Deeply moving performance!!! Yulia is one of the greatest ballerina actresses as her Nikiya conveys hope in her final desperate and ultimately tragic dance among the living. Congratulations to Yulia, she deserves every success.
Bravo! Bravissimo!!! VIVA YULIA! Thank you so much for this post, YULIA is Prima Ballerina Assoluta for me, a true sincere ballerina actress who feels the choreography and music naturally occurring in the moment. Artist at work, and there is also the fact that La Stepanova is a stunning, beautiful woman. This is a great debut of an exquisite ballerina who transmits emotions even when absolutely still. VIVA EL BOLSHOI! For having the gift of knowing when a ballerina is a gift to the world, YULIA STEPANOVA.
Thanks for posting! You know, I really love how she actually looks almost happy during the slow part when she first receives the flower basket. I've only seen a few dancers do that and I wish more of them did! It makes so much more sense to me than just staring at it. I mean, Nikiya thinks it's a gift from Solor, right? I feel like she should be surprised but pleasantly so - like "hey, maybe he still loves me, maybe there's still hope after all" and that's what Yulia Stepanova conveys during that part. Great performance!
We can all remember a couple years ago when our Yulia was in the last row of shades at MT. So, thank you! So happy for her. She did an exceptional performance for this premier. She was not over the top and showed deep emotion without being sappy. Love our Yulia!
+Betty Boop Hi Betty! Nice to see you on here. I saw on Instagram this "review" in Russian instagram.com/p/BETZ6MFqRUA/?taken-by=ooagapova2009 which I plopped into Google translate and got the general idea that Yulia made quite a positive impact on the audience, Belyakov too. Thought you might like to see this if you haven't already -- you do read Russian, right?
Thank you so much for the video!!!! Yulia, a wonderful Nikiya, we waited so long for this moment I can't believe it happened. I wish I had been there. Great musicality, every gesture has meaning, so expressive... Bravo!!!!!! Wonderful debut))))
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I was expecting this debut! Loved Yulia, in every movement of her body and face expressions too (I don't feel she is overacting, I believe that she conveys Nikiya's emotions nicely). Loved it!
Congratulations to Stepanova. Her acting was so accurate i didn't even paid attention to the steps she was dancing lol. That's what ballet stars do to you, they just make you Forget about the technique, the steps, the shapes. Those arms! Real Vaganova-trained style! This was the death of Nikiya, but at the same time this was the birth of a new, great shinning star to the world of ballet. In 2026 we might all be coming back to this video -- here was the first big appearance of great Stepanova, Zakharova's heir
Her nervousness shows at times but I love her interpretation because she commits to it and she is very believable as Nikiya, can't believe this is a debut. Amazing. I should watch more of her
Brava beautiful Yulia!! We've been waiting for this debut for years. I had chills, Nikiya is the perfect role her. The absolute desolation at 3:08 - 20, the triumph at 5:35, the resolve at 7:10, and the actual death!! Wow, so real and compelling. I'm so happy I have tears in my eyes, Yulia is a star and a breathtaking actress. Brava brava!!
expressive gesture deepness in acting lovely gorgeous arms great dancing mariinsky lost a gem let's hope that vaziev will valorize yulia as she deserves
Congratulations to Stepanova on her debut. I hope she gets more opportunities to keep developing this role, I think it suits her and that she is a lovely Nkiya. Would like to see her in the Shades Act, I bet she was very beautiful.
+elenaratelimit In the Kingdom of Shades Stepanova was sensational. Absolutely flawless. There was a general sense among the audience that they were witnessing something very special indeed, a birth of a new star.
A good death scene considering it was her first Nikyia, only the tempo seemed much to slow. I hope she'll get more opportunities to refine the role. Strange so many people thumbed down, but there's no accounting for taste...
+ballet janie +Lisa L The situation isn't so dire, there are only 11 dislikes, not 42... Rabid fans with time on their hands are unfortunatelly nothing new on yt, might be the dislikes come from Smirnova's as you said... And I hope Stepanova won't develop the "hide of a rhinoceros", it gets in the way of dancing ;)
+pediatrapaola a rumor is circulating that Fateyev's favourites are about to say goodbye to Mariinsky and him. They go to Berlin iirc./shklyarov and wife, skorik and someone else i forgot/Except Parish who nobody wants.
По одному видео судить о блестящем дебюте как то неловко. Но видимо постоянно комментирующим на английском языке, из-за кордона виднее. Дебют в Большом это хорошо, но заслуга в этом Вазиева. Это же ясно, он остаётся питерским. У него здесь теперь надёжный тыл, одновременно задействовано, аж пять бывших питерских балерин. Выбор есть. Ну а сравнительные комментарии оценок с Мариинскими балеринами просто не красивы и не корректны. Не всех же ещё Большой вытащил из Мариинского и Академии. Остались у нас и покруче, и ещё много и много будет жемчужин, так что жалеть нам нечего. Всё нормально. Приезжайте в Питер смотреть И ещё оценивать надо не только конкретное исполнение, но и в той общей атмосфере вокруг этого. Московская Баядерка, и не только, абсолютно разнится с Мариинской, несмотря на некоторую чуть-чуть похожесть. Поэтому и разность в стилях и оценках его. Здесь для питерца всё непривычно и костюмы, и декорации, и даже звучание оркестра, где появляются какие то странные куски партитуры, якобы Минкуса, с новой невыразительной хореографией. Всё это разрушает очарование канонической настоящей Баядерки, а также заставляет иного не московского исполнителя пристраиваться к такому положению вещей. Но Юлия сегодня ещё не совсем превратилась в традиционную московскую приму, и черты стиля недавнего прошлого весьма ещё отчётливы. И в этом тоже добрая заслуга Вазиева.
+Игорь Самойлов Дай Бог, чтобы не превратилась! Залогом тому, помимо Вазиева, выпускница Вагановки Людмила Семеняка, с которой, насколько я понимаю, Юлия готовила партию Никии. Годы, проведенные в кордебалете Мариинки, увы, все еще дают о себе знать. Редкие выступления в сольных партиях классич. репертуара, единственная главная роль - в ЛО, - потребуется время вернуть себе уверенность, уверенность примы, Звезды. То, что Юлия ею является, у меня не вызывает сомнения. Артемий тоже хорош, и как партнер в том числе. По красоте исполнения Юлия напоминает Асылмуратову, а потенциал у нее есть достичь уровня одной из лучших в классике - Ольги Ченчиковой. В Питере сейчас есть только одна великая Никия (только вот роль еще не станцована!) - Новикова.
+pediatrapaola actually I suspect the Smirnova fanbots who feel threatened. Yulia is already being trashed like never before on the ballet fans forum where mainly Bolshoi fans reside.
+pediatrapaola I know that Dupond role by the way. He was definitely a genius, so light, so versatile and with great feel for the character. not only there of course, you have seen his comic Basilio for example.
+pediatrapaola "not being expressive enough" - this is the only thing her detractors can say. Sound a lot like Ruzimatov commenting on Kim tbh. But she also has fans,they are just not that vocal.
Ivelina Pancheva l saw him live many times at his time included when he debuted in london in 79 with the petit pan ,people loved him immediatly he was a true born star he was 20 ,and me 25 so long ago
is she not eating ? since when has she been this thin? her face looks so gaunt and her body looks less womanly and very frail in comparison to videos from the time when she premiered with mariinsky in swan lake
BeginingOfSorrows I’m extremely late to answer this question, but something I’ve noticed with most ballerinas playing Nikiya is that they all get super skinny for the role. Even thinner than normal ballerina standards. Like you mentioned, Yulia obviously lost weight. Natalia Ospiova was skinnier than I’ve ever seen her when she was Nikiya. Compare her to when she was Gamzatti in Paris, it’s obvious she gained some weight (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). Svetlana Zakharova is known for being tall and skinny, but when she was Nikiya she definitely looked a lot thinner. You could see all her ribs and collar bones. I don’t know if they make them lose weight for the role or if its just a coincidence.
Basket scene is a total disappointment. She can't succeed in music with the choreography. And that sloppy manner with all steps when the music speeds up...she's not precise. Too much bustling for my taste.
Not at all bad for a debut in a very difficult part. She has lost the weight she needed to lose when she first joined the Bolshoi, and she is actually starting to project in this Nikiya death scene. Her technique speaks for itself. I watched her in the posted shades scene and thought how suited she is to it, as a shadow spirit enveloped in the more important movement rather than projection; but here she is coming out with the acting that has been missing in her performances, in my view. I have to say in the shades scene, she is quite lovely although still hesitant. She is no Viktoria Tereshkina, of course, the best that I have seen in that scene, but it is unfair to compare her to one of the best ballerinas of our time. My favorite Nikiya in the death scene, above all the principals and soloists I have seen in the role, is Kristina Shapran, who portrays the sadness and communicates more with Solar than many Nikiya's seem to manage.
@@pediatrapaola - responding years after our comments. I remember that you admired Galina Mezentseva. I was not so admiring of her; however, recently I watched those ballet lessons with her that are posted on You Tube. I was blown away by her impeccable technique. I will definitely hunt down her performance in La Bayadere. Also, as I watch this Nikiya death scene again with Julia Stepanova, I think my comments were far too reticent. She improved so much after she joined the Bolshoi, and on rewatching, I think she was superb in this scene. Viktoria Tereshkina still my favorite Nikiya Shade.
galina mezentseva was always my favourite in kirov (l saw live all the past greats included sizova and alla osipenko ) and her bayaderka was fabolous .for a period her whole bayad was available on yt now disappaired unfortunatly -yulia imho in bolshoi technically improved but at the same time lost something of her beautiful vaganova style imho.
Deeply moving performance!!! Yulia is one of the greatest ballerina actresses as her Nikiya conveys hope in her final desperate and ultimately tragic dance among the living.
Congratulations to Yulia, she deserves every success.
Bravo! Bravissimo!!!
VIVA YULIA!
Thank you so much for this post, YULIA is Prima Ballerina Assoluta for me, a true sincere ballerina actress who feels the choreography and music naturally occurring in the moment. Artist at work, and there is also the fact that La Stepanova is a stunning, beautiful woman. This is a great debut of an exquisite ballerina who transmits emotions even when absolutely still. VIVA EL BOLSHOI! For having the gift of knowing when a ballerina is a gift to the world, YULIA STEPANOVA.
I love her in this, how she markes music and how she moves shoulders.. a magic..
Thanks for posting! You know, I really love how she actually looks almost happy during the slow part when she first receives the flower basket. I've only seen a few dancers do that and I wish more of them did! It makes so much more sense to me than just staring at it. I mean, Nikiya thinks it's a gift from Solor, right? I feel like she should be surprised but pleasantly so - like "hey, maybe he still loves me, maybe there's still hope after all" and that's what Yulia Stepanova conveys during that part. Great performance!
How delightful to finally see this. Waited so long! Yulia will someday make Nikia absolutely hers.
We can all remember a couple years ago when our Yulia was in the last row of shades at MT. So, thank you! So happy for her. She did an exceptional performance for this premier. She was not over the top and showed deep emotion without being sappy. Love our Yulia!
+Betty Boop Hi Betty! Nice to see you on here. I saw on Instagram this "review" in Russian instagram.com/p/BETZ6MFqRUA/?taken-by=ooagapova2009 which I plopped into Google translate and got the general idea that Yulia made quite a positive impact on the audience, Belyakov too. Thought you might like to see this if you haven't already -- you do read Russian, right?
+Lisa L Oh, thank you!!
Thank you so much for the video!!!! Yulia, a wonderful Nikiya, we waited so long for this moment I can't believe it happened. I wish I had been there. Great musicality, every gesture has meaning, so expressive... Bravo!!!!!! Wonderful debut))))
A viewer could feel her heartbreak!!❤❤
Simply fantastic, she's got a great talent!!😍😍
So long awaited, so worth the wait.
Great debut ..most deep moments with her ..
waited for so long to see this
Thank you !
This is a brilliant performance! Bravo!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I was expecting this debut! Loved Yulia, in every movement of her body and face expressions too (I don't feel she is overacting, I believe that she conveys Nikiya's emotions nicely). Loved it!
Congratulations to Stepanova. Her acting was so accurate i didn't even paid attention to the steps she was dancing lol. That's what ballet stars do to you, they just make you Forget about the technique, the steps, the shapes. Those arms! Real Vaganova-trained style! This was the death of Nikiya, but at the same time this was the birth of a new, great shinning star to the world of ballet. In 2026 we might all be coming back to this video -- here was the first big appearance of great Stepanova, Zakharova's heir
Her nervousness shows at times but I love her interpretation because she commits to it and she is very believable as Nikiya, can't believe this is a debut. Amazing. I should watch more of her
Brava beautiful Yulia!! We've been waiting for this debut for years. I had chills, Nikiya is the perfect role her. The absolute desolation at 3:08 - 20, the triumph at 5:35, the resolve at 7:10, and the actual death!! Wow, so real and compelling. I'm so happy I have tears in my eyes, Yulia is a star and a breathtaking actress. Brava brava!!
My favorite ballet, my favorite dance and my favorite ballerina, it's like a dream come true thank you soooo much for posting this :)
expressive gesture deepness in acting lovely gorgeous arms great dancing mariinsky lost a gem let's hope that vaziev will valorize yulia as she deserves
+pediatrapaola she's going to dance O-O in London in summer.
passionballet.topf.ru yes l know .do you like her nikya ?
pediatrapaola Yes, I do.
passionballet.topf.ru she already danced OO in london but with weak partner xander parrish l hope bolshoi provides a better one
pediatrapaola well. I don't know if Ovcharenko is much better.
So happy to see this!
Congratulations to Stepanova on her debut. I hope she gets more opportunities to keep developing this role, I think it suits her and that she is a lovely Nkiya. Would like to see her in the Shades Act, I bet she was very beautiful.
+elenaratelimit In the Kingdom of Shades Stepanova was sensational. Absolutely flawless. There was a general sense among the audience that they were witnessing something very special indeed, a birth of a new star.
+Amymone did you see it?
A good death scene considering it was her first Nikyia, only the tempo seemed much to slow. I hope she'll get more opportunities to refine the role. Strange so many people thumbed down, but there's no accounting for taste...
+ballet janie +Lisa L The situation isn't so dire, there are only 11 dislikes, not 42... Rabid fans with time on their hands are unfortunatelly nothing new on yt, might be the dislikes come from Smirnova's as you said...
And I hope Stepanova won't develop the "hide of a rhinoceros", it gets in the way of dancing ;)
congratulations yulia great debut
+pediatrapaola So much better than Skorik's....
silver_cupcake NOT A GREAT COMPARATION LOL
pediatrapaola Haha!
+pediatrapaola a rumor is circulating that Fateyev's favourites are about to say goodbye to Mariinsky and him. They go to Berlin iirc./shklyarov and wife, skorik and someone else i forgot/Except Parish who nobody wants.
Ivelina Pancheva l doubt that somebody can hire skorik ,not in some important company ,where did you read about this matter?
A wonderful and talented ballerina😍😍
Юлия, примите мои поздравления с блестящим дебютом.Удачи Вам на сцене Большого !
Bravo
Hermosa Variacion,recien la veo gracias!
Just noticed at 00:25 could have been a accident. Should have waited till she moved her foot before taking.
Beautiful.
По одному видео судить о блестящем дебюте как то неловко. Но видимо постоянно комментирующим на английском языке, из-за кордона виднее. Дебют в Большом это хорошо, но заслуга в этом Вазиева. Это же ясно, он остаётся питерским. У него здесь теперь надёжный тыл, одновременно задействовано, аж пять бывших питерских балерин. Выбор есть. Ну а сравнительные комментарии оценок с Мариинскими балеринами просто не красивы и не корректны. Не всех же ещё Большой вытащил из Мариинского и Академии. Остались у нас и покруче, и ещё много и много будет жемчужин, так что жалеть нам нечего. Всё нормально. Приезжайте в Питер смотреть И ещё оценивать надо не только конкретное исполнение, но и в той общей атмосфере вокруг этого. Московская Баядерка, и не только, абсолютно разнится с Мариинской, несмотря на некоторую чуть-чуть похожесть. Поэтому и разность в стилях и оценках его. Здесь для питерца всё непривычно и костюмы, и декорации, и даже звучание оркестра, где появляются какие то странные куски партитуры, якобы Минкуса, с новой невыразительной хореографией. Всё это разрушает очарование канонической настоящей Баядерки, а также заставляет иного не московского исполнителя пристраиваться к такому положению вещей. Но Юлия сегодня ещё не совсем превратилась в традиционную московскую приму, и черты стиля недавнего прошлого весьма ещё отчётливы. И в этом тоже добрая заслуга Вазиева.
+Игорь Самойлов Дай Бог, чтобы не превратилась! Залогом тому, помимо Вазиева, выпускница Вагановки Людмила Семеняка, с которой, насколько я понимаю, Юлия готовила партию Никии. Годы, проведенные в кордебалете Мариинки, увы, все еще дают о себе знать. Редкие выступления в сольных партиях классич. репертуара, единственная главная роль - в ЛО, - потребуется время вернуть себе уверенность, уверенность примы, Звезды. То, что Юлия ею является, у меня не вызывает сомнения. Артемий тоже хорош, и как партнер в том числе. По красоте исполнения Юлия напоминает Асылмуратову, а потенциал у нее есть достичь уровня одной из лучших в классике - Ольги Ченчиковой. В Питере сейчас есть только одна великая Никия (только вот роль еще не станцована!) - Новикова.
six down ? why ? one must be fateyev one other skorik
+pediatrapaola actually I suspect the Smirnova fanbots who feel threatened. Yulia is already being trashed like never before on the ballet fans forum where mainly Bolshoi fans reside.
Ivelina Pancheva trashed why? she is doing well imo
+pediatrapaola I know that Dupond role by the way. He was definitely a genius, so light, so versatile and with great feel for the character. not only there of course, you have seen his comic Basilio for example.
+pediatrapaola "not being expressive enough" - this is the only thing her detractors can say. Sound a lot like Ruzimatov commenting on Kim tbh. But she also has fans,they are just not that vocal.
Ivelina Pancheva l saw him live many times at his time included when he debuted in london in 79 with the petit pan ,people loved him immediatly he was a true born star he was 20 ,and me 25 so long ago
is she not eating ? since when has she been this thin? her face looks so gaunt and her body looks less womanly and very frail in comparison to videos from the time when she premiered with mariinsky in swan lake
BeginingOfSorrows I’m extremely late to answer this question, but something I’ve noticed with most ballerinas playing Nikiya is that they all get super skinny for the role. Even thinner than normal ballerina standards. Like you mentioned, Yulia obviously lost weight. Natalia Ospiova was skinnier than I’ve ever seen her when she was Nikiya. Compare her to when she was Gamzatti in Paris, it’s obvious she gained some weight (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). Svetlana Zakharova is known for being tall and skinny, but when she was Nikiya she definitely looked a lot thinner. You could see all her ribs and collar bones. I don’t know if they make them lose weight for the role or if its just a coincidence.
Уважаемый автор канала, очень ждем "Теней"!
+zonatzu2 do you like yulia here ? l loved it
きれい！にや！きれいにや！
うちの先生ウサギちゃんかよわくてまつたく😍
大根メシ
恋にくるったおひめさまがぷちトマトをたべてくるちいにや！😻
Госсподи...и это прима...хреново пока танует Никию
Basket scene is a total disappointment. She can't succeed in music with the choreography. And that sloppy manner with all steps when the music speeds up...she's not precise. Too much bustling for my taste.
Absurd
Ну не Осипова...это уж точно!
Мне Никия нравится больше в исполнении Алтынай Асылмуратовой. Осипова лучшая Китри
Not at all bad for a debut in a very difficult part. She has lost the weight she needed to lose when she first joined the Bolshoi, and she is actually starting to project in this Nikiya death scene. Her technique speaks for itself. I watched her in the posted shades scene and thought how suited she is to it, as a shadow spirit enveloped in the more important movement rather than projection; but here she is coming out with the acting that has been missing in her performances, in my view. I have to say in the shades scene, she is quite lovely although still hesitant. She is no Viktoria Tereshkina, of course, the best that I have seen in that scene, but it is unfair to compare her to one of the best ballerinas of our time. My favorite Nikiya in the death scene, above all the principals and soloists I have seen in the role, is Kristina Shapran, who portrays the sadness and communicates more with Solar than many Nikiya's seem to manage.
+JNK recently was uploaded a whole bayaderka with divine galina mezentseva have a look she is uncomparable as always
@@pediatrapaola - responding years after our comments. I remember that you admired Galina Mezentseva. I was not so admiring of her; however, recently I watched those ballet lessons with her that are posted on You Tube. I was blown away by her impeccable technique. I will definitely hunt down her performance in La Bayadere.
Also, as I watch this Nikiya death scene again with Julia Stepanova, I think my comments were far too reticent. She improved so much after she joined the Bolshoi, and on rewatching, I think she was superb in this scene. Viktoria Tereshkina still my favorite Nikiya Shade.
galina mezentseva was always my favourite in kirov (l saw live all the past greats included sizova and alla osipenko ) and her bayaderka was fabolous .for a period her whole bayad was available on yt now disappaired unfortunatly -yulia imho in bolshoi technically improved but at the same time lost something of her beautiful vaganova style imho.
Norma Mimosa на