Ballet At The Mikhailovsky

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Ballet at the Mikhailovsky

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Ballet at the Mikhailovsky

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The inaugural Grand Prix Mikhailovsky Theatre Gala Concert, on October 24th, 2009, was the culmination of a week of auditions. By: Mary Gostelow

Mikhailovsky Theatre, on Arts Square, is only five minutes’ walk from Grand Hotel Europe. The theater was built in 1833 for Tsar Nicholas I. It was incredibly run down until, in 2007, Vladimir Kekhman was appointed General Director.

Kekhman is a colorful character who is Chairman and CEO of food

The second half of the concert did, one could – and did – admit was just

importer Joint Fruit Company (usually simply called JFC) – he is

a little too long. There were 11 acts, all for two people. Performers

sometimes known as Mr Banana, and apparently 25% of bananas

came, I order, from the Moscow Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko

imported to St Petersburg come from Russian-owned plantations in

Music Theatre, the Mikhailovsky Ballet, the Bolshoi Ballet, The English

Costa Rica or Ecuador. Anyway, he donated the equivalent of $12

National ballet at the Royal Ballet Covent Garden, Opéra National de

million for the renovation of the theater, which is horseshoe shaped,

Paris, the Mikhailovsky Ballet the Bolshoi, the Mikhailovsky Ballet and,

with boxes soaring up through five tiers to a painted ceiling that is,

the finale, the breath-taking finale, from the Bolshoi. The audience

somewhat surprisingly, divided into seven parterres.

went wild for this last number, Pas De Deux from Le Corsaire, choreographed by Marius Petipa, with Ivan Vassiliev – bare-topped,

I was told what a pity it was to have missed earlier presentations during

palest pink-purple pyjama bottoms – and Natalia Osipova, in floating

the competition stages. Tonight, all had been chosen. First, we had the

pale peppermint, twirling and lifting, effortless apparently. This is the

prize-giving. Six young women, all with legs that seemed five feet high,

greatest partnership in the world at the moment. Ivan Vassiliev, born in

atop high-high stilettos, and all as sleek as gazelles, and one young man

Vladivostok, was trained first by the Belarussian State Choreographic

(what can one say? He looked like a 15-year old teenager, in non-fitting

College and then the National Academic Bolshoi Ballet Theatre of

baggy jeans, a slouching t-shirt and trainers), these were the winners.

Belarus. Moscow-born Natalia Osipova originally planned to be a gymnast

All received big bouquets from flunkies in white wigs and orange 18th

but a back ailment side-tracked her to ballet, and she was trained by the

century formal attire, with white stockings. The best prize of all was

Moscow Choreographic Academy.

handed over by Thomas Noll, with his Russian wife Tanya, in a sleek Jill Sander number, translating. As it happened his winner was fortunately

Oh yes, the audience. Who were they? Family members, also groups of

the avant-garde dancer, a woman who was more yoga-contortionist

ardent early-teen school girls, society names, the local represent of the

than standing on your toes.

President of Russia, the head of Vogue Russia, VIPs as well as genuine enthusiasts. Afterwards, the elected few went onstage to meet the

Next came a concert of competitors. All competitors combined for a

dancers, and then apparently there was a cocktail but, still being on

stunning palest-pink and palest-gray Nutcracker Suite. Then came solos

Hong Kong time, I walked back to my lovely room, sorry suite, at Grand

by the prize winners, and above-mentioned teenager, now transformed

Hotel Europe.

in peppermint tights, was truly a whizz at leaping in the air and twirling around. After this we all needed a break, and the Russians who packed every seat of the Mikhailovsky Theatre stood in line for drinks service.

Grand Hotel Europe, St. Petersburg, Russia

We were ushered aside, by Vladimir Kechman personally, into a room

See other hotels in St. Petersburg (4)

about ten by ten feet square but 20 ft high, instantly memorable for its

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cigarette aroma. We asked for water, got champagne, but I met the

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owner of Russia’s most important health club business.

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