Sooooo pretty!! I saw her in the Ballerina documentary and was impressed, but she was definitely still young and a bit uncontrolled(Although, I can't even imagine dancing Swan Lake at the Marinsky at 18!!!!). This video shows a completely different young women, more controlled and mature in her dancing. It will be a pleasure to watch her grow and evolve in the years to come. She and all the other principle dancers with the company are just plain BEAUTIFUL!
@hellokittyjfh That is possibly the most ignorant, most ridiculous, and rudest comment I have ever read on a ballet video, and that's saying something because there are some people with very awful things to say out there, like yourself. I agree that Alina is stunning... but so is Svetlana (I'm guessing you mean Zakharova since she is 'the' Svetlana of today) in her own way and what you have said is, as one user said laughable and just shows how ridiculously ignorant you are. Svetlana is gorgeous
@Cherubfish - Olga Chenchikova is her coach. But in my opinion, Chenchikova is better. There is a film of Chenchikova dancing this variation, and it is the flawless.
@hellokittyjfh I never respond to Somova videos because the responses always turn into arguments about who's the best ballerina but WOW. That was harsh. Educate yourself before you start running your mouth about other ballerinas being terrible. All dancers bring their own artistry to ballet. Everyone has an opinion on their favorite and why. Your ignorant comment is laughable. I'm glad to see Somova's improvement here. She was lovely.
She has strong legs, graceful and flexible, but I think his greatest value is the supple arms and light as butterfly wings and graceful and expressive hands. Alina is an example, not only of great abilities and talents, but also of grace and body expression
@ laughingpantera ;; Mentalities like yours annoy me so much. Alina Somova is naturally thin. She doesn't have an eating disorder. She dances so much and eats so normally,that she ends up with a perfect ballerina's body. So please,don't critique someone just because she is thinner than you are. Thank you.
no matter how many times i watch her...whether she's improved or not....she comes off as arrogant and her arms drive me crazy!!! I also felt she was a bit stiff in this...I can't say she's a bad dancer because she is not...I wish I could achieve half of what she has but i feel she lacks the character and the artistry that makes a prima ballerina.
@foldedintobeauty3 you are immature it's my opinion...just because you like her doesnt mean i have to...i never said she was a bad dancer i just dont feel she's the best...so what i say goes for me...if you cant take an opinion then dont respond
@KittyUSF Her arms drive ME crazy! But I feel she lacks the artistry that makes, even, a PRINCIPAL with the Mariinsky, let alone a Prima! You have to admit, though, she stuck out like a sore thumb in the corps with her floppy limbs and tacky extensions, so they had to stick her somewhere else. Whatever; at least she has improved. Hooray for that, relief for us people that have to watch her.
@Oneof52girls I agree with you that she stuck out awkwardly in the corps. I watched Lopatkina's Swan Lake last night and easily spotted Somova. However, I disagree that Alina lacks artistry. Go watch the videos of her in Giselle uploaded by looovecats. Watch her in La Bayadere. She is an extraordinary actress, superior to most other primas at the Mariinsky. As a side note: I believe all principal female dancers at the Mariinsky (& Bolshoi) are referred to as "Prima Ballerina."
@hellotomorrow14 Yes, I've seen them all. I can't explain it in words, but if you upload a few videos of Marianela Nunez, Ulyana Lopatkina, or Evegnia Obraztsova, to name a few, you will see true artistry. It can't be taught or developed. They're born with it. Alina is o.k., depending on the role, which brings up yet another flaw - she is not versatile. OH - and Principals of the Mariinsky are not referred as Prima Ballerinas. Very FEW ballerinas have that title.
@Oneof52girls Well, we disagree. I concede that all of the ballerinas you've mentioned are exceptional artists, but in my opinion Somova is among their ranks. Alina WAS born with it. At one point I thought as you do - that Alina was a mediocre artist and a poor technician, but I've grown past my bias and seen her talent. And yes, most female principals of the Mariinsky are regularly referred to as Prima Ballerinas - Lopatikia, Vishneva, Somova, Nioradze, Makhalina, Pavlenko, etc.
@Oneof52girls For your information, not just a few but ALL the female principal dancers of the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky are called "Prima Ballerinas" or "Ballerinas" (Балерины) for short.
WOW....this is the only time that I've seen Alina perform and haven't felt scared to death that she will fall and hurt herself. She was excellent technically, and now she doesn't let her extensions ruin the musicality as much. Though I think she could certainly use some more improvement in her acting, she has improved tremedously.
I like in this, compared to when she was fresh out of school, is entirely devoid of those gratuitous hand gestures and uncontrolled everything. She's much cleaner and obviously has put more care into the performance aspect, and the detail. Good to see!
@DanseusePassionne - I agree. Its often difficult for long & limber danseuses to get the limbs under control. Still, many of these long girls have a really hard time performing petite allegro &, IMO, the 180° extension is extremely vulgar, & entirely un-classical. Interestingly, Somova's principal coach at the Mariinsky is Chenchikova, & theres a film called Magic of the Kirov that features a performance of her in this solo. Shes perfection, & her body is, IMO, perfect for classical technique
the only thing i dnt like on her turns are her arms, they seem to be kind of sloppy, however i like her dancing, and especialy her dulcinea variation. :)
Somova looks much better than usual in this variation, because she is copying every single movement Lopatkina makes when she performs it. That at least keeps her on the music. Still, she is a lightweight; the dance has no emotional resonance.
She most certainly has. This one (alina) used to make me so nervous whenever she would execute any piroueette or turn but she seems to have gained a lot of control over the year. Fantastic. I actually felt comfortable watching her, instead of on the edge of my seat with anxiety (her dancing truly made me feel so anxious)
Sooooo pretty!! I saw her in the Ballerina documentary and was impressed, but she was definitely still young and a bit uncontrolled(Although, I can't even imagine dancing Swan Lake at the Marinsky at 18!!!!). This video shows a completely different young women, more controlled and mature in her dancing. It will be a pleasure to watch her grow and evolve in the years to come. She and all the other principle dancers with the company are just plain BEAUTIFUL!
PrincessKoli69 4 days ago
@hellokittyjfh That is possibly the most ignorant, most ridiculous, and rudest comment I have ever read on a ballet video, and that's saying something because there are some people with very awful things to say out there, like yourself. I agree that Alina is stunning... but so is Svetlana (I'm guessing you mean Zakharova since she is 'the' Svetlana of today) in her own way and what you have said is, as one user said laughable and just shows how ridiculously ignorant you are. Svetlana is gorgeous
GymnasticDancer 1 week ago
Three dislikes??!! What??!
CecilyLovesDance 2 weeks ago
like an angel is dancing!
ThePilot314 1 month ago
I love that she has hyperextension, it gives me hope. :)
TheVictorianLondon 1 month ago
Ah, there's that missing "I".
beautifulballetbabe 1 month ago
Alina will ultimately be regarded as one of the best ballerinas of the century.
TheBlockIsland 2 months ago
She is a beautiful dancer , but I feel like something is missing in this variation :/
meatyveggies18 2 months ago
She suddenly transformed into such a beautiful swan...who made her improve like this?
She's such a pleasure to watch now, rather than pressure back in those days.
Are her fouettes fixed now? Is there a video on her recent fouettes anywhere?
Cherubfish 2 months ago
@Cherubfish - Olga Chenchikova is her coach. But in my opinion, Chenchikova is better. There is a film of Chenchikova dancing this variation, and it is the flawless.
mrlopez2681 1 day ago
@hellokittyjfh I never respond to Somova videos because the responses always turn into arguments about who's the best ballerina but WOW. That was harsh. Educate yourself before you start running your mouth about other ballerinas being terrible. All dancers bring their own artistry to ballet. Everyone has an opinion on their favorite and why. Your ignorant comment is laughable. I'm glad to see Somova's improvement here. She was lovely.
QTJemi1 2 months ago
i think ballet is beautiful
julie101rox 4 months ago
She has strong legs, graceful and flexible, but I think his greatest value is the supple arms and light as butterfly wings and graceful and expressive hands. Alina is an example, not only of great abilities and talents, but also of grace and body expression
aleinad314 6 months ago
she is my favorite ballerina. there is just something about how she dances.
theBalletballer 8 months ago
She's never looked or danced better than this, IMO.
sangfroidjen 8 months ago
@ laughingpantera ;; Mentalities like yours annoy me so much. Alina Somova is naturally thin. She doesn't have an eating disorder. She dances so much and eats so normally,that she ends up with a perfect ballerina's body. So please,don't critique someone just because she is thinner than you are. Thank you.
KLOKLOKLO456 8 months ago
she definetly dances beautifully :) although i think she's far too thin...
laughingpantera 8 months ago
She improved a lot and I really enjoyed her performance.
ballet205 9 months ago
no matter how many times i watch her...whether she's improved or not....she comes off as arrogant and her arms drive me crazy!!! I also felt she was a bit stiff in this...I can't say she's a bad dancer because she is not...I wish I could achieve half of what she has but i feel she lacks the character and the artistry that makes a prima ballerina.
KittyUSF 9 months ago
@KittyUSF
you're a dick
foldedintobeauty3 9 months ago
@foldedintobeauty3 you are immature it's my opinion...just because you like her doesnt mean i have to...i never said she was a bad dancer i just dont feel she's the best...so what i say goes for me...if you cant take an opinion then dont respond
KittyUSF 9 months ago
@KittyUSF if she's not "the best" then she's damn near close to it. lol!
danceboy101 8 months ago
@KittyUSF Her arms drive ME crazy! But I feel she lacks the artistry that makes, even, a PRINCIPAL with the Mariinsky, let alone a Prima! You have to admit, though, she stuck out like a sore thumb in the corps with her floppy limbs and tacky extensions, so they had to stick her somewhere else. Whatever; at least she has improved. Hooray for that, relief for us people that have to watch her.
Oneof52girls 6 months ago
@Oneof52girls I agree with you that she stuck out awkwardly in the corps. I watched Lopatkina's Swan Lake last night and easily spotted Somova. However, I disagree that Alina lacks artistry. Go watch the videos of her in Giselle uploaded by looovecats. Watch her in La Bayadere. She is an extraordinary actress, superior to most other primas at the Mariinsky. As a side note: I believe all principal female dancers at the Mariinsky (& Bolshoi) are referred to as "Prima Ballerina."
hellotomorrow14 2 months ago
@hellotomorrow14 Yes, I've seen them all. I can't explain it in words, but if you upload a few videos of Marianela Nunez, Ulyana Lopatkina, or Evegnia Obraztsova, to name a few, you will see true artistry. It can't be taught or developed. They're born with it. Alina is o.k., depending on the role, which brings up yet another flaw - she is not versatile. OH - and Principals of the Mariinsky are not referred as Prima Ballerinas. Very FEW ballerinas have that title.
Oneof52girls 2 months ago
@Oneof52girls Well, we disagree. I concede that all of the ballerinas you've mentioned are exceptional artists, but in my opinion Somova is among their ranks. Alina WAS born with it. At one point I thought as you do - that Alina was a mediocre artist and a poor technician, but I've grown past my bias and seen her talent. And yes, most female principals of the Mariinsky are regularly referred to as Prima Ballerinas - Lopatikia, Vishneva, Somova, Nioradze, Makhalina, Pavlenko, etc.
hellotomorrow14 2 months ago
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@Oneof52girls For your information, not just a few but ALL the female principal dancers of the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky are called "Prima Ballerinas" or "Ballerinas" (Балерины) for short.
theamazingsoter 2 months ago
IMPECABLEEEE !!!
Me gusta su port de bras.
agosballet 1 year ago
WOW....this is the only time that I've seen Alina perform and haven't felt scared to death that she will fall and hurt herself. She was excellent technically, and now she doesn't let her extensions ruin the musicality as much. Though I think she could certainly use some more improvement in her acting, she has improved tremedously.
NDBCdancer 1 year ago 3
@NDBCdancer i was thinking the same thing! Bambi finally found her legs!
tutus4life 10 months ago 2
I like in this, compared to when she was fresh out of school, is entirely devoid of those gratuitous hand gestures and uncontrolled everything. She's much cleaner and obviously has put more care into the performance aspect, and the detail. Good to see!
DanseusePassionne 1 year ago 25
@DanseusePassionne - I agree. Its often difficult for long & limber danseuses to get the limbs under control. Still, many of these long girls have a really hard time performing petite allegro &, IMO, the 180° extension is extremely vulgar, & entirely un-classical. Interestingly, Somova's principal coach at the Mariinsky is Chenchikova, & theres a film called Magic of the Kirov that features a performance of her in this solo. Shes perfection, & her body is, IMO, perfect for classical technique
mrlopez2681 6 months ago 4
the only thing i dnt like on her turns are her arms, they seem to be kind of sloppy, however i like her dancing, and especialy her dulcinea variation. :)
EvanescenceROCKSS 1 year ago
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Somova looks much better than usual in this variation, because she is copying every single movement Lopatkina makes when she performs it. That at least keeps her on the music. Still, she is a lightweight; the dance has no emotional resonance.
luccatcar 1 year ago
Comment removed
luccatcar 1 year ago
alina has improved so much, she looks beautiful :)
BalletGirl09 1 year ago 31
@BalletGirl09
She most certainly has. This one (alina) used to make me so nervous whenever she would execute any piroueette or turn but she seems to have gained a lot of control over the year. Fantastic. I actually felt comfortable watching her, instead of on the edge of my seat with anxiety (her dancing truly made me feel so anxious)
JacquelyneWilkerson 1 year ago
@JacquelyneWilkerson
I had the same feelings about her and I'm glad that she improved so much. She became wonderful dancer.
looovecats 1 year ago