Classical finesse

Published on November 30, 2007

The opening presentation, ‘Chopiniana’, above, is a 35-minute composition featuring the music of Frederic Chopin. The Mariinsky Ballet has been performing it since 1908. It features soloist Evgenya Ivanche.

The wait is over. One of the world's best classical ballet companies, Mariinsky Ballet, with their full line-up of internationally acclaimed soloists, will be in Bangkok for royal command performances from Thursday until December 8. The time couldn't be more auspicious as the whole country will be celebrating His Majesty the King's 80th birthday on Wednesday.

The Mariinsky Ballet Company is closely linked with the entire history of the development of Russian choreographic art that began some 250 years ago. Among the stars who have called Mariinsky their home are Rudolph Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Valery Panov, Yury Solovyev and Anatoly Sapogov. And after all these years, centuries we should say, the company has never been to Thailand.

"The Mariinsky Ballet Company's performance in Bangkok was initiated by Her Majesty the Queen," says Chirayu Isarangkun na Ayuthaya, grand chamberlain of the Royal Household and director of the Crown Property Bureau. "During Her state visit to Russia in July, Her Majesty was impressed by the company's performance and suggested bringing them to Thailand as part of the celebrations of the King's 80th birthday," Chirayu said at a press conference on November 22.

Accordingly, the organising committee appointed by the Royal Thai government collaborated with the Russian government to realise Her Majesty's initiation, Chirayu says. Performances on Thursday and next December 8 will be for the general public, while a show on December 7 will be for the Royal audience only.

"All proceeds from the ticket sales will be donated to the Ananda Mahidol Foundation,"

The shows are organised by International Cultural Promotions for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Royal Thai Government.

The president of International Cultural Promotions, JS Uberoi, a classical ballet aficionado, has seen many performances by Mariinsky Ballet at various venues, starting with "Swan Lake" at Covent Garden in London some 20 years ago, and subsequent visits to the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg.

"The strength of this company stems from their hard training and the dedication to what they want their dancers to achieve. They have a school in St. Petersburg and only the top students who graduate each year are admitted to the Mariinsky Theatre," Uberoi says in an interview. "Even though they're much more relaxed at home, I think the quality and standard are just the same wherever they perform. They're still able to reach that level of excellence."

Thanitha "Tina" Thaweedech, a veteran stage manager and technical director who studied in the former Soviet Union, made frequent visits to the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg, and is a much sought-after Russian-speaking tour guide, echoes the organisers enthusiasm for this must-see performance.

"I can feel that all Mariinsky performers put all effort into their performances, no matter which roles they're portraying. It's evident to the audience that they're really living those characters," Thanitha says. "Also, they're seemingly born to be ballet dancers. It's widely known that it's very difficult to pass an audition to be a member of this company. Not only do you need to have certain types of faces and limbs, but you also have to have good coordination, and once you're in, there's arduous training.

"In fact, this reflects a Russian concept of education as a whole. No matter what you're studying, you have to do your best. So, it's not a surprise that you don't have to be a ballet expert to notice vast differences between Russian ballet dancers and those from other countries."

With the company of about 90 members travelling to Bangkok, 15 of whom are among the world's top dancers, highlights of this three-part programme include the curtain-raiser, which is steeped in 19th century romanticism. "Chopiniana" is a 35-minute choreographic composition in one act featuring the music of Frederic Chopin and Michel Fokine's choreography. It premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in 1908.

After the first intermission, the audience will have a chance to witness, in detail, the finesse of classical ballet in a six-part assortment of short programmes, "Divertissement".

Exclusively for the Bangkok performance is the world premiere of Alexey Miroshnichenko's choreography for "Love Story", set to His Majesty the King's composition, "Kinnaree Suite". Also not to be missed is "The Dying Swan", a solo choreographed by Fokine. Scheduled to perform is Uliana Lopatkina, one of the most glittering stars of the ballet world today. Another highlight is a modern classic, George Balanchine's "Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux" (1960).

"I myself am looking forward to watching 'Love Story' the most, as I've never seen it and I'm curious to see how this choreographer would create a new work based on His Majesty the King's music for 'Manohra'. In fact, I haven't seen most of the 'Divertissement' programme, which is also the same one presented to Her Majesty the Queen in St Petersburg," says Uberoi.

After the second intermission is "Scheherazade", a 45-minute choreographic drama in one act also featuring Fokine's choreography and scenario based on "Arabian Nights" set to Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's music, premiered at the Theatre de l'Opera Paris in 1910, and in the repertoire of the Mariinsky Theatre since 1994. The Bangkok audience will have a chance to watch another two stars, Irma Nioradze as Zobeide and Danila Korsuntsev as Golden Slave.

The company will be accompanied by the Ekatarinburg Symphony Orchestra, which left many fond musical memories with audiences at Bangkok's Ninth International Festival of Dance and Music back in September and October. Mariinsky Ballet's Mikhail Agrest, a 2002 nominee for "Best Work by a Conductor" for the Golden Sofit, St Petersburg's most prestigious theatre prize, will hold the baton.

Needless to reiterate—but we'll say it anyway—Mariinsky Ballet will perform the best programme of classical ballet Bangkok audiences have witnessed in recent memory, if not their lifetimes.

"At the end of the day, whether your interest is in contemporary or classical performance, you want to see the performance, in which the performers excel in what they're performing, which is entertaining. I don't think the people who [prefer to] watch contemporary dance would not want to watch top classical dancers in the world performing for them classical pieces," sums up Uberoi.

The Mariinsky Ballet performs for the public at 7.30pm on Thursday and on December 8 at Thailand Cultural Centre. Tickets are Bt300 to Bt3,000, available at Thaiticketmajor. For reservations, call (02) 262 3456.

Pawit Mahasarinand  

The writer can be contacted at pawit.m@chula.ac.th.