http://www.nuvo.net/articles/article_335/
By Rita Kohn
Ballet review | What you missed
Ballet Internationale"s production of Giselle proves why it"s a masterpiece. Splendidly appointed with lush sets designed by Simon Pastukh, gorgeous costumes by Galina Solovieva and powerful lighting by Anthony T. Nye, the story glows and grows. In their staging, Eldar Aliev and Irina Kolpakova build on the original choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot and the now-famous restaging by Marius Petipa, and render this Romantic period ballet timely in its timelessness. The entire company is masterful in its miming, as essential and integral to a successful production as is the fastidious and virtuoso footwork. While Giselle is the central focus, and Karen Scalzitti-Kennedy"s luminous characterization breaks your heart, it"s Alexei Tyukov"s wresting transformation of Albrecht/Loy from playboy-prince into a responsible human being that wrenches you from fantasy into reality. In a story pitting innocence against worldliness, the BI production puts human relationships at center stage through the impact that seemingly silly superstitions have on our psyche. Giselle"s mother, Berthe, commandingly portrayed by Svetlana Cravtova, tries to keep her vivacious yet delicate daughter from overextending herself by dancing beyond her physical endurance. Berthe relates the story of the Wilis, the spirits of maidens who die before their wedding dates. As if propelled to this fate, Adolphe Adam"s clearly focused score layers emotion upon emotion in a love quadrangle destined toward destruction. Giselle"s heart breaks when her spurned lover Hilaron, convincingly portrayed by Ivan Kozlov, reveals Albrecht/Loys" duplicity. Act 2"s darkly-treed burial place is in direct contrast to Act 1"s bright exposure of the wine harvest, yet the choreography, earth bound, almost heavy during Act 1, is transformed in Act 2 into an ethereal lightness with the mythical appearance of Myrtha, the queen of the Wilis. Chieko Oiwa is simply splendid, as is the corps de ballet.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
April 28, 2004 Awake and dance Article
http://www.nuvo.net/archive/2004/04/28/awake_and_dance.html
Rita Kohn
Ballet Internationale-Indianapolis would be festooned with gold if their Sleeping Beauty was the Olympics. Dynamics of story and precision of dancing never wavered throughout this very long epitome of classical ballet. Corps and principals alike sparkled as a smartly trained company.
Ballet Internationale-Indianapolis presented ‘The Sleeping Beauty’ at the Murat April 23-25.
Eldar Aliev’s style and principles are grounded in adherence to the integrity of a work while allowing dancers to bring their intelligence and special abilities to the fore. It’s a delicate balance that comes off time after time, and earned even more respect during this daring 30th season.
Tchaikovsky’s music shapes and drives this fairy tale ballet even though it originated as a tightly developed partnership between him and the choreographer and designer, whose story differs in some points from the Perrault version most of us know. The musical motifs of good and evil and forces of light and forces of darkness repeat in variations, driving the action.
The good Lilac Fairy softens the malice of the fairy Carabosse, embittered because of being left off the invitation list by the king and queen’s steward. The rest of the court is essentially passive, Princess Aurora included. Yet, in her three gorgeous adagios, danced to perfection by Chieko Oiwa at the April 23 performance, she delivers the story of a life: a delight-filled child suffers before becoming a young woman who gains great love.
Costumes, set and lighting by Elizaveta Dvorkina extended the deft dancing and character performances. Only a live orchestra could have topped this sumptuous Sleeping Beauty, which rates its place in the pantheon originating at the Maryinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg in 1890.
10/9/2007 'Corsaire' is rare treat for patrons, neophytes Article
'Corsaire' is rare treat for patrons, neophytes
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/other_spotlight/article/0,2777,
DRMN_23960_5717841,00.html
Marc Shulgold, Rocky Mountain News
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Don't let the title fool you - Colorado Ballet's Le Corsaire (The Pirate) spends only a minute or two on the bounding main with those vandals of the high seas.
This compact tale, which opened over the weekend at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, is merely an old-fashioned, colorfully costumed love story: A pirate and slave girl fall in love, he frees her from the harem and they live happily ever after.
Originally a convoluted three-act ballet, this staple of Russian companies has been trimmed to a manageable two acts by Eldar Aliev, a former Kirov dancer. Audiences are the beneficiary - along with the work itself.
Face it: Ballet is not about crazy plot lines, character development and dramatic crises. Ballet is about dancing. And there's tons of it in this production. It doesn't get more superficially pleasurable than this.
The costumes of Galina Slovyeva provide plenty of eye candy, as do the imaginative painted drops of scenic designer Simon Pastukh. Best of all, Aliev has set some delightful choreography on the dancers.
The corps enjoys many attractive moments of unison ensemble, soloists make the most of an extended pas de trois and pas de quatre, and the principals cash in big time on solos and pas de deux that emphasize lovely adagio steps along with crowd-pleasing leaps and barrel turns.
At Saturday's performance, Sharon Wehner and impressive newcomer Alex Tyukov danced the love-birds Medora and Conrad. With the recent departure of Wehner's longtime partner, Koichi Kubo, one worried about the success of this new pairing. Such concerns proved unfounded.
The diminutive Wehner and the tall, powerfully built Tyukov match quite well. When their characters first lock eyes at the slave auction, the two are sweetly fixated on each other, with not a clichéd extended arm or hand-on-heart to be found.
Aliev saved Corsaire's greatest hit for near the end: the bravura pas de deux (often danced as a stand-alone in showcase performances). Here, Wehner and Tyukov made beautiful music together, though his solo variations proved less explosive than hoped. Wehner has never been more elegant, displaying an ideal line, sympathetic acting and previously untapped athleticism.
Secondary roles were capably handled by Asuka Sasaki (as the slave girl Gulnara) and Shunsake Amma (the slave-selling Lankendem). Comic relief was provided in abundance by guest dancer Gregory Gonzales (Pasha).
Praise is also due the trio of Odalisques in Act Two - Dana Benton, Shelby Dyer and Sayaka Karasugi - who excelled in Corsaire's other familiar snippet.
Collectors of ballets will want to catch this production, rarely seen in the West. Best of all, the story is so simple, the staging so crisp and eye-catching that casual fans (and their children) will find much to enjoy. Just don't expect a stage filled with mangy, menacing buccaneers. These are not pirates of the Caribbean.
Le Corsaire
• Grade: B+
• When and where: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, 14th and Curtis streets
• Cost: $19 to $145
• Information: 303-837-8888
Shulgoldm@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5296
10/14/2007 Le Corsaire Article
Le Corsaire
http://www.coloradodrama.com/le_corsaire.html
By Bob Bows
10/14/2007
If it were radio, Le Corsaire would be called an "oldy but goody," because it is a delightful throwback filled with pleasing dances—solos, pas de deux, and ensembles. If it were cinema, Le Corsaire would be called a great "date flick," since it has a romantic storyline about a beautiful woman sold into a harem and rescued by handsome pirate.
 |
| Artists of the ballet (pirates) Photo: Terry Shapiro |
On opening night, Sharon Wehner and Alexei Tyukov performed the leading roles of Medora and Conrad. As always, Wehner's virtuosity, highlighted by a series of fouettés across the stage, was an event in itself, and Tyukov, in his Colorado Ballet premiere, showed a lot of talent that will only get better.
Asuka Sasaki is endearing as Gulnara, who risks her life to help Medora escape. Gregory Gonzales is a hoot as the Pasha.
 |
| Alexei Tyukov as Conrad and Sharon Wehner as Medora Photo: Terry Shapiro |
Le Corsaire is sure to bring wonder to adults, eight-year olds, and everyone in-between. It clocks in at a brisk 1 hour and 50 minutes and runs through October 14th. 303-837-8888, 303-830-TIXS, or www.ColoradoBallet.com.
Bio of Eldar Aliev
Eldar Aliev has earned an international reputation as a dancer, choreographer and artistic director. His 13 year career as a Principal Dancer with the Kirov Ballet distinguished him not only as a technically superb classical and contemporary dancer but also as a creative dancer whose interpretations ignited the full range of roles he performed. Dancing with the Kirov and as guest artist on many successful ballet tours including the Galaxy of Russian Ballet and the Superstars of Russian Ballet, Eldar Aliev performed in over 30 countries. His performing career also included star performances with the Bolshoi Ballet and The Australian Ballet.
Eldar’s career is living up to the prediction of dance critic Clive Barnes who, writing in the New York Post shortly after Eldar moved from Russia to the United States, said, “[His] rare versatility and ability to probe beneath the surface of his roles make Eldar a truly exceptional artist, [who] will contribute much to the future of dance in this country.”
Eldar Aliev’s recent engagements include Master Classes at the Royal Swedish Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada and Ballet of Spain. Visiting Artistic Advisor for Cincinnati Ballet, Guest Teacher at the Universal Ballet of Korea, Guest Speaker at the Ballet Talks series at Harvard University, Ballet Master at Boston Ballet and his role as Interim Dean at the Boston Ballet Center for Dance Education. In October of 2007, Eldar Aliev staged his production of Le Corsaire with Colorado Ballet and in March 2008 he will once more stage his ‘A Thousand and One Nights’ with the Cincinnati Ballet.
Previously, as Artistic Director of Ballet Internationale—Indianapolis, Eldar Aliev transformed Indiana’s only professional ballet company into a world-class ensemble, performing to enthusiastic audiences in Beijing, Los Angeles, New York, Taipei, Montreal and other cities around the U.S. and abroad. His commitment to the highest artistic standards and his inspiring leadership throughout his 14 years with Ballet Internationale enabled Eldar Aliev to build an artistic staff of international acclaim and recruit extraordinary dancers from around the world.
Eldar Aliev’s choreographic debut of the full length ballet A Thousand and One Nights was acclaimed as a tour de force in the world of dance. Patricia Barnes of Shinshokan Dance Magazine raved, “When the curtain goes up on the premiere of a new ballet to spontaneous applause, and when that applause is sustained by the audience throughout the evening, then one just knows that the creative talents responsible, choreographer, designers as well as dancers themselves, have a hit on their hands. This is what happily occurred at Ballet Internationale’s A Thousand and One Nights…”
Eldar Aliev’s inventive and magical version of the holiday classic, The Nutcracker, has fast become a favorite of presenters throughout the United States. Audiences have responded with standing ovations to his unique interpretation of the time-honored classic in which he deftly expanded the libretto. Eldar Aliev’s Nutcracker has also become a featured holiday show on public television. Since its debut in 2003, the number of markets presenting the festive production has grown each year and now stands at 79; this includes stations in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta.
Eldar Aliev’s fusion of classical and contemporary styles adds excitement and freshness to his creations. His provocative production of The Firebird gained immediate praise in both the national press and the international ballet media. His exuberant Le Corsaire gives new life to the time-honored masterwork while showcasing the dance techniques of our time.
In addition to his original choreographic work, Eldar Aliev has staged an extensive list of classical ballets to the delight of both audiences and critics. These include The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, Giselle, Paquita, Raymonda and for the Theatre Colon, the National Theatre of Argentina, Les Sylphides.
Eldar Aliev is a frequent adjudicator of international ballet competitions and has served as a jurist for two inaugural ballet competitions, the 2002 International Ballet Competition in Prague and the 2004 Seoul International Dance Competition. He returned to Seoul, South Korea in 2005 for his second consecutive year, serving as both a jurist and a member of the International Regulations Committee. In 2007 Eldar Aliev served as a jurist at the 8th Youth America Grand Prix International ballet competition in New York.
Eldar Aliev has also created a reputation as an accomplished director of international gala performances, presenting the stars of world-leading companies. At the prestigious annual Gala Des Etoiles in Montreal, he is the sole coach for all performers as well as a member of the artistic advisory board.
New Eldar Aliev Website
New Eldar Aliev website
more info at http://www.eldaraliev.com
also here is new blog http://www.blog.eldaraliev.com
more info at http://www.eldaraliev.com
also here is new blog http://www.blog.eldaraliev.com
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