DANCE REVIEW : BOLSHOI’S SEMENYAKA IN NEW ROLES

Sidelined by injury during the opening performances of the Bolshoi Ballet at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Ludmila Semenyaka made up for lost time this week by dancing a different role every night.

On Tuesday, Semenyaka replaced an injured colleague midway through the first act of “The Golden Age.” Wednesday, she joined Irek Mukhamedov in the grand pas from “Don Quixote.” Thursday, she danced in the first act of “Romeo and Juliet” opposite Andris Liepa, and Friday she was scheduled in the title role of “Raymonda.”

At 35, she wisely chose not to emphasize the girlishness of Juliet but, instead, created a portrait of a vibrant, sophisticated child of power. This interpretation allowed her relationship with Romeo to blossom from semi-amused interest in the ballroom encounter to wholehearted ardor in the balcony scene.

Dance values were always immaculate, but--except for a few patches of hopeless display choreography--they remained subordinated to her expressive choices.

In the “Don Quixote” pas de deux, usually pure display--Semenyaka contrived to treat every spectacular balance and high-velocity turn as a big joke. She even ended her variation with an outburst of giggles.

How unexpected, and how subversive: a technically accomplished dancer who refuses to be solemn about technique in a company that has often confused athleticism with artistry. Semenyaka is a wonder.

The Wednesday “Romeo and Juliet” excerpt also introduced Alexei Lazarev’s Tybalt to local audiences: a portrayal that brought great force and weight to the character’s stalking steps but lacked a reliable mastery of the role’s virtuosic turns and jumps.

On Thursday, the “Highlights” program included a “Black Swan” pas de deux danced by Yuri Vasyuchenko (as usual, competent but uninspired) and Nina Semizorova (as usual, technically flawless).

Decidely un usual was Semizorova’s irreverent approach to characterization--as if she were mocking the whole expressive context of the sequence. Daring and often delicious. Indeed, between Semenyaka on Wednesday and Semizorova on Thursday, much of what audiences take for granted in classic ballerina style was deftly undermined.

Is nothing sacred these days at the Bolshoi? Can dancers dump hoary spitfire or temptress cliches at will to seek something fresher, truer? If so, this era of glasnost should prove very interesting.