Last month, in a small, dilapidated ballet studio in Beverly Hills, four Soviet ballet dancers made dance history.
Alla Khaniashvili-Artiushkina, her husband, Vitaly Artiushkin (both members of the Bolshoi Ballet), Evgenia Kostyleva and her husband, Anatoli Kucheruk (both of the Kiev Ballet), learned the steps to ”Allegro
Brillante,” the 1956 ballet by George Balanchine. It was the first time Soviet artists ever had danced this sparkling, neo-classical work and only the third time Soviet dancers have danced Balanchine.
”We are very, very happy that we have this opportunity,” said Khaniashvili-Artiushkina at a break in the rehearsal, speaking through a translator. The 29-year-old dancer and her colleagues were gearing up for a two-month tour with the Ballet of Los Angeles.
”For a long time we have been dreaming about doing Balanchine. Soviet artists know about (him) and dream, but they could never hope to do Balanchine.”
Ballet of Los Angeles artistic director John Clifford was buzzing about the studio, correcting his four guest artists through a translator.
A former dancer with New York City Ballet, Clifford knows Balanchine`s works intimately. He says the most challenging part about reviving ”Allegro” on Soviet dancers is that none of them have been trained in Balanchine style. Watching the four Soviets rehearse next to the Americans in Clifford`s company-Karyn Connell and Courtland Weaver-it was easy to see the differences in training. Connell`s style is crystalline and quick, an American trademark. By contrast, Khaniashvili-Artiushkina and Kostyleva look dreamy and romantic when they dance.
The Soviets had only five days to learn ”Allegro Brillante” and the rest of Clifford`s program (”Verdi Pas de Quartre” set to ballet music from ”I Vespi Scilliani” by Giuseppe Verdi) before going on the road. (They opened in Columbia, S.C., at the end of January.) The tour will end in March with performances in Purchase, N.Y.
