Алина Сомова Баядерка Мариинский Alina Somova Bayadere Mariinsky Ballet

[balletdreams1]

this was absolutely fantastic. i think my favourite role of alina is now nikiya!

[camille32087]

I prefer her Giselle. This isn't a bad role for her, but she hasn't put it all together yet. There are fleeting moments of great interpretation, but it gets lost in the technical aspects of the role. She has a unique physique which hinders her at times, but it could also make her a great diamond in the rough if used correctly.

[raditudedude]

3:47 shoot me

[Larisa1611]

Она прекрасна! Браво!

[Beam261]

so happy I came across this vid of Alina... It really changed the way I view her as a dancer. I'm glad she's starting to rely on her artistry and emotion instead of flexibility tricks. Amazing job Alina! :)

[veronicamanrique]

She has improved a lot. This is the first time I saw her as a ballerina and not some ballet student.

[ersteerste]

очень рвано и неровно, по-ученически. и, как обычно, ощущение, что она не всегда справляется с собственным телом. до примы, хотя ее ею и сделали, еще очень далеко.

[theamazingsoter]

Her variation was beautiful and ver exciting, but in my opinion her death scene could be better. I'm not saying I didn't like it, quite the contrary, but in some parts she didn't even look in pain. Nevertheless, I think Somova is a very expressive dancer (her withering look @6:06 could make a temple crumble) and she has plenty of time to grow into the role, which IMO is her best one yet.

[yraivanov1]

Выглядит уставшей и замученной.

[yraivanov1]

Красавица!

[09Jerzy]

All of this Ballerinas great on their own ..Each of them create fantastic roles ..

Let LOVE them ALL ....

They give as so many beautiful Performances ....

[09Jerzy]

Great performance ..

[ballet818]

She reminds me so much of Lopatkina here

[chamuda610]

Oh this is wonderful! In the past I was not a fan of Alina, but I stand corrected!

[TheBalletFan]

How I hoped that she took the anti-venom and lived. Well, it had to end in tragedy I suppose :((

[odile77]

some say either you love Alina Somova or hate her... well just I like her a lot, not love her, but this is HER role definitely, she makes a great great great Nikia

[puppylove0808]

Never have I have seen a more impressive Nikia. Chances are I never will. I hope Alina will dance this role in every country of the world to being as many people as possible closer to God.

[EvgenyOneginable]

GODDESS!!!

[EvgenyOneginable]

This is about Somova the outstanding actress,  which brought back memories of Somovva the supreme dancer of our times. It was summer of 2007 or 2008, New York city. The program consisted of three acts. I don’t remember what was in the first two, but the third, spiritually charged Petipa's Kingdom of the Shades , is etched in my memory forever. There were two stars in that performance – Alina Somova and unsurpassed Mariinsky ensemble.

[Taliomkara]

The emotions are so clear! This is like a master class, thank you very much!

[sylphida]

she has matured a lot



[sylphida]

amazing

[ballesya1]

Voshititelno!!!

[mariinskyfan]

I always love this scene, but watching Alina is like seeing this choreography and hearing this beautiful music for the first time. Her expressiveness is supreme as usual.

[princesa70454]

Beauty and talent speak for itself....Thank you for this!!!

[alasilia]

Gorgeous!!!

[HelgaMaq]

Few years ago Alina was beginning like a very promising young talent. Now she is performing herself like a hard working, clever dancer. Thank you for sharing!

[Bnesque]

Thank you, Nina, she's like work of art!

[russianballetvideo]

The greatest acting performance by a ballerina on video was clearly Galina Mezentseva's Giselle from 1983. Nobody came close to that performance and now, 28 years later, Alina Somova is every bit as amazing as Galina Mezentseva was. This is a performance beyond belief and for a ballerina only 25 years old, Alina Somova is destined to be known as The Greatest Ballerina Ever, unless another Ballerina Miracle comes onto the scene.

[Bnesque]

@russianballetvideo Who will be another Ballerina Miracle?

[sweetaliena]

@russianballetvideo I have to disagree. Galina was sublime in Giselle but acting wise, Carla Fracci definitely beats her. Isabelle Guérin and Gabriela Komleva were AMAZING in La Bayadère. The best Nikiyas imo. Alina doesn't come close to them. She's probably the best at the Mariinsky, but in the rest of the ballet world she not the best. I have to say, this is her best role.

[russianballetvideo]

@sweetaliena I disagree strongly with you regarding your beginning and ending comments.

[MrRight1000]

@sweetaliena Galina Mezentseva and Carla Fracci were the most impressive dancer-actresses. And now it is Somova who is destined to carry the torch. Can't think of any other dancer today who can match Alina's acting abilities.

[sweetaliena]

@MrRight1000 Indeed, they were. But I think Alina Somova is not the only the dancer that have that kind of ability. There's Maria Alexandrova, Natalia Osipova (but I think she overrated), Evgenia Obraztsova, Victoria Tereshkina, Agnès Letestu, Myriam Ould-Braham, Marianela Nunez and many others who have that great ability to fully convey the emotions to the audience. Her Giselle and Nikiya are fabulous, Alina is great but she ain't the best imo.

[MrRight1000]

@sweetaliena Agnès Letestu has outstanding acting abilities, abilities that go far beyond what is expected of a dancer. Not sure about Obraztsova, who seems to have one and only one role on stage - that of a soubrette. The role suites Evgenia marvelously, just like it suited Maximova, the greatest soubrette of all times.

[sweetaliena]

@MrRight1000 For Obraztsova, she's amazing has her soubrette like you said but I think it's because they don't give her chance to prove herself. I saw her Odile on youtube, of course, she needs to work a little bit more on interpretation but It was very interesting and surprisingly good.

[MrRight1000]

@sweetaliena Obraztsova is amazingly talented dancer-actress, capable of many roles. Traditionally though, Mariinsky had been insistent on matching certain type of dancers to certain roles. It is maddening to some, but that is precisely what makes Mariinsky stand out from other ballet companies. Hard as she tries, Evgenia would never be as good as Lopatkina as Odette. Likewise, Lopatkina would never be as enchanting as Evgenia's Kitri. My 2 cents.

[theamazingsoter]

@MrRight1000 Yes, it's maddening sometimes, but I agree with you completely. I wonder if that's the reason they won't let Lopatkina dance Juliet. Do you think this is one of those cases where "physique clashes with the character" like Lopatkina herself argued when she was aked why she had never danced Aurora? But if they let her play someone as young as Giselle then why not Juliet?

[MrRight1000]

@theamazingsoter In any other theater, it would be OK. Look at ROH - Cojocaru dances O-O, stiff backed ballerinas have no qualms undertaking role of Nikiya . Mariinsky, however, has stricter guidelines and this is just another aspect that sets it apart from any other ballet company.

[calipso1010]

@MrRight1000 I tend to agree. After all, almost three century old company knows better who to cast and in what role. Obraztsova doesn't like it? Too bad, she can continue to perform Swan Lake @ Stanislavsky's Theatre. Why would anyone want to have another ROH or ABT? I hope that Mariinsky remains as unique as it has been so far. After all it is the Mariinsky!

[theamazingsoter]

@calipso1010 I disagree with the first part of your comment. The company is three-century old, yes, but the management isn't; and some of its wonderful dancers are being treated very unfairly by the director. There are dancers stuck as coryphées or second soloists that could be stars but unfortunately will never get to dance major roles (Selina and Martynyuk to name a few examples). It's a pity that the best company in the world suffers under such a negligent manegent...

[sangfroidjen]

@sweetaliena I agree with you that several dancers are great in this role, and not just ONE type of dancer. It's important to have variety of interpretations for this art form to remain alive and thriving. But just to let you know there are vocal few who don't agree with us... they also like to impose their opinions as fact and go out of their way to put down dancers they don't like.

[EvgenyOneginable]

@sangfroidjen The vocal few inhabit ballet-alert / talk namespace. This thread is dedicated to Alina Somova and her sublime interpretation of Nikia. 

[KirovFan]

@EvgenyOneginable How very true!!!!!! Ballet-Alert creates an illusion that Somova is not popular by erasing positive comments and encouraging haters like NataliaN This is vain attempt of the vocal minority to "educate" the poor rest of us to like whom they think we should like. Can't fool the public! No other dancer receives as many standing ovations as Somova and no other dancer attracts that much attention.

[sangfroidjen]

@EvgenyOneginable It goes both ways, certain Alina fans talk trash about OTHER dancers by speculating on personal lives & bitchy comments on looks etc...on Alina videos, IMO they're just as bad as those on biased forums.

Absolutely love Alina as Nikiya, her best role even better than her Odette which I adore too. IMO Alina is a wonderful artist but not THE greatest ballerina ever (for me it's Vishneva btw). Stating personal opinions such as this shouldn't brand a person as a 'hater' per se.

[MrRight1000]

@sangfroidjen May be. But the tendency of trashing dancers goes back way before u-tube. In fact it definitely takes its origin on Ballet Alert and with one person in particular - Natalia Nabatova from Washington DC. As for your preference for Diana Vishneva, can't think of a more deserving dancer. Likewise, there are those who consider Somova to be the pinnacle of creation. It is haters, not lovers whom I blame for trailer trash ethics around this art form.

[sweetaliena]

@sangfroidjen I agree with you. Many people are VERY bias about Alina and many other ballerinas. I always give credit when credit is due. To say that Alina is the greatest ballerina ever is a little bit too extreme and too early to tell. She's a good actress but they are better than her imo. Only time will tell.

[sweetaliena]

@TheBalletDancers She improved A LOT! Her extensions annoys me sometimes because it breaks the beautiful ballet lines but she got real better has an actress but they're better than her imo.

[balanchinedancer]

Wow... First time I watched the clip for her acting, second for her dancing. Words fail me. Nobody dances this episode better, not even Lopatkina. Alina's portrayal brought tears to my eyes and I am not a sentimental fellow. Wow.

[Leonnidik]

She has "IT".

[Qbendanny]

@Leonnidik - That term started with silent film starTheda Berra right Leo? It is true for Somova also the star carisma. She recalls the femme fatales of the 1930's Hollywood. Fits in with Dietrich, and a blond Harlow. She is perfect here and outshines my favorite in this section of Bayadera, Polina.

[Leonnidik]

@Qbendanny - Also, in particular, the great Alla Nazimova. Lika and I saw her in a silent film(No, we were not at the premiere) in a festival as Camille. Alina looks just like her. If Ratmansky ever choreographs a ballet on the life of Nazimova, Somova is the star.

[magnumSuper]

Thank you, Nina, for sharing, this is sublime...

[looovecats]

Acting, musicality and arms - all incomparable. She's a gem. Every second is just priceless. I love the moment when she gets basket with flowers and become so sweet and subtle in her joy.

Большое спасибо, ninabejanishvili!

[KirovFan]

This is a dancer of Genious. My favorite ballet and favorite Nikyia. Thank you, ninabejanishvili for the exquisite pleasure that the clip brings.