Blaze of Glory
Backstage with seven Bolshoi-trained ballerinas as they plunge into contemporary work
Thrilling, expansive, heroic—few styles are as distinctive as the Bolshoi’s. So there was intense buzz last January when Southern California’s Segerstrom Center for the Arts presented “Reflections,” a showcase for seven remarkable ballerinas who all trained at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy. The stars flew in from around the ballet world to rehearse and perform work by cutting-edge choreographers like Aszure Barton, Jorma Elo and Mauro Bigonzetti, some of it tailor-made to their talents. Several dancers had not been in the same studio since they graduated, making a unique event also a reunion. In true Bolshoi style, the dancers unhesitatingly pushed the envelope in new work.
