Kirov's Sparkling Heirloom 'Jewels'

In the 1920s George Balanchine left the company we now call the Kirov Ballet in search of artistic freedom. The century would nearly run out before the Kirov, in turn, attained the freedom to reclaim Balanchine for its own. Piece by piece, in addition to its stable of classics, the St. Petersburg establishment has been performing works by the famed expatriate who expanded the Russian legacy in astonishing, outside-the-box ways.

On Wednesday and Thursday at the Kennedy Center Opera House, the Kirov presented its first American performances of Balanchine's "Jewels," the plotless, full-length ballet that is so intricately musical, so technically formidable and stylistically thorny that only a half-dozen other companies perform it.

That the Kirov dances "Jewels" is, therefore, deliciously appropriate, bringing Balanchine's achievements full circle. That the Kirov dances the ballet so hungrily, and with such devoted care, is a stunning disclosure of the true magnificence of this company.

Founded more than 200 years ago, the Kirov is one of the world's oldest ballet companies, and certainly it holds a unique position in the pantheon. It has mothered many of ballet's most important figures: 19th-century choreographer Marius Petipa, like Balanchine a seminal choreographer of his era, and 20th-century dancers Vaslav Nijinsky, Rudolf Nureyev, Natalia Makarova and Mikhail Baryshnikov.

But an artistic entity does not move forward simply because it is old and venerable. A proud past will carry it only so far. If it ceases seeking to achieve, to try new avenues of expression, it cannot thrive, for it will lose its grasp on the pulsing vitality that makes art so thrilling in the first place. This is why the Kirov's programming here is so interesting.

With its revival of Petipa's original "Sleeping Beauty" and Balanchine's "Jewels," the Kirov has chosen to open its 10-year engagement at the Kennedy Center with works that neatly demonstrate its range, its heritage and its supreme confidence -- not Soviet-style propagandistic arrogance but the confidence to offer works of great difficulty. Works that require a rethinking of style and that ask the dancers to make drastic adjustments.

And the dancers answered emphatically. Gone was any of the jet lag or nervousness that may have accounted for Tuesday's under-energized "Sleeping Beauty." "Jewels" was not flawless but it was bold. One had the sense that the dancers relished every step of it, and that air of enthusiasm lent the ballet a freshness, as if these were its very first performances.

Balanchine created the work in 1967 for his New York City Ballet; his inspiration, he said, was a display of gems at Van Cleef & Arpels. But more than an expression of the allure of precious stones, the work is a profound meditation on its musical accompaniment. The first of its three parts, "Emeralds," is the most difficult to get right, mated as it is to the dreamy mystery and wonder of its Gabriel Fauré score (selections from "Pelleas et Melisande" and "Shylock.") The indefinable, watery, romantic mood was challenging for the Kirov, as was the musicality. The French composer's works are not often used for ballet, much less in the traditional repertoire that has been the Kirov's mainstay up to now.

But if the corps had some trouble maintaining fluidity, the soloists -- Veronika Part and Zhanna Ayupova -- were far more at ease, buoyed, it seemed, by nothing other than the music and the glowing, pearly light. Ayupova was especially light and joyous. Dancing, for her, seemed to be sheer bliss.

"Rubies" snaps the dancers out of their dream state into a fiery world of glamour with a dangerous edge, accompanied by Stravinsky's Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra. What delirious fun it is! The music darts, races and teases, and the dancers follow suit, their legs flying to the sky, hips thrusting with abandon. Youthfulness and vigor are the currency here, and the Russians had an abundance of both.

Among the leads, Maya Dumchenko was stately but a bit too reserved in Wednesday's leading solo, though Andrian Fadeyev and Irina Golub had playfulness to spare. Thursday's leading women shared an alluring bloodthirstiness, with the sirenlike Sofia Gumerova in the solo and Diana Vishneva paired with the athletic if overeager Viatcheslav Samodurov. Vishneva, whose Aurora in "Sleeping Beauty" lacked depth, was clearly in her element here. She was all sharp points and unhinged limbs and cruel beauty; tiny as she is, she looked like she could eat Samodurov alive.

"Diamonds" brings us back to the world of the spirit. It is Balanchine's tribute to the Russian tradition, to Tchaikovsky (he uses the composer's Symphony No. 3) and to favorite ballerina Suzanne Farrell -- all of which he took very, very seriously. The corps, one of the Kirov's chief glories, particularly shone in this section, displaying the velvety use of the arms and crisp technique that are Kirov trademarks.

The much-heralded Svetlana Zakharova was Wednesday's commanding leading ballerina, with awe-inspiring 180-degree extensions and extravagantly supple feet. She is extraordinarily assured, an uncommonly arresting dancer, though her performance felt a bit too calculated.

On Thursday, 23-year-old Daria Pavlenko, a second soloist, gave a more satisfying interpretation, less extreme and more mystical. Her footwork was absolutely silent, and her unsupported balances were so serene that she made her cavalier wait before placing her hand on his. She signals a promising, poetic future for the company.

The tall, raven-haired Danila Korsuntsev partnered both women, with a nobility to match their purity, as well as clean, centered turns.

Barbara Horgan, tireless director of the Balanchine Trust, which licenses the rights to Balanchine ballets all over the world, said recently that mounting "Jewels" on the Kirov was the biggest production she has ever worked on. Four former New York City Ballet dancers -- Karin von Aroldingen, Sara Leland, Elyse Borne and Sean Lavery -- spent months teaching the ballet to the Russians. The simple, elegant sets -- curtained wings and a spray of crystals overhead that gave the illusion of floating in space -- were reconstructed for the Kirov by Peter Harvey, from his designs for the original. They drew gasps at the outset of each section, before a step was danced. Holly Hynes re-created the original Karinska costumes.

It was well worth the effort. In honoring this work, the Kirov affirms the wisdom of Balanchine's decision to seek his freedom. How exciting it is to see the Kirov embark on the same journey.