ceecee Posted January 20, 2012 Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 What a wonderful opportunity for this lovely dancer. I have to say that I never heard her name before two weeks ago and all of a sudden she is everywhere!! I have heard that this is the first time an American dancer was asked to join the Mariinsky Ballet. Does anyone know if that is true? Quote Link to comment
jm278 Posted January 20, 2012 Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 The Washington Post article in today's paper: http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater-dance/dance-restons-keenan-kampa-to-join-mariinksy-ballet/2012/01/18/gIQA5NP78P_story.html Quote Link to comment
ollieshadow Posted January 20, 2012 Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 New York Times story. http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/19/another-american-dancer-joins-a-russian-ballet-company/ Quote Link to comment
Guest The Lilac Fairy Posted January 20, 2012 Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 I love Keenan! I have been following her Youtube channel for a while now and she has posted her exams from the Vaganova School, which I have found stunning. The movement in these video's express such a pure form of beauty that reminds me of Alina Somova, who I adore. The only thing is I'm surprised about it why they didn't ask her to join earlier! Quote Link to comment
marigold Posted January 20, 2012 Report Share Posted January 20, 2012 Another recent fan here... What a beautiful dancer! The Russians really know how to pick them. Hope she comes back here someday and is well supported by a touring US company so she can be seen! Quote Link to comment
gogators Posted May 19, 2012 Report Share Posted May 19, 2012 Fascinating radio interview tonight with Keenan Kampa on Dick Gordon's The Story on American Public Radio: http://thestory.org/archive/the_story_051812.mp3/view (Click Listen Now to hear the broadcast) Quote Link to comment
vrsfanatic Posted May 19, 2012 Report Share Posted May 19, 2012 (edited) As lovely as Ms. Kampa is (she truely is a beauty), she is not the 1st American to receive a diploma from the Vaganova Academy. I am not sure why they say she is. During the 1990s there were quite a few Americans to graduate from Vaganova Academy. I also know one who graduated in 2005. Perhaps Ms Kampa received a "red" diploma versus a "blue"? Vanessa Zahorian, a young graduate from KAB in 1994 joined Mariinsky as a full member in 1995. She left after one year for San Francisco Ballet. Rasta Thomas, KAB 1994, also had a contract of some sort with Mariinsky in 1995. Edited May 19, 2012 by vrsfanatic additional information Quote Link to comment
Arizona Native Posted May 20, 2012 Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 Hmmmm. Vanessa Zahorian's SFB bio says she served "an apprenticeship at Russia's Kirov Ballet." Quote Link to comment
Guest The Lilac Fairy Posted May 20, 2012 Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 I believe I read on her blog that she was the first to receive the diploma that is usually saved for Russian students. Also I am 100% sure that she is not the first American in the company because Anna Marie Holmes was! Or at least is what every one else around me has said. Quote Link to comment
vrsfanatic Posted May 20, 2012 Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 Anna Marie Holmes is/was Canadian at the time she performed with the Mariinsky, not from the USA. As for Ms. Zahorian, perhaps they changed the catagories over time. There were no apprentices to Mariinsky in 1995. There was a company within the Mariinsky called the "little" Mariinsky begun by Mr. Vinogradov , AD at the time, begun in 1991. I never saw the contract so perhaps you are correct however from conversations at the time with her mother, the contract was a full contract. Since it was difficult to have anyone in Mariinsky who was not Russian or married to one, the contract may have had a stipulation of some sort. Knowing the Russian politics within Vaganova and within Mariinsky, mostlikely any non-Russian (if not married to a Russian) did indeed have a different contract from a Russian. The point I think I was trying to make is that there have been quite a few successful Americans who pre-dated Ms. Keenan to both Vaganova and Mariinsky. The politics of the time did not allow for the same diploma as the Russians. It is nice to see that things may have changed. Quote Link to comment
Arizona Native Posted May 20, 2012 Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 Here is Ms. Zahorian's bio: http://www.sfballet....anessa_Zahorian. I don't have a horse in this race; It's her SFB bio. : ) Quote Link to comment
Arizona Native Posted May 20, 2012 Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 Anne Marie Holmes' bio says she was "The first North American invited to perform with the Kirov." Different experiences, different agreements, and as VRSFanatic notes, different times: http://www.jacobspil...arie-holmes.php. Quote Link to comment
vrsfanatic Posted May 20, 2012 Report Share Posted May 20, 2012 Thank you for posting the bio. No horse necessary at all. No battle to win. A bio is a bio. Quote Link to comment
Guest The Lilac Fairy Posted May 21, 2012 Report Share Posted May 21, 2012 Oops! Although I agree, thank you for correcting me. : ) Quote Link to comment
ballet.bunny Posted January 15, 2013 Report Share Posted January 15, 2013 Tomorrow Keenan Kampa makes her debut as Kitri in the Mariinsky's Don Quixote!!!! I am sure that she will be wonderful. Quote Link to comment
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