29.09.2016
All-star Cipollino
The ballet Cipollino will get an all-star outing on 2 October with a cast of truly outstanding dancers. The performance will feature such established virtuoso talents as Leonid Sarafanov, Ivan Vasiliev, and Victor Lebedev, with the lead female roles being taken by Angelina Vorontsova and Irina Perren. The ‘ripest fruit’ in this cheerful garden troupe, Denis Matvienko, will be donning the piercingly bright yellow costume of Prince Lemon for the first time.
Matvienko, who is the artistic director of the Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre (NOVAT), tells us how the stars have been preparing for this unusual ballet:
"I have been thinking about the role of Prince Lemon for a while now; it was a part I really wanted to dance, and I’m so glad I now have the chance to do just that with my friends. Despite everything that I have scheduled at the moment in Novosibirsk, in my mind — I am already immersed in this performance. Leonid Sarafanov, Ivan Vasiliev, and I know each other from Kings of the Dance, and our rehearsals for that production often turn into a frenzy of witty exchanges and improvisations as we let our imaginations truly run wild. That’s what Cipollino will be like. Of course, you have to know the general thrust of the choreography, but the key is to improvise and rely on your intuition and inspiration as an actor. I am sure that Ivan Vasiliev, who is making his debut as Signor Tomato, won’t be holding back, and will add a splash of his own personality to the role. It’s been inspiring working with the wonderful ballerinas who will be joining us on the stage. Irina Perren, a delicate and elegant dancer, will perform the role of Magnolia. Radish will be danced by the bold and charming Angelina Vorontsova, who has a great stage presence.
“At the risk of sounding immodest, I think this may be the most high-profile cast ever to take on Cipollino. Although in Heinrich Mayorov’s production at the Bolshoi Theatre, Maris Liepa danced Prince Lemon. My colleagues and friends and I represent a new generation of dancers. We should not be compared with the greats. Nevertheless, each of us has already secured a place in ballet history.
“Through Cipollino, we will extend our congratulations to Vladimir Kekhman on this special day. I was working with him at the Mikhailovsky Theatre back when its dramatic transformation was just beginning. Now it has become not only a great theatre, but a formidable brand as well. I would say that it serves as an example of how a theatrical business should be run, when all the elements such as the posters and the programmes are seen as equally important as the ballet company itself. Now we are working hand in hand in Novosibirsk, and have a similar task ahead of us. I would call it, to use a modern expression, a ‘theatre upgrade’. I think Vladimir and I have a good mutual understanding and I’m happy to be working with him.”
Photo by Marat Shemiunov
Matvienko, who is the artistic director of the Novosibirsk State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre (NOVAT), tells us how the stars have been preparing for this unusual ballet:
"I have been thinking about the role of Prince Lemon for a while now; it was a part I really wanted to dance, and I’m so glad I now have the chance to do just that with my friends. Despite everything that I have scheduled at the moment in Novosibirsk, in my mind — I am already immersed in this performance. Leonid Sarafanov, Ivan Vasiliev, and I know each other from Kings of the Dance, and our rehearsals for that production often turn into a frenzy of witty exchanges and improvisations as we let our imaginations truly run wild. That’s what Cipollino will be like. Of course, you have to know the general thrust of the choreography, but the key is to improvise and rely on your intuition and inspiration as an actor. I am sure that Ivan Vasiliev, who is making his debut as Signor Tomato, won’t be holding back, and will add a splash of his own personality to the role. It’s been inspiring working with the wonderful ballerinas who will be joining us on the stage. Irina Perren, a delicate and elegant dancer, will perform the role of Magnolia. Radish will be danced by the bold and charming Angelina Vorontsova, who has a great stage presence.
“At the risk of sounding immodest, I think this may be the most high-profile cast ever to take on Cipollino. Although in Heinrich Mayorov’s production at the Bolshoi Theatre, Maris Liepa danced Prince Lemon. My colleagues and friends and I represent a new generation of dancers. We should not be compared with the greats. Nevertheless, each of us has already secured a place in ballet history.
“Through Cipollino, we will extend our congratulations to Vladimir Kekhman on this special day. I was working with him at the Mikhailovsky Theatre back when its dramatic transformation was just beginning. Now it has become not only a great theatre, but a formidable brand as well. I would say that it serves as an example of how a theatrical business should be run, when all the elements such as the posters and the programmes are seen as equally important as the ballet company itself. Now we are working hand in hand in Novosibirsk, and have a similar task ahead of us. I would call it, to use a modern expression, a ‘theatre upgrade’. I think Vladimir and I have a good mutual understanding and I’m happy to be working with him.”
Photo by Marat Shemiunov
