Ballo, this is how we say “dance” in Italian, the language spoken at the origin of ballet. Such a delicate and passionate dance as ballet was made prosperous via the dedication of French king Louis IVX.
Italy and France both enjoy a reputation of the herald for art and beauty, and both are important in the history of ballet. However, it was Russia, a country thousands of kilometres away from Italy and France, which contributed to the world-wide prestige of classical ballet.
I have never been to Russia, and while talking about Russia, the images of cold and vast plains always come to mind. Yet, besides the mental image of a bleak landscape, the term “Russia” also tantalizes my good O’ soul with a sense of yearning. Classical music and classical ballet serve as the invisible link between me and the northern land.
The pearl in the crown of St. Petersburg Ballet Theater
The door to the meeting room was opened, and into the room came Konstantin Tachkin (General Manager) and Irina Kolesnikova (Prima Ballerina). Russians are already taller than Asians on average; her long dress in soft textures and her demeanour of a ballet virtuoso maker seem even taller for an extra ten more centimetres. Upon her arrival, she dominated the room with her charisma and her polite and confident smile.
“Nice to meet you, I’m Nereid. Thank you for coming to my interview. As I also work as a freelance illustrator, I would like to gift Irina the customized fashion illustration of the White Swan drawn by me.” I force my awe-struck brain back to work after a second of lapse.
Fortunately, the personalized present I prepared for Ms. Irina broke the ice and lent the interview a pleasant beginning.
“She thinks about her movements and how she should be, what should be better”
Last year, in the short film directed by Darian Volkova, Ms. Irina described herself as a sculpture and a sculptor. After watching this film, I have been wondering what was the turning point to make Irina started to consider herself not only a ballerina but also a unique artist.
Different from the calm appearance, Mr. Konstantin and Ms. Irina surprisingly have pure and straightforward personalities. “It was the idea from the director; probably the director saw her like this and then came with this thought.” Mr. Konstantin translated Ms. Irina’s words, and the later chuckled. “She also agrees with this concept, because when the dancers go on stage or the artists go on stage, she tried to form herself and focus on the movements […] Irina doesn’t think about anything when she’s on the stage, she just focuses on the music, and she’s completely inside”
Working hard continuously is a must, but the talent is also important
Like an actor, a ballerina also needs to feel with the characters and studies the background of the story in order to lead the audience into the magic world of the show. It takes some times and experience for a ballerina to realize how to put themselves into the characters; however, Mr. Konstantin mentioned, besides working hard, it is also crucial to be gifted with talents. One needs to have the talent first, and develops the skills by working hard.
According to Ms. Irina and Mr. Konstantin, talent, hardworking and basis are three related elements which can’t live without one another. Which is why they think only the strict Russian ballet system could cultivate a strong ballerina like Ms. Irina.
“Every performance, she was trying to dance better than the previous one, but she is not watching who has the fastest fouetté at all”
When asking about the popularity of social media, especially Instagram, Irina thinks it’s like a double-sided sword. There is no doubt that social media could provide first-hand information; however, the usefulness of a tool depends on if the user could use it wisely. Every ballet pupil needs to be very selective when digesting the information online, “Any footage and any photo are not a contest.” said Ms. Irina. For a real dancer, it is meaningless to compete who can have the fastest and the most fouetté. Your competitor is no one, all you need is to know how to surpass yourself from the last second.
The reason why a classic could become classic…
During our conversation this afternoon, I felt like meeting some bosom friends. This was I first time, meeting people who also prefer “classic” than “innovation”. To be innovated, some ballet theatres would create their own choreography for the classical pieces; however, to Mr. Konstantin, especially 《Swan Lake》, the reason why a piece of work could become classic is because of the harmony created by its music, choreography, feelings and story.
“When you change it completely, then just leave the music, but it’s not Swan Lake. So if you do something radical, ok, but use other music. Tchaikovsky is for this version.”
Watching a piece of ballet show is like reading a dazzling storybook
Every industry is trying to attract millennials- this huge and powerful consumer group; but, “It’s very popular for the generations, I can tell you.” Mr. Konstantin told me with confidence. For sure, the autograph session after the performance, there were always more than a half of youngsters waiting in the queue, and most of them are not ballet students, they are coming for the show with pure love.
Not only in Asia, but some people in Western countries also doubt if classical ballet could continue its popularity in the modern era, and consider ballet as a knowledge that is difficult to understand. It’s a falsehood to Mr. Konstantin and Ms. Irina. Take 《Swan Lake》as an example, Ms. Irina said it was a simple story that was very easy to understand.
Actually, watching classical ballet is just like reading a dazzling storybook. Each piece of work is adopted from a narrative fairytale. Let go the misconception, classical ballet could be a leisure activity enjoyed by anyone.
“It’s not about how loud people clap, no, no; it’s something… something created in the hall”
Ms. Irina and St. Petersburg has been to many countries for the tour, and each country has its own characteristic. Even though the city like Kuala Lumpur and Taipei don’t have a long history with ballet culture, they can always bring out some kind of atmosphere from the auditorium to the stage, it’s genuine love.
Keep the ardour for learning, seize the chance of improvement
Scrolling Ms. Irina’s Instagram, we could find out that Ms. Irina just recently returns the student-hood. Ms. Irian spent three years in her alma mater studying for being a ballet teacher and receiving the certificate. “Of course she didn’t realize how difficult it was before she went to this academy.”
Though receiving the certificate of a ballet teacher, Ms. Irina still hoping to keep dancing as a performer and try different roles. Staring at Ms. Irina’s eyes, I’m sure that she is in love with everything happening on the stage and the energy from the auditorium.
Interview Journal
Prior to my immersive experience of theatre-going in London, I used to admire the splendid stages and talented dancers with the awe of a layman. However, after watching numerous plays and attending numerous theatre tours in London, I have cultivated a more insightful perspective.
This year, I watched 《La Bayadère》 for the first time. 《La Bayadère》is a challenging piece choreographed by Marius Petipa, the patriarch of Russian classical ballet. There are not many mind-bogglingly complicated moves in 《La Bayadère》; however, the extension of the moves in both space and time poses a real challenge to the dancers’ foundations. When I saw those ever-extending developpé and arabèsque as an audience, I can’t help but hold my breath, as if I’m the dancer on the stage, and would collapse in front of the crowd if I lost my attention.
However, Ms. Irina’s sturdy core proved my dreaded imagination is just a petty worry of an amateur.
Besides Ms. Irina’s breathtaking skills, what triggered my fervid admiration for “Irina Kolesnikova” was her friendliness and sincerity, which I didn’t expect given her status as a prima ballerina. Thanks to her easygoing personality and our likeness in opinion, the interview which could be serious and even tense turned out to be an enjoyable chat. Within just ten minutes, I feel like making a like-minded friend.
Organization: udnFunLife
Photographer: 4Samantha (https://www.instagram.com/4samantha/ )
