Nikita Elikarov – Landgraf on Dance

14. September 2026

Legendary

“Swan Lake”
Bolshoi Ballet
Bolshoi Theatre
Moscow, Russia
September 7 and 8, 2026 (Historic Stage)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2026 by Ilona Landgraf

The Bolshoi Ballet is legendary for its Swan Lake. The first performance took place in 1877, almost one hundred and fifty years ago. This September, the swans danced for the 1,868th time, which translates to roughly thirteen Swan Lakes per year. Since 2001, the company has performed Yuri Grigorovich’s version, which includes scenes by Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, and Alexander Gorsky.

Grigorovich’s Swan Lake is grand. Its concepts and ideals represent the highest achievements of humanity and culture—dignity, decorum, grace, love, and unmatched beauty—and it shows how easily human nature can be led awry. Compared to Vladimir Bourmeister’s Swan Lake at the Stanislavsky Theatre, a ballet that reveals the protagonists’ inner life like none I’ve seen so far, Grigorovich portrays them as emblematic figures in an allegory, the sad ending of which Tchaikovsky’s prologue forebodes.

For the first act, Simon Virsaladze designed a Gothic castle of majestic height. Its trombone players are positioned in mirror image and wear partly red livery that conveys the court’s harmonious order. The entrance of twelve couples, along the line of which Prince Siegfried jetés in, infuses the stage with dynamism. Soaring high, he combines prowess with elegance. The lakeside to which Rothbart (“The Evil Genius”) directs him like a puppeteer is lit by gray moonlight and streaked with wisps of cloud. From a rock at he rear, the Evil Genius oversees his spell. Like a yin-yang symbol, his emblem, a curtain in the shape of a coat of arms, shows white and black swans opposite one another. It has a vicious look and, when lowered, hides the Evil Genius’s machinations or serves as a screen for the Prince’s visions. For Act II’s ball, the retinue swapped their red garments for turquoise. The non-dancing court society wore medieval-ish robes, including pageboy wigs for the men (costumes also by Virsaladze). My favorite part of the outfit was the Russian delegation’s pearl hair accessories.

On September 7th, Darina Moseyeva’s Odette was a fragile swan woman who seemed to live on the air she breathed. A highly sensitive creature, Dmitry Vyskubenko’s Prince treated her with utmost care. Moseyeva immersed herself so deeply into the role that she really seemed to transform into a bird-human chimera. Unfortunately, for undisclosed reasons, she didn’t dance in the second act, and Yaroslava Kuprina replaced her after a prolonged break and an announcement. Kuprina’s Odile was a perfect masquerade of wickedness—sharp and calculating, yet alluring. Presumably having rehearsed all day for her actual Swan Lake on the evening after next, Kuprina ran out of steam during the fouetées but regained her energy in the final scene at the lakeside. She was met with intense applause at the curtain calls, and the Vietnamese delegation that attended the performance in the Imperial Box expressed its appreciation with an announcement and a flower basket for the company.
Vysubenko was an impeccable partner throughout. His entrechats were stunningly filigree, and in the vision scene, his port de bras turned the air velvety.

September 8th’s Odette (Arina Denisova) and her Prince (Makhar Mikhalkin) were mesmerizing in their adagio pas de deux. It touched the soul in a way that cannot be grasped intellectually. Denisova’s Odette was calmer than Moseyeva’s and most aflutter when the Prince swore his love. Her sparkling Odile’s arms undulated like a snake; her gaze was compelling and her smile sure of victory. Of Mikhalkin’s solos, I especially admired his picture-book manège of tours en l’air.
Egor Gerashchenko’s Evil Genius darted along the line of his black swans like Spartacus; on the following evening, Igor Tsvirko danced the role, spreading menacing vibes far into the auditorium.

Akib Anvar’s jester jumped and capered fabulously, his tours, split jumps, and daredevil combinations propelling the energy at the right moments like an engine. Of the Prince’s two friends, Kristina Petrova and Margarita Shrayner danced more polished than Antonina Chapkina and Elizaveta Kruteleva. However, the latter had to deal with the quick tempo that Alexey Bogorad set at the conductor’s podium (Pavel Sorokin’s tempo on the previous evening was more moderate). At times, he also hastened the swans.

Of the brides-to-be, Ana Turazashvili’s was a self-assured, top-notch Hungarian bride who paid remarkable attention to every detail of her variation. Elizaveta Gaponenko, by comparison, made me think of Raymonda. Both Russian brides (Antonina Chapkina and Maria Konkova) were warm and giving, their arms as soft as the most gentle breeze. The Spanish brides (Anastasia Smirnova and Kristina Petrova) glided across the stage with space consuming steps, which showed off their full, flowing skirts. The Neapolitan dance led by Valeria Bespalova was vivacious, whereas on the following evening, Sofia Maimula and her Neapolitan companions hurried to keep up with Bogorad’s brisk pace. Taisia Konovalova’s Polish bride’s male entourage faced the same challenge. On the previous evening, Olga Marchenkova and her men were unremarkable.

Nelli Kobakhidze and Anastasia Meskova portrayed the Princess-Mother; Alexey Loparevich and Alexander Fadeyechev played the Prince’s tutor; Nikita Elikarov was the Master of Ceremonies at both performances.
The swan corps moved with impeccable precision and grace. Watching its beautiful patterns felt like a gift.

Link:		Website of the Bolshoi Theatre
Photos:	1.	Ensemble, “Swan Lake” by Yuri Grigorovich, Bolshoi Ballet 2026 © Bolshoi Theatre/Natalia Voronova
	2.	Darina Moseyeva (Odette), “Swan Lake” by Yuri Grigorovich, Bolshoi Ballet 2026 © Bolshoi Theatre/Damir Yusupov
	3.	Arina Denisova (Odile), “Swan Lake” by Yuri Grigorovich, Bolshoi Ballet 2026 © Bolshoi Theatre/Mikhail Logvinov
	4.	Dmitry Vyskubenko (Prince Siegfried) and ensemble, “Swan Lake” by Yuri Grigorovich, Bolshoi Ballet 2026 © Bolshoi Theatre/Elena Fetisova
	5.	Makhar Mikhalkin (Prince Siegfried), “Swan Lake” by Yuri Grigorovich, Bolshoi Ballet 2026 © Bolshoi Theatre/Pavel Rychkov
	6.	Ensemble, “Swan Lake” by Yuri Grigorovich, Bolshoi Ballet 2026 © Bolshoi Theatre/Mikhail Logvinov
	7.	Ensemble, “Swan Lake” by Yuri Grigorovich, Bolshoi Ballet 2026 © Bolshoi Theatre/Natalia Voronova
Editing:		Kayla Kauffman

22. February 202623. February 2026

“I’m a supporter of talented people”

“Marco Spada”
Bolshoi Ballet
Bolshoi Theatre (Historic Stage)
Moscow, Russia
February 15, 2026

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2026 by Ilona Landgraf

The Bolshoi Ballet has two choreographies by Pierre Lacotte (1932-2023) in its repertory: his recreation of Petipa’s La Fille du Pharaon (which he entrusted to no other company) and Marco Spada, a 1857 ballet d’action for the Paris Opéra by Joseph Mazilier to music by Daniel Auber, which was lost except for a few sketches and reviews. In 1981, Lacotte choreographed and staged it from scratch for the Teatro Dell’Opera di Roma with Rudolf Nureyev in the title role. Despite being peripatetic, Nureyev was so eager to participate in the production that he signed a contract on the tablecloth during a restaurant outing with Lacotte. “I, Rudolf Nureyev, guarantee that for the duration of a month I will attend daily rehearsals in Rome for the ballet Marco Spada,” he wrote.

Continue reading ““I’m a supporter of talented people””

4. November 202329. January 2026

Fiendishly Fine

“Master and Margarita”
Bolshoi Ballet
Bolshoi Theatre (New Stage)
Moscow, Russia
October 29, 2023 (matinee)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2023 by Ilona Landgraf

I was skeptical whether Edward Clug was the right choice to tackle Mikhail Bulgakov’s novel “The Master and Margarita”. A Russian choreographer seemed better equipped to adapt this landmark of Soviet literature for the ballet stage than a Romanian-born working in Maribor, Slovenia. Two years after its premiere at the Bolshoi Theatre, I was able to watch Clug’s “Master and Margarita” – and my reservations were proven thoroughly wrong. It’s a fabulous blend of entertainment and food for thought, brimful of metaphors and allusions. Yuri Possokhov, Clug’s Russian colleague, currently preparing a new piece for the Bolshoi, is full of appreciation for “Master and Margarita” as well. I met him at another performance where he told me that Clug understands the Russian soul perfectly well.

Interestingly, Clug, together with Christian Spuck (then artistic director of Zurich Ballet) intended to stage “Master and Margarita” in Zurich in 2015, but their plan was thwarted when the theater’s research revealed that ticket sales would be uncertain because the Zurich audience wasn’t familiar with Bulgakov’s novel. Destiny brought the Bolshoi Ballet’s artistic director Makhar Vaziev to the scene who decided to stage the piece in Moscow.

A lifetime could be spent exploring Bulgakov’s political and social satire and the biblical questions raised by the novel. In short “The Master and Margarita” (published only after Bulgakov’s death in 1940, first in an edited serial form in 1966/67 and uncensored in 1973) intertwines two plots: (1) the mayhem caused by the Satan (alias Professor Woland) and his entourage when visiting Moscow in the 1930s, and (2) the trial of Jesus of Nazareth in Jerusalem during Pontius Pilate’s governance. The connecting link is the Master, a Muscovite author (and Bulgakov’s alter ego) whose latest manuscript tells the Jerusalem plot. Margarita is the woman who loves him and – unlike Moscow’s critics – his work. Continue reading “Fiendishly Fine”

13. April 202324. August 2026

Well kept

“Raymonda”
Bolshoi Ballet
Bolshoi Theatre
Moscow, Russia
April 6, 2023

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2023 by Ilona Landgraf

“Raymonda” is a foundation of Russian ballet repertoire, but is rarely performed in Europe. After his flight to the west, Nureyev staged several versions of the work for western companies, staying faithful to Petipa’s 1898 original. The few European choreographers who’ve tackled the piece – among them Pontus Lidberg for the Royal Swedish Ballet in 2014 and Rachel Beaujean for the Dutch National Ballet in 2022 – adjusted Lydia Pashkova’s libretto to match western tastes. The only Petipa/Pashkova-based Russian production I saw was Konstantin Sergeyev’s from 1948, presented by the Maryinsky Ballet on their 2014 tour to Baden-Baden. That production felt alien in Baden-Baden’s modern Festspielhaus, reinforcing the reputation of “Raymonda” as dusty and outdated. In last year’s review of Tamara Rojo’s “Raymonda” for the English National Ballet, London critic Jenny Gilbert went so far as to call Raymonda an “ineffectual heroine” (implying that the numerous renowned ballerinas who’ve taken on that leading role in the last 125 years were foolish in doing so) and the plot “offensively silly.” She also claimed that Russian “ballet culture has a higher tolerance of such [silly] things.” After watching the Bolshoi Ballet’s “Raymonda”, I’m inclined to think that the western perspective misses what “Raymonda” is actually about. Continue reading “Well kept”

9. April 202313. April 2023

Hot!

“Don Quixote”
Bolshoi Ballet
Bolshoi Theatre
Moscow, Russia
April 5, 2023

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2023 by Ilona Landgraf

“The Bolshoi Ballet” is synonymous with excellence – and if anyone can pull off “Don Quixote”, it’s them. This past Wednesday, though, the company left me flabbergasted. Pavel Klinichev wasted no time at the conductor’s podium, unleashing Ludwig Minkus’s score the instant he turned to face the orchestra. The effervescent pacing of the first few bars made clear that this “Don Quixote” would be a spicy one.
From the first moment that the goateed Don Quixote (Alexey Loparevich) and his loyal, oft-gluttonous squire Sancho Panza (Georgy Gusev) set off on their chivalrous journey, Valeriy Levental’s set transported us to the sizzling cauldron of the jam-packed port of Barcelona. Everything is perfect: the turquoise Mediterranean Sea glints under the bright summer sun; fresh fruit is piled sky-high; and the local youth remain in the merriest of moods. The happiest of all, Kitri (Elizaveta Kokoreva) and Basilio (Alexey Putintsev), quickly bring the scene to a boil. Kokoreva’s Kitri sweeps onstage like a torpedo, her fleet-footed legs and teasing fan leaving a trail of sparks. Klinichev’s brisk conducting seemed to spur rather than challenge her. I especially admired Kokoreva’s rock-solid balances – from which she descended only to hurl herself into a battery of snappy pirouettes. Continue reading “Hot!”

29. March 201913. September 2026

Growing With the Legacy

“Coppélia”
Bolshoi Ballet
Bolshoi Theatre
Moscow, Russia
March 23, 2019 (matinee)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2019 by Ilona Landgraf

What would Sergei Vikharev have thought of his “Coppélia” if he had watched the matinee on March 23? For one thing, he wouldn’t appreciate my calling the work “his”, as it is Petipa’s and his assistant Cecchetti’s 1884 choreography that Vikharev, together with ballet scholar Pavel Gershenzon, meticulously revived from Nicholas Sergeiev’s notation. Vikharev’s reconstruction premiered in 2009 with the Bolshoi Ballet with an updated revival planned for 2018/19. However, fate struck in the summer of 2017 when Vikharev, only fifty-five years old, died from an adverse reaction to anesthetic during a dental treatment. As a result, the company re-staged the 2009 version. Continue reading “Growing With the Legacy”

22. December 201821. September 2026

All That is Called Love

“Romeo and Juliet”
Bolshoi Ballet
Bolshoi Theatre
Moscow, Russia
December 15, 2018

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2018 by Ilona Landgraf

I saw the Bolshoi Ballet in Alexei Ratmansky’s “Romeo and Juliet” for the first time in November 2017, though the choreography premiered in Toronto at the National Ballet of Canada in 2011. The piece is intense, seething with emotions and laden with turmoil. If there is a moment of peace and tranquility it is swiftly swept away by the rush of events. The story feels like a river-boat ride: once you’ve boarded, there’s no stopping or changing course. Instead, the passengers quickly find themselves carried from placid waters to heavy currents and towards a torrential waterfall.

Of all the ballet productions of “Romeo and Juliet” that I’ve seen, Ratmansky’s rendering captures the essence of Shakespeare’s tragedy best. Ratmansky’s choreography is as complex as Shakespeare’s characters are multi-faceted. Every sequence is telling and meaningful. None of the movements are decorative embellishments. The same applies to Richard Hudson’s unadorned set—though Hudson’s costumes, in contrast, revel in colors, patterns, lavish brocade and velvet, recalling Early Renaissance fashion. It was customary in Verona for rich families to parade their outfits when they gathered; as such, this production is filled with brocade, velvet, bold patterns, fur-trimmed cuffs and headdresses that are daring by today’s standards. Lighting by Jennifer Tipton cleverly underscores the atmosphere.

Last year, I saw Anastasia Stashkevich and Vyacheslav Lopatin perform the titular couple. This time Evgenia Obraztsova danced Juliet, while Guillaume Côté, principal dancer of the National Ballet of Canada (guesting with the Bolshoi for the first time) was her Romeo. Ratmansky originally created the role on Côté in 2011.

Unlike Stashkevich and Lopatin’ Romeo & Juliet—whose love seemed fulfillment—Côté and Obraztsova’s lovers seemed doomed to fail from the start. It seemed as though heaven had chosen two young people as a paragon of ideal love so that those in their surroundings could be reminded of what love is. Apart from Yuri Ostrovsky’s Friar Laurence, a faithful and bold heavenly aide, everyone understood love differently.

Juliet’s parents Lady and Lord Capulet (Kristina Karasyova and Nikita Elikarov) certainly wanted their daughter to be happy, but within the frame of social decency. Looming Lord Capulet, who by height alone overpowered the petite Juliet, hoped to curb her disobedience by using physical force. Did he ever realize that she might have her own desires? Lady Capulet, despite nearly relenting, decidedly pushed away any compassion and reverted to cold parental authority.

Juliet’s nurse (Anastasia Vinokur) couldn’t have been more kind-hearted, but she did not have the power (and presumably also lacked the courage) to act against social norms. For her, Juliet remained a child. How much it must have hurt her to be rejected by her foster-daughter! And yet the nurse stoically swallowed her grief, made the sign of the cross towards Juliet, and left. It was the strongest moment of Vinokur’s performance.

Could we assume that Count Paris (Ivan Alexeyev) loved Juliet? Compliant and well-behaved as he was, he would have made a reputable groom-to-be. However, his intentions to marry were motivated by social considerations rather than by deep-running emotions. In reality, he hardly knew her. And Tybalt (Vitaly Biktimirov)? Can one even consider “love” when thinking about him? Who could possibly have been won over by this man whose communicative abilities were limited to ridiculous haughtiness and unprompted aggression? A man who would point his sword at any chest to make himself feel superior? Falling in love might have rescued Tybalt from his fate, but no female candidate, near or far, was interested.

The love affairs of Mercutio (Anton Savichev) and Benvolio (Mikhail Kochan), Romeo’s best buddies, revolved more around the body than the soul. Mercutio, in particular, pranced, hopped, and jumped with quick sassy energy—and plenty of that energy to spare. All three would have gone through hell and high water for the others, and so maybe their friendship was fueled by a sort of love—but if so, it was a love wrapped in nonstop tomfoolery.

Obraztsova’s Juliet was a source of pure positivity – beauty, charm, joie de vivre, lightness, inborn grace, naturalness—and was loved by everyone. Although she was struck by love as if by lightning, faced with existential decisions that forced her to grow up with little notice, this Juliet never lost her inner balance.
She always stayed true to herself. All the moments of off-balance that Ratmansky included only highlighted the resilience and determination of her soul. And besides, Obraztsova’s dancing can’t help but seem harmonious: she has ideal proportions and, most importantly, she gives herself fully to every moment. Obraztsova is all dance.

Côté puts his Romeo through an emotional roller-coaster, wavering between confidence and moments of insecurity. For him, falling in love with Juliet is completely different than his infatuation with Rosaline—and it’s clear that Romeo finds the depth of this love a bit intimidating at first. However, you should have seen how he livened up after stealing a kiss and how blissfully and triumphantly he soared offstage after the balcony rendezvous. Côté credibly portrayed Romeo’s radical change. Twice he hesitated to fight against Tybalt. The third time his rage won over. It was a maturing fight for Romeo, done with clear, focused eyes against an opponent whose eyeballs bulged with blind fury. Côté was especially strong in the crypt scene when finding the supposedly dead Juliet. One felt wretched watching his infinite grief.

One might presume that minus the unhappy ending, this is kind of love that many of the Veronese folk (and the audience) might wish to experience. So why didn’t it work out for Romeo and Juliet? Is it because there’s always one meanie who doesn’t allow others their bliss? Or maybe because ideal love cannot survive daily routine? Would narrow-mindedness and social etiquette have stifled their love regardless? Besides, when considering the raw force with which the Lords of the Capulet and Montague families crossed their swords (Lord Montague was performed by Alexander Fadeyechev), did tender feelings really have a place in this society?
Moreover, wasn’t Friar Laurence’s plan with the potion unrealistic from the start? As we watched him explain the potion to Juliet, it was obvious that his idea wouldn’t work. When at a dead-end, one clings to the most absurd fantasies that everything will turn out well in the end.

Corps scenes were fresh and brimming with energy. The atmosphere of Verona’s town square flowed seamlessly between liveliness and compassion to aggression and hate. Four fools in black and white costumes featuring grotesque masks entertained the masses with several plain and slightly boring numbers. Their primitive capers seemed to mirror the scope of mind of the common folk.

The engine of the performance was Prokofiev’s thumping score—of which Pavel Klinichev and the Bolshoi Orchestra gave a skillful rendition.

Links:		Website of the Bolshoi Theatre
		Website of the National Ballet of Canada
Photos:	1.	Evgenia Obraztsova (Juliet) and Guillaume Côté (Romeo), “Romeo and Juliet” by Alexei Ratmansky, Bolshoi Ballet 2018
	2.	Mikhail Kochan (Benvolio), Guillaume Côté (Romeo) and Anton Savichev (Mercutio), “Romeo and Juliet” by Alexei Ratmansky, Bolshoi Ballet 2018
	3.	Anton Savichev (Mercutio), Guillaume Côté (Romeo) and Mikhail Kochan (Benvolio), “Romeo and Juliet” by Alexei Ratmansky, Bolshoi Ballet 2018
	4.	Guillaume Côté (Romeo), “Romeo and Juliet” by Alexei Ratmansky, Bolshoi Ballet 2018
	5.	Mikhail Kochan (Benvolio), Guillaume Côté (Romeo) and Anton Savichev (Mercutio), “Romeo and Juliet” by Alexei Ratmansky, Bolshoi Ballet 2018
	6.	Anton Savichev (Mercutio), Guillaume Côté (Romeo) and Mikhail Kochan (Benvolio), “Romeo and Juliet” by Alexei Ratmansky, Bolshoi Ballet 2018
	7.	Evgenia Obraztsova (Juliet), Ivan Alexeyev (Count Paris) and corps de ballet, “Romeo and Juliet” by Alexei Ratmansky, Bolshoi Ballet 2018
	8.	Guillaume Côté (Romeo), Yuri Ostrovsky (Friar Laurence) and Evgenia Obraztsova (Juliet), “Romeo and Juliet” by Alexei Ratmansky, Bolshoi Ballet 2018
	9.	Guillaume Côté (Romeo), “Romeo and Juliet” by Alexei Ratmansky, Bolshoi Ballet 2018
	10.	Guillaume Côté (Romeo) and Evgenia Obraztsova (Juliet), “Romeo and Juliet” by Alexei Ratmansky, Bolshoi Ballet 2018
	11.	Guillaume Côté (Romeo) and Evgenia Obraztsova (Juliet), “Romeo and Juliet” by Alexei Ratmansky, Bolshoi Ballet 2018
	12.	Kristina Loseva (Prostitute), Vitaly Biktimirov (Tybalt) and corps de ballet, “Romeo and Juliet” by Alexei Ratmansky, Bolshoi Ballet 2018
	13.	Guillaume Côté (Romeo), Anton Savichev (Mercutio) and corps de ballet, “Romeo and Juliet” by Alexei Ratmansky, Bolshoi Ballet 2018
	14.	Yuri Ostrovsky (Friar Laurence) and Evgenia Obraztsova (Juliet), “Romeo and Juliet” by Alexei Ratmansky, Bolshoi Ballet 2018
	15.	Evgenia Obraztsova (Juliet), “Romeo and Juliet” by Alexei Ratmansky, Bolshoi Ballet 2018
	16.	Evgenia Obraztsova (Juliet) and Guillaume Côté (Romeo), “Romeo and Juliet” by Alexei Ratmansky, Bolshoi Ballet 2018
		all photos © Bolshoi Ballet / Elena Fetisova
Editing:		Jake Stepansky

16. February 201821. September 2026

From “Ballet Falsity” to Long-Runner

“The Bright Stream”
Bolshoi Ballet
Bolshoi Theatre
Moscow, Russia
February 10 and 11, 2018

“The Bright Stream” was Shostakovich’s third score for ballet. After his previous ballets, “The Golden Age” (1930) and “Bolt” (1931), were banned from the stage, Shostakovich attempted to create a new composition that would please everyone. Fyodor Lopukhov (1886–1973) was in charge of the choreography, the libretto was by Adrian Pyotrovsky and Lopukhov, and indeed, “The Bright Stream” was enthusiastically received at its premiere in Leningrad—today’s St. Petersburg – in 1935. Continue reading “From “Ballet Falsity” to Long-Runner”

29. November 201721. April 2020

Universal Love

“Romeo and Juliet”
Bolshoi Ballet
Bolshoi Theatre
Moscow, Russia
November 25, 2017

Last week the Bolshoi Ballet added a second version of “Romeo and Juliet” to its repertoire. By Alexei Ratmansky, it premiered at the National Ballet of Canada in 2011 and is being performed on the New Stage of the Bolshoi Theatre. As during recent years, Yuri Grigorovich’s adaption will be shown on the Bolshoi’s Historic Stage.
Ratmansky cast three leading couples: Ekaterina Krysanova & Vladislav Lantratov; Anastasia Stashkevich & Vyacheslav Lopatin; and Evgenia Obraztsova & Artemy Belyakov; however the pairings switched in the course of the first run. I saw the fourth performance after the premiere; Stashkevich was Juliet alongside Lopatin’s Romeo. Continue reading “Universal Love”