c)Katja Lotter

"In La Sylphide, we breathe with our legs"

Annette Baumann (AB): How did you get into dancing?

Ksenia Shevtsova (KS): At the secondary school I attended, there was a good art school with many different programs. My mother thought I should have a hobby. At first, I took drawing lessons, but there were homework assignments, so I stopped. Then I wanted to sing, but we had to clap our hands to the rhythm, which didn’t interest me. Eventually, I tried dancing, and I immediately knew that this was what I wanted to do. Even though it wasn’t ballet at the time. A little later, I was advised to switch to the ballet school at the State Opera House, where I took lessons for two years. It was there that a teacher from the Vaganova Ballet Academy visited. He suggested I try the academy. At 14, I started professional training at Vaganova.
 

AB: Do you remember your first dance class?

KS: I don’t remember the first dance class, but I do remember the Vaganova training. There was a completely different discipline. You weren’t allowed to speak in class. If a teacher pointed out a mistake, you couldn’t respond. That was new to me because until then I had danced just for fun, so it was more relaxed. Today, of course, I can express my opinion when the ballet master says something to me.
 

AB: Is there a particular ballet or role you especially enjoy dancing?

KS: It’s difficult. It’s always a process. Some roles take time. And it depends on the partner. I loved Manon by MacMillan. And also the Sylphide in Pierre Lacotte’s version. I already rehearsed that in Moscow, and I’m really excited that I now get to dance the premiere of it here in Munich. But I couldn’t name a favorite role in the classical sense.
 

AB: Let’s talk about La Sylphide: We’re showing Pierre Lacotte’s version, which is influenced by the French style and technique. What makes this special?

KS: The French dance technique is especially characterized by the work of the feet. There are many small, fast movements that need to be executed very precisely; for example, the fifth position must be exactly right. But what’s crucial for the Sylphide’s appearance is the French style, the acting. A conversation between the dancers should look very natural, without grotesque movements. I think Lacotte’s La Sylphide is a very stylish ballet. The Sylphide is not a dead girl. She is a spirit of the air, she embodies nature. The Sylphide is James’ unattainable dream. This floating, elusive being is something we have to portray on stage.
 

AB: How exactly is this technically achieved?

KS: We do this by trying to look as light as possible. But you also can’t always think upwards. Because if you’re constantly jumping, you’ll always land more or less hard. So you have to do a plié (knee bend, with which a jump starts and ends, editor’s note) as if it were nothing. We also breathe differently. We breathe with our legs. Movement in the body can come from different levels – from the bones, the muscles, or the breath. When we move with our muscles, it’s a strong movement. When we move with our breath, it’s different. You don’t physically feel the muscles anymore. You only feel the energy flowing through the body.
 

AB: Who teaches you this technique, this “breathing with your legs”?

KS: Laurent Hilaire explained it to me, and before him, my ballet teacher in Moscow. And I’ve watched a video. The Sylphide was very light in it. One moment she was there, and in the next second, she was already in another corner. Sometimes you need a video to understand the style.
 

AB: Do you have advice for young people who want to become professional dancers?

Laughter from a group of dancers in the background, followed by the comment “Don’t even start!”  

KS: Yes, start! But properly. Many young dancers today don’t really want to dance. They want to do cool technical things. But that’s not art. It’s foolish because they don’t understand what they’re doing. They don’t understand the meaning of a movement. But you have to. You need to know how to execute the movements properly and what you want to express with them. This is also the job of the teachers and ballet masters.
 

AB: What makes a good teacher, in your opinion?

KS: It’s someone who understands the process. Someone who doesn’t just teach you but works with you.
 

AB: Can you explain the difference between teaching and working with someone?

KS: It’s a big difference. When someone teaches you, it’s a different process. When you work with someone, you reveal your thoughts, share your feelings – with the coaches and the other dancers. Sometimes we dancers can help each other better than the ballet masters because we share so much.
 

AB: What do you enjoy most about being a ballerina?

KS: Who says I enjoy it? (laughs)
 

AB: I assumed you enjoy it, because you became a professional dancer. (laughs)

KS: I don’t know. Maybe it’s the energy of the audience that you feel on stage. When you’re on stage, you share. It’s like exchanging energy. That’s something special about this profession.
 

AB: Last question: What are you especially looking forward to this season?

KS: I don’t like making plans. I can look at today and tomorrow. After that, I just see what comes.
 

AB: Ksenia, thank you very much for this conversation!

Interview by Annette Baumann.