 |
| Mariinsky Ballet principal dancer Kimin Kim, Ballet Manila’s CEO and artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde and Mariinsky Ballet principal dancer Renata Shakirova |
Renata Shakirova and Kimin Kim bring fresh fire to Don Quixote in Ballet Manila’s Pearl Year finale
Performing a role repeatedly can either deepen a dancer’s mastery
or dull their connection to the material. For international ballet stars Renata
Shakirova and Kimin Kim, it’s a challenge they meet with precision, passion,
and a relentless pursuit of nuance.
Set to portray Kitri and Basilio in Don Quixote from August 22 to
24 at the Aliw Theater—the final offering of Ballet Manila’s Pearl Year
season—Renata and Kimin return to roles they’ve danced countless times, but
never the same way twice.
Both dancers are part of the world renowned Mariinsky Ballet where
they have attained principal dancer status – a feat that signifies their years
of experience and expertise in ballet, performing with technical precision and exceptional
artistry.
 |
| Mariinsky Ballet principal dancers Renata Shakirova and Kimin Kim |
“I think that the role of Kitri is my most performed role in the
classical ballet repertoire,” admits Renata. Yet despite this, she stresses
that the key to keeping the character fresh is to forget how many times she’s
performed it.
She adds, “I have to prepare for the performance like it’s my
first time so that we are always paying attention and ready. For example,
looking at each other as partners—it can become mechanical. But it is our
responsibility to always look into the details and discover something new with
every rehearsal or performance.”
Renata also acknowledges her partner Kimin’s ability to see the
smallest nuances: “He has this trait of always looking at and paying attention
to even the smallest of details, and I think that every performance consists of
these small details.”
Kimin, a multi-award-winning principal dancer trained at the
Mariinsky Theater, describes Basilio as “the color red that shimmers”—a bright,
shining character that is thrilling to portray.
Even with his unique perspective on the role, he emphasizes the
importance of maintaining the level of excellence instilled through his
Mariinsky training: “I think schooling is still the most important. Without
proper schooling, you cannot really show anything. There are the fouettés and
the male jumps that show technique in the pas de deux. In the first act, you
can also show a lot of acting that I learned from my teachers. I try to give
the audience my inner self as well as the technique that is expected of me.”
Having danced with Renata previously in the same roles, Kimin
still finds excitement in discovering something new about his partner. “It is
always a pleasure to work with Renata. When we are dancing the same ballet a
hundred times, there are also a hundred different versions of her dancing.”
He continues, “She is very emotional, and onstage she can show
everything differently. As her partner, it is always so nice—I watch her with
surprise, so I am never bored with her performance.”
Now portraying Kitri and Basilio with Ballet Manila on a
Philippine stage, both dancers are eager to show audiences what they’ve been
preparing so diligently.
For Renata, who had a wonderful experience playing Giselle with
Ballet Manila last year, her return as Kitri is most welcome. “The audience was
so receptive and hospitable, and now that I am here with a different
performance, I am so excited to show a different side of me. Giselle was a very
dramatic and heavy ballet, and Don Quixote is very happy—with different
requirements of coordination and style. As an artist, I want to show this other
side of me.”
Meanwhile, for Kimin—performing in Manila for the first time—he
hopes the audience will carry the emotions of the performance long after the
curtain falls: “I always want the audience to feel a bright emotion after a
performance—not only to clap and shout ‘bravo’ after the show, but to bring
home that memory of Renata and Kimin. I think that can only happen if the
performer gives the audience a message and a feeling. It is so important to me
that the audience will like our performance.”
With the caliber and artistry of Renata and Kimin, Ballet Manila’s
CEO and artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde exclaims, “I think it’s only
fitting to close out our Pearl Year performance season with Renata and Kimin leading
Ballet Manila’s Don Quixote. With their performance, we will once again
reinforce our pursuit of bringing world-class performances to our audiences.”
 |
| Ballet Manila’s CEO and artistic director, Lisa Macuja Elizalde |
Don’t miss the stellar performance from Renata Shakirova and Kimin Kim as they portray the well-loved characters Kitri and Basilio in Ballet Manila’s Don Quixote on August 22 at 8 PM, and August 23 and 24 at 5 PM.
All performances will be staged at Aliw Theater, Pasay City. For
tickets, visit www.ticketworld.com.ph. To learn more about Ballet Manila and its shows, visit www.balletmanila.com.ph.
To stay up-to-date, follow me on my social media accounts.
Renata Shakirova and Kimin Kim bring fresh fire to Don Quixote in Ballet Manila’s Pearl Year finale
|
| Mariinsky Ballet principal dancer Kimin Kim, Ballet Manila’s CEO and artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde and Mariinsky Ballet principal dancer Renata Shakirova |
Renata Shakirova and Kimin Kim bring fresh fire to Don Quixote in Ballet Manila’s Pearl Year finale
Performing a role repeatedly can either deepen a dancer’s mastery
or dull their connection to the material. For international ballet stars Renata
Shakirova and Kimin Kim, it’s a challenge they meet with precision, passion,
and a relentless pursuit of nuance.
Set to portray Kitri and Basilio in Don Quixote from August 22 to
24 at the Aliw Theater—the final offering of Ballet Manila’s Pearl Year
season—Renata and Kimin return to roles they’ve danced countless times, but
never the same way twice.
Both dancers are part of the world renowned Mariinsky Ballet where
they have attained principal dancer status – a feat that signifies their years
of experience and expertise in ballet, performing with technical precision and exceptional
artistry.
|
| Mariinsky Ballet principal dancers Renata Shakirova and Kimin Kim |
“I think that the role of Kitri is my most performed role in the
classical ballet repertoire,” admits Renata. Yet despite this, she stresses
that the key to keeping the character fresh is to forget how many times she’s
performed it.
She adds, “I have to prepare for the performance like it’s my
first time so that we are always paying attention and ready. For example,
looking at each other as partners—it can become mechanical. But it is our
responsibility to always look into the details and discover something new with
every rehearsal or performance.”
Renata also acknowledges her partner Kimin’s ability to see the
smallest nuances: “He has this trait of always looking at and paying attention
to even the smallest of details, and I think that every performance consists of
these small details.”
Kimin, a multi-award-winning principal dancer trained at the
Mariinsky Theater, describes Basilio as “the color red that shimmers”—a bright,
shining character that is thrilling to portray.
Even with his unique perspective on the role, he emphasizes the
importance of maintaining the level of excellence instilled through his
Mariinsky training: “I think schooling is still the most important. Without
proper schooling, you cannot really show anything. There are the fouettés and
the male jumps that show technique in the pas de deux. In the first act, you
can also show a lot of acting that I learned from my teachers. I try to give
the audience my inner self as well as the technique that is expected of me.”
Having danced with Renata previously in the same roles, Kimin
still finds excitement in discovering something new about his partner. “It is
always a pleasure to work with Renata. When we are dancing the same ballet a
hundred times, there are also a hundred different versions of her dancing.”
He continues, “She is very emotional, and onstage she can show
everything differently. As her partner, it is always so nice—I watch her with
surprise, so I am never bored with her performance.”
Now portraying Kitri and Basilio with Ballet Manila on a
Philippine stage, both dancers are eager to show audiences what they’ve been
preparing so diligently.
For Renata, who had a wonderful experience playing Giselle with
Ballet Manila last year, her return as Kitri is most welcome. “The audience was
so receptive and hospitable, and now that I am here with a different
performance, I am so excited to show a different side of me. Giselle was a very
dramatic and heavy ballet, and Don Quixote is very happy—with different
requirements of coordination and style. As an artist, I want to show this other
side of me.”
Meanwhile, for Kimin—performing in Manila for the first time—he
hopes the audience will carry the emotions of the performance long after the
curtain falls: “I always want the audience to feel a bright emotion after a
performance—not only to clap and shout ‘bravo’ after the show, but to bring
home that memory of Renata and Kimin. I think that can only happen if the
performer gives the audience a message and a feeling. It is so important to me
that the audience will like our performance.”
With the caliber and artistry of Renata and Kimin, Ballet Manila’s
CEO and artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde exclaims, “I think it’s only
fitting to close out our Pearl Year performance season with Renata and Kimin leading
Ballet Manila’s Don Quixote. With their performance, we will once again
reinforce our pursuit of bringing world-class performances to our audiences.”
|
| Ballet Manila’s CEO and artistic director, Lisa Macuja Elizalde |
Don’t miss the stellar performance from Renata Shakirova and Kimin Kim as they portray the well-loved characters Kitri and Basilio in Ballet Manila’s Don Quixote on August 22 at 8 PM, and August 23 and 24 at 5 PM.
All performances will be staged at Aliw Theater, Pasay City. For
tickets, visit www.ticketworld.com.ph. To learn more about Ballet Manila and its shows, visit www.balletmanila.com.ph.
To stay up-to-date, follow me on my social media accounts.
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