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Mikhailovsky Ballet at the David H. Koch Theater/Lincoln Center
By Joel Benjamin Classical ballet troupes are judged by their productions of classical ballets, just as theater troupes’ reputations are made with Shakespeare and the modern classics. The Mikhailovsky Ballet from St. Petersburg, Russia proved itself a first rate company with its very serviceable and well-danced Giselle, and piqued the appetites of balletomanes with its revival of The Flames of Paris, a clunky old-school Soviet-style extravaganza familiar only from bits and pieces on Classic Arts Showcase and YouTube. The standard of dancing was high and the productions—like them or not—were extravagantly pleasing to the eye and accompanied by a large, live orchestra under the baton of Pavel Klinichev (Giselle) and Valentin Bogdanov (Flames). It’s rare that a large ballet company rises up in today’s wary financial times, but the Mikhailovsky, after a long and colorful history, has found a patron in Vladimir Kekhman, a Russian entrepreneur and an astute, extremely knowledgeable in Ballet Master in Chief, Mikhail Messerer, a member of a distinguished dance family which includes Maya Plisetskaya and Asaf Messerer.
The Mikhailovsky Giselle, staged by Nikita Dolgushin after the choreography of Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa was a solid, unsurprising standard version. The first act in which Giselle is betrayed by a slumming Count, was pretty, but not very exciting, although the Peasants’ Pas de Deux, performed as entertainment for visiting royalty was refreshingly danced by Anna Kuligina and Ivan Zaytsev who impressed with their flirtatious youthfulness. The three leads acted and danced well in Act I, but really showed off their talent in Act II. As the Gamekeeper, lanky Andrey Kasyanenko was convincing. The romance of Giselle and the Count, Anastasia Soboleva and Victor Lebedev, in Act I was not particularly scintillating, but Act II was a totally different matter. In Act II the Count comes to visit the grave of Giselle who died of grief in Act I and is confronted by the Wilis, evanescent spirits of young ladies who died prematurely. After the Gamekeeper—again, well acted by Mr. Kasyanenko—is dispatched by the onslaught of leaping Wilis, the Count comes under their spell. He is saved by Giselle. As the Queen of the Wilis, Irina Kosheleva was a vision of lovely coolness, her bourrées (floating steps on point) transporting her and her leaps light and airy. Her two right-hand Wilis, Anna Naumenko and Valeria Zapasnikova had the floating leaps and requisite coolness. Ms. Soboleva and Mr. Lebedev proved themselves in their pas de deux as great classical dancers. Mr. Lebedev, in particular, performed a series of entrechats six (a vertical jump in which the legs beat against each other) that were breathtaking in their virtuosity. This was a second act of Giselle that rivals that of any world class ballet troupe.
The Flames of Paris was created in the early Thirties to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the 1917 Revolution. Its creators—Nikolay Volkov & Vladimir Dmitriev (libretto), Vasily Vayonen (choreography) and Boris Asafiev (score)—weren’t concerned with subtlety. Their aim was to entertain the masses while throwing in an obvious message. The “Marseillaise” appears often in the score to drive the point home. Even the revisions of Mikhail Messerer couldn’t quite turn The Flames of Paris into anything more than a clunky succession of dazzling divertissements (solos, duets, ensembles) hung onto a plot that shows the poor workers winning out over the aristocrats and royalty. We see the working class pushed around by a Marquis who gets his comeuppance. Scenes at the King’s palace show aristocrats enjoying their wealth with a series of elegantly refined dances along with castle intrigue, seductions and some spy derring-do. The peasants, including Basques and men from Auvergne gather in public squares and show off their extraordinary ballet skills. Bloodbaths are shunned in favor of elegantly dancing nobles and enthusiastically boisterous citizens. Within picturesque sets by Vyacheslav Okunev (after the originals) the dancing was excellent and full-bodied while the acting veered towards silent movie emoting, which was the style back in the Thirties. In leading roles, Angelina Vorontsova, Ekaterina Borchenko, Victor Lebedev, Anna Kulgina gave their all, united by a complete understanding of the clunky old-fashioned style. The character dances in the plazas of Paris were exhilarating. I missed the more modern mixed bill, but judging from the two programs I saw, the Mikhailovsky Ballet Company, if it can manage to keep on its solid artistic path under Mr. Messerer, will be formidable competition with the other two major Russian ballet troupes. Mikhailovsky Ballet, St. Petersburg,
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