A Tale of Two Giselles

Saturday afternoon, February 12, 2011

Where this performance featuring Victoria Tereshkina and Vladimir Shklyarov lacked in magic of the previous evening, it more than made up with brilliance of all major performers – starting with the leads and finishing with picture perfect lines of Mariinsky’s Willis. Perhaps the supporting cast in the Duke’s hunting party could express more participation. Not inclined to look for spots in the Sun, however, I am quite convinced that Kirov-Mariinsky, the company that gave the world Anna Pavlova, Vatslav Nijinsky, Olga Spesivtseva, Galina Ulanova, Uliana Lopatkina, not to mention the best known ballets that currently grace world’s finest stages, remains guiding light for what constitutes classical ballet.

Victoria Tereshkina was very convincing in the role of peasant girl, perhaps with a streak of chance noble blood in her veins. Vladimir Shklyarov brought all the ardor of his Romeo while still maintaining aristocratic demeanor. They both were so engaged in their respective roles, that their partnership, though well rehearsed remained somewhat studied. The highly charged Mad Scene which culminates the first act was performed marvelously and not by the leads alone, but everyone involved in it.

Victoria favored less in the 2nd act, perhaps because of the statuesque Myrtha-Kondaurova who arrested the attention of the audience with her sailing pas de bourree and majestic 1st arabesques. Ekaterina looked incredibly beautiful that night! Seeing the two Giselles on subsequent days provided opportunity for comparison. While the palm in the act of Willis unmistakably belongs to a more Romantic Somova, Victoria had an edge in most dramatic scenes of the 1st act. I also thought that Valeria Martinyuk (according to the program), partnered both performances by Alexei Timofeyev pocessed more of stage presence than Elizaveta Cheprasova of the night before. “Duel of the Hanses” ended in solid tie as both Konstantin Zverev and Yuri Smekalov stood as living proof to Mariinsky’s excellence in mime and drama.