Anna Ol Instagram. Anna Ol: “Ballet is increasingly turning into a sport

The prima ballerina of the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam, Anna Ohl, appears again and again on the pages of the world press. On the social network Instagram, almost 50 thousand fans and grateful viewers are subscribed to her account. Some enthusiastically follow the life of a star, others dream of becoming, even for a split second, like the famous dancer.

But few people know that Anna began her career on the Krasnoyarsk stage, and took her first steps in ballet at the Krasnoyarsk Choreographic College. We decided to go there and find out how world-class stars are grown in a small historical building in the city center.

On Tuesday morning we cross the threshold of college. We immediately find ourselves in a spacious hall with long corridors and stained glass windows. It seems that everything here “breathes” art. From behind closed doors comes classical music and rhythmic commands from the teacher - “one, two, plie.”

The college itself was founded in 1978 in the building of a former pedagogical institute at the same time as the Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theater. There was a need for personnel, and they decided to open a ballet school in the city.

Today about 170 children study here. Recruitment takes place in two directions - “populists” classes are recruited once every 5 years, graduates of the 7th grade of a secondary school are admitted here. Those dreaming of a career in ballet go to school earlier - after the 4th grade. Getting into the ranks of professional dancers is not easy: there should be no more than 25 people in a class. This year the competition for girls had 4 people per place, boys had half as many. To beat your competitors, you need not only great desire and hard work, but also a certain “texture”.

“The admissions committee evaluates children based on physical parameters. Good height and narrow-boned physique are welcome - long arms, legs, long neck, small head. Separately, they look at ballet data - flexibility, stretching, turnout. Artistry and musicality are also important,” says recruiting methodologist Nikolai Lukyanov.

The admission itself takes place in three stages: at the first, the physical parameters of the children are assessed, then a double medical examination, and the tests are completed by a creative competition - the children must perform a dance number to the music and demonstrate the maximum of their capabilities. Most of those who pass all three rounds have basic dance training. Girls must do three splits - two longitudinal and a transverse; boys are sometimes given a discount - there are fewer of them.

Those who enter college are fascinated by their studies; children here receive three different educations in parallel - secondary, dance and music. All students study individually with a piano teacher for 3 years and take an exam every six months. In senior courses, musical literature is also added: any self-respecting dancer should know the work of composers, in what era this or that work was written and what morals were then. This knowledge is necessary to play the role correctly on stage.

Children in college receive three different educations in parallel - secondary, dance and music.

But most of the time is, of course, taken up by dance classes. First graders can have up to 3 hours of dancing per day. Not every adult can withstand such a load, but with children everything is different.

“It’s much easier for children than for adults; they have a completely different nature of muscles and ligaments. We have a classical dance going on for 1.5 hours, you think - that’s it, you’re tired... No, the bell rang, and they ran on, cheerful and happy. Therefore, children who are initially very energetic, active and interested find it quite comfortable to study here,” says classical dance teacher Natalya Kargapoltseva.

In addition to high physical activity, schoolchildren also have to put up with appearance rules. Here they call it “ballet etiquette.” Boys and boys should wear a medium-length haircut; girls must have long hair so that they can be tied into a bun. Pupils are prohibited from dyeing their hair and wearing bright make-up.

“When classes are over, it happens that girls put makeup on their faces before going out. We can’t control them at our parents’ house, but we don’t allow them here. We must ensure that both on the street and in the city the students of the choreographic college live up to their rank. You are a future ballerina, you should not look vulgar or provocative. Stage makeup is another matter - it is needed so that the face can be seen from the stage, but why in everyday life? Yes, and it ruins the skin. Light makeup can be very minimal - just highlight the eyelashes, but we don’t allow war paint,” says Nikolai Lukyanov.

Bright manicures and piercings are also prohibited for girls. The only exceptions are small, neat earrings. For violation of the rules, parents may be called to the “carpet” to the director or an entry may be made in the personal file.

We move to dance classes. Accompanied by live piano music, young ballerinas diligently pull their toes and squat at the command of the teacher. Safety precautions are paramount here - any exercises are done only after the muscles have warmed up, otherwise ligaments and joints can be damaged.

College workers admit: in the work of a dancer, 60-70% of success is the initial data. However, even children gifted by nature have to study a lot and diligently. Lessons are needed to learn new elements; you need to hone your skills on your own in your free time from studying.

Hard work and enormous physical exertion have their consequences, many believe. Parents are often afraid to send their child to dance because ballet “disfigures girls’ feet.” However, representatives of the profession assure that these are, for the most part, myths. There are deformations, but outwardly they are almost invisible.

“Of course, the foot changes a little, but it doesn’t become something scary, that’s not true. You can ask any ballerina, and she will go out in sandals in the summer. In the modern age there are a lot of skin care products for foot health. There are many devices - linings in pointe shoes, which make the shoes very soft. It used to be, back in Soviet times, when this was not enough, there were calluses and so on. Now, of course, there may be pain and fatigue. But it’s not because the legs are injured, it’s muscle pain that happens from any stress. This is a normal condition, any athletes have muscle pain after training, but this is all within the limits of reason; such fear that all your legs are bleeding does not happen,” says Nikolai Lukyanov.

We go to the boys' class. In front of us at the machine are 14-year-old teenagers. Athletic muscle relief is already visible from under the ballet uniform. No one goes to the “gym” here; the muscles work themselves during regular training. The weight of young dancers is not monitored; the main thing is that everything looks proportional and “nothing hangs.”

A completely different policy applies to young ballerinas. Every month the girls undergo control weigh-ins. Height and weight are checked against a special table, however, according to all world standards, a ballerina should not weigh more than 50 kg. If girls suddenly start to gain weight, they are reprimanded.

“It is now forbidden to talk about diets in childhood; we can only advise switching to some kind of diet. The grade for form may be reduced. Within reasonable limits, of course, by half a point, for example. And the teacher can say that you need to watch the form a little, very correctly, very tactfully and very carefully,” says Nikolai Lukyanov.

However, the myth that ballerinas do not eat anything and are constantly on diets is unanimously refuted by college workers. A special balanced menu was introduced in the school canteen; the diet contains a lot of complex carbohydrates - cereals, vegetables, fruits and protein - to build muscle tissue. Sweets are allowed, but in limited quantities.

“When children come to us, we select them very carefully and, among other things, pay attention to what type of girl the girl is.” Initially, we try to take children who will not have weight problems. There is a myth that ballerinas do not eat anything. Actually this is not true! The ballerina works, works very hard and eats a lot, accordingly. In order to work, you need energy. Therefore, a real ballerina who is really in this profession, she eats well,” says Natalya Kargapoltseva.

In the school canteen we find confirmation of the teachers' words. High school students snack with appetite on yoghurts and bananas, one of them eats a roll with a fork without cutting it.

This is how the studies proceed until the 9th grade (5th grade of ballet school). Then students write the OGE, move on to the 1st year and become college students for another 3 years. Students, unlike schoolchildren, place more emphasis on special subjects - duet-classical dance, folk stage dance, modern dance and acting. Students can have up to 5 hours of physical activity per day. Psychology, philosophy, history of choreographic art, ballet heritage and history of dramatic theater are also added.

By the end of the course, as a rule, only half or less of the 25 students remain. Some leave for health reasons, others realize that they do not have enough data and are “not professional enough.”

The students themselves, who have passed senior courses, approach their studies responsibly. For them, ballet is their whole life.

“I’m currently in my third year of study, and then I plan to go to the Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theater. In general, I came here to study very late - in the 8th grade in the second half of the year. Initially, I didn’t plan to become a ballerina or study choreography, but then I wanted to... It’s hard, of course, but very interesting. I like that you are constantly on the move, that there is no free time. Sometimes I come back around 9 pm, I still have time to do my homework. As for restrictions, this is not so important for me, I didn’t even have a desire to wear bright makeup or anything else, for performances - yes, please,” says Anna Salenkova, a 3rd year student of the classical dance department.

Students aged 18-19 graduate with a college diploma - this is a secondary specialized education “ballet dancer”, it gives the right to work in any ballet troupe. As a rule, theaters look for gifted students during their final exams and invite them to join them. In Krasnoyarsk, most graduates of the ballet college are employed in the opera and ballet theater, some go to the musical theater, there is also a ballet troupe there. After working for two or three years in the theater, some go to professional dance groups or receive higher education as a choreographer-choreographer.

Among the graduates of the Krasnoyarsk Choreographic College there are world-class stars, for example, the soloist of the Boris Eifman Ballet Theater troupe Vera Arbuzova. Now the ballerina has already left the stage and opened her own modern classical dance studio, where she works as a choreographer.

Another famous graduate is Anna Ol. The dancer graduated from college in 2002, worked at the Krasnoyarsk Opera House, then moved to Moscow and performed leading roles at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theater. Anna is now a prima ballerina of the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam and a role model for young ballerinas. However, in Krasnoyarsk they still remember her first theatrical roles.

“She graduated from our college in 2002, I was entering first grade then, and she was graduating. I even remember her acting number - “The Ugly Duckling”. She came out in a jacket, boots, a cap, and with a balloon, like an ugly duckling. Everything was so ridiculous, and then in front of the viewer she turned into a beautiful swan,” recalls Nikolai Lukyanov.

The career of ballet dancers, as a rule, ends earlier than that of their peers. At the age of 35, ballet soloists begin to officially receive a pension, corps de ballet dancers at 40. However, they do not leave the stage immediately. The greatest of Russian ballerinas, Maya Plisetskaya, continued to dance until she was 60 years old and became a true symbol of Russian ballet. After finishing their stage careers, most artists go to teach in schools or theaters and find themselves back in the halls where it all once began. The same machines near the walls, the same mirrors, the same view from the window. Only now they command the young ballerinas: “One, two, plie.”

The editors of the newspaper "Yenisei Lights" are always looking for ways to meet talented people - not only from Divnogorsk, but also from the region and the country. The story of their life, creativity, amazing example of hard work, ability to achieve heights of excellence - this is what is interesting to both us and our regular readers. It is no coincidence that on the pages of our newspaper we talk about famous and successful people. In this regard, having a unique opportunity to meet personally, we could not help but take the opportunity to communicate with the talented ballerina, a student of the Krasnoyarsk ballet school, Anna Ol.

The newspaper talked about Anna earlier; several years ago she gave a long interview to our correspondent. Today Anna Egorovna lives and works abroad, and we thought it would be interesting to find out what has changed in her life after moving to another country, how she sees Russian ballet, as they say, from the outside. Unfortunately, it was not possible to ask questions in person, since Anna very rarely visits her homeland due to her busy schedule with the Dutch National Ballet. But in the age of the Internet and modern communications, this was not an obstacle to asking questions of the famous ballerina. The editors are very grateful to the mayor of the city, Yegor Ol, for his help in organizing communication with his daughter. He conveyed our questions to Anna, and she forwarded her answers to us through her father. We bring to the attention of our readers this unusual interview.

– Anna, we talked with you more than a year ago. At that time, your impressions of your new place of work were still fresh. Has anything changed in your life over time?

- No, nothing has changed, everything remains the same. I am very pleased with my place of work, everything suits me. The atmosphere in the troupe, in the city, suits the repertoire and how much I dance. Everything's fine with me.

– Have your already strong positions in the theater been strengthened?

– Again, I can’t say that anything has changed radically. Everything remained as it was. Yes, of course, now I am appreciated much more than at first, because I have already shown my work and been involved in big performances. I hope my position has strengthened.

– What new has appeared in your repertoire?

– A lot of different performances appeared. This year I was able to work with choreographers who were very interesting to me. And some of my dreams came true because I worked with the John Krenko Foundation. I was lucky enough to dance Tatiana in the magnificent performance “Onegin”. I was also lucky to work with Natalya Makarova again - both in Amsterdam and in Buenos Aires, where I was invited to the premiere. I am very pleased with the work with Alexei Ratmansky. The choreographers I named are the most significant for me. There were quite a lot of creative performances, new modern performances appeared, as well as classical and neoclassical ones. My repertoire has expanded significantly.

– Information has appeared that your contract has been extended for 7 years! Knowing the ballerina's creative longevity, doesn't this mean that you will remain in the Netherlands until retirement? Sorry for the perhaps not entirely correct question.

– I don’t know where this information came from. I didn't talk about this anywhere. No, my contract was not extended for 7 years. The contract system is the same for everyone here. I have to work for five years on a one-year contract, and then it can be extended as an indefinite one. It lasts up to 38 years. Regarding creative longevity, I plan to stay abroad for the rest of my ballet career. I don’t plan to return to Russia yet, because everything suits me now.

– You rarely visit your parents in Krasnoyarsk. Have you ever been offered to dance on the Divnogorsk stage? I think that would be great.

– Yes, I also think that would be wonderful. But so far “the stars have not aligned.” Cooperation with the Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theater, which I left, was interrupted. This is how the circumstances turned out...

– During the period of work in the Netherlands, did you attract anyone to join you?

– No, and there wasn’t even such a thought. Each artist chooses his own destiny; there is no need to entice anyone. Moreover, our troupe has a certain number of contracts, and all the places are taken. If someone wanted to come to the viewing, I would help in any way I could. And inviting one of the artists personally is not in my rules.

– Having devoted yourself to another theater today, did you have to part with something and bring something new into your work - not typical for the Russian school of ballet?

“There was no need to part with anything.” I have the Russian Vaganova school, which is now the basis for choreographic training almost all over the world. Having a Russian school is a source of pride. As for what's new, yes, it is. Because there are a lot of original productions and new choreographers here that I couldn’t work with in Russia. For example, George Balanchine. Or modern choreographers such as Hans Van Manen, Alexei Ratmansky. Each one has a unique, peculiar plasticity. Since I have to work in these performances, something new, fresh plastic techniques are layered onto the base. However, I don’t want to throw away anything from what the Russian school instilled in me and I will carefully preserve it.

– Does your troupe tour? If so, is Russia on your tour schedule?

– The troupe doesn’t tour that much, but it doesn’t tour that little either – like all European theaters that have their own base. This year there were tours in Mexico, Spain and France. Russia is on our tour schedule, but quite rarely, about once every three to four years. First of all, this is St. Petersburg, where the Dance Open festival takes place, where our troupe often performs. There is also the Mariinsky Theater, which holds its own festival, and we are also invited to it. This year there should be a tour there again - if I'm not mistaken, in November. In Russia we only have private tours, and we rarely have planned ones.

– Have you lived in the Netherlands for a short time, but enough to understand how the residents of this country treat Russians?

– I lived here for two years. I don’t feel any negative attitude towards myself, and, as far as I know, no one does.

– Thank you, Anna, for an interesting conversation. Good luck to you! Let me once again express my regret that we, Krasnoyarsk and Divnogorsk residents, are deprived of the opportunity to enjoy your talent.

Prepared by Alexander SPIRIN

Photo from Anna Ol's archive

Not similar posts.

Recently on the stage of the Musical Theater named after K.S. Stanislavsky and Vl. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko performed Kenneth MacMillan’s ballet “Mayerling”. The role of Maria Vechera was performed by Anna Ol, from 2012 to 2015 the leading soloist of the ballet troupe of the Musical Theater, and now the prima ballerina of the Netherlands National Ballet.

— Anna, first question: did you come to Moscow to dance for the first time after leaving?

— Yes, this is my first performance in the last six months. I am very pleased that they did not forget that I was invited. I used to come to Russia on business, but this is the first time to dance since leaving.

- And what sensations do you experience?

— Quite difficult to convey. At first there was some fear. After all, we left. Usually, when artists leave, the connection is lost. Perhaps there was some kind of resentment... After all, many people quit at that time, it was not a very pleasant situation for the theater. So I was a little scared to go back. But now that I’m already here and saw friends and teachers who greeted me very warmly, I’m glad. A little scared (smiles), but only a little. I want to get back into the rhythm of the theater. After all, I love this stage, these halls. There are always very bright performances here. ( We are talking about the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theater). And before the performances I am very... as they say in English, excited. In Russian we don’t usually use such a word... Something like “excited”, probably....

— “Excited”?

- Yes, exactly, excited.

— You have been living in the Netherlands for more than six months, right?

- And how do you feel there?

-I really like it there. First of all, because I can fully realize myself in the profession. Throughout the season, the theater hosts many performances by different choreographers and this gives me a chance to try myself in new productions that are not available in Russia. Over the course of six months, I was able to work with 4 invited teachers: Andrei Klemm, Christopher Stowell, Olga Evreinova and Irek Mukhamedov! After such master classes you feel like you are in a “new body”. A new job is always interesting

— I recently readDance Magazine, where there was a very flattering article about you. They write that they are waiting for you at the Netherlands Ballet Theater and are pinning their hopes on you. They write about your large classical repertoire. Is this really how it is?

- Yes, that’s all true. In Moscow everything was different. This is the capital, the theater has a large troupe with ambitious, in the good sense of the word, artists. The Stanislavsky Theater really has a very strong troupe, amazing artists. So I understand why I couldn't dance much here. Not because I am worse than others, but due to other circumstances. After all, everyone has to dance, but there aren’t many performances. As a result, after three years I really missed work. In the Netherlands, the work process, just being on stage, gives me great pleasure. There is a wonderful audience there who warmly welcomes you. I like the atmosphere in the troupe, the relationships with other artists. Everyone supports me, I have excellent relations with everyone. The atmosphere itself is different. We have tough competition in Moscow and it’s every man for himself; support often looks insincere. Unfortunately, this is our theatrical environment. And there the attitude is really sincere, people come up and start talking. I was very surprised when, on the first day in class at the opening of the season, everyone came up to me and introduced themselves: “My name is so-and-so. Welcome to the company. We are very glad that you are with us." It’s hard to even imagine this here.

- Do you think they are really sincere with you? 100%?

- I think so. Because there, if a person is not happy with you, he will not say the opposite, he will simply remain silent. Naturally, not everyone is so friendly, but the exceptions can be counted on one hand.

— And this despite the fact that you are a competitor for them...

— I came to a leading position, so there is no one to compete with me. It’s all different here - artists are waiting to see who and what they’ll give to dance. And there in the troupe everyone knows what ballets everyone can and will dance.

I came to the vacant seat. Before me there was a ballerina who left to work for another company. In the end, I took the place that was free, so no one had any questions. Some may say that this place must first be justified, but I believe that I have already passed my stages of justification.

— How many primos are there in that troupe?

- Four. There are four with me.

- And there is enough work for everyone?

— Yes, there is enough work for everyone. We also have the first soloists dancing. Of course, we have more performances, we dance the first ballets in blocks, and in the next ones the soloists perform. The system there is fundamentally different from ours. With us, if you get a performance, it’s luck. And there it is work, and it just is. Dancing is your job and you must do it well. Because if you don’t do your job well, they won’t give you performances and won’t renew your contract. And that's fair.

— Do you think that such a difference arises because there are large troupes in Russia? Or because there is a different principle of programming there?

I think the difference is not in the number of artists, but in the number of performances. At the Netherlands Theater, about 8 different ballets are shown a year, which are performed in blocks of 10 to 30 performances each. The current season opened with a Gala concert, followed by a block of 10 performances by Hans Van Manen. Next - 30 performances of the ballet “Giselle”, then 25 performances of “The Nutcracker”. And all this within 4 months. It is impossible for this entire repertoire to be performed by two pairs of leading dancers. Therefore, not only the prima dancers dance, but also the soloists are given the opportunity to show themselves in the main roles. This is precisely the difference.

Of course, there is competition in the fight for the premiere performance. But there is no such thing that the soloist waits, hopes to dance the role promised to him and receives nothing.

— Which other choreographers have you worked with or are you currently working with?

This season, the leading soloist of the Krasnoyarsk ballet Anna Ol became the winner of three prizes at the prestigious international competition "Arabesque-2010" in Perm - first prize, prize for the performance of a modern piece and the Sberbank of Russia prize "In honor of Galina Ulanova." As the ballerina herself says, she did not expect such recognition - the competition was very strong. And the more pleasant the victory.

Not by technology alone

My partner Slava Kapustin and I got together spontaneously and rehearsed the competition program in two weeks,” the artist smiles. “We drove with peace of mind, the main thing for us was participation itself. And I think we learned a good lesson there - we looked at different schools, saw what classical ballet is like performed by artists from other countries. What is also very dear to me personally is that thanks to the competition I received invitations to dance in performances of other theaters - in Kazan, in Perm. Such tours are also a very valuable experience.

What do you think has changed the most in ballet in recent years?

Probably physical requirements, external criteria. Look at Svetlana Zakharova - her step is like that of a gymnast, she has a huge rise, she is tall and long-armed. What if you look at old ballet recordings? Previously, ballerinas were completely different - mostly small, and their weight and shape were different. If we compare with modern times, they took us not so much with their technique, but with their individuality and acting skills, like Galina Sergeevna Ulanova. And now ballet in many ways is increasingly turning into a sport.

Is it good or bad?

In my opinion, this has already become a sad reality, unfortunately. But such masters as Vladimir Vasiliev really don’t like it when an artist dances purely technically. Still, dance is first and foremost an art. And it must be preserved as such. And many artists now often try to master the technique without putting their soul into it. But there are ballets that are simply technically impossible to dance.

Favorite game

For example?

For example, “Romeo and Juliet” by Prokofiev. This is actually my favorite performance. When I was preparing the part, I re-read all of Shakespeare - I think that knowledge of one play is not enough to convey the entire palette of feelings of my heroine. When Ulanova was preparing this part, she attended drama classes. Because the role of Juliet is not only a dance role, it is more of an acting one. And without a dramatic approach it’s not even worth approaching it. In other words, to play a 14-year-old girl, it’s not enough just to be one. (Smiles.) By the way, at the time when I was rehearsing Juliet, I was 20 years old.

How do you perceive your heroine?

When I dance Juliet, it’s like I’m living a small life. After the performance I feel empty, there are zero emotions at all. I give it so much that it seems like I'm dying, like Juliet. For me she is very bright, with a strong character. This girl was able to resist family prejudices and found the strength to follow her loved one. It is very interesting to live such a character on stage. Interesting, although extremely difficult.

Are the difficulties more emotional?

Both emotional and technical. But what, for example, is the difference from Swan Lake? Technically, this ballet by Tchaikovsky is considered the most complex performance. You need to be in very strong physical shape to withstand it. Three full-fledged acts on stage (or two, as in our theater, but this does not make the task easier), complex variations and adagios, imagery - what is “Swan Lake” without the subtlety of the artists’ plasticity? This performance is a combination of all the difficulties that can exist in ballet. And every time you have to tune in to it in a special way - gather yourself into a ball, and under no circumstances be scattered about with extraneous thoughts. And “Romeo and Juliet”, despite all the difficulties, is very pleasant to dance. In any case, I have not yet met a ballerina who had different emotions on this score. There is not a single performance that is the same; each time you can interpret the role of Juliet the way you feel, change something emotionally in yourself. And the greatest difficulty, in fact, is to convey to the viewer the essence of the tragedy.

How does Juliet's character compare to your own? Are you a fighter by nature?

What a great one! (Smiles.) But you know, it seems to me that in our profession it doesn’t happen any other way. Of course, sometimes it happens that someone is promoted, but if the artist himself does not strive for anything, all external progress, as practice shows, is meaningless. A person must be aware of what he wants and go towards it purposefully, otherwise he will not achieve success. Especially in ballet. Every year talented young people come to the theater. If you stand still and think that you already have everything - success, public love, professional recognition - all this can end very quickly. There really is no limit to perfection.

Simple difficulties

What else do you feel needs to be developed in yourself?

Are you asking about technology? For example, to achieve extreme precision in 32 fouettés. It is not always possible to dance it as cleanly as we would like.

And in terms of acting? How do you find your individuality in each party?

This is probably the most difficult thing in our profession. But at the same time it is the most exciting thing. The teacher-tutor helps a lot with this and offers different options. And another great help is modern technical capabilities, the Internet. You can watch how world ballet stars dance this or that role, try something on yourself, and start from something. Don't copy, no. And let it pass through your organics, think: how would I dance myself? If an artist simply performs a choreographic text on stage, it is unlikely that anyone will find it interesting. If the performance does not have energy, well-structured roles, neither beautiful music nor luxurious costumes and scenery can save it - it will be boring and unprofessional. That’s why it upsets me when ballet starts to resemble a sport.

How long does it take to build partnerships in ballet?

Partnership does not happen overnight. Sometimes people simply don’t have the same personalities, and misunderstandings arise. This has happened to me a couple of times, although I try to avoid any conflicts in my work. I recently calculated that since I arrived at the theater I have already had 15 partners, including guest soloists. (Smiles.) And I came to the conclusion that until you dance at least one performance with your partner, there is no question of full-fledged emotional contact. Rehearsal is not an indicator, it is just a technical process. But the stage is completely different, it is there that the exchange of energy takes place, closer relationships arise. Not in a physical sense, like between a man and a woman, but on some spiritual level. If this is not the case, I personally have no interest in watching the performance.

Who was your first theater partner?

My husband Arkady Zinov, in The Sleeping Beauty. When I came to the theater, this ballet was just being released, and at the premiere I danced the second roles. And six months later, on tour in England, I already danced Aurora in it; Arkady and I rehearsed it for a long time before leaving. This is my first leading role in the theater.

It seems, Anna, that you immediately started in Krasnoyarsk with leading roles.

No, no, I went through everything. And, already dancing the leading roles, for the first three years she continued to appear in the corps de ballet from time to time, dancing solo, in some twos or threes.

It’s interesting, but in opera there is a very clear gradation - either you are a soloist or a choir member. And, as a rule, it does not mix, a kind of caste.

In ballet everything is a little different. We come to the theater inexperienced, we are afraid of the stage. Yes, at school they teach us some basics; we are technically savvy. But danceability, the ability to reveal an image on stage only comes with time. If you immediately start dancing Odette-Odile in Swan Lake, I think this is wrong, nothing comes so quickly. You need to go through some crowd scenes, the corps de ballet teaches the feeling of the shoulder. And for me personally it was an invaluable experience, thanks to our artistic director Sergei Rudolfovich Bobrov, who gave me such an opportunity to open up. It is not a common saying that there are no small roles. You need to strive to do everything in your power in the smallest game, to give your best. And not to dance somehow in anticipation that tomorrow a star role will fall on you, and then you will show real class. It doesn't happen that way. Moreover, the ballet age is short, and there is a lot to be done during this time.

Tough school

How do you feel about the fact that ballerinas sometimes, regardless of age, do not leave the stage for a long time?

There are only a few people like Maya Mikhailovna Plisetskaya; she is a legend. And I personally don’t think that I myself will dance after fifty or even forty. It seems to me that ballet is still the art of the young. These are the characteristics of the profession that the body wears out very quickly. And why rape yourself and the public? Let the audience remember you better in the prime of your strength and capabilities. By the way, we now have a generally young troupe, the leading soloists are no more than 25 years old. Those who are older are either on maternity leave or have given up the profession altogether.

You have touched on a sensitive topic. Does having children really hinder your ballet career?

As they say in our circles, you need to give birth either immediately after graduating from college or at the end of your career. At other times it’s better not to. The child requires a lot of attention. And what's the point of giving birth to him if there is no way to give yourself completely to him? I don't understand when the care of children is transferred to grandparents. But the fact that it is impossible to live without children is not even discussed for me. I don’t think it’s worth sacrificing your family for the sake of the stage; for me, life doesn’t end with one ballet.

What brought you to ballet in the first place?

I don’t come from a ballet family, but since childhood, my mother dragged me to all sorts of clubs for general development. I remember doing knitting and embroidery for some time. (Laughs.) But dancing has always been my main activity, since I was five years old. And then one day a teacher recommended sending me to classical ballet. From that moment on, I never dreamed of anything else.

Have you ever dreamed of it?

What does a child understand about ballet? For me it was beautiful suits and hairstyles, crowns, trinkets. And I had no idea what was behind all this surroundings. And when the time came to go to school, I begged my mother to send me there. She did not mind - she believed that it was very good for a girl to acquire a slender posture, a beautiful figure, and femininity. And I didn’t even imagine that everything would turn out to be so serious for me. (Smiles.) Ballet is generally addictive, children rarely give it up. And for parents in our difficult times, this is a certain guarantee of peace of mind. No drugs, supervision of every child. After all, in our choreographic college, as it is now called, there are only 160 children.

But discipline in college is ironclad, isn’t it?

This is a harsh school, but without it there is nowhere in ballet. It is very difficult to make a small child work until he sweats, to instill in him the understanding that this is necessary in his future profession. We need to teach him to endure everything and persistently do his job, despite everything - his own laziness, illnesses. You constantly have to step over pain, over worn out fingers. We have a saying: if nothing hurts, then you are already dead. Naturally, such a worldview creates a certain vitality.

Have you ever danced with a fever?

And more than once. How could it be otherwise, especially when traveling? Yes, it is very difficult to dance with a high temperature, the condition is terrible, the vestibular apparatus does not really work. But, you know, during all my studies and work in the theater I have never been on sick leave, no matter how much I was sick. If I have a performance ahead of me, I can’t afford to lie back and set anyone up. And, fortunately, so far I have not had to ask anyone for a replacement.

Passion for the profession

Since you came to the theater, have you been featured in leading roles in all new productions?

It turns out that way. The first performance where I danced the leading role at the premiere was Romeo and Juliet. Then they put “Cinderella” on me. It was very pleasant when Yuri Grigorovich and Vladimir Vasiliev entrusted me with dancing the premiere in their performances “Spartak” and “Anyuta”. Despite the fact that their assistants rehearsed with us, they both arrived a few days before the release to choose the lineups. And for me it was a kind of challenge - to prove that I was worthy of dancing the premiere. (Smiles.) In general, I always try to get as close as possible to the directors’ intentions. Although sometimes this is not possible right away.

Is it true that in “Anyuta” the first part was easy for you, but in the second act everything was psychologically more difficult?

Yes, in the first act Anna was closer to me in my inner worldview. In the second, where she turns into a society lady, completely forgets about her loved ones in favor of momentary pleasures and passions - such an attitude to life is alien to me. Therefore, it was difficult to get used to this image during rehearsals. I remember at first I pretended to be Carmen, a fatal beauty - anything but what was needed. The search for an image for the second act was very long. But, thank God, we were not unsuccessful. And difficulties only spur me on.

Are you a gambling person?

Very passionate. And work is my main passion, it is my life, I have to give myself completely to it. I am often asked if I have a hobby. What kind of hobby can there be when I have a rehearsal in the morning, and in the afternoon I try to get some sleep so that I have the energy for the evening performance or rehearsal! And only one day off a week. They also ask if I ski. No, I don’t go skiing, neither skiing, nor skating, nor rollerblading, because my profession prohibits it.

Why?

In childhood, the muscles would begin to develop incorrectly, and ballet would have to be forgotten. It also puts a lot of stress on the knee joints and poses a risk of injury. Many ballet dancers continue to work with operated knees. But it’s very difficult to recover after surgery, and you won’t be able to work fully anyway. That’s why I don’t mind such entertainment. I can only afford reading as a hobby; I try to find time for it whenever possible. And when I’m preparing a new batch, I generally read a lot.

Were you interested in any other dances? For example, jazz?

Of course, I would gladly do something else if I had time. I have always really liked ballroom dancing, jazz, and am interested in all sorts of new systems - yoga, Pilates. But now there is no time for that. Fortunately, in the theater we dance not only classical choreography; we have the opportunity to try ourselves in something else. Sergei Rudolfovich has many modern rooms. And not all our performances are on pointe shoes - for example, we dance “Carmen” without them. By the way, I haven’t danced Carmen herself yet, only Michaela. But I hope that we will be able to prepare the part of Carmen - I really like the way we staged this performance.

What other games would you like to try yourself in?

I'm generally interested in something new. I still haven’t been able to dance in “Oedipus’s Daughter” - it turns out that this ballet is performed in Krasnoyarsk mainly while part of the troupe is on tour. And I wouldn’t refuse to dance in “Anna Karenina” - maybe they’ll stage it here someday. For now I can say what is expected next season. I will dance Kitri in Don Quixote. We are also currently rehearsing the premiere of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. The music is very difficult to understand, but the rehearsals are very interesting. I think the public will like it too.

By the way, who do you think is attracted to ballet in Krasnoyarsk today?

No matter how sad it is, it is mainly the older and middle generation of viewers, educated people. My parents often go to the theater, their friends - and not only ours, they generally have a need for it. And from my peers I often hear: “We have never been to the opera and ballet theater.” Have they really never been taken to the theater in 20-25 years, at least during their school years? Incredible... Probably, in the minds of young people, ballet is some kind of complex art. But in our theater the performances are very dynamic, and they are well received at any age. It’s a pity that many people don’t even try to find out what ballet is. I would really like to see more young people in the theater.

Elena Konovalova, “Evening Krasnoyarsk” No. 22 (263)
photo by Alexander Paniotov

VK dossier

Anna OL
Ballerina. Leading soloist of the Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theater.
Born on June 24, 1985 in Krasnoyarsk. She graduated from the Krasnoyarsk Choreographic School in 2003. She danced Princess Aurora in the ballet The Sleeping Beauty, Juliet (Romeo and Juliet), Odette-Odile (Swan Lake), Anna (Anyuta), Phrygia (Spartacus), Cinderella (Cinderella), Giselle (“Giselle”), Marie (“The Nutcracker”), etc.
Winner of the first prize at the All-Russian Ballet Competition named after. G. Ulanova (2008) in Krasnoyarsk. Winner of three prizes at the international competition "Arabesque 2010" in Perm.

– Anna, first question: did you come to Moscow to dance for the first time after leaving?

– Yes, this is my first performance in the last six months. I am very pleased that they did not forget that I was invited. I used to come to Russia on business, but this is the first time to dance since leaving.

– And what sensations do you experience?

– Quite difficult to convey. At first there was some fear. After all, we left. Usually, when artists leave, the connection is lost. Perhaps there was some kind of resentment... After all, many people quit at that time, it was not a very pleasant situation for the theater. So I was a little scared to go back. But now that I’m already here and saw friends and teachers who greeted me very warmly, I’m glad. A little scared (smiles), but only a little. I want to get back into the rhythm of the theater. After all, I love this stage, these halls. There are always very bright performances here. ( We are talking about the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theater). And before the performances I am very... as they say in English, excited. In Russian we don’t usually use such a word... Something like “excited”, probably....

- “Excited”?

- Yes, exactly, excited.

– You have been living in the Netherlands for more than six months, right?

– How do you feel there?

– I recently readDance Magazine, where there was a very flattering article about you. They write that they are waiting for you at the Netherlands Ballet Theater and are pinning their hopes on you. They write about your large classical repertoire. Is this really how it is?

– Do you think they are really sincere with you? 100%?

– And despite the fact that you are their competitor...

– I came to a leading position, so there is no one to compete with me. It’s all different here – artists are waiting to see who and what they’ll give to dance. And there in the troupe everyone knows what ballets everyone can and will dance.

- How many primos are there in that troupe?

- Four. There are four with me.

– Is there enough work for everyone?

– Yes, there is enough work for everyone. We also have the first soloists dancing. Of course, we have more performances, we dance the first ballets in blocks, and in the next ones the soloists perform. The system there is fundamentally different from ours. With us, if you get a performance, it’s luck. And there it is work, and it just is. Dancing is your job and you must do it well. Because if you don’t do your job well, they won’t give you performances and won’t renew your contract. And that's fair.

– Do you think that such a difference arises due to the fact that there are large troupes in Russia? Or because there is a different principle of programming there?

Of course, there is competition in the fight for the premiere performance. But there is no such thing that the soloist waits, hopes to dance the role promised to him and receives nothing.

– Which other choreographers have you worked with or are you currently working with?

The season began with the ballet “” staged by Rachelle Bozhan, in which I took part. Finally I danced my favorite performance! I was also lucky enough to do some work and receive some adjustments from Wayne Eagling (former director of the English National Ballet and the Dutch National Ballet, choreographer of The Nutcracker). There is a rule in the theater: during the preparation of a performance, the choreographers who staged it are always present. I managed to work a little with Ted Brandsen during the production of the ballet “Mata Hari”. This year there were not many performances, and we decided to postpone my premiere until the next show. I worked on the premiere of the ballets with Larisa Lezhnina, and now I’m working on the Adagio Hammerklavier with Rachelle Bozhan.

– What did you dance that was new, something that was not yet in your repertoire?

Perhaps , everyone except Giselle. This season is very, very difficult for me... Van Manen is new for me. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to work with him personally yet, but I really hope so. He is an amazing choreographer - very emotional and expressive. “The Nutcracker” by Wayne Eagling was also difficult: a completely different edition, different from the Russian one. In terms of effort and technique, it is more reminiscent of Don Quixote. But the most difficult thing is. Now there is a program of 4 ballets, I am busy in 3 – “Apollo Musagete”, “Theme and Variations” and Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto. I go on stage every day. All 3 ballets are very different in style, which is incredibly interesting and challenging. At first it was incredibly difficult, you had to switch from rehearsal to rehearsal instantly. I was lucky enough to work with Patricia Neary and Bart Cooke - Balanchine staged his ballets on them at one time. Finding out everything and getting it first-hand is a great success for me.

– Is working with tutors different?

– French and American schools are different from ours. The theater troupe is international, including teachers and tutors, so it turns out to be a kind of mixture of styles. We also have a Russian teacher, but he only gives classes. Now Larisa Lezhnina, a graduate of the Vaganova School, is starting her work as a teacher. She is an amazing ballerina. My tutor is French, graduated from the Paris Academy of Arts, worked with Pierre Lacotte in Monte Carlo. Then he worked for almost seventeen years at the American Ballet Theater (ABT), where he was invited by Mikhail Baryshnikov. Yes, of course, school is different. But what’s interesting is that my tutor is not trying to “break” my school, but rather complements it. It's very interesting to work with him because he tells me a lot of things that no one has told me before. It turns out that he adds some elements of European dance and the European school to my style.

– Since the conversation turned to Larisa Lezhnina, did she dance in the same theater where you work now?

Yes. After the Mariinsky Theater, her entire career was connected with the Dutch National Ballet. When she danced, she was a superstar, dance was her calling. Larisa is a high-level ballerina and deserves only the best words. I remember when I was little, I often watched videos of her performances (she was still performing at the Mariinsky Theater at that time) and thought: “My God, what a ballerina!” And when they told me that she had left, I couldn’t believe how it was possible, how you could leave the Mariinsky Theater. In fact, it turns out very interesting when people whom you previously only dreamed of seeing or even thought was impossible suddenly turn out to be nearby. And it seems incredible. Looking back five or six years ago, when I was still living in Krasnoyarsk, I could not even think that I would ever find myself next to these people. Each of them is a magnitude on a global scale. And when this happens, it’s even hard to believe.

– I read two of your interviews that you gave back in Krasnoyarsk. In it you listed several theaters where you would like to work: the Bolshoi, Covent Garden, the Vienna Opera (you talked about it especially). Now you are in the fourth place, which, apparently, you didn’t even think about...

“Perhaps the stars aligned, a lucky invitation at the right time.” I really hadn’t thought about this theater before. As for the Vienna Opera, it has always attracted me. At that time, I knew that a new artistic director had come there, Manuel Legris, who was going to stage many interesting performances. The Bolshoi Theater has always been interesting to me - it is a unique company with a worldwide reputation. If you worked in his troupe, it doesn’t matter where you are, it will stay with you forever. Such experience will be valued in any theater. And Covent Garden, of course. A well-known theater with a large interesting repertoire, where there are many classical, modern performances and drama ballet. There are many performances by MacMillan, who has always been interesting to me as a choreographer.

-Are you happy with how everything is going? It’s clear that you want to strive somewhere else, but if you look back a few years ago and evaluate the path traveled? When you lived and worked in Krasnoyarsk, everything was fine with you. Then you left from there for Moscow. And here you are at the Stanislavsky Theater. And this is completely different, this is the Stanislavsky Theater! Well, now, you are the prima ballerina of the Dutch National Ballet. Where do you want to go next after Amsterdam?

“I want to stop here and stay here.” Although, when moving to Moscow, I also thought that I would stay there for a long time or forever. But fate turned out differently. However, now I am completely satisfied. And I want to continue my career - and I hope to end it in the theater where I work now. I like everything there: the city itself, the atmosphere. I like that everything is nearby and I don’t have to spend a lot of time commuting to work. Maybe it's because I was born in a small town and wasn't used to big things.

– How are you received there?

– When we were rehearsing with my teacher, he said: “Don’t expect to get a warm welcome here. This is not Russia for you.” And we thought that after the performance we could expect “two claps and a retreat to the rustle of our own eyelashes.” And before going on stage, we tuned in for this. But I was very surprised because the audience reacted very violently. The reception is sometimes much warmer than in Russia. Later I told Guillaume: “I don’t know what you had at ABT, how they received you there, but, in my opinion, it was very worthy.”

– Who is your partner in the Netherlands?

– There is no one partner. We dance with Semyon (Velichno) and with other guys, I can’t even name all the names.

– Does it make a difference who you dance with?

- Eat. Of course, it’s easier for me to dance with Semyon. We worked a lot together, we had a lot of galas and performances, so we "danced". But dancing with someone new seems completely different, sometimes even a little dangerous, because you don’t know your partner very well yet. But it even spurs you on to do something better. When married couples rehearse, quarrels often occur, because you can tell a loved one “you’re wrong”, argue with him, trying to hone everything down to the millimeter so that everything is perfect. And when you dance with a stranger, it is both easier and more difficult. Sometimes you close your eyes to some inconvenience.

And the guys from Europe also have a slightly different education, different from Russian choreographic schools. We spent a lot of time on duet dancing. Some may be better, some may be worse, but I still feel more comfortable dancing with our guys.

– Are you happy with where you are now?

- Yes very. I got what I wanted. I finally started dancing a lot. Before that, I had some kind of break, because for three years I appeared in performances quite a bit. This was an experience for me too. Now I enjoy every minute spent in the hall and on stage, no matter how hard it is.

– Three years, including the period at the Mikhailovsky Theater?

– I was at Mikhailovsky for a little over six months, eight months, as a guest ballerina. I didn’t dance many performances there. And it certainly wasn't wasted time. I worked with excellent teachers, with Mikhail Grigorievich Messerer. And, of course, the experience that I gained in Moscow, at the Musical Theater, is valuable to me. Here I gained vast experience working with wonderful choreographers and teachers while working in the troupe. What I danced at the Stanislavsky Theater, I probably could not have danced in any other theater, because in Russia this repertoire is not performed anywhere at all: neither MacMillan, nor Kilian, nor Neumayer. Well, perhaps at the Bolshoi Theater.

– Is Semyon happy?

- Yes, I’m happy. He experiences the same emotions as me.

– How did you get settled in Amsterdam?

As for everyday life, everything is simple and convenient there, simpler than it was in Russia. Considering that Semyon and I are together, many issues can be resolved much easier.

“I heard an interview in which he said: “We started rehearsing and almost immediately I felt a special relationship with Anna.”

- Yes, yes, it was! We became a couple and began working together on a production of Mayerling. (Smiles) It’s good that we are together...

– Do you speak English in Holland?

– Are you planning to learn Dutch?

– This is necessary, but for now my maximum program is to speak English well, so that I feel free, and I don’t need to mentally translate every phrase. It’s very difficult to constantly switch from language to language: first they speak to you in Russian, then in English, and then there’s a third language... Over time, of course, I’ll take up Dutch. Moreover, it is similar to German, which I studied a little. I think that in a year or two I will start teaching.

– In “Mayerling” you danced with both Polunin and Zelensky? What do you say about this experience?

- Tricky question. These are two completely different people. Both are amazing dancers, but with completely different ballet and life experiences. It’s difficult to even compare, they are so different. Sergei is always very emotional, sometimes he is so overwhelmed that he can even do some unexpected things. But in the end everything works out well. And Igor Anatolyevich is a pedant, he is always very scrupulous and precise, he calculates everything. For example, he says: “Here I will do this this way, and this way. Don’t do anything, I’ll do everything myself.” Of course, it’s always nice to hear this from a partner, but if I don’t do anything at all, there may be a lot of “surprises” on stage. Although, it’s probably easier to relax and just enjoy the performance. In general, they have very different approaches to work. In a duet you always go by the emotions of your partner, from the image he creates. I've never thought about this before, but it's a very interesting question. Mayerling produces a different performance every time, depending on the mood of the main performer and the character he creates on stage.

– And yet, it’s probably good to be a Russian dancer?

– In Europe, in general, Russian dancers are treated very well. Because we have a lot of experience and a tough school. They have a different approach to teaching children. Maybe things will change with time, but ballet, first of all, is very hard physical work, and sometimes you just have to force children to do it. After all, if you pat your head all the time, nothing good will come of it. Therefore, most of us had a very tough school. But in Europe the attitude to this is different: “If you want, do it, if you don’t want, don’t do it.” I understand well that without work I would not have succeeded. In high school, a new teacher came to us. I will be grateful to her until the end of my days, because it was she who forced me to study at full capacity. Even though it was on the verge of fear. We were all really afraid of her, because we knew that if you did something wrong, you could simply get a slap on the head and fly out of the hall, without talking. It was tough, I agree. We were offended, it was difficult for us, but now I am grateful to her simply because she made my character.

- Well, thank you for the conversation. It's nice to see you again on the stage of the Musical Theater. Good luck with your performance in Mayerling and see you at the performance.

The conversation was moderated by Irina Shirinyan