Bolshoi Ballet vs. Mariinsky Ballet
Only in Russia, can you find two ballet theater, holding such an historical and powerful heritage, which is such a rarity, and even something unique.
In France, you found Paris Opera, in Great Britain the Royal Ballet, in Italy La Scala...
But in Russia, there is not only the Mariinsky Theater in Saint Petersbourg (cultural city, previously capital of Russia) but also the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow...
When you ask people about their preferences, you quickly understand that there is a little competition and a feeling of superiority between them, which is funny to observe.
Today i want to share with you my vision on the situation as a ballet dancer from The Mariinsky Theater, who sometimes also dances on the Bolshoi Stage.
As people love to compare them, i will try to compare them not to chose which one is the best (because i believe it's a question that will never be resolved) but more basing myself on the facts.
Let’s start !
How different are they ?
Bolshoi dancers use more of the space when they dance than Mariinsky dancers, and I do believe that it's because of how ranked the stage and the studios can be in the Bolshoi Theater. When we did class on the rehearsal stage there, I was surprised at how you can literally fly in a pas courru jeté.
Mariinsky dancers have the tendency to put more attention on details, such as how they use the hands and how rafinated the upper body is. Let's not forget that the Mariinsky dancers' training is a heritage of the imperial school of ballet; it's supposed to be in the image of the empire's culture and refinement.
I notice how the soloists in the Bolshoi Ballet have such a bright, winning attitude, while the soloists of the Mariinsky Ballet are more deep-thinking, introverted beings.
Bolshoi is more focused on showing off, effects and tricks, while Mariinsky is more focused on accuracy and purity.
There are more powerful male dancers in Moscow than In Saint Petersburg, as it used to be the case in Saint Petersburg before with women dancers (Vishneva, Zakharova, Obraztsova, Lopatkina, Tereshkina…).
There are more masculine ballets in Moscow than there are in Saint Petersburg, which is due to the fact that the repertoire at the Bolshoi Theater offers many of Yuri Grigorovich's works. Among them are The Legend of Love, Spartacus, Ivan the Terrible, and The Golden Age.
We can find mainly long-length ballets about power and tragedy in Moscow, while in Saint Petersburg there are a bunch of short ballets with soul, tale and love (Shurale, The Firebird, The Foutain of Bachkisarai, Scheherazade, The Lady and The Holligan, Carnaval.
I notice how these characters have a tendency to change.
We can probably notice this, probably due to the extension and easiness of exchange between cities and countries, which can lead to a loss of individuality and the growth of a common style.
We can also notice that some renowned Moscow teachers (Galina Oulanova, Olga Chenchikova…) or dancers (Zakharova, Obraztsova, Sevenard...) were Saint Petersburg-trained, whereas the current director of the Vaganova Ballet Academy is a Moscow-trained dancer (Nikolai Tsiskaridze).
The Bolshoi Ballet and The Mariinsky Ballet are two very powerful theaters with old history and traditions, which make them still the most famous in the world.
You must come to watch a ballet in both of them; it will remain an unforgettable moment of your life, undoubtedly.
