2/2 1986 Kirov Mariinsky Ballet Paquita The Good (Great) Old Days Lyubov Kunakova Zaklinsky

[avesraggiana]

Finally! Some old fashioned male, masculine energy in Paquita - brought to us courtesy of Constantin Zaklinsky! As a dancer, he was sexy in that peculiar, pasty-faced, Slavic way. I would have killed to have had legs that looked so extravagantly sensuous and powerful in a pair of white tights.

[alejimenez76]

the great golden old days!!

[ardianworld]

Great video, it is definitely a joy to watch. Terekhova in the first video just seem to float through air. She is my all time favorite ballerina: impeccable technique, elegant port-de-bras and very strong.

By the way, what happened to Ivan Kozlov? I can't find his name on the Mariinsky website. Did he left the company?

[hikari6986]

I don't think only Stepanova has a good bodybuilding like you say, Obratzova has a very pretty body too. Well at least at what I have seen her in videos, I don't know if she's skinnier in real life

[FerocityQueen]

(continued)

From the current Kirov men I think the best proportions belong to Ilya Kuznetsov - a figure which could've easily inspired Renaissance sculptors and painters!THAT's how a main hero should look - not tiny little big-headed elf S.

[Bnesque]

@FerocityQueen Yes, he looks like David or Adam of Michalangelo!

[FerocityQueen]

The anorexia issue is much more prominent amongst the Kirov women than men imho.I was actually scared to see Lopatkina backstage last year as she's literally skin plastered over bones.In many of her interviews she's mentioned that she's "too heavy for some modern dance lifts","tall and big",etc,so she has to be lunatically strict about her weight in order to be lifted.On the other hand,I think she's the main reason for sleeping pill K. being a principal(tall and strong,provides good lifts)

[pediatrapaola]

@FerocityQueen agree but a crane would be less boring than danila imo ,and more virtuosos

[supersebra]

thats pretty much how i walk home from school everyday.

[Petroliovich]

Those are pretty hefty claims you make about Mariinsky men being in "an anorexic state". Perhaps you might soften this extreme opinion it a bit? While I agree that some of the partnering could be more secure, do you know these young dancers? Have you worked with them, spent time with them, gone on tour with them, seen what they eat? Some people are thinner genetically. Maybe they would love to have more muscle mass, but can't! So you condemn them for their build?

[Petroliovich]

That's just as harsh as the common tendency to write off female dancers who have stockier builds. Sure the Mariinsky now encourages dancers with longer lines, thinner legs. But it's a trend which is world-wide. Ballet is evolving in that direction. And many people like it. There are still dancers there who are not stick thin.

Another thing: the Mariinsky dancers are thin because they work, all day, every day. Not because they starve themselves. Let's leave the anorexia claims aside.

[russianballetvideo]

@Petroliovich The anorexia claims are very valid because there is a fear of being fat. Those with outstanding bodies are pressured to become toothpicks. It starts at the Vaganova School where they try to pick the skinny ones and when they fatten, they are in serious trouble. I know what I am talking about. I know many of the dancers, plus many of the coaches and teachers and even the directors at the Mariinsky and Vaganova School.

[russianballetvideo]

@Petroliovich There are always some exceptions, such as Viktoria Tereshkina, who seems to be impervious to gaining weight. She can eat what she wants and eat as much as she wants. However, most are scared to eat much because they may lose roles or even be forced out of the company.

[Petroliovich]

I responded to your comment about male dancers. Quote: "When your body is in an anorexic state, which unfortunately many men are...". I know most of the Mariinsky dancers. I assure you, none of the men are anorexic. Some are thin, yes. But those who dance regularly eat plenty. Some work very hard to gain bigger muscles and are discouraged because they are simply slim genetically. Do you really condemn a good, talented dancer because he's thin? It's not as easy as you may think, to change a body.

[Parcq]

There is another good video on youtube of Kostya dancing with Chenchikova in Bayadere. Chenchikova, who is far from waif-like, has magnificent epaulement, port-de-bras and plastique. She has dimensions--and the waifs cast as in Nikiyas pale in comparison. They approximate the role with their physique where their artistry fails them.

[unsatura]

kunakova, may fav! cuz she's big, like some balanchine dancers, ha ha, her musicality is marvelous too. i think dancers like actors should be in all sizes and shapes really, sarafanov is fine in little boy roles really...

[looovecats]

About Mariinsky men - for me also Smekalov seems to be strong partner. In Partings she easily lifted Obraztsova (but with her height she can't weight much and I don't know if lifting her is problem to any men) and in Spring Waters - Evseyeva.

[russianballetvideo]

There are skinny Mariinsky men that are able to do the one arm lift in act 1 of donQuixote, so they do have strength to lift, but i have seen these same men have other partnering mistakes, trying to make a lift and failing and the ballerina ending on his shoulder. instead of being raised in the air. With the lighter ballerinas today, today's men have an easier time lifting, but strength is an issue. When your body is in an anexoric state, which unfortunately many men are in, strength is problem

[pediatrapaola]

kostia zaklinsky was a magnificent ,tall strong handsome dancer,

[russianballetvideo]

All accurate descriptions.

[pediatrapaola]

the first time saw kostia wa may be 76 at milan sportpalace was a kirov gala he did corsair young girls were screaming as for a pop star

[russianballetvideo]

He looked like a star

[galya51]

Angry and spiteful ? Definitely not! Your comments are to the point and justified and I agree wiith you wholeheartedly. To me, the danseurs are beginning to look and even dance like the ballerinas (who can raise the highest arabesque?) I for one prefer heroic masculinity rather than spindly, underfed men whom I fear that their legs will splinter whenever they land their jumps.

[Pearlaceous]

Yep - agree totally. This is my main problem with Sarafanov.

[mariinskyfan]

I agree that it's a shame today's men have a hard time lifting the ballerinas who are clearly lighter than the ballerinas from previous decades. The partnering has lost much of it's dynamic. There doesn't seem to be as much gusto.

[sthirasukhamasanam]

The dancers and the dancing are beautiful. However, russianballetvideo, your comments, which have always been interesting and educational, are becoming angry and spiteful. These comments are starting to spoil the whole experience of watching your videos. Please spare us this.

[russianballetvideo]

Sorry that my comments, which I feel are telling the truth, offend you. There are many that would say that the dancers of the past were fat and truthfully, very few of the dancers from the 1980s would have been allowed to dance in the Mariinsky today, with the current idea on ideal ballet body. It is their current view on the ideal ballet body that I am strongly opposed to, which forces dancers to conform to their view on bodies or go elsewhere. Gabriella Komleva would have had no chance today.

[merluzasfritas]

Please Keti, ignore stupid coments because really what you have written is the TRUTH. A sad truth, but the TRUTH. I am glad to see there is people like you who understand ballet, live ballet and breath ballet who is brave enough to say what we think. I love you.

[russianballetvideo]

Thank you very muhc. i am far from perfect, but greatly appreciate your comment.

[russianballetvideo]

I guess that your comment about the video that you commented on 2 days ago, when you said that the music is obscene and obnoxious, is similar to my comments. You disliked the girl's choice of music and I dislike the destruction of ballet bodies going on at the Mariinsky, which effects the Vaganova school treatment of bodies. Both the Vaganova school and Mariinsky Ballet are destroying bodies.

[mrlopez2681]

ANGRY & SPITEFUL?!?!?!?!? I firmly believe that classical technique reached its zenith in Russia in these days ..... it has evolved into something altogether different now, due only to the body type preferred in Petersburg now. Fortunately the teachers & coaches have been able to cope. Now-a-days, iit is neo-classical technique, something different entirely. If you don't like the comments, don't read them!

[Pearlaceous]

Zaklinsky certainly had the "X Factor"! Great variation! What a wonderful dancer and partner he was - the Mariinsky could certainly do with a few like him today! And I love Kunakova, so eloquent in my favourite Paquita variation - such charm and eloquence and those beautiful, "reaching" port de bras. I have to say, the port de bras of all these soloists is outstanding!

[bolshoiboy8]

mariinsky ballerinas just DONT perform like that anymore... NO ONE DOES :(

[Bnesque]

Wow, born to be wild Zaklinsky!

Kunakova had well built upper body, Terekhova had very strong legs, young Ayupova had very feminine curves, Yevteva had great dramatic emotion and they all had their own unique classy beauty.

Why the management singlemindedly force every dancer into skelton?

[Parcq]

because MT wants the women to look like Guillem. So you had Zakharova and a whole line of clones. I am not sure even Uliana is helping the stereotype that you have to be skeletal to dance a swan--Marina Semionova would never had a chance.

[Bnesque]

@Parcq Partly agree with you in the MT's general liking of hyper extention category.

But in my personal experience with her, Guillem is far from waif. She had rather long line but with well muscled, strongly built body and ultra powerful steps.But she lacked mesmerizing port de bras.

What MT management doing now is inspired by Guillem's enormous international succes but they are going to bring everything to the whole new level, I think.

[hikari6986]

@Bnesque Well about the port de bras, that is because french-italian ballet does not have the same port de bras russians have

[Bnesque]

@hikari6986 And exactly that's why Mariinsy excels even in POB signature Le Parc.

[russianballetvideo]

@Parcq Maybe tomorrow, I will put up a video with Lopatkina called Conflict by an Italian choreographer. Lopatkina has no tights on and she comes close to looking like a skeleton with almost skinless legs.