Liubov Nikolaïevan Egiorova Princess Nikita Troubetzkoy
by Pierre Lacotte
30 May 2010
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Liubov Egorova
sous le buste de Pavlova
Collection P. Lacotte
The wealth of knowledge in her lessons beggared belief. Under her watchful eye, the student quickly realised that he was expected to go beyond technique, rely upon it to convey feeling, and interpret each movement as an artist would, without ever making a display of effort. Her classes were not designed to "keep fit"; they were above all, a superb study in style.
Eyes closed, listening to the music, she would invent enchaînements that were miniature master-pieces! We would gather round her as she shewed the enchaînement with her hands; she would then stand and mark it straight through, with the épaulements and the adornment lent by the arms, to which she attached great importance.
Egorova would always set a theme, that we were to express. Dancing was clothed in meaning!
After the barre, the adage she would invent was an opportunity to tell a story, a story that changed with each lesson. We might play a prisoner, come to tell his gratitude to one who had freed him. Or again, a betrayer, craving forgiveness from the beloved. We learnt to express our joys and sorrows through the dance.
Egorova’s teaching was a world of harmony, most excellent taste, poetry, and above all, a lyricism that held us in thrall. What happiness it was to work like that!
Thanks to Egorova’s unerring recall, her repertory classes were on the very highest level. She had herself worked with Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov and Michel Fokine, and passed on to us the ballets as they originally stood, before other choreographers came to distort them.
I think back to private lessons with her as the greatest of privileges.
No-one else has ever made me understand, and love, the classical repertory as well.
