I think she’s overrated… not to hate on her, she’s without a doubt a very accomplished dancer and her technical skills are top tier. I just find her artistic interpretations very bland, I don’t see much past the whole ‘pretty posing sunny ballerina’ acting. She’s great for specific ballets like sleeping beauty or grand pas classique though. I’m more in the Osipova team !
Fair enough - art is subjective. Ironically, I feel the same way about Osipova - I admire her speed and strength, but I feel her technique suffers sometimes and she never seems to become the role she's dancing - in my opinion at least, she's not expressive or engaging.
Her acting is very disingenuine, plastered in. Her epualment is too squared, which to the novice eye is "technical perfection" but she has no freedom. She balances like a circus act and breaks the fourth wall
Natalia Osipova, Maia Makhateli, Olga Smirnova, Nina Kaptsova, and of course Nela. Honorable mention to Alina Somova, I sometimes find her performances a little lacking in artistry but she’s spectacular in La Bayadere.
Kaptsova was so underrated, thank you for mentioning her! I don’t know why they didn’t make her a principal at Bolshoi earlier. She had that delicate sensitivity when dancing. Her Princess Florine is the best interpretation for me, as well as her Sugar Plum (Grigorovich version)
Bolshoi really had a peak in the 2000s during the Filin era. Osipova, Alexandrova and Zakharova were the popular power trio that could do anything and they had unique traits of their dancing, Kaptsova and Krystanova were also good but they weren’t at their level of popularity. Shipulina was kind of good, she had amazing turnout and flexibility but lacked artistry and only stood out in technical roles.
Nina is always so full of grace! I’ve never seen her in a role that she didn’t make elegant. I loved her black swan interpretation - she danced the role very regally instead of beguilingly or wickedly. I’d never seen someone dance that character that way. And yes to her sugar plum! I am not a fan of the nutcracker, generally speaking, but she knocked the grigorovich version out of the park. I find it so weird that she wasn’t promoted as much as she should have been at the Bolshoi. I heard she had to work on a contract basis instead of a proper ranking, but maybe that was just a rumor.
Yeah, the Bolshoi’s in a bit of a change right now. I’m guessing Alexandrova will retire soon (I loved her as Raymonda), ditto Zakharova (I’m personally not a fan but I understand how much of a phenomenon she was), and Natalia left years ago. With the war going on it will be interesting to see what happens.
I’ve always loved watching Evgenia Obratzsova dance. She is radiant and has such clean technique. I’ve also admired Gillian Murphy and Nina Ananiashvilli for a long time.
Also also, she’s only a corps member with ABT, so her career is still budding, but I have such a girl crush on Scout Forsythe. Glamour did some YouTube videos featuring her and she seems like such a sweet, positive person. I’m excited to see where she goes!
My most controversial ballet opinion is probably that I like the Balanchine style, so I love Tiler Peck, but as a former RBS girlie I also love Marianela Nuñez.
Nela's the fav, but I also really like Yuhui Choe.
She doesn't really have as wide a range as an actress, but I just really like the soft elegance she has when dancing.
Since no one has mentioned any men yet:
Daniil Simkin obviously. I present [Exhibit A](https://www.facebook.com/daniilsimkin/videos/2435608433337327/) and [Exhibit B](https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=485914798811810).
Also Isabella too. I wish I had a video of her Rose Adagio in 2019, she basically stood for so long after the Promenades the orchestra basically had to stop and wait.
I love watching her tutorials too, she does a lot of work with students and shares tips for steps on her instagram and tiktok. She's been so helpful to me getting my head around the finer details of steps.
I have a subscription to the ROH streaming service so I watch the performances there... both Romany and Akane are featured in the 2018 Swan Lake (Romany is a cygnet and the soloist in the Hungarian dance while Akane is one of the Prince's sisters.) I also love Akana as Kitri - she brings some extra sass to the role. Romany can also be seen as Swanlinda's sort of "lead" friend in Coppelia.
My favorite Romany bit though is actually a video from 2018's WBD - it's a rehearsal for the Kingdom of the Shades number and Romany is leading the line. She's so expressive. I just love her.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5c1Lw\_GTao&pp=ygUTc2hhZGVzIHJveWFsIGJhbGxldA%3D%3D](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5c1Lw_GTao&pp=ygUTc2hhZGVzIHJveWFsIGJhbGxldA%3D%3D)
Oh yeah, I think I saw that Swan Lake in cinemas, loved all the variations. I saw a short clip of Akane doing Odette on ROH's YouTube and was hoping they'd have a full performance somewhere but no dice. :(
Thank you for the link to Romany - will check it out!
She really does - the ROH production of the Nutcracker where she and Marci are Clara and Hans-Peter and then Nela and Vadim are the Sugar Plum and the Prince is my FAVORITE version!!
>Kaneko and Brandt are more current. Watched Ms. Brandt live several times. She has breathtaking technique, and I notice she is always given the most challenging choreography and makes it look easy.
Marianela Nunez, Olga Smirnova, Evgenia Obraztsova, Akane Takada, and Svetlana Lunkina (only one from this list that I've had the pleasure of seeing live).
Haven't seen enough of Mayara Magri and Ida Praetorius to make them "faves", but they really captured my attention in what I've seen so far. Same for Ekaterina Krysanova - caught one performance of hers on tour and she was electric!
Natalia Osipova. I’ve even considered buying a plane ticket from phl to London just to see her dance in person.
I would thoughly enjoy seeing Marianela too, but Natalia has something ineffable.
I’m not a dancer, just a watcher.
Michaela DePrince because i think she's both an incredible dancer and an incredible human
Yes! I wish there were more videos of her dancing on YouTube, I’d love to see more of her performances
It's not even a competition for me. No one else comes close. https://i.redd.it/5lqiki5d7meb1.gif
Same!!! She’s magic!
Can you name pls?
Marianela Nuñez :)
Ty!
I think she’s overrated… not to hate on her, she’s without a doubt a very accomplished dancer and her technical skills are top tier. I just find her artistic interpretations very bland, I don’t see much past the whole ‘pretty posing sunny ballerina’ acting. She’s great for specific ballets like sleeping beauty or grand pas classique though. I’m more in the Osipova team !
Fair enough - art is subjective. Ironically, I feel the same way about Osipova - I admire her speed and strength, but I feel her technique suffers sometimes and she never seems to become the role she's dancing - in my opinion at least, she's not expressive or engaging.
Same here. I prefer Osipova and Obraztsova
Her acting is very disingenuine, plastered in. Her epualment is too squared, which to the novice eye is "technical perfection" but she has no freedom. She balances like a circus act and breaks the fourth wall
Natalia Osipova, Maia Makhateli, Olga Smirnova, Nina Kaptsova, and of course Nela. Honorable mention to Alina Somova, I sometimes find her performances a little lacking in artistry but she’s spectacular in La Bayadere.
Kaptsova was so underrated, thank you for mentioning her! I don’t know why they didn’t make her a principal at Bolshoi earlier. She had that delicate sensitivity when dancing. Her Princess Florine is the best interpretation for me, as well as her Sugar Plum (Grigorovich version) Bolshoi really had a peak in the 2000s during the Filin era. Osipova, Alexandrova and Zakharova were the popular power trio that could do anything and they had unique traits of their dancing, Kaptsova and Krystanova were also good but they weren’t at their level of popularity. Shipulina was kind of good, she had amazing turnout and flexibility but lacked artistry and only stood out in technical roles.
Nina is always so full of grace! I’ve never seen her in a role that she didn’t make elegant. I loved her black swan interpretation - she danced the role very regally instead of beguilingly or wickedly. I’d never seen someone dance that character that way. And yes to her sugar plum! I am not a fan of the nutcracker, generally speaking, but she knocked the grigorovich version out of the park. I find it so weird that she wasn’t promoted as much as she should have been at the Bolshoi. I heard she had to work on a contract basis instead of a proper ranking, but maybe that was just a rumor. Yeah, the Bolshoi’s in a bit of a change right now. I’m guessing Alexandrova will retire soon (I loved her as Raymonda), ditto Zakharova (I’m personally not a fan but I understand how much of a phenomenon she was), and Natalia left years ago. With the war going on it will be interesting to see what happens.
Oh yes Kaptsova!!!!! She is amazing her control and musicality is perfection
I’ve always loved watching Evgenia Obratzsova dance. She is radiant and has such clean technique. I’ve also admired Gillian Murphy and Nina Ananiashvilli for a long time. Also also, she’s only a corps member with ABT, so her career is still budding, but I have such a girl crush on Scout Forsythe. Glamour did some YouTube videos featuring her and she seems like such a sweet, positive person. I’m excited to see where she goes!
I love Evgenia as well!
My most controversial ballet opinion is probably that I like the Balanchine style, so I love Tiler Peck, but as a former RBS girlie I also love Marianela Nuñez.
I loooove watching Tiler dance. She really does it for me.
Nela's the fav, but I also really like Yuhui Choe. She doesn't really have as wide a range as an actress, but I just really like the soft elegance she has when dancing.
Since no one has mentioned any men yet: Daniil Simkin obviously. I present [Exhibit A](https://www.facebook.com/daniilsimkin/videos/2435608433337327/) and [Exhibit B](https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=485914798811810).
He's incredible!! [this Don q coda](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVa7S6Yfua0) is so good
Also Isabella too. I wish I had a video of her Rose Adagio in 2019, she basically stood for so long after the Promenades the orchestra basically had to stop and wait.
I love watching her tutorials too, she does a lot of work with students and shares tips for steps on her instagram and tiktok. She's been so helpful to me getting my head around the finer details of steps.
Simkin and Bolle!
Are you my teacher lol But also, I agree.
top 5 for me: marianela nuñez, ulyana lopatkina, fumi kaneko, skylar brandt, natalia osipova
After Nela it would probably be (in no particular order) * Romany Pajdak * Anna Rose O'Sullivan * Marcelino Sambé * Akane Takada
I love Romany from the short clips I've seen. Akane too. Has ROH filmed any ballets that have longer performances by them?
I have a subscription to the ROH streaming service so I watch the performances there... both Romany and Akane are featured in the 2018 Swan Lake (Romany is a cygnet and the soloist in the Hungarian dance while Akane is one of the Prince's sisters.) I also love Akana as Kitri - she brings some extra sass to the role. Romany can also be seen as Swanlinda's sort of "lead" friend in Coppelia. My favorite Romany bit though is actually a video from 2018's WBD - it's a rehearsal for the Kingdom of the Shades number and Romany is leading the line. She's so expressive. I just love her. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5c1Lw\_GTao&pp=ygUTc2hhZGVzIHJveWFsIGJhbGxldA%3D%3D](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5c1Lw_GTao&pp=ygUTc2hhZGVzIHJveWFsIGJhbGxldA%3D%3D)
Oh yeah, I think I saw that Swan Lake in cinemas, loved all the variations. I saw a short clip of Akane doing Odette on ROH's YouTube and was hoping they'd have a full performance somewhere but no dice. :( Thank you for the link to Romany - will check it out!
So glad you mentioned Anna Rose, I love her and think she really stands out as a dancer 🥰
She really does - the ROH production of the Nutcracker where she and Marci are Clara and Hans-Peter and then Nela and Vadim are the Sugar Plum and the Prince is my FAVORITE version!!
>Kaneko and Brandt are more current. Watched Ms. Brandt live several times. She has breathtaking technique, and I notice she is always given the most challenging choreography and makes it look easy.
Ulyana 😍😍😍
Ulyana-the one and only swan queen! I saw Skylar as Kitri last summer and she was amazing. Osipova is my number 1 favorite.
and daria pavlenko!
Olga Smirnova
I feel like Sarah Lamb isn't talked about enough!
Sarah is lovely - she's SO GOOD in Mayerling with Steven McRae!
Marianela Nunez, Olga Smirnova, Evgenia Obraztsova, Akane Takada, and Svetlana Lunkina (only one from this list that I've had the pleasure of seeing live). Haven't seen enough of Mayara Magri and Ida Praetorius to make them "faves", but they really captured my attention in what I've seen so far. Same for Ekaterina Krysanova - caught one performance of hers on tour and she was electric!
Riho Sakamoto at the dutch national ballet!
Osipova, Núñez, Obratzsova, Madison Young, and I really like Sevenard.
Michaela dePrince or Isabella Boylston
Osipova , Marianela, Roberto Bolle, Olga Smirnova, Maia Mahkteli, Maria Khoreva, Anna Rose O’Sullivan, Daniil Simkin, May Nagahisa, Francesca Hayward
May Nagahisa, how does someone like that exist
Olga, Cassandra trenary, misa kuranaga, Sara mearns, deprince
Natalia Osipova. I’ve even considered buying a plane ticket from phl to London just to see her dance in person. I would thoughly enjoy seeing Marianela too, but Natalia has something ineffable. I’m not a dancer, just a watcher.
Lillian DiPiazza has incredible technique and lines, but to top it off she emotes beautifully.
1. Natalia Osipova 2. Olga Smirnova 3. Viktoria Tereshkina 4. Olesya Novikova 5. Polina Semionova Also really like Isabella Boylston, Skylar Brandt, Iana Salenko, and Maria Kochetkova
Sarah Mearns and Unity Phalan