The Russian-est dancer at NYCB

So, let's be honest.  I have some serious Russian fetish when it comes to the arts.

My three heroines of the moment all have a connection to Russia.  My favorite ballerina, Diana Vishneva, is of course, Russian--she was born in St. Petersburg, trained at the illustrious Vaganova Academy and is the star of the Kirov/Mariinsky ballet.

My favorite violinist, Julia Fischer, is German/Slovakian, yes, but she has been heavily influenced by Russia. One of her important early teachers was Russian-born Lydia Dubrovskaya, and her current teacher is Ana Chumachenco, also of Russian origin.

According to this article:

While working with the Russian-born Dubrovskaya, “everything Russian” flooded into Fischer’s life, adding to the love she already had from her Prague-trained mother of such great musicians as Sviatoslav Richter, Mstislav Rostropovich, David Oistrakh, and Zinaida Gilels. Oistrakh was special, and she soon found herself buying all his recordings.

So it should come as no surprise that a recent Czech review (via GoogleTranslate) noted that "Julia Fischer has an extra round and full tone, reminiscent of the Russian violinist school."

And then, of course, there is the fact that Julia Fischer's first CD release was of Russian violin concertos and with the Russian National Orchestra under the baton of (Russian-born) Yakov Kriezberg.

And let us not forget that her parents grew up in communist countries:

“Both my parents came from communist countries. I was brought up knowing all the faults of that system”—faults, she says, that find their way into her interpretations.

So I think it's safe to say that Russia/the Soviet Union was a major influence on Julia Fischer as well.

What about my favorite skater, Mao Asada?  She is Japanese, yet her two foreign coaches, Rafael Artunian and Tatiana Tarasova, were Russian.  Her mother wanted her to work with Tarasova because she believed that the Russians were the best.  And Mao even began learning Russian so she could communicate better with her (former) coach.

So clearly I like the artists/athletes that have been heavily influenced by Russia.  Why is that?

Well, I think it has something to do with what a young American dancer training at the Bolshoi said:

“The standards are such and the work ethic is such in Russia that there is no room for failure, there is no room for laziness, there is no room to be nice when it is not appropriate to be nice,” Joy said. “Russia is the best because there is this demand for excellence that there isn’t in any other part of the world.”

***
So that brings me to the title of this post.

In general, I am not a huge fan of New York City Ballet (NYCB).  They are, on the whole, too American for me.  I much prefer the Russian style (and Russian dancers).

But there is one ballerina that I really do like--Sterling Hyltin.  I saw her in early 2009 in "Coppelia" and found her quite charming, and I was also impressed with her technique when I saw the PBS broadcast of Peter Martins' "Romeo + Juliet." (Though the production as a whole pales in comparison the to MacMillan version.)

So I was quite tickled to find this quote about her in a review (emphasis added):

Hyltin is one of the company’s most exciting and well-rounded ballerinas: crystalline technique, warmth in spades, a delightful skittishness, silvery jumps, total engagement with her partners. In addition, her use of épaulement—the expressive coordination of the shoulders, back, and head so characteristic of Russian dancers—stands out in a company where full-bodied movement competes with speed and attack.

 Yep, I should've known!  Leave it to me to pick the Russian-est dancer at NYCB as my favorite!

Haglund, my favorite dance blogger, also had some nice things to say about Ms. Hyltin:

The final piece on the program was Danses Concertantes lead by Sterling Hyltin and Gonzalo Garcia. These days it's very hard not to adore Hyltin in anything she dances.  But for some funky fingers and excessive wrist whipping, she's a clear and unaffected voice for most every choreographer, and she makes every guy she stands in front of look better.

I always like it when the bloggers I like like the things I like.  ;)