DATELINE NEW YORK: American Ballet Theater's Ukrainian stars (08/16/98)

DATELINE NEW YORK: American Ballet Theater's Ukrainian stars

by Helen Smindak

First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton addressed the black-tie audience at the opening of the American Ballet Theater's annual two-month season at the Metropolitan Opera House, calling the theater "a source of pride for all Americans" and "truly America's ballet company."

As honorary chairwoman of the event, she noted that the National Endowment for the Arts had awarded the theater a Millennium Grant, making ABT one of only three American ballet companies to receive a special grant, thus allowing it to "present and preserve American masterpieces."

The gala opening-night program, featured excerpts from the company's treasured classics - "Giselle," "The Merry Widow" and "La Sylphide" - and a preview of ABT's new production of "Le Corsaire."

The performing artists included three dancers born in Ukraine: Vladimir Malakhov of Kryvyi Rih, who has spent the past five seasons as a principal dancer with ABT, and Maxim Belotserkovsky and Irina Dvorovenko of Kyiv, who have been with the company since 1994.

Later that evening, Mrs. Clinton joined other guests and the entire company at a post-performance dinner at the Metropolitan Opera House.

Although the program was primarily a fund-raiser and did not do justice to the ballet theater's usual standards, it brought most of the company's dancers on stage during the evening.

Mr. Malakhov was seen with Amanda McKerrow in the Pas d'Esclave from Act I of Marius Petipa's "Le Corsaire." Mr. Belotserkovsky appeared in Jiri Kylian's "Sinfonietta" and an excerpt from Harold Lander's "Études," while Ms. Dvorovenko, though scheduled for important roles during the season, performed with the corps de ballet in "Études."

All three artists have received praise from the media in the past, including The New York Times, and the work of Mr. Malakhov and Mr. Belotserkovsky did not go unnoticed this time. Anna Kisselgoff of The Times congratulated Mr. Malakhov and three other ABT artists for "knowing the value of restraint" and noted Mr. Malakhov's great work in the "Le Corsaire" excerpt.

"As the villain in harem pants, Mr. Malakhov, and Amanda McKerrow, in a gold tutu and her face initially veiled, tried to make sense of choreography that has been treated by too many hands since Petipa staged his last version of the full work in 1899," Ms. Kisselgoff wrote.

Mr. Malakhov, who is known for his tremendous jumps, performed one of these before abducting Ms. McKerrow into the wings. It was described by Ms. Kisselgoff as "a typical Malakhov marvel, a high jump into a very deep, soft, plié."

On his part, Mr. Belotserkovsky came in for praise for his work in "Sinfonietta," a ballet filled with Janacek's musical fanfare. Ms. Kisselgoff felt the ensemble of Keith Roberts, Mr. Belotserkovsky and Christina Fagundes, supported by John Selya and Ethan Brown, created an "exhilarating paean to the earth."

During the season, Mr. Malakhov performed in the lavish and unforgettable "Le Corsaire," an exotic fable of a dashing pirate and a beautiful young harem girl, and the treacherous forces that threaten to keep them apart. He also danced in "Giselle," a poignant masterpiece now back in the ABT repertoire after a three-year absence, and in "Coppelia," the enchanting story of Dr. Coppelius and the life-size dolls he creates in his mysterious workshop.

Mr. Belotserkovsky's work included major roles in "The Merry Widow," a tale of romance and intrigue with sumptuous sets and costumes and swirling ball gowns, and "The Sleeping Beauty," a classic ballet set to Tchaikovsky's beloved score.

Ms. Dvorovenko was featured in "The Merry Widow," as well as in "Giselle" and "Le Corsaire."

Although advance scheduling called for the three Ukrainian artists to appear together in the June 22 performance of "Le Corsaire," this did not happen because of final schedule changes. Throughout the season, however, Ms. Dvorovenko was cast at times with Mr. Belotserkovsky (in "The Merry Widow") and Mr. Malakhov (in "Giselle," "Le Corsaire" and "Études").

Mr. Malakhov, who has been compared by Newsday to the famous dancer Rudolf Nureyev, was considered "our new find" by American Ballet Theater when he joined the company in 1995. Previously he appeared with the Moscow Ballet, as a principal soloist with the Vienna State Opera Ballet and as a principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada.

Earlier in the season he appeared as a special guest in the Parsons Dance Company's spring outing at City Center. Last month he joined forces with the Stuttgart Ballet for its presentations of John Cranko's ravishing classics - "Romeo and Juliet" and "Onegin" - at the Lincoln Center Festival.

Mr. Belotserkovsky, who became a leading soloist with the National Opera of Ukraine in 1991, was awarded the title of "étoile" (star). In 1993, he was honored by the president of Ukraine for outstanding artistic achievement.

Mr. Belotserkovsky and Ms. Dvorovenko, who are husband and wife in real life, joined ABT ranks in 1994 as members of the corps de ballet. Both natives of Kyiv who trained at the School of Dance there, they have advanced to principal soloist status with ABT (a notch below that of principal dancer).

Teamed in a performance last October during the opening of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, a new $180 million complex located in Newark, the Kyiv dancers were commended by James R. Oestreich of The New York Times for the "fine, sensuous edge" they gave to the "White Swan" pas de deux from Act II of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake." The concert was shown on PBS Television last February.

This season, American Ballet Theater has added a two-week fall season at New York's City Center. Over the next 12 months, the company will perform in Mexico City, Israel and Japan, and in Boston, Princeton, Detroit, Washington, D.C., Newark and Los Angeles.

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