#vadim muntagirov

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@elrastrodetusangreenlanieve thanks for asking and giving me the opportunity to gush about the evening :3

It was very different from the gala in Rome programme wise, and I absolutely adored it. The only things that were “the same” were the black and white pdds danced by Fumi and Vadim, but with a few changes in the choreographies compared to how they danced them in Rome, and Maia Makhateli dancing the DQ pdd, although with a different partner: Isaac Hernandez.

Ana Sophia Scheller danced with Vsevolod Maievskyi both the wedding pas de deux from The Sleeping Beauty and the Giselle pdd from act II. I was surpsied with how much I loved Ana Sophia: she was a very sweet and happy Aurora, and a very moving and sad Giselle. In both performances she was very delicate, with lovely arms, and very quick and clean footwork. She also has astoundingly soft landings: it was as if she was dancing on a stage made of cotton flowers, and the pointe shoes were brand new, not dead at all. It was the first time she danced with Vsevolod, but they were a very good pair, I have to say. Maievskyi was good, although I have to say that a few times he stumbled a little bit and his landings and double tours were a bit clumsy, but he’s very young and just at the beginning of his career, so that’s understandable. Also: dude is TALL, alright? Overall I wish they had received louder applauses, because they definitely deserved it.

Segio Bernal Alonso was another revelation, and got by far the biggest applauses of the evening (which were deserved, but I think that the other dancers were equally deserving of reactions just as loud). He danced a male, contemporary version of the dying swan by Ricardo Cue, and it was BEAUTIFUL. He was so very graceful and lyrical, and I would watch it gladly again. He really has beautiful arms.
He also danced a flamenco solo, but not the same one that was in the gala in Rome, and he was very impressive. At a certain point the music stopped, but he kept tapping his heels with super small but fast movements, and it went on and on and on, and I didn’t understand how his legs just didn’t give out, and when he did stop, the theatre went absolutely WILD. He’s so charismatic and passionate on stage, and it was amazing. I hope I’ll get to see him again.

Vadim, oh Vadim. He looked somewhat melancholic and/or shy last night, but he was nonetheless astonishing. He partnered Fumi wonderfully, and they had excellent chemistry together, even better than in the recording from the gala in Rome: during the white pdd he gave Fumi a few looks that had me melting on the seat, I swear.
His technique, as always really, was so on point. Everything was clean, smooth and precise; his landings were so quiet and soft, and he had by far the highest jumps of the night. He wowed me so hard, and I cherished every second he was on stage.
And don’t let me get started on Fumi Kaneko. She was in amazing, wonderful shape, and she commanded that stage, alright? She was sharp, precise, her lines super clean…just on FIRE. Her Odile was magnificent: seductive, mischievous and enjoying every second of her deception. The triple pirouettes en attitude of the Odile variation were perfection, very controlled, and she paused just the right amount of time without stumbling at the end of each of them. She did travel very slightly to the left with her fouettes, but they were really nice overall: lots of doubles, and every 3 of them she brought one arm up into fifth position before lowering it down to first, which I had never seen her do, before. She was really going for it.
And since you’ve mentioned her tutu: yall have no idea how much that black tutu sparkles in person. The golden details are so luminous and sparkling that I couldn’t even see the purple flowers.
Overall she could add some depth to her Odette, characterization wise, but there was a moment when she looked so ethereal and tragical that I gasped out loud, I swear. Also, she had some of the most beautiful swan arms I’ve ever seen, they were just GORGEOUS. The few clips that I did find on IG don’t make their performance justice, really.

Jacopo Tissi was there as well, and the crowd was obviously very partial to him since he’s italian. Not saying that he wasn’t good, but compared to the other dancers on stage he was kind of insipid. He danced a solo from Sheherazade, and it was very pretty and well executed, but low-key forgettable, and Le Corsaire pdd with Maia Makhateli: again, all very pretty and nice but nothing he did stood out to me. MISS MAKHATELI ON THE OTHER HAND…

Maia Makhateli was absolutely out of this world: let me start by pointing out that she did a total of 64 fouettes in one night, if you combine the pdds from Le Corsaire and DQ, and beside travelling slightly to the left, they were FLAWLESS.
In both pdds everything looked so effortless, harmonious and clear, there’s a quality to her movement that is just mesmerizing, she’s a Queen, alright?
It’s not breaking news that she has a great balance, but once again she shined on that front too and it needs to be said. You know that part towards the end of the dq pdd where Kitri does the promenade while on retiré, and then she balances en attitude? Right. During the first one, she just wouldn’t get off her freaking leg: she stood there balancing for like 15-20 seconds, and she wasn’t trembling in the slightest. It was as if she had been pinned to the floor. I legit let out a “Oh, SHUT UP!” out loud, but luckily enough it was muffled by the rest of the theatre, because the audience absolutely exploded. It was incredible, mind-blowing, I could go on and on on her. I love her, bye.
Isaac Hernandez partnered her in the DQ pdd, and he was great. He has great energy and impressive jumps, although sometimes he put just a touch too much enthusiasm in the steps, which had an impact on the cleanliness of his landings and transitions. Still really good, though.

Lastly, there were Elisa BadenesandMatteo Miccini, who danced two contemporary pieces: the first one was a piece on the music of the black swan pdd choreographed by Marco Goecke (you can find a performance of it on yt), which was performed very well, and was very well received by the audience. I have to admit that choreography wise, it just wasn’t my thing, but Elisa and Matteo were both really good.
Then they performed a piece called Arcadia, by Douglas Lee, and I really enjoyed this one. I actually thought it was kind of short. Again, very well performed and enjoyable.

Overall it was a magical night, and I’m ever so grateful that I could attend.
Everything was so good I clapped my hands raw. Actually, I clapped my hands so hard that for a moment I thought I had dislocated my right thumb, lmao.
I asked for possible recordings to the theatre staff, but they weren’t sure if it had been filmed for the public. I’m doubtful, but I hope so!