Vladimir Kolesnikov
I first get a glimpse of Vladimir's teaching as I'm leaving the Debbie Allen Dance Academy after class one Saturday afternoon. I stop by the viewing window and watch as he demonstrates the combination. Vladimir is a lean man, with elongated muscles, fashionable hair and clothing, and a bright and warm smile that lights up his face. The tendu combination he's giving is complicated. I watch it again as the students execute it on the right, and then again as they repeat it on the left. I still don't have it. I make a note to return and observe his class before I take it. I return the following Saturday; the class begins at noon. I sit at the doorway and follow mentally... this time for the entire class. Vladimir teaches a Kirov style class, yet as I've noticed with other teachers, the Vaganova syllabus brings out his individuality and rhythm. One thing that I love about this system is that the teachers choreograph their own exercises, pulling from the same pool of steps... unlike my early Cecchetti training, where the exercises are set, and remain unchanged.
Known as a Premier Character dancer with the Kirov, I immediately notice Vladimir's syncopation and rhythm in his barre work. As I watch the rest of it, I don't pick up any of the combinations...I'm lost. Well I'm getting bits and pieces, but then I go blank. The students have it, and they do well, moving as a group and seeming to be of one mind. As for me, I am behind. "Super high intelligence," I think to myself. The class is carefully planned. They do pirouettes in nearly every barre exercise, starting with jetes. The passe is at mid-calf for the first few exercises, then he moves it up to pirouette position later in the barre. He usually opens to a 45 degree a la seconde position after the turn, building the combination from there. I like the set up and the timing. "Preparation, fifth, double, open..." he calls out, layering on the frappes, ronde de jambes en l'air, and other exercises. Everyone is expected to do double pirouettes from fifth, each time, en dehors and en dedans. I like that. It's empowering for the women. He stresses the import-ance of the force of the knee opening or the outward pirouette, and the force of placing the heel forward in passe for the inward pirouette. He shows the turns, demonstrating cleanly, carefully, and making a turn and a half landing facing the opposite direction look very easy. His own turn out is impec-cable...perfectly flat, rivaling that of a woman's. I can see from watching him that he has tremendous flexibil-ity...beyond that of any man I have ever seen. There's an ease there, no effort as he shows maximum rotation from the hip, and easy, high extensions. The energy he gives off is electric... the hours and hours he has put into his classical training and rehearsal time quite obvious. The material pours out of him, reflecting his ingenuity.
I return the next Saturday, this time to take the class. It's excellent... difficult and demanding, yet because it's so musical, not grueling. Vladimir's corrections are direct, helpful, and accurate. What I like most about him is that he is all about the work, a pure and dedicated artist. Everyone is corrected...he goes down the line, intent on fixing the details and guiding our bodies back into pure classical alignment, Russian style. He keeps telling me to put my hips forward. I wish I could get them as far forward as he does, but they are still partially locked, opening in stages. He nods encouragingly as I make another attempt. It's a tiny improvement, but he still notices.
My mind feels exhilarated with his fine use of rhythm and accents. Because of my background as a rhythm tapper, I get excited when I meet people with such musical talent...my mind feels stimulated by the precision he has, hearing things in the music that most people wouldn't pick up. I can see that the class is carefully choreographed ahead of time, with careful consideration paid to each piece of music. A well prepared class always impresses me. The class is very thorough and designed to give you solid technique.
I have the feeling that Vladimir could do many, many pirouettes when he was dancing. I usually get a sense of teachers' strengths when I study with them, and Vladimir obviously loves to turn and jump. I would also guess that he excelled at choreography that demanded speed. I incorporate his pirouette drill into the barre that I plan for my own students that week. I have never seen another teacher give so many pirouettes at the barre. It works. By the time you get to the center, a pirouette feels easy, like a tendu. It becomes second nature, familiar, so you relax. There's no fear, hesitation or trepidation. The turns just click.
Vladimir's class moves very quickly...again, I equate this with his character work. Dancers who can execute fast, intricate character, tap or flamenco footwork can parallel that in ballet. Speed to them is a high...a challenge, a spiritual flight. I think of the whirling dervishes and how they find ecstasy and union through their wild spinning. I definitely feel different and am flying through pirouettes now. I hear the air in my ears "tu tu tu" as I throw a fast triple before doing a series of fouette turns in another class later in the week. My old hesitation is gone; it's all about rhythm and hitting the accents now. The approach is working with my students, as well. Two of them do five clean pirouettes later that week. Their revolutions are smooth and controlled; they stay on releve at the end, then land, staring at me with their mouths open. I feel their surprise and elation...and they can feel mine. " Yes, see! Now can do six," I tell them. I wonder to myself what it's like to be twelve years old and doing five pirouettes already. I know it's because of this barre structure, and I make a mental note to keep plenty of pirouettes in the barre from now on. It's like we've worked the kinks out of the turns during that part of class, and now in the center, the flow is there. The girls are turning in their bodies in one piece, revolving with the music. A couple of weeks later a third girl is doing five pirouettes. "Wow this stuff works!" I muse to myself.
In his center adage we do many more turns: with the leg en evant, attitude turns, pirouettes from fifth en dehors, landing in a back attitude croisse, connecting the steps with promenades, (or tour lent as the Russians call them,) then grande fouette...it's almost a blur, and a fast adage. Next he shows us a grande plie into a double pirouette landing in second at 45 degrees on releve, then goes into a series of ronde de jambes en lair staying on releve. I pay careful attention to this exercise, as well. It helps me with long balances and pirouettes because I feel so on my leg after doing it. I'm amazed at how he can demonstrate such difficult, demanding steps. When I'm taking his class, my muscles feel hot, I'm energized, and am able to go for it. Teaching and demonstrating such strenuous exercises, however, is a whole different ball game. I find myself hopping and struggling as I demonstrate the more difficult adage elements to my students.
"Such focus and dedication," I think to myself. I remember in an interview that I did with Debbie Allen last year how excited and bubbly she became as she told me about Vladimir. At that time he was traveling to New York to coach ABT on "Raymonda." Her voice sped up as she talked about him, it was obvious to me that she greatly admired his work and talent. Another day in Vladimir's class I happen to be standing next to Debbie's daughter. Trained at Universal Ballet Academy, she has the Vaganova style down and is a serious, intense, accomplished dancer. I like the girls in Vladimir's Saturday class. They're kind, quiet, respectful, intelligent, and easy to work with. There are no games or behavior problems, just cooperation and diligent work. We all admire Vladimir and his ability to demonstrate everything. He pushes himself. There's nothing lazy about him. His class is professional, intense, comprehensive, and you improve, fast! When I return to other classes I feel stronger and faster, lighter, and more confident. I make careful note of the corrections he gives me, as well as the corrections he gives to the other students. A class with Vladimir is as valuable as a Teacher Training. He just does it naturally.
Author's Note: After writing this piece, Vladimir told me that he doesn't plan his class beforehand. He improvises while teaching, listening to the music. My impression was wrong. Planning each exercise at home with each piece of music is something I do in my own teaching that I projected on to him. S.L.
Vladimir Kolesnikov