This documentary gives insight to the lives of five ballerinas, all at different points in their careers. Looking at the operations of the Vagonova Academy and the Mariinsky Theatre, the life of a ballerina is disclosed.
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00:00:40Twenty years after Perestroika,
00:00:42Russians still have their muse,
00:00:44and St. Petersburg remains her main showcase.
00:00:49A symbol of tradition and yet thoroughly alive,
00:00:52she still draws crowds to theaters.
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00:01:16In a land where ballet is a national art,
00:01:19classical dancers enjoy unstinting prestige,
00:01:23and stars attract crowds by their names alone.
00:01:30The everlasting myth of the ballerina
00:01:33dates back to the 19th century and the Romantic period.
00:01:37Imported to Russia from France and Italy a century earlier,
00:01:42classical ballet brought then-female dancers to prominence.
00:01:46Playing supernatural and inaccessible heroines,
00:01:50the women became ethereal rather than desirable.
00:01:55The 20th century came,
00:01:57and Russian ballet was now the most creative in the world.
00:02:01Russian female dancers were sublimated
00:02:04in a series of masterpieces,
00:02:06and the Russian ballet was the most popular in the world.
00:02:10In the 19th century,
00:02:12Russian ballet was the most popular in the world.
00:02:16In the 20th century,
00:02:18Russian ballet was the most popular in the world.
00:02:22Russian ballet was sublimated in a series of masterpieces,
00:02:26the most famous of which remains Swan Lake.
00:02:42During the Soviet period,
00:02:44ballet, which had been reserved for the upper classes,
00:02:48was enjoyed by the masses.
00:02:50It is now the nation's muse.
00:03:21Becoming a ballerina first entails eight years in dance school.
00:03:26Russia's most prestigious dance school
00:03:29is St. Petersburg's Vaganova Academy.
00:03:51Listen, it's not funny.
00:04:13What's the speed here?
00:04:20It's very difficult,
00:04:22because we take children under 10.
00:04:25They are still very young.
00:04:32There is a certain set of requirements.
00:04:35The ideal form for a ballerina
00:04:38is a small head, a long neck,
00:04:41long arms, long legs,
00:04:44a thin, feminine figure.
00:04:47It's very difficult for a 10-year-old to guess
00:04:51what kind of figure she will be in the future.
00:05:17Of the hundreds of girls who apply every year for the school,
00:05:2130 or so are admitted.
00:05:24Only half of those will complete their studies.
00:05:47I don't understand.
00:06:09It's clear, I told you, I told you.
00:06:13If you don't stand still, you can fall on your hands, but you need to go up.
00:06:21Look at my fingers.
00:06:25Do you see my fingers?
00:06:27These fingers should go up.
00:06:30There are colleagues who say that it is not so difficult.
00:06:35Is it clear to you?
00:06:37Let's do it again.
00:06:39If you don't do it now, you won't be able to do it in the future.
00:06:45It's not enough just to dance, girls.
00:06:49We all want to become ballerinas, not just animals.
00:07:01We have a very strict discipline.
00:07:04Not because we are evil, but because when a ballet dancer comes to the theater,
00:07:11a lot depends on him.
00:07:13You need to discipline yourself, be responsible for your performances,
00:07:20be very responsible.
00:07:22It is taught here, at school.
00:07:35Of the final year students, one in particular attracts a lot of attention.
00:07:4117-year-old Alina Samova is in her final days at the dance school.
00:07:50The most difficult is probably the first year.
00:07:53Because you just come, you are still small.
00:07:56You need to learn everything.
00:07:58And the last year is very difficult.
00:08:01You have to pass all the exams, prepare for the state exam, get into the theater.
00:08:08There is a lot of excitement.
00:08:10It was difficult.
00:08:15The last trial of the final year is the graduation performance.
00:08:19Alina must dance the third act of the ballet Paquita.
00:08:23She's been rehearsing it for months.
00:08:27Step with your left foot.
00:08:29The right foot will go here.
00:08:31Step with your left foot, and the right foot will go here.
00:08:34It's not convenient.
00:08:36It's not convenient.
00:08:39Step with your left foot, and the right foot will go here.
00:08:42It's not convenient.
00:08:44It's not convenient.
00:08:47Step with your left foot.
00:08:59Alina, we've got you.
00:09:05Take off your shoes.
00:09:09Look.
00:09:10You go straight.
00:09:12OK.
00:09:14Let's go.
00:09:26Alina, put your foot down.
00:09:28Put your foot down.
00:09:30Take it.
00:09:40Alina!
00:09:42Put your foot down!
00:09:56Go on.
00:10:00You've been doing this work all year long,
00:10:02which should end with a graduation performance.
00:10:06The theater directors take graduation exams here, at school.
00:10:11But it's only a lesson.
00:10:13And then they look at the stage performance.
00:10:17And as a result,
00:10:19after the lesson and after the performance,
00:10:24they get an invitation or not.
00:10:27The Mariinsky, where the Kirov ballet makes its home,
00:10:31is the theater that all ballerinas dream of working in.
00:10:35Every year the theater stages the school's graduation performance.
00:10:40Tonight Alina will dance the lead.
00:10:43At stake is to be invited to join the Kirov ballet.
00:11:10The Kirov Ballet
00:11:40The Kirov Ballet
00:12:10The Kirov Ballet
00:12:40The Kirov Ballet
00:12:54For Alina, it has been a huge step.
00:12:57The final test of her studies has been completed.
00:13:01The Kirov Ballet
00:13:07Alina will never see most of her classmates again.
00:13:11After the performance, she has been hired by the Kirov Ballet.
00:13:16When I entered the school, I really wanted to join the Mariinsky.
00:13:21I already knew that I had to be there.
00:13:25Of course, I was very happy.
00:13:32The Mariinsky, along with the Bolshoi,
00:13:36is Russia's most prestigious musical theater,
00:13:40where most ballet masterpieces were premiered,
00:13:44renamed the Kirov during the Soviet era.
00:13:48The theater has reverted to its original name,
00:13:52while the ballet is still called the Kirov.
00:13:57A first visit to the Mariinsky reveals a dizzying maze
00:14:02of constantly changing sets, corridors, and theater wings.
00:14:11Although she has been here before,
00:14:15to Alina it's a totally new world.
00:14:19Once in the company, she joins 120 female dancers and 100 males.
00:14:26A soloist in her graduation performance.
00:14:30In the company, Alina finds herself at the bottom of the ladder.
00:14:35I think that classical ballet is wrong,
00:14:40because it's one thing when students dance,
00:14:45and another thing when they come to the stage.
00:14:50Here they have a whole day of classes,
00:14:55and they have to rehearse every evening,
00:14:59or every other day, to get on stage.
00:15:03It's a completely different life.
00:15:07The corps de ballet dances in groups.
00:15:11While work is intensive for everyone,
00:15:15the female dancers are the most sought after.
00:15:19For director Makar Vasyev, ballet at the Mariinsky
00:15:23is above all a feminine art.
00:15:54Several of Alina's former classmates are also in the company.
00:15:59Among them is 19-year-old Evgenia Obrazova,
00:16:04who has been here a year.
00:16:24Some naivety, which wasn't present in me at first,
00:16:29may be still noticeable externally,
00:16:33but inside I already understand that theater is a much more complex system
00:16:38than, for example, a school or an academy, where I studied.
00:16:42It's a little more difficult here, the relationships are more serious.
00:16:47Often it's not clear what they think about you.
00:16:52But you have to be very careful.
00:17:11Choreographer Pierre Lecotte, staging on Dean,
00:17:15has worked with several generations of ballerinas.
00:17:19In this profession, it's like entering a convent,
00:17:22you have to deprive yourself of so many things.
00:17:25There is faith, there is hope,
00:17:28and it's all the more difficult because a dancer's career is very short.
00:17:32You start at the age of 9, that's for sure,
00:17:35but it takes you more than 10 years of learning.
00:17:38And when you get there, you have to know that at 40 it's over.
00:17:42So it's a very short career, so you go very fast.
00:17:49At 10.40 there is a classical lesson until 12.00.
00:17:53If there is a broken schedule, for example, a premiere is being prepared,
00:17:57then immediately after the lesson there is a rehearsal for this performance.
00:18:01Then, perhaps, there is a break, and by 7.00,
00:18:04all the dancers are ready for the premiere.
00:18:07And then, of course, there is a rehearsal.
00:18:10And then, of course, there is a break, and by 7.00,
00:18:13all the dancers are ready for the premiere.
00:18:16And then, perhaps, there is a break, and by 7.00,
00:18:19all the dancers are ready for the premiere.
00:18:22Perhaps, in advance, by 6.00, to make the make-up, to warm up.
00:18:26Depending on the performance,
00:18:29a little earlier or a little later, it ends at 9.00 or 11.00.
00:18:33We go home in the morning, it's all the same.
00:18:46Eugenia doesn't only dance with a corps de ballet,
00:18:49but increasingly in solos and duos.
00:19:11The most favorite thing is, of course, to work.
00:19:14Because when you are given a deadline to prepare a performance,
00:19:18in your power, you can do it the best you can.
00:19:21And then, when you come to the performance,
00:19:24you experience this moment as the happiest.
00:19:27You are not afraid to lose.
00:19:30Perhaps, the rehearsal. I love it most of all.
00:19:33On the hand, on the hand, on the second hand.
00:19:36Now it's good. One, hands. One, two.
00:19:39Now it's good. Two.
00:19:43So, glissade. The pose is ready.
00:19:47Down, down. One, two.
00:20:02Thank you.
00:20:05Zhenya, when you do it for the third time, before the ensemble,
00:20:09you can do a very plastic oriental pose.
00:20:13Now don't jump out, just do this pose.
00:20:20One, two. And me.
00:20:23No, no, no. You are already moving to this leg.
00:20:28Zhenya, it's almost without a jump.
00:20:32You do one, two, and such a turn, and a soft fall.
00:20:36You don't have to jump here.
00:20:39And one, stop.
00:20:51Zhenya, you are a bit late again.
00:20:54You are tired, aren't you?
00:20:57It's hard to walk in the morning.
00:21:00It's hard for me to walk in the evening.
00:21:04Two hands, Zhenya.
00:21:08A wide step.
00:21:18Grab the whole room.
00:21:21One.
00:21:23Cut the corner.
00:21:28Now it's better, Zhenya.
00:21:31And one.
00:21:34Now it's good.
00:22:01Let's go.
00:22:15Zhenya, did you have a rehearsal today?
00:22:18Yes, I did.
00:22:20Did you rehearse with all the dancers?
00:22:22Yes.
00:22:23Are your legs tired?
00:22:25No, my legs are just very tired.
00:22:28Everything is fine.
00:22:30Of course, you are tired, and I can't work anymore.
00:22:35It's time to rest.
00:22:37Well, of course, it's time to rest.
00:22:40I want to rest.
00:22:42You need to rest for a week or two.
00:22:47I'm fat.
00:23:00Zhenya hurt her foot and has stayed away from the theater for a week.
00:23:05It's the company's day off, but she is here alone to continue her exercises.
00:23:12A ballerina's work is never done,
00:23:15and careers are often interrupted by muscular injuries.
00:23:19Evgenia's ultimate goal is to become a prima ballerina.
00:23:41Many aspire to the rank of prima ballerina.
00:23:44Of the 100 or so female dancers at the Kirov, few will ever reach it.
00:23:50In Russia, prima ballerinas enjoy unrivaled prestige.
00:23:56The final decision on nominations
00:23:59rests with the theater's general director, Valery Gergiev.
00:24:04Every ten years, every generation was bringing three, four fundamentally interesting
00:24:13and largely gifted artists
00:24:17who would, in a way, write their own pages in the history of Mariinsky.
00:24:25In the 20th century, several ballerinas have made their mark on the dance world.
00:24:31Anna Pavlova,
00:24:33Tamara Karsavina,
00:24:36Galina Ulanova,
00:24:40Natalia Makarova.
00:24:45Three other names spring to mind.
00:24:48Vaslav Nijinsky,
00:24:52Rudolf Nureyev,
00:24:56Mikhail Baryshnikov.
00:24:59After the male legends, ballerinas returned to the limelight in the 1990s.
00:25:30Svetlana Zakharova has had a dazzling start to her career.
00:25:35Hailing from Ukraine at 16,
00:25:38she came to St. Petersburg to finish her studies
00:25:41after passing the Vaganova Academy International Competition.
00:25:46After a year, she was hired by the Kirov Ballet.
00:25:51I didn't dance in the corps de ballet for the first year.
00:25:55I danced in the doubles, in various cariffes,
00:25:59and in the leading performances.
00:26:01The next season, when I turned 18,
00:26:04I was promoted and I was a soloist.
00:26:08I just had something inside.
00:26:11It's not a job, it's a life.
00:26:14I was a soloist,
00:26:17and I had something inside.
00:26:20I can't express it.
00:26:22I was so happy.
00:26:25No one officially told me
00:26:28that I would be a soloist.
00:26:31I've been a soloist since the first year.
00:26:35At 24, Svetlana dances the theater's entire repertoire.
00:26:41Her seminal role is that of Odette and Odile in Swan Lake.
00:26:47Odette and Odile
00:26:51Svetlana Svetlana
00:26:54Svetlana Odile
00:26:57Svetlana Odile
00:27:00Odette Odile
00:27:03Svetlana Svetlana
00:27:07Svetlana Odile
00:27:10I am much more modest in my life,
00:27:13compared to on stage.
00:27:15I can just be who I am in real life, inside, because I can express all my feelings on the stage.
00:27:25Because I can't do that in real life.
00:27:28We have to hide a lot of our emotions, so that no one knows about our worries, joys or problems.
00:27:38And on the stage, I can convey all this in my characters, my heroines.
00:27:45I can be who I am in real life.
00:28:15We agreed with the conductor to take the tempo further.
00:28:18This is also interesting.
00:28:20But the tempo was not clear.
00:28:22It seemed to me that he would take it faster, and he would almost kill me.
00:28:28He was waiting for you.
00:28:31Yes, yes.
00:28:39Show me.
00:28:41Come here.
00:28:43I'll do it now.
00:28:46I was holding this one, and my finger came off.
00:28:49I grabbed something here.
00:28:52What is it?
00:28:53Open your mouth a little.
00:28:56Did you hit yourself?
00:28:57No.
00:28:59I don't know what happened.
00:29:01Not my legs, but my hands.
00:29:43Thank you.
00:29:51The applause and the joy of the audience, sometimes the tears of the audience.
00:29:56It's a very strong feeling.
00:29:59Sometimes I think how much I work, how much energy goes away.
00:30:03And for the sake of this moment on stage, I understand that it is worth working hard.
00:30:33Where are you going?
00:30:34Do you want to fly away?
00:30:36Do you understand?
00:30:38And he pulls.
00:30:39Yes, you can do it again.
00:30:42You can go there again.
00:30:44You can do it with one hand.
00:30:46The point is that you have to ask him.
00:31:04It was very beautiful, of course.
00:31:07But you want to do it like this.
00:31:10I can't do it.
00:31:11Yes, look.
00:31:12But it's good when I do it like this.
00:31:14Yes, I like it.
00:31:16It's good if you cross your fingers here.
00:31:18But if you do it like that, it's not good.
00:31:20No.
00:31:24I don't like it like that.
00:31:27I told you to do it as you want.
00:31:31It turns out that Igor pulled me out.
00:31:34It has nothing to do with pulling me out.
00:31:36Don't put your left hand, I'll take it and you'll see that I pulled it out.
00:31:39It seems to you that I'm alone, of course.
00:31:41Igor, tell me, is it better this way?
00:31:43It's much better this way.
00:31:44Everyone did it this way, and I didn't like it.
00:31:46No one did it this way with us.
00:31:48I am very often dissatisfied with my performance.
00:31:52Although, in principle, this is not visible on stage.
00:31:56In principle, everything is fine.
00:31:58But inside, all the time, for myself, I know that I want to do it a little differently, better, or in a new way.
00:32:10I want to do it a little differently, better, or in a new way.
00:32:21Lord, when will it all end?
00:32:25When it's over, it's better.
00:32:29I've been dancing for 5 years, I won't do it anymore.
00:32:33But in principle, everything is wonderful.
00:32:36Yes, everything is wonderful.
00:32:38The most terrible thing is when it's over.
00:32:44Now I'll tell you.
00:32:45Go!
00:33:03A ballet dancer is a less traditional ballerina, but she's still a relentless perfectionist.
00:33:17Of course, it's a very difficult profession.
00:33:20Every day, no matter how you feel, you have to get up and go to class, you have to rehearse.
00:33:27A huge expense of physical strength, in addition to emotional.
00:33:31Of course, it involves some kind of sacrifice every day.
00:33:38It must be a very strong will, character.
00:33:43I think these are the few who really have such strength and character,
00:33:49so that in ballet you have to force yourself every day.
00:33:58When she was 13, Diana's marks were the highest ever achieved by a pupil of her age at the Vaganova Academy.
00:34:06While still at school, she was hired by the Kirov.
00:34:10After a year, she became prima ballerina.
00:34:16She was the first female ballet dancer in the world.
00:34:20She was the first female ballet dancer in the world.
00:34:23She became prima ballerina.
00:34:29Svetlana Zakharova, Diana Vishneva, these were artists who caught immediate attention from many people around,
00:34:36and they were given the best possible help.
00:34:40They were not just there, being totally ready.
00:34:44It was a great tradition of teaching in the Mariinsky Ballet, I believe,
00:34:50which helped them become who they are regarded today as interesting, important, brilliant dancers of our time.
00:35:21Well, that's good! You can see yourself in the mirror.
00:35:24I'm going to stand with my back to the mirror.
00:35:38That's great.
00:35:51More like a croissant.
00:35:59Natasha, one more time.
00:36:02Is it possible to start with the mirror?
00:36:05To start with the mirror.
00:36:21It's impossible to finish the work on these ballets.
00:36:25I mean, every time you dance in a new way,
00:36:28every time you re-think the images related to your inner world, to your life.
00:36:34And so every time, every year, you open up completely differently in these ballets.
00:37:20Diana Vishneva, the director of the Mariinsky Ballet
00:37:39The only big problem in the future is the choreographers, the new productions.
00:37:47I mean, we keep the classical basis, we bring modern ballets,
00:37:56but we don't put new works.
00:37:59That's a huge problem, of course.
00:38:02And, of course, it's a joy when a new ballet is put for a ballerina.
00:38:08Unfortunately, it hasn't happened yet.
00:38:17Excuse me.
00:38:24So.
00:38:28Let's try it on.
00:38:32You know, I'm a little uncomfortable with my helmet, my box.
00:38:41I have a very small box.
00:38:44And two crosses.
00:38:46Two crosses.
00:38:47And there are stitched ones.
00:38:49Stitched ones are mine.
00:38:51Oh, so mine are Maya's.
00:38:57Can I have another one?
00:39:00Rishko, 2007.
00:39:02What does it mean, 2007?
00:39:04When you stand up, they sit on your feet.
00:39:07Oh, mom!
00:39:09Very tough.
00:39:15More and more often, Diana is asked to dance overseas.
00:39:20She came to Paris to dance at Opéra Garnier.
00:39:44Well, it's not the first time I've danced in a troupe at the Paris Opera.
00:39:49It's the second time.
00:39:51But it's the first time I've danced at the Garnier.
00:39:54And for me it's a very important moment.
00:39:57And not only for me.
00:39:59And for the fact that I'm a Russian ballerina from the Mariinsky Theater.
00:40:04And the first one to dance at the Garnier.
00:40:07Diana, 2007.
00:40:13I've changed.
00:40:15I have the opportunity to come here.
00:40:18I didn't have this before.
00:40:20There are festivals, there are exchanges.
00:40:23With artists, with performances.
00:40:25This is probably a very important moment.
00:40:28What happened in our country, with the changes in our country.
00:40:32The ballet Diana will dance is Manon.
00:40:35Her partner is Manuel Lagree.
00:40:38One of the main principal dancers at Paris Opera.
00:41:05I couldn't even put an image on a body, on lines.
00:41:08Because she's very special, Diana.
00:41:10She's not necessarily the ideal dancer.
00:41:13In the sense of lines, as we dream in books.
00:41:16With the big kicks, etc.
00:41:18But she has such intelligence.
00:41:20And such a way of presenting herself on stage.
00:41:23That she is immediately remarkable.
00:41:35Diana, 2008.
00:41:55I think Russian ballerinas are noticed immediately.
00:41:58As soon as you see a Russian ballerina, you know exactly.
00:42:01There is an aura, there is something.
00:42:04There is also an arm port.
00:42:06That is to say, the whole part of the bust, the arms.
00:42:09Which is absolutely different from European dancers.
00:42:12It's maybe more vibrant.
00:42:15There is something more extreme.
00:42:34Diana, 2008.
00:42:53When a person comes to the theater, it's natural beauty.
00:42:56And it seems so easy.
00:42:59But behind it is completely different.
00:43:02A completely different side of the medal.
00:43:05Every time it's so difficult for me.
00:43:08I say, no, I can't do it anymore.
00:43:11Then you go on stage, and everything is different.
00:43:14Then some new roles appear.
00:43:16New desires appear.
00:43:18But all the time there is a desire to stop.
00:43:26Although Diana constantly reappraises her desire to dance.
00:43:30Fate has been kind to her.
00:43:36Ulyana Lopatkina was forced to stop.
00:43:39She has temporarily given up dancing because of her ankle.
00:43:44Prima ballerina a few years older than Diana and Svetlana.
00:43:48She is regarded as the greatest Russian dancer of her generation.
00:44:00She is a wonderful ballerina, a wonderful woman.
00:44:04She is a very sensitive and intelligent person.
00:44:11The last two years have changed my life a lot.
00:44:16My leg hurt, I had to go to the hospital.
00:44:20At the same time, I made the most serious decision in my life.
00:44:31I decided to get married.
00:44:33I had a daughter.
00:44:35And all this time I was without dancing.
00:44:43After two years, Ulyana has the urge to dance again.
00:44:47But that entails curing her injury once and for all.
00:44:52Ulyana Lopatkina, dancer
00:44:55My leg has been hurting for a long time.
00:44:58I think it has tried all possible methods of treatment.
00:45:02But since it did not have the desired effect,
00:45:06it somehow relieved the pain for a short period.
00:45:10Then it returned.
00:45:12Therefore, I had to resort to surgical intervention.
00:45:22After ankle surgery in the USA,
00:45:25Ulyana can now plan her return to the stage.
00:45:29She must exercise for months to gradually get back to her level.
00:45:41Usually, after such a long break,
00:45:44the actor undergoes a change.
00:45:47A person who has not been on stage for two years
00:45:51is very scared to go on stage again.
00:45:54Very scared.
00:46:01The beginning will be very gradual.
00:46:04I would like to start with small miniatures,
00:46:07small solos.
00:46:09But I have to distribute my strength,
00:46:12because I have to be very careful with my leg.
00:46:16So I can't say for sure,
00:46:18but I think it will be gradual steps.
00:47:16I hope that after this break,
00:47:19there will be a new period in my work.
00:47:23I hope for new roles, new performances,
00:47:27new experience.
00:47:47The Kirov Ballet has toured the USA many times.
00:47:53Here, Russian dancers are appreciated
00:47:56and ever more present since perestroika.
00:48:16For Alina, our debutante, it's her first U.S. tour.
00:48:20Four months after joining the company,
00:48:23she was the only new member to take part.
00:48:29Diana is here too,
00:48:31but she has also signed with the Berlin Ballet
00:48:35and with the American Ballet.
00:48:38She has been a member of the Kirov Ballet
00:48:43This is Ulyana's long-awaited moment,
00:48:46her return to the stage.
00:48:50Diana is here too,
00:48:52but she has been a member of the Kirov Ballet
00:48:56This is Ulyana's long-awaited moment,
00:48:59her return to the stage.
00:49:19Diana is here too,
00:49:21but she has been a member of the Kirov Ballet
00:49:25This is Ulyana's long-awaited moment,
00:49:29her return to the stage.
00:49:32Diana is here too,
00:49:34but she has been a member of the Kirov Ballet
00:49:38This is Ulyana's long-awaited moment,
00:49:42her return to the stage.
00:49:45Diana is here too,
00:49:47but she has been a member of the Kirov Ballet
00:49:51This is Ulyana's long-awaited moment,
00:49:55her return to the stage.
00:49:58Diana is here too,
00:50:00but she has been a member of the Kirov Ballet
00:50:04This is Ulyana's long-awaited moment,
00:50:08her return to the stage.
00:50:11Diana is here too,
00:50:13but she has been a member of the Kirov Ballet
00:50:17This is Ulyana's long-awaited moment,
00:50:21her return to the stage.
00:50:24Diana is here too,
00:50:26but she has been a member of the Kirov Ballet
00:50:30This is Ulyana's long-awaited moment,
00:50:34her return to the stage.
00:50:42I think she came back with something superior.
00:50:46She missed dancing so much,
00:50:49it's like finding someone you thought was lost.
00:50:53She found her art, she found dancing,
00:50:56and I think she can now dance even better than before.
00:51:04It's great that Ulyana is back,
00:51:07because she is still young.
00:51:11She is still young,
00:51:13but she will reach her peak.
00:51:16She still has a long way to go.
00:51:40Ulyana's return to the stage
00:52:10For the Kirov, Ulyana's return is a big event.
00:52:13For the Kirov, Ulyana's return is a big event.
00:52:16For the Kirov, Ulyana's return is a big event.
00:52:19For the Kirov, Ulyana's return is a big event.
00:52:22For the Kirov, Ulyana's return is a big event.
00:52:25For the Kirov, Ulyana's return is a big event.
00:52:28For the Kirov, Ulyana's return is a big event.
00:52:31For the Kirov, Ulyana's return is a big event.
00:52:34For the Kirov, Ulyana's return is a big event.
00:52:37For the Kirov, Ulyana's return is a big event.
00:52:40For the Kirov, Ulyana's return is a big event.
00:52:43In Russia, she is the role model for most young dancers.
00:52:46In Russia, she is the role model for most young dancers.
00:52:49Whenever it is possible,
00:52:52Alina takes the opportunity to watch her.
00:52:56Alina is starting her second year with the company.
00:52:59Alina is starting her second year with the company.
00:53:02For a ballerina, great changes take place within a year.
00:53:05For a ballerina, great changes take place within a year.
00:53:18It's normal, it's hard.
00:53:21It's normal, it's hard.
00:53:24Every time I come to the theater,
00:53:27I have to learn everything, learn the whole repertoire.
00:53:30Every time I come to the theater,
00:53:33I have to learn everything, learn the whole repertoire.
00:53:36All the older generations treat me normally here.
00:53:39All the older generations treat me normally here.
00:53:42I'm busy with all the ballets, I dance, I do everything.
00:53:52Alina Somova is a very capable and interesting ballerina.
00:53:55Alina Somova is a very capable and interesting ballerina.
00:53:58But she is just starting her creative path.
00:54:01Her becoming is very important to me today, no doubt.
00:54:04Her becoming is very important to me today, no doubt.
00:54:09Of course, I am very active.
00:54:12When I see talented people, I don't want to waste time.
00:54:15When I see talented people, I don't want to waste time.
00:54:18Because we don't have much time.
00:54:21Because we don't have much time.
00:54:42Don't pull your hand back.
00:54:45Don't pull your hand back.
00:54:48Don't pull your hand back.
00:54:57I saw her small fragments when she was dancing at the graduation concert.
00:55:00I saw her small fragments when she was dancing at the graduation concert.
00:55:03I liked her.
00:55:06I took pleasure in working with her.
00:55:09I took pleasure in working with her.
00:55:15We thought about where to begin.
00:55:18We thought of where to begin.
00:55:20The process of composing Swan Lake made this song perfect.
00:55:23The process of composing Swan Lake made this song perfect.
00:55:26The process of composing Swan Lake made this song perfect.
00:55:30Don't be very long by yourufacture.
00:55:33I want you to think,
00:55:36I want you to think,
00:55:39I want you to dare and try to do something with your hearing.
00:55:42Here, here, here, here, here, once.
00:55:46And it turned out.
00:55:48No, not this one, I don't need this one.
00:55:51I want the opposite.
00:55:52Bam! Jumped.
00:55:53Nobody understands what it is.
00:55:56Well, a little softer, a little softer, Oleg.
00:56:03Well, just a little.
00:56:04Here, immediately, as if it were already.
00:56:06In general, I like this one more.
00:56:08What are you doing?
00:56:09Well, Asya, what are you going to do now?
00:56:11Without Alain G?
00:56:12Because you don't like it.
00:56:13Let's go to meet you.
00:56:15No, not Alain G, normal.
00:56:17Just two hands are the same, Alin.
00:56:19Wait a second.
00:56:20Look, you spin, spin,
00:56:22then your leg goes like this,
00:56:24and you stand like this.
00:56:25Turn out a little.
00:56:32I don't like it.
00:56:33Let's leave this pose.
00:56:35Well, it stayed.
00:56:38I find that the dancers of Kirov are maturing very quickly,
00:56:40but I think they are given responsibilities very quickly.
00:56:43At the opera, we tend to help people a lot,
00:56:49which is pretty good,
00:56:50but we push their work a little too much.
00:56:52And we feel that in Russia, it's a bit of a mess.
00:56:54You have to go.
00:56:55All of a sudden, if you have to dance the sign lake in a week,
00:56:57you have to go.
00:56:58Here, if we say that, it's going to be panic,
00:57:00it's going to be, I'm not ready,
00:57:01can't I wait,
00:57:02can't it be another time,
00:57:03are we going to take someone else?
00:57:05Whereas in Russia, we don't have a choice.
00:57:07It's like that, you have to go.
00:57:09And all of a sudden, we have the impression that
00:57:11the dancers are maturing faster.
00:57:14I think they have this shock with the stage,
00:57:17with the difficulties, very early,
00:57:19so they feel responsible faster.
00:57:22That's right now.
00:57:35Pirampam-pam-pam-pam-pam-pam-pam.
00:57:39Pull up.
00:57:42The elbow was a bit in the way.
00:57:44You can be more active there.
00:57:46You didn't just stand up.
00:58:05Pirampam-pam-pam-pam-pam-pam-pam-pam.
00:58:08orchestra only.
00:58:33applause
00:58:38orchestra only.
00:58:40orchestra only.
00:58:42orchestra only.
00:58:44orchestra only.
00:58:46orchestra only.
00:58:48orchestra only.
00:58:50orchestra only.
00:58:52orchestra only.
00:58:54orchestra only.
00:58:56orchestra only.
00:58:58orchestra only.
00:59:00orchestra only.
00:59:02orchestra only.
00:59:04orchestra only.
00:59:06applause
00:59:36Now watch. You open it, and it's right here, and then you start.
00:59:42I taught Zhenya like this.
00:59:44Congratulations.
00:59:46You can rest tomorrow, don't come tomorrow.
00:59:49You have a lot of strength, so don't. Forget about the theater, rest.
00:59:56Okay?
00:59:58No, I won't eat at home, please.
01:00:00Go for a walk.
01:00:02When you come to the theater, I'll give you instructions, you won't know.
01:00:05No, I won't eat at home, please.
01:00:08I think it's a great luck for her.
01:00:11Because 18 years in the Swan Lake is a very rare case.
01:00:14She showed a very good ability that is necessary for a ballerina.
01:00:19Amazing self-control, the ability to cope with your excitement when you go on stage,
01:00:26so that this excitement goes, on the contrary, to the best,
01:00:31to the good emotion that is needed for this performance.
01:00:34And I think that this girl, I don't want to make big predictions,
01:00:38but she has to have a good future, I think.
01:00:58Alina will soon be dancing Swan Lake again.
01:01:01A date has already been set for a second performance.
01:01:05But she's not the only one the theater director has decided to give a chance to.
01:01:11We have maybe five, maybe six ballerinas who have potential.
01:01:17I'm not saying they will come and become equally successful, equally brilliant,
01:01:22if you compare them to Lopatkin or Vishneva.
01:01:25But, honestly, I do not want anyone to come and repeat what Diana Vishneva does.
01:01:34We should welcome someone who brings, in a way, a very different appearance,
01:01:40in a way, a very different expression.
01:01:55Swan Lake
01:02:25Diana Vishneva
01:02:31Everything was very different.
01:02:33It was not at all like it was in the first year.
01:02:36I'm already a chorister.
01:02:38A chorister is already higher than a corps de ballet.
01:02:41I learned about it from the booklet.
01:02:44When I opened the booklet, I found myself not in the corps de ballet section, but in the chorister section.
01:02:50I hope I'm on my way to becoming a soloist soon.
01:02:56I hope so.
01:03:01She may not yet be a soloist, but another of Evgenia's dreams has come true.
01:03:06She has appeared in a French film, The Russian Dolls, by Cedric Clapiche.
01:03:13She should recognize him a little later.
01:03:18Zhenya, maybe you should recognize him a little later.
01:03:21A little later?
01:03:22Yes, she should look for him a little later.
01:03:24I wanted to make a film for a very long time.
01:03:28I did not think it would happen so soon, that it would be exactly as it was.
01:03:33But I liked it.
01:03:43In general, there is very little in the script that differs from what I actually do.
01:03:50I'm 20 years old, I'm not a soloist yet.
01:03:54In principle, it's like about me.
01:04:02It was very beautiful when you smiled before.
01:04:05It looked like you were really smiling.
01:04:09It looked like you were really smiling.
01:04:12Again, you were like...
01:04:15Evgenia, when I saw her play, I saw that she had a gift for the game.
01:04:22Very quickly, she had a natural that few actors have.
01:04:26She is a dancer who is expressive, who is not just executing movements,
01:04:30but she also expresses feelings and emotions on stage.
01:04:35Although an actress during the summer, Evgenia remains first and foremost a ballet dancer.
01:04:41Straight after filming, she returns to her profession.
01:04:45With five leading roles already danced or in preparation,
01:04:49she has decided to take part in the Moscow International Dance Competition.
01:05:02After three days' competition, Evgenia is awarded first prize,
01:05:08an honor that is recognized worldwide.
01:05:12I think that Bassova is ready to work.
01:05:14She has a very good potential.
01:05:19In Petersburg, we should create more opportunities for her.
01:05:37Since the competition, Evgenia has landed more roles as a soloist.
01:06:08In Moscow, Evgenia was awarded first prize.
01:06:11She is a dancer who is expressive, who is not just executing movements,
01:06:15but she has decided to take part in the Moscow International Dance Competition.
01:06:19With five leading roles already danced or in preparation,
01:06:22she has decided to take part in the Moscow International Dance Competition.
01:06:25Since the competition, Evgenia has landed more roles as a soloist.
01:06:29Since the competition, Evgenia has decided to take part in the Moscow International Dance Competition.
01:06:33Since the competition, Evgenia has decided to take part in the Moscow International Dance Competition.
01:06:36Since the competition, Evgenia has decided to take part in the Moscow International Dance Competition.
01:06:42Romeo and Juliet was my first performance.
01:06:45This performance is probably my favorite.
01:06:47I don't know, there is no other performance that I would love so much.
01:06:51I would dream of dancing Juliet, I would dream of playing her in a dramatic theater,
01:06:55acting in a movie, but Juliet is everything for me.
01:07:07I would dream of dancing Juliet, I would dream of playing her in a dramatic theater,
01:07:11acting in a movie, but Juliet is everything for me.
01:07:14I would dream of dancing Juliet, I would dream of playing her in a dramatic theater,
01:07:18acting in a movie, but Juliet is everything for me.
01:07:21I would dream of dancing Juliet, I would dream of playing her in a dramatic theater,
01:07:25acting in a movie, but Juliet is everything for me.
01:07:28I would dream of dancing Juliet, I would dream of playing her in a dramatic theater,
01:07:32acting in a movie, but Juliet is everything for me.
01:07:36For some time now, Evgenia has had female admirers attend all of her performances.
01:07:39Tonight they are here to see her, for the first time,
01:07:42perform Juliet.
01:07:45For some time now, Evgenia has had female admirers attend all of her performances.
01:08:01Tonight they're here to see her for the first time perform Juliet.
01:08:31Have you broken your ankle? No?
01:08:33And here's a great gift for you.
01:08:35Thank you.
01:08:36What did you want?
01:08:37What I brought for you.
01:08:39Yes, please.
01:08:40Thank you.
01:08:41What I want to tell you is that everything I'm saying is true.
01:08:45It's true, it's just the way it is.
01:08:47Because I've seen a lot of Juliets.
01:08:49And Petrov, and Ulanov, and all of them in a row.
01:08:53And even Smeda.
01:08:54But I've never seen anything like it.
01:08:57Yes, of course.
01:08:59Take your autographs.
01:09:01Take a picture.
01:09:12Are you making us cry?
01:09:14Don't cry.
01:09:17I can imagine that you're a spectator.
01:09:20What are you doing with your art?
01:09:26Don't cry, Marina.
01:09:29It's better if you don't cry.
01:09:33How would I want to cry?
01:09:35Can't you do it?
01:09:37Sometimes I can, but they say it's not good.
01:09:40It's better not to cry.
01:09:42You don't have to.
01:09:45Let me kiss you at least.
01:09:53Until the 18th.
01:09:54Until the 18th.
01:09:55And then the Legend in February.
01:09:57February?
01:09:58Yes.
01:09:59Oh my God.
01:10:00Yes.
01:10:01That's great.
01:10:02Of course.
01:10:03Oh, how great.
01:10:04I'll tell you one thing later.
01:10:06No, you've become a little different.
01:10:09So mysterious?
01:10:11No, no, you've become a little more mature.
01:10:14More mature, really?
01:10:15I wanted to become an adult, but I've become more mature.
01:10:19She's become a ballerina.
01:10:21She was a ballerina, but now she's on her way to becoming a star.
01:10:25That's how it is.
01:10:27Honestly, Zhenia, you're going to lose everything.
01:10:30Okay, bye.
01:10:31Thank you.
01:10:46I want to have more roles.
01:10:49I want my work to improve.
01:10:52I want to dance not only here.
01:10:54I want to be seen in other countries too.
01:10:57I want it to be worthy.
01:11:00I want people to like it.
01:11:03I have a goal to work in many groups.
01:11:06And to learn other repertoire too.
01:11:08I think it's interesting.
01:11:12I have a lot of goals ahead of me.
01:11:14I haven't done a lot yet.
01:11:16That's great.
01:11:25I want to be a ballerina.
01:11:43From flowering to maturity, from maturity to fulfillment,
01:11:48a ballerina provides an image of constant metamorphosis.
01:11:55Alina's performance
01:12:03Alina was made a Cori й Fay and is rehearsing new roles,
01:12:07but she must continue to develop her present repertoire.
01:12:14Svetlana, in order to keep progressing,
01:12:17had already left Kiev for Saint Petersburg.
01:12:20And after seven years with the Kirov
01:12:23She, again, decided to move to join the Bolshoi in Moscow.
01:12:31Diana pursues an international career while remaining with the Kirov.
01:12:36For her, dance is an ongoing quest for perfection.
01:12:43Ulyana has to master her past repertoire and solidify her return.
01:12:48Her heart is set on dancing contemporary works that are closer to real life.
01:13:18They are not clones, they are all personal.
01:13:22Each one has an identity and a well-defined personality.
01:13:28It's very impressive.
01:13:48Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:14:18Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:14:23Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:14:28Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:14:33Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:14:38Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:14:43Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:14:48Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:14:53Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:14:58Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:15:03Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:15:08Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:15:13Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:15:18Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:15:23Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:15:28Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:15:33Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:15:38Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:15:43Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:15:48Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:15:53Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:15:58Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:16:03Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:16:08Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:16:13Fire, depth, sensitivity, beauty.
01:16:18.
01:16:23.
01:16:28.
01:16:33.
01:16:38.
01:16:43.