Ms. Natalia Osipova is gracing Lincoln Center with her presence this month and is taking the NYC ballet world by storm with her unmatchable leaps and Russian mysteriousness.The New York Times reviewed her performance in Don Quixote, the old warhorse ruined in skatenastics by Sarah Hughes and Irina Slutskaya. Natalia Osipova is erasing those memories, turn by turn, leap by leap.
Miki Yamashita brought this Russian beauty to my attention and I cannot thank her enough. The youtube convulsions that took place almost instantaneously have brought meaning and joy back to these wonderful melodies.
Natalia Osipova makes one forget Slutskaya's hunched back and Sarah Hughes' remarkable inability to hit her arm movements on the beat.
For years, we've all been haunted by Don Quixote and the 2000-2001 season. Thankfully, those nightmares have been put to death.
How do the Russians sculpt those beautiful legs? Why isn't that included in any of Mari Winsor's pilates videos? Is there a band we can buy? Why isn't Denise Austin all over that? I'll have whatever she's having.
Breathe. Inhale. and Enjoy!
Ooh, this reminds me that Cheng Fei used Don Quixote in her 2004 floor exercise.
ReplyDeleteI saw her in Don Q when the Bolshoi was out here on the west coast a few months ago - she's absolutely as stunning live as the youtube videos suggests. Seeing her leaps in person is surreal; I suspect a combination of amazing natural facility and childhood gymnastics training is responsible for her sheer vertical takeoff.
ReplyDeleteI meant to add a few of my favorite videos of her:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzdOBx_cRvE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVLcCWT9DoE&feature=related
(skip to 5:45-6:15ish to see some amazing petit allegro)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV0jT1Do6NQ
(while she was still a student at the Bolshoi)
Maya Plisetskaya was the goddess of Don Quixote, and Natalia Osipova is her reincarnation-- except that Natalia can actually pirouette.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures of Osipova in mid leap are stunning! I can only imagine how amazing it would be to see her in person.
ReplyDelete