni in Pas de quatre, among many others. Lopatkina has also performed the works of contemporary choreographers such as Balanchine, William Forsythe, Jerome Robbins and others.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph in 2005, Lopatkina discussed her approach to the roles she performs, saying, “I usually don’t try to judge the females I portray, just to explain them, as in life, too, we sometimes have to try to explain situations and people from our experience rather than judge them. This way the public can decide whether to judge the person I play negatively or not.”
Performing in Israel will be, from the Mariinsky Theatre: Andrei Ermakov, first soloist; Osmolkina Ekaterina, first soloist; Valeria Martynyuk, first soloist; Alexey Timofeev, soloist; Maxim Zyuzin, soloist.
From the Mikhailovsky Theatre (St. Petersburg): Lomachenkova Anastasia, first soloist; Anton Ploom, first soloist; Gusarov Ekaterina, soloist.
From the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theatre (Moscow): Oksana Kardash, Prima dancer; Ivan Mikhalev, soloist.
Irina Chistyakova is the Artistic Director of the program, which will include:
Part One
“Pas de Quatre” – Music: Puni, Choreography: Alexander Valley. Performers: Anastasia Lomachenkova, Oksana Kardash, Osmolkina Catherine, Catherine Gusarov.
“Russian dance” Music: Tchaikovsky, Choreography as amended: W. Lopatkina, Performer: Ulyana Lopatkina.
Pa de deux of Princess Florine and the Bluebird from the ballet “Sleeping Beauty” – Music: Tchaikovsky, Choreography: Marius Petipa, Performers: Valeria Martynyuk and Alexei Timofeev.
Duet from the ballet “Cinderella” – Music: Prokofiev, Choreography: Alexei Ratmansky, Performers: Catherine Osmolkina and Maxim Zyuzin.
“Melody” – Music: Gluck, Choreography: Mikhail Messerer, Performers: Ulyana Lopatkina and Andrei Yermakov.
Pas de trois from the ballet “The Fairy Doll” –
Performers: Anastasia Lomachenkova, Anton Ploom, Alexei Timofeev.
Pa de deux from the ballet “Esmeralda” – Music: Cesare Pugni, Choreography: Vladimir Burmeister, Performers: Oksana Kardash and Ivan Mikhalev.
“The Death of the Rose” duet – Music: Mahler, Choreography: Roman Petit, Performers: Ulyana Lopatkina and Andrei Yermakov.
Part Two
Fragment from the ballet “Carmen” – Music: Bizet and Rodion Shchedrin, Choreography: Antonio Alonso, Performers: Ulyana Lopatkina and Andrei Yermakov.
Pa de deux from “Arlequin” – Music: Drigo, Choreography: Marius Petipa, Performers: Valeria Martynyuk and Alexei Timofeev.
Pas de deux from “Giselle” – Music: A. Adam, Choreography: Jean Corrall, Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa; Performers: Oksana Kardash and Ivan Mikhalev.
“Viennese Waltz” – Music: J. Strauss, Choreography: Leonid Yakobson, Choreography: Catherine Osmolkina and Maxim Zyuzin.
“The Swan” – Music: C. Saint-Saens, Choreography: Michel Fokine, Performer: Ulyana Lopatkina.
Pa de trois from the ballet “Le Corsaire” – Music: Riccardo Drigo, Choreography: Marius Petipa in the wording of Pyotr Gusev, Performers: Anastasia Lomachenkova, Anton Ploom.
“Fragments of a Biography” – Music: H. Torres, M. Rodriguez, X. D’Arienzo, A. Piazzolla; Choreography: People’s Artist of Russia Vladimir Vasiliev, Performers: Ulyana Lopatkina and Andrei Yermakov.
Performances:
Thursday, January 28, 2016 – Israeli Opera, Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center at 20:00. Tickets may be purchased from Leaan via this link.
Friday, January 29, 2016 – Performing Arts Center Beer Sheva at 20:30. Tickets may be purchased from Bravo! via this link.
Saturday, January 30, 2016 – Congress Center, Haifa at 20:30. Tickets may be purchased from Bravo! via this link.
