In my last performance with my ballet studio, I portrayed the Queen in Sleeping Beauty, which has a great deal of pantomime, but very little dancing. In ballet, the King and Queen dance very little, leaving the dancing to the Prince, the Princess, the fairies, and the guests. My role consisted of majestic walks around the stage, gracious sweeps of my arms, and regal nods of my head. I wore a beautiful gold brocade gown elaborately trimmed with lace and pearls. A sparkling rhinestone tiara rested on my head, and a large faux ruby ring decorated my finger. Most of my time was spent sitting on my throne, observing the dancing, and occasionally interacting with the King.
This was my friend Isabel’s graduation performance, and she was dancing Aurora. Every inch of her looked like a fairy-tale princess, from her sparkling crystal tiara to her pink satin pointe shoes. Tiny rhinestones and pearls edged the bodice of her pale pink tutu, and delicate iridescent flowers were scattered over the skirt. Despite her beautiful appearance and bright smile, I could see the pain in Isabel’s eyes. She had injured her ankle, but was determined to perform. She did not want to disappoint our teacher, Ms. Svetlana, who followed the Russian ballet school tradition of a graduation concert to demonstrate what the graduates have accomplished.
While watching Isabel dance, I thought of my graduation concert the year before. Like Isabel, I was dancing with an injury, and I did not want to disappoint Ms. Svetlana. I concealed a knee brace under my pink tights, and had a cooler filled with flexible ice packs waiting backstage.
Instead of a full-length ballet, my graduation show opened with “Class-Concert,” a demonstration of a traditional ballet class progressing from barre to center work, all performed en pointe. Next, individual students presented an assortment of Petipa variations. Because I was graduating, I danced two variations: Gulnare’s Pas d’Esclave variation from Le Corsaire and Gamzatti’s variation from La Bayadere.
Gulnare is a slave girl dancing one last time before she is purchased for a sheik’s harem. This is my favorite Petipa variation. I love the opening diagonal: cabriole devant, chasse, jete, renverse, emboite, pique develope front. It combines my favorite steps: big jumps and quick foot work. The music is lilting and while the steps themselves are quite challenging, the sequencing of the steps makes this variation very danceable.
Fortunately, my knee brace was concealed because Gulnare’s variation is often performed in harem pants. However, Gamzatti is a tutu variation. I hoped my elaborate headpiece and the glitter from my rhinestone-studded tutu would keep the audience from noticing my brace.
As the daughter of the Rajah, Gamzatti is a very different girl from Gulnare. Gulnare is a slave girl; Gamzatti is a slave owner. Petipa’s choreography shows that Gamzatti is confident, proud and imperious. Before the music even starts, Gamzatti takes a huge preparation upstage left as if to let the audience know that her variation is something very, very special. Petipa fills this variation with cabrioles, grand battements, grand jetes, and turns of various kinds. As soon as one diagonal is completed, another one begins. The final manege features soaring grand jetes and pique arabesques, ending with a triumphant final pose.
I did not feel particularly triumphant or imperious or proud as I entered and began the huge preparation. For the first time, I didn’t worry about the diagonal with the attitude turns; I worried about my knee remaining stable during the jete take-offs and landings. This would be my last performance as a L’Etoile student; I wanted Ms. Svetlana and Mr. Vadim to be proud of me. The theater filled with applause as I assumed the final pose. My prayers were answered; my knee did not buckle, and I ended on my feet.
At the end of the show, I was presented with a diploma and two-dozen red roses. Afterwards, I looked at the program and saw “Graduator 2009” after my name. I couldn’t help smiling. My Russian teachers have created many interesting variations of English words. Sadly, they stop using these charming variations when someone corrects them. However, I am very happy that they no longer use graduator because now it is mine alone. It has become my nickname at L’Etoile.
Here is one of my favorite ballerinas, Anastasia Matvienko, performing Gamzatti’s variation. I am grateful that there is no video of me dancing Gamzatti.
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