28.05.2019
“I Absolutely Adore Spain”. Basil – Igor Tsvirko
Ballet lovers do their best never to miss a performance by Igor Tsvirko. These days the Moscow dancer, who began his career at the Bolshoi Theatre, enjoys widespread popularity throughout the world. He takes to the Mikhailovsky Theatre stage in a number of roles, one of the most memorable among them being Basil from Don Quixote, in which he can next be seen on 6 June.
Basilio is ballet’s counterpart to opera’s resourceful Figaro with his endless jokes. Unlike other leading males in ballet, each of whom resembles the last, this role does not force the performer to adhere strictly to the rules. It requires finesse, sensitivity, inner freedom, and an aptitude for improvisation. It was playing Basilio at the Bolshoi Theatre that marked a milestone in Igor Tsvirko’s career five years ago — his first performance in the role proclaimed him to be a rising star in the ballet world. Critics gave his debut the praise it was due. „The spirited brunet looked like a true Spaniard. Basilio, shaggy-haired and simply dressed, was presented as a commoner, a nondescript resident of Barcelona, and by no means a hero. He finds himself mixed up in the ballet’s story only by a twist of fate“, reviewers noted, highlighting Tsvirko’s masterful performance of his solo and emphasizing his „numerous and brilliant turns, his impressive execution of dance sequences, and his sleek port de bras, all of which bring out the Spanish flavour of the production.“
Igor Tsvirko is himself partial to the character. „I absolutely adore Spain, and everything to do with it. I’ve been there many times and plan to go again. It is a great joy to dance in a ballet with a distinctly Spanish flair. The role of Basilio is so interesting and multifaceted, it demands some serious acting. In the first two acts, I play a commoner, but in the third, during the wedding pas de deux, I come out nobly dressed. I’ve been familiar with this ballet since my earliest days in the theatre, and I always dreamed of dancing this part. Now, in every performance of Don Quixote, I give all of myself to the role.“
Basilio is ballet’s counterpart to opera’s resourceful Figaro with his endless jokes. Unlike other leading males in ballet, each of whom resembles the last, this role does not force the performer to adhere strictly to the rules. It requires finesse, sensitivity, inner freedom, and an aptitude for improvisation. It was playing Basilio at the Bolshoi Theatre that marked a milestone in Igor Tsvirko’s career five years ago — his first performance in the role proclaimed him to be a rising star in the ballet world. Critics gave his debut the praise it was due. „The spirited brunet looked like a true Spaniard. Basilio, shaggy-haired and simply dressed, was presented as a commoner, a nondescript resident of Barcelona, and by no means a hero. He finds himself mixed up in the ballet’s story only by a twist of fate“, reviewers noted, highlighting Tsvirko’s masterful performance of his solo and emphasizing his „numerous and brilliant turns, his impressive execution of dance sequences, and his sleek port de bras, all of which bring out the Spanish flavour of the production.“
Igor Tsvirko is himself partial to the character. „I absolutely adore Spain, and everything to do with it. I’ve been there many times and plan to go again. It is a great joy to dance in a ballet with a distinctly Spanish flair. The role of Basilio is so interesting and multifaceted, it demands some serious acting. In the first two acts, I play a commoner, but in the third, during the wedding pas de deux, I come out nobly dressed. I’ve been familiar with this ballet since my earliest days in the theatre, and I always dreamed of dancing this part. Now, in every performance of Don Quixote, I give all of myself to the role.“
