Bolshoi pays tribute to Ballets Russes
Published 30 May, 2009, 20:43
Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre is presenting a gala-program of short one-act ballets in honor of the 100th anniversary of Sergey Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes.
Ballets Russes began in 1908 and a year later gave its first season in Paris. The 1909 program, which included several ballets, was a huge success in France, recruiting hundreds of people to the army of ballet fans. The performances also fascinated professionals and brought glory to the Russian school.
It is no surprise that the 100th anniversary of these ground-breaking shows, landmarks in the history of ballet, is being celebrated worldwide.
The anniversary performance consists of one-act ballets inspired by the creative genius of Russian ballet, Sergey Diaghilev. The show aims to unite three historical ballet “capitals” on the stage of the Bolshoi.
The first city of these three is Perm, Diaghilev’s hometown near the Urals. The Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre regularly pays tribute to the memory of its famous townsman. For the anniversary program, the company presents famous “Polovetsian Dances” and “Le Spectre de la Rose”, using Michel Fokine’s choreography.
On the world map of ballet, Moscow is indisputably the second mega city. Diaghilev was not connected with the Russian capital as much as with St.Petersburg, Paris or Monte-Carlo, where Ballets Russes had been based. But Moscow sometimes “supplied” Diaghilev with new dancers.
One of them was a talented dancer and choreographer from the Bolshoi theatre named Leonid Myasin. His creation “Three-Cornered Hat” will be presented by the soloists of the Bolshoi theatre: Maria Aleksandrova, Ruslana Skvortsova, Anna Antropova and others.
The third city is undoubtedly Paris. Diaghilev’s seasons were especially popular there. The glorious ballet created by young Georgy Balanchine, Appolo (Apollon musagete), with music by Igor Stravinsky, will be performed at the Bolshoi by the Opera de Paris.
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