Ballet critics about "Rodin"

December, 10th, 2011

The opening night of “Rodin” which took place on the 22th of November at Aleksandrinsky theatre with a full house, aroused the liveliest interest not only of ballet lovers, but of Saint Petersburg and Russian elite as well. Many famous artists, scientists and businessmen have come to see the performance.
Today we would like to familiarize you with some reviews devoted to the Boris Eifman’s new ballet.

“Rodin” was given a high opinion of recognized ballet and theatre critics from Moscow, Saint Petersburg and foreign countries. Reviewers notice the expressiveness and emotional intensity of the performance. Marina Raikina, a well-known journalist, writes in her article (“Moskovskiy Komsomolets”, November 25, 2011): “Eifman’s “Rodin” has appeared to be a rapid, soaring show, not at all frozen unlike famous statues of its hero. It’s passionate and mega sensual. Gorgeous duets and mass scenes with artful choreography.”
Anna Gordeeva, a ballet critic, calls “Rodin” in her article “Cheerful tragedy about love” (“Moscow News”, November 24, 2011) “a highly precise performance as to capture of the creative process”, noticing that this process “is more difficult to be shown on stage”. “In old soviet times Leonid Jacobson, Boris Eifman’s master, staged a sequence of acts dedicated to Rodin’s sculptures… But Eifman created essentially different production – he has showed us a working process of the artist, and he has made it excellently”, writes the author of article. Furthermore, as Anna says, “Rodin” is a lively and amazingly vernal performance, as early works of Claudel”.

Svetlana Naborshchikova, reviewer of “Izvestia” newspaper, highlights the comprehensive and original way Boris Eifman has revealed a theme of creative work. In her article “Revolt in the glory of art” (issue of November 27, 2011) she writes: “Jacobson was making a dance from the marble basis… and Eifman turns the dancers into the material. Though the precise presentation of original works is not provided, it has little importance. The main thing is the amazingly vivid process where the sculpture and the dance, types of art which are not rather alike in terms of space and time, reveal a miraculous proximity”. Nina Alovert has a similar opinion. “The expressive way choreographer has shown the roots and the process of creative work and has presented the sculptures appearing from “ice block” (frozen bodies of dancers) through the plastic of dancers, makes “Rodin” ballet a prominent event, a milestone of Eifman’s artistic work. I think, Eifman has finished his theme “artist and art” with this performance (at least, for a while)”, says a well-known theatre critic in her review published in New York City Russian newspaper “Russian bazaar” (edition of December 7-14, 2011).

Igor Stupnikov, a well-known theatre historian, notices in his article “About human bondage” (“Saint Petersburg Vedomosti” November 30, 2011) an emotional and intellectual depth of Boris Eifman’s choreography: “The most difficult life collisions and philosophic problems are solved by Eifman with the help of plastic and dance, breath-taking dynamics and “dead” static pauses. Variations and duets show variety of colors and shades of feelings.”

Critics also notice high technical skills, strong personality and total devotion of each soloist of the Company who performed the main parts. “An important advantage of the ballet is the character of Camille performed by Lyubov Andreeva, a dancer of clear and sharp lines and amazing musicality. The whole fragile image of the dancer reflects perfectly the image of Camille Claudel. Lyubov Andreeva has made a thorough mental analysis of her character and has proved human spirit for strength. The character of Rose Beuret performed by Nina Zmievets is also an expressive one. Her cold, reserved dance seems to be lightened with flaming feelings from the inside, and all her hidden emotions reveal, uncovering her power and helplessness at the same time. The performance we have seen on the stage of Aleksandrinsky theatre is presented as a sequence of memories of aged Rodin. Oleg Gabyshev managed to show the comprehensive nature of the character”, writes Igor Stupnikov.
Larisa Abyzova, a ballet historian, notices in her review “Eifman contemplates about the price genius have to pay” (“Nevskoye Vremya” December 1, 2011) the work of Rodin performer: “Oleg Gabyshev, a star of the company, whitened his hair and sprouted a beard in order to look older, but his beauty and juvenile ardor are impossible to hide. Only an artist who is in his prime and has great talent can perform such complex choreographic content created by Eifman. It’s hard to describe the cunning patterns, tricky jumps and spins, as all these “know-how” do not have fixed terms yet. It wouldn’t be better to call them tricks, as Gabyshev uses them for his image.”

The character of Camille performed by the soloist Lyubov Andreeva, who joined Eifman’s company in 2011, is also recognized as an important artistic achievement of the ballet. Nina Alovert writes about her: “The dancer has come from the corps de ballet of Minsk theatre. With her great musicality and expressive plastic, she performs Eifman’s choreography as she was grown up in this theatre”.
Mass scenes performed by Eifman Ballet dancers are also given a high opinion of critics. “The choreographer’s strong feature has always been his ability to work with corps de ballet… such scenes – grape festival and cancan in cafe – have been as usually complemented for their well coordinated work, high technical skills and total devotion”, writes Larisa Abyzova.

Sets design was appreciated by reviewers as well. Marina Raikina especially notices that “everything has been organized in a harmonious manner – huge sets made by Zinoviy Margolin and elegant costumes designed by Olga Shaishmelashvili…” in Boris Eifman’s new ballet.” “Gleb Filshtinsky, light wizard, plays with shadows “shooting” Rodin with light cannons”, she says.

Another theatre critic Maria Kingisepp (“Izvestia” November 28, 2011) thinks that Boris Eifman’s new production would not leave anyone indifferent: “You don’t have to be an amateur of modern choreography or of Boris Eifman’s theatre in particular. You just need to love the magic of the dance and theatre, as this performance is going to be called a masterpiece. It enchants you like a rare exhibit in Hermitage or Louvre. It is as plastic as clay, as majestic as bronze, as streamlined as marble, as expressive as ex libris”.