The recent concert by the dance group Smuglyanka was truly the cherry on top of a series of wonderful cultural events that closed out the leap year and welcomed the new one. Not only was it a spectacular opening event for 2025, but it also set a high standard for what audiences can look forward to in the months ahead.
This year is especially significant for Smuglyanka, as the group celebrates its
10th anniversary. Their latest concert served as a marvellous gift both to themselves and to their long-standing leader, Alexandra Pavlyuk. The group’s achievements reflect years of dedicated effort by all its members and stand as a true testament to Alexandra’s inspiring leadership. Their triumphant performance at the Sky Theatre – widely regarded as one of Auckland’s most prestigious stages – was absolutely deserved.
If memory serves, this was Smuglyanka’s third time performing at the 700-seat Sky Theatre. Once again, the hall was full, and once again, the audience came in anticipation of a grand celebration – and their high expectations were more than met.
The first part of the concert featured excerpts from The Nutcracker, beautifully adapted by Alexandra Pavlyuk. Naturally, staging a full classical ballet with non-professional dancers would have been unrealistic – but how wonderfully these non-professionals performed! Alexandra, it might be time for you to open a ballet academy and start awarding official diplomas to your students!
The Nutcracker pieces showcased the talents of both very young dancers from the
Artistry ballet school (affiliated with the Smuglyanka group) and adult performers from
the main Smuglyanka ensemble. The stars of this segment were undoubtedly
Pelageya Pavlyuk, who danced the role of Masha and shone in several solo pieces, and her partner Oliver Robinson.
The skills of the young dancers, who have already mastered the fundamentals of ballet, were particularly impressive, while the older performers demonstrated remarkable growth. And the costumes – they were absolutely stunning!
The second half of the concert brought even more surprises. It included a series of new dance routines, alongside favourite pieces from Smuglyanka’s earlier programmes – a true “greatest hits” collection. Once again, the stunning costumes added vibrancy and colour to the performance.
Naturally, a few minor slips and stumbles were noticed – but even professional dancers are not immune to occasional errors. These tiny imperfections, however, did nothing to diminish the overall energy, artistry, and positive spirit of the evening.
As always, the second half also featured stellar performances from the group’s talented vocalists: Olga Shanina and Olga Panasenko, as well as Maria Gow and Marina Bloom with her group Unison. Their polished performances came as no surprise to the audience, whose admiration for them continues to grow.
A particularly touching moment came at the end of the concert when all dancers – past and present – who have been part of Smuglyanka over the past ten years were invited onto the stage. It was a heartwarming sight as dozens filled the stage, many coming from the audience or from backstage. Alexandra Pavlyuk presented each one with a Certificates of Participation and shared kind words, making the moment even more special.
The positive feedback that flooded social media after the concert only confirmed what
everyone in the audience already felt: it was an unforgettable event.
Congratulations to Smuglyanka and to Alexandra Pavlyuk for a truly outstanding
performance. We look forward to seeing what this talented team will achieve next.
Bravo!
Rimma Shkrabina, Auckland
(Translated by Lena Naumova)