Customer Reviews

Swan Lake [The Kirov Ballet] [VHS]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Really interesting and wonderful Swan Lake from the Kirov Ballet.

Cast includes:
Odette/Odile- Yulia Makhalina
Prince-Sigfried- Igor Zelensky
Rothbart-Eidar Aliev
Court Jester-Yuri Fateev
Mother of Sigfried-Angelina Kashirina
Pas de Trois Act 1-Veronika Ivanova, Larissa Lezhnina

Yulia Makhalina,kirov prima ballerina can be seen in this video in which is probably her best role Odette.Together with her is Igor Zelensky,one of best male dancers that Kirov has produced in the las 15 years. Makhalina&Zelensky won the Gold Medal of the Paris dance concours dancing White Swan pas de deux and in this video can be seen why.Act 1 lake scene is just a beauty, nearly perfectly danced and a delight to watch. Act 2 in the castle is also very good. Makhalina&Zelensky strong Kirov technique can be appreciated in the Black Swan Pas de deux.
But the lake part is the highlight for me.
I recommend this video to everyone that is looking for something beautiful from the Kirov Ballet or that wants watch a good Swan lake.

If you want the ballet video that is going to make you cry. This is the one. It is so so sooo beautiful. It makes me realize why I love ballet, and brings out your soul and lets it fly around. Makalina is a like a real bird, ready to just float up up and away to the stars

As always the Kirov has out done itself. The filming is beautiful, the choreography superb, and the dancers are perfection. With long lines, clean technique, and beautiful upper body movement this video is a must have. It goes great with the Kirov Nutcracker which is the best professional Nutcracker video any where.

This is a wonderful version of Swan Lake. Yulia Makhalina and Igor Zelensky do a truly superb job of portraying their characters. This is a spectacular version of swan lake. The costumes and scenery are fabulous. Not to mention the technique of the dancers are truly breathtaking.

Makhalina at her best. She is an extremely gifted and well trained dancer and that shows in her technical ability which is showstopping and breathtaking. This version also shows the excellence of the corps as they dance the swan bourree which simply captivates. Other highlights include the Spanish dance and the Neopolitan dance in the Act II ballroom. Makhalina is very soulful and impresssive as Odette; but for my taste she ignites a real fire as Odile and in that role she is peerless. May God continue to bless her and all who witness her performance.

This is a beautifully filmed version of Marius Petipa's classic choreography of Swan Lake performed by the Kirov Ballet. The principal dancers are spectacular as are the soloists and corps de ballet.

I have purchased many different copys of Swan Lake and this is the one you must have. It is a beautiful performance that I would like to have a DVD version for better picture and sound qaulity.

I bought this tape because it was a mystery: the names of the dancers
were not provided. I knew it would be worth watching because it is a
performance by the Kirov. However, it turned out to star two dancers
(Yulia Makhalina and Igor Zelensky) who, although they are first-rate
dancers from a technical standpoint, just do not excite me.

The
production is everthing you'd expect from the Kirov -- beautiful
costumes, accomplished performances (especially from soloists Larissa
Lezhnina and Veronika Ivanova) and expert corps de ballet work.
Makhalina is tall, with long arms and a pretty face. She has a strong
technique and great flexibility, but I find her face very unexpressive
and her dancing sometimes brittle. Zelensky is much sought after as a
guest artist with major ballet companies around the world, but I think
he also lacks expression.

The video is unusual for a Russian
production in that it actually has a cast list, both before and after
the performance. A booklet is included, which is a nice touch. It's
only because of my personal lack of enthusiasm for the principal
dancers that I don't give this video five stars. Many people do like
them very much, and if you happen to be one of these people, you
should be very happy with the video.

The best performance in my view is the La Scala with Zacharovka & Roberto Bolle. The two stars are unexcelled. The Jester, an Italian not often seen on DVD, is unforgettable. But the Corps de Ballet outright outclasses the Kirov or any other company's.