June, 20145 . Issue No. 30

June 4 - 90 anniversary of Alexander A. Kopylov, a wonderful ballet conductor, who was working at the Bolshoi Theatre for almost 50 years (1962 - 2010) Howard Watkins, the Metropolitan Opera assistant conductor and one of the USA's most famous coaches, plays the piano. Photo: Damir Yusupov The Bolshoi Theatre Young Artists Opera Program marked its 5th anniversary with a joint concert, starring participants of the Bolshoi Theatre and the Metropolitan Opera Y oung Artists Opera Programs. Photo: Damir Yusupov Mass media about the Theatre Newsletter

group of delegates, who were specially chosen for this. 10 commissioners (including Vladimir Urin, who appointed the rest of them) represent the theatre administration. The other ten represent the staff; there are five technical workers and five creative workers, who represent the opera and the ballet companies, the orchestra, the choir and the supernumeraries. The project is elaborated with the help of "outsourcing". Alexander Pochinok (he

passed away on March 16) was one of those enthusiasts; he presented his vision of the collective agreement in his interview to "Izvestia" last June. The place where décor for great productions is created: the Bolshoi Theatre workshops The Bolshoi Theatre is one of the most famous opera and ballet theatres in the world;

it was founded in the 18 century. The building has been reconstructed several times since then; however, the quality of performances has always remained stunning. Theatre's workshops are a wonderful world, where all those things that are necessary for theatre productions are made. There are several plants, where costumes and props - rom ballet tutus to stylized furniture - are made. It was here that the set for John Neumeier's ballet "Lady of the Camellias" was created. The production was staged with the support of the charity project "VTB for Russia". Costumes for soloist are sewn at the theatre, because stage outfits are very important for dancers. Sometimes the success of a production depends on how bright and comfortable costumes are. Hand work is at a high level high at the workshops. There are few other places where people are so skillful with spinning wheels, can make tatting and Richelieu embroidery. Very often vintage things are bought in different countries - they are found on flea markets, which are so popular with tourists and aesthetes. Many artifacts for productions are brought by the theatre staff from abroad, because there are very few such things in Russia, and they also are overpriced. The Bolshoi's masters can find a way out of any situation: here they can paint lace much faster than in Paris. A set designer's word is a law; seamstresses, embroiderers and property men will fulfill his every wish. On the second floor of the theatre's auxiliary building one can see a very plentiful collection of jewelry. A carcanet is extremely important for a ballerina, just like a costume. Creating jewelry is painstaking work; sometimes masters can work on one set for up to two months. But the result of their work always is beyond all praise. Theatre workshops are a place where masterpieces of almost authentic paintings are created. Porcelain objects are painted just like it was done by artists of the Imperial Porcelain Factory, the only difference being that the objects are made not of porcelain, but of wood. Real wonders happen in the workshop, located on Entuziastov Avenue: here vintage furniture is given a new lease of life. Props should be lasting and comfortable to use in the first place. That is why restoration work hardly can be called easy. 24 coulisses were made for the ballet "Lady of the Camellias". Such colossal work required the ef forts of many specialists, because the theatre stage is more than 20 meters wide and 13 meters high. Morihiro Iwata: "It seems to me that in Buryatia I will understand something very important" He used to be the only Japanese dancer at the Bolshoi Theatre. Today he is the head of the ballet company at the Buryat State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater, where the ballet "The Fountain of Bakhchisarai" has premiered recently. It was a very academic interpretation of this piece, which followed the Saint Petersburg example precisely. While Iawata is in charge of the company, one can feel safe about the fate of classical ballets - there will be no insincerity. He is modest and even shy; still, he is always the center of attention. Everyone in the ballet community knows him. Colleagues respect him for his commitment, which is truly unique, and an ability to master any trick (one of the pedagogues complained: "It is a pity that he is not very tall and his repertoire is limited"). Quite recently audiences were thrilled with his breath-taking jumps and trustful shining eyes: people loved his funny Chinese in "The Nutcracker" and the homeless boy Ivanushka in the ballet "The Bolt", the reckless Cipollino and the hovering Golden Idol in "La Bayadere". He can be called a specialist in fools: he danced all Fools at the Bolshoi Theatre - in "Romeo and Juliet", "Swan Lake" and "The Legend of Love" - and all of them were different. Morihiro Iwata is an experienced contestant; he won a lot of prizes at ballet competitions (golden medals at the All-Japanese competition in Tokyo a n d th e M osco w In te rn atio nal C om petit io n). At th e co m petit io n "Arabesque" in Perm he was the first to receive the Grand Prix and the Mikhail Baryshnikov prize. In the midst of his c a re er th is Bols h oi's Ja panese virtuoso started to choreograph; he intrigued his fans with the mysterious philosophy of samurai in the exotic miniature "Climbing Mountain Fuji" and "Tamashi", the ballet about the mystery of great oriental rituals. - How did a boy from a friendly and wealthy family end up in Russia during perestroika? - I think my faith was guiding me. My parents did ballet. My father studied classical dance in Japan, but with a Russian pedagogue, the Bolshoi Theatre's soloist Alexei V arlamov. My family adored Russian dancers. I danced and dreamed about the Russian ballet. During the Soviet era it was very difficult to come to Russia to study; when I finally got such an opportunity, naturally, I used it. I was 19 years old when I became a second year student at the Moscow State Academy of Choreography. - Did you get into the Bolshoi Theatre at once? - Having graduated from the Academy, I worked at the "Russian Ballet" company, headed by Vyacheslav Gordeev. Then I left the company; I was given a pass to the Bolshoi Theatre, so I could practice in classes. In 1995 I joined the Bolshoi Theatre as a trainee - not as a foreigner, but on a regular basis. I was even paid scholarship and given the part of the Fool in "Romeo and Juliet". A year later I became a Bolshoi artist. - Back then foreign dancers came to the Bolshoi Theatre for an internship, danced there, but never joined the company. - I am still thrilled with the Bolshoi; I worked there for 17 years. I am proud of it. It feels good to know that I was the first and originally the only foreigner in the famous company; however, I take no credit for this. Back then the theatre transferred to the contract system, so agreements were signed with all soloists. I signed a contract as well. - Ballet in Japan is worshiped, and Russian pedagogues are happy to go the Land of the Rising Sun with pleasure. Why is it that all Japanese graduates of Russian schools are trying to stay in Russia? - Generally speaking, the Japanese perception of ballet is dif ferent. Dancing is more of a hobby. W e have no theatres that are protected by the government, like it is here in Russia, where theatres have repertoires, their building and their history. Companies gather, stage some performance and show it for some time, and then there is nothing again. There are many ballet schools, but they are private and do not provide consistent education. - Y ou are called a king of variation. Are you offended with this "title", or are you proud of it? - It is always nice to be a king, but I danced bit parts as well. They were not parts of princes, of course. But I performed main parts in "Cipollino", "Tale of a priest and his hired man Balda", "The Little Humpbacked Horse" and big parts in "GaГ®té parisienne" a nd "T he Bolt ". I cre ate d character, temperamental images. There were tiny parts as well: for example, there is the Devil Doll in "The Nutcracker" - you are on the stage for 45 seconds. I loved everything, and it is dif ficult to say what I loved more. June, 5 2014 Newsletter

- Having finished your dancing career, you did another trick - you went to Ulan-Ude and became the head of the ballet company at the theatre there. Why did you do it? - By that time I had decided that I had already did everything I could as a dancer, so I left the Bolshoi Theatre. Of course, I wanted to d an ce, but I w ante d to choreograph even more. I was interested in this process. - By that time you had already c h o re og ra p he d th e balle t "T amashi" and several numbers: " C onfe ss io n ", "E te rn al Love ", " S to n e Age", "F ir s t Kis s", "Cleopatra" and "A Prisoner". Several of those numbers had been awarded different prizes at competitions… - I co nsid er th at if yo u do choreograph, this is the only thing you should devote yourself to. I was invited to teach at GITIS, which I graduated from at some point; I was thinking about going to Japan, but the thing is, I have family in Moscow. Suddenly I was offered the position of the Buryat Opera and Ballet Theatre. - Had you been thinking about it for a long time before you accepted it? - I was happy and agreed at once. A chance to have your own company is a real gift for a person, who decided to be a choreographer. You do not have to conduct negotiations with artists (they all are very busy people, by the way), look for a rehearsal hall, a stage, or worry about costumes. I am given everything. There is only one problem - parting with my family, but my wife supported me; she understands what a creative dream is. - Y our company ended up being rather far from Moscow. - It is halfway from Moscow to Tokyo. It is strange, but time zones in Buryatia and Japan are the same, so my clock and my watch show Japanese time. - I visited Ulan-Ude several years ago. The Opera and Ballet Theatre made a woeful impression: empty halls, scandals, dismissals… - It is the second season that I have been in charge. We have prepared concert programs, conducted an International Ballet Festival named after Larissa Sakhyanova and Petr Abashev, the legendary Buryat dancers, and staged two productions - "Don Quixote" and "The Fountain of Bakhchisarai". The audience has started to come back slowly. People in Ulan-Ude used to love ballet. Older members of the audience say that the house used to be full and people in the audience used to know the artists. These stories inspire me, because traditions are very important. At first they were trying to find a bee in my head no matter what I did. But then people started to appreciate what we are doing; there were no more scandals and artists got involved in their work. I understand that we need a production for children urgently; I want to stage "Cipollino" by Genrich Mayorov. It is also important to nurture individuals. I am trying to interest young artists with classics that I love v e ry m uch. The re is so m e strange tendency that exists in the ballet world today - there are many artists with beautiful legs and insteps, and they all do pirouettes and jump really high. But at the same time they often change classical parts to their own taste, so that they feel comfortable dancing them and can show themselves to advantage. But the point is lost. Values have changed, tasks have become shallow and whatever is on the outside is now more important that what is on the inside. I appreciate the Buryat Theatre ballet company because it still has some sincerity, something hot inside. This is something that I want to preserve and to develop in young artists. So I am busy educating them. - The process of education is exhausting. Are you tired? -On the contrary - I like it. Of course, there are times, when it is tough. Once I even thought: I will work here for two years, and that is it. But today I take a detached view of what has been done, evaluate what I can do and understand that I will not abandon the theatre. I have grown to like the artists, they are mine. When problems arise, one should not try to escape them, but try to tackle them. This is my task. I am not going to leave. - This must be the Japanese character. - I do not know. May be so… - What is it like? - Dif ferent. In general, the Japanese are famous for their respect for the elders, their occupation and life in general. The Japanese are very hard-working and disciplined. /…/ Many people send their messages of condolences to the Channel "Russia K" for the death of Svyatoslav Belza Many people send their messages of condolences to the Channel "Russia K" for the death of Svyatoslav Belza. Here are some of them. There is a letter of condolences from the Bolshoi Theatre staff, signed by the Bolshoi General Director Vladimir Urin. /.../ The Bolshoi Theatre General Director Vladimir Urin: "When this person went out and communicated with people, he was always well- groomed and genteel. He was a considerate person, who was also extremely knowledgeable and had a fantastic memory. You could ask him about any music event in the world and he knew about it; he could tell you something about it; he could find common ground with any audience, and it was absolutely amazing". /…/ The Bolshoi Ballet first soloist, the winner of the Grand Prix of the competition "The Big Ballet" Anna Tikhomirova: "W e worked on the project "The Big Ballet" together. This was a very dignified person; he was also very genteel. He was one of those that people never forget. He will stay in our hearts forever. It seems to me that Svyatoslav I. Belza never changed; he always was a real person. It has always seemed: this is what people of art and culture should be like". Y oung Opera Singers of Moscow and New York The concert "Young Opera Singers of New York and Moscow" took place at the

Bolshoi Theatre Beethoven Hall on June 3This concert was a part of the project "Art without Borders" and starred graduates and participants of the Bolshoi Theatre Y oung Artists Opera Program and the Metropolitan Opera Young Artists Program (Lindemann Young Artist Development Program). The two best opera theatres of the world presented future world opera stars to the capital's audience. The program included arias and ensembles from operas by T chaikovsky, Glinka, Mozart, V erdi, Puccini and Massenet. Marina Costa-Jackson, John Moore, Emma McDermott, Ginger Costa-Jackson, Andrei Zhilikhovsky, Olga Bolshoi Theatre in the Internet June, 5 2014 Newsletter

Kulchinskya, Yulia Mazurova, Pavel Valuzhin, Bogdan Volkov, Nina Minasyan, Daniil Chesnokov, Arseny Yakovlev and Kristina Mkhitaryan performed in the concert. Howard Watkins, one of the Metropolitan Opera leading accompanists, and Pavel Nevolsin, the Bolshoi Theatre accompanist, played the piano. More pictures from the concert are available on the Bolshoi official pages in the social networks:

.vk.com/public52257710 Photos: Damir Yusupov June, 5 2014 Newsletter

June, 5 2014