Debuts in Don Quixote

Yuri Smekalov’s career has been a highly unusual one. Fifteen years ago, after graduating from the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, he joined the Boris Eifman Ballet. Having been promoted from the corps de ballet to the rank of first soloist, he won acclaim and fame as an outstanding performer and interpreter of Eifman’s dramatically intense choreography. Certain productions were staged for him and he was among Eifman’s most vibrant and popular dancers. In his search for new roles, a new dance language and new colours, however, he risked his status by leaving the Boris Eifman Ballet. Fate brought him to the Mariinsky Theatre. After ten years of performing only contemporary choreography and working with the specific nature of Eifman’s plastique, embracing the classics is no easy task for any dancer. At the Mariinsky Theatre, too, Smekalov has made a niche for himself as a performer of new choreography. Among his undoubted successes to date are the roles of the Gentleman of the Bedchamber in The Little Humpbacked Horse and Vronsky in Anna Karenina by Alexei Ratmansky and one of the Soloists in Le Parc by Angelin Preljocaj as well as Sasha Waltz’ production of Sacre. Yuri Smekalov’s repertoire at the Mariinsky Theatre is not, however, limited to contemporary productions as he also appears in the classics. His newest role is that of Espada in Don Quixote.

Maria Shevyakova’s repertoire includes numerous divertissement character dances in classical productions. The character dancer’s repertoire now features the role of the temperamental Mercedes.