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| | Arts Calendar / April 6 / Ballet |
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 Ballet in Ballet in three acts to music by Alexander Glazunov. 180 min (with two intervals). Libretto by Yuri Grigorovich after scenario by Lidia Pashkova, based on medieval knight`s legends. Choreographer: Yuri Grigorovich (version of 2003). Scenes in choreography by Marius Petipa and Alexander Gorsky. Designer: Simon Virsaladze. Marius Petipa created Raymonda when he was in his eightieth year, and it was one of his late grand ballets. Its simple story, based on a medieval chivalrous legend, brought together everything that was the best of the best that Petipa had done in the course of his long career as a choreographer in Russia. Here there is a ballet and detective plot including dreams, kidnappings and joyous releases, a complex and varied ballerina role and a conflict between the male roles – the refined and classical Jean de Brienne and the passionate and pointedly typical oriental Abderakhman, the vast number of characters, meaning a similar number of dancers engaged in the ballet, the colourful character dances and, arguably, Petipa's main pride and glory – the fully-developed dance scenes of classical ensembles. The conflict is based on the contrast of two different worlds: the serene and knightly noble idyll of Raymonda's medieval castle meets the Barbarian world of ungovernable passions embodied by Abderakhman and his suite. The choreographer resolved the musical contrast by juxtaposing the expressive nature of Abderakhman's gestures, the temperamental character dances of his suite and the classical dance of Raymonda's world.
Bolshoi Theater  |
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 Ballet in two acts, eleven scenes. Staging and choreography: N.Kasatkina, V.Vasilev. Libretto: based on historical materials, the novel by R.Giovagnoli and fantasies of Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilev. Spartacus opening night performance was shown in 2002. The ballet’s libretto and choreography are based on the heroic story of the slaves rebellion leader. Spartacus by Kasatkina and Vasilev is a modern classical ballet. The directors would like to show the style, mood, tragical and sensual (even erotical) atmosphere of the twilight of the Roman Republic. Critics went into a frenzy with their reviews as well as the audience that roared into applause at the end of the performance. Spartacus by Kasatkina and Vasilev is the most beautiful scandal of the beginning of the century in the world of ballet. 300 luxurious costumes by Elizaveta Dvorkina, 6 tons of unique theatrical decorations created by Joseph Sumbatashvili (it takes 8 hours to assemble all the pieces into a full setting), stage arms produced at the famous jewelry factory – everything was created to demonstrate a sensual and passionate style of the epoch of the fall of the Roman Empire. The artists were taught Roman fighting techniques by the professional stuntman Alexander Malyshev. It is the first time that the choreographers included some musical pieces which were not used in Spartacus before. As a result, the ballet turned out to be a bright and exciting performance created in accordance with Roman traditions.
State Kremlin Palace |
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