Uploaded January 2021 | Updated September 2026, 6 days ago
Ivan Vsevolozhsky, the Director of the Imperial Theatres, was the initiator of The Sleeping Beauty ballet production and the landmark encounter between Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. He wrote the libretto, created the costumes and became the co-author of the miracle born by the genius of two great masters in 1890. In the production, it was as if Vsevolozhsky, a brilliant connoisseur and enthusiast of Louis XIV, opened a window into his favourite period creating a feeling of an exuberant, almost masquerade-like extravaganza: in one scene, like at balls in Versailles, could come together ultramarine, lilac, scarlet and emerald costumes.
The pathos of respect for the French Golden Age (not just Aurora but the entire world woke up under the Sun King) was fundamental to the idea behind The Sleeping Beauty and determined the atmosphere of the ballet extravaganza. But, unfortunately, in the 20th century, the production got a makeover, was adapted to the tastes of different times.
After long decades of oblivion, the image of the production of the times of Petipa returned to the stage of the Mariinsky Theatre in 1999. The 1890 stage design was revived based on the sketches by Vsevolozhsky and the premiere decorative artists, while the choreographer Sergei Vikharev restored the structure of Marius Petipa’s creation drawing on the recordings of the ballet made in the early 20th century – with all the splendour of the spectacle, the ceremonious metering of dance and pantomime, and the atmosphere of celebration. And today the 21st century audience has the opportunity to see in action on stage the luxurious gesamtkunstwerk which in its day inspired Alexandre Benoi to venture Russian Seasons.
Olga Makarova
https://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/repertoire/ballet/spkras1/
Maurice Béjart once told her, that if they had met earlier, ballet of XX Century would be completely different (Plisetskaya would perform in Béjart’s ballet, famous Bolero by Ravel when she turned 50). Perhaps, what he meant was his baby, his famous company that carried its name for a very long time, Ballet of the 20th Century (currently, The Béjart Ballet Lausanne). It greatly influenced the growth of contemporary ballet. But maybe, he thought of a bigger picture. Nevertheless, among those, who admired Plisetskaya’s dance, who analyzed it, examined the nature of her art work and art alliance with Béjart that emerged in their matured years, there will be plenty of most loyal fans and credible professional ballet lovers who are confident that without Plisetskaya’s phenomena, ballet of the past century would be impossible to imagine. Violating canons, she claimed for new omens and contemporary style in classical ballet, and she always, since childhood and especially in her matured years, was striving to create auteur theatre, besides she had such a faithful associate, Rodion Shchedrin, her husband and music author of her ballets. Her other distinction was metaphorical sound and freedom as leading motif. Plisetskaya herself was saying that she never wanted to dance just for the sake of it, she needed a story. Over the years – more of a parable. However, any tale she consolidated to a highest level.
http://www.liepa.ru/ave-mayya/
https://www.bolshoi.ru/about/press/articles/announce/Maya-2020-11-20/
https://tvkultura.ru/
DONATE if you want paypal.me/MARIAKHOREVA
mariakhoreva.com
instagram.com/marachok
youtube.com/mariakhoreva
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Khoreva
https://www.mariinsky.ru/en/company/ballet/soloists/first_soloists/dancers1/khoreva1
If you have a YouTube channel or ever wanted to start one, I couldn't recommend @TubeBuddy any higher. It's an amazing service to help optimize, manage and grow your channel. Free to install at https://www.tubebuddy.com.
Ivan Vsevolozhsky, the Director of the Imperial Theatres, was the initiator of The Sleeping Beauty ballet production and the landmark encounter between Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. He wrote the libretto, created the costumes and became the co-author of the miracle born by the genius of two great masters in 1890. In the production, it was as if Vsevolozhsky, a brilliant connoisseur and enthusiast of Louis XIV, opened a window into his favourite period creating a feeling of an exuberant, almost masquerade-like extravaganza: in one scene, like at balls in Versailles, could come together ultramarine, lilac, scarlet and emerald costumes.
The pathos of respect for the French Golden Age (not just Aurora but the entire world woke up under the Sun King) was fundamental to the idea behind The Sleeping Beauty and determined the atmosphere of the ballet extravaganza. But, unfortunately, in the 20th century, the production got a makeover, was adapted to the tastes of different times.
After long decades of oblivion, the image of the production of the times of Petipa returned to the stage of the Mariinsky Theatre in 1999. The 1890 stage design was revived based on the sketches by Vsevolozhsky and the premiere decorative artists, while the choreographer Sergei Vikharev restored the structure of Marius Petipa’s creation drawing on the recordings of the ballet made in the early 20th century – with all the splendour of the spectacle, the ceremonious metering of dance and pantomime, and the atmosphere of celebration. And today the 21st century audience has the opportunity to see in action on stage the luxurious gesamtkunstwerk which in its day inspired Alexandre Benoi to venture Russian Seasons.
Olga Makarova
https://www.mariinsky.ru/en/playbill/repertoire/ballet/spkras1/
Maurice Béjart once told her, that if they had met earlier, ballet of XX Century would be completely different (Plisetskaya would perform in Béjart’s ballet, famous Bolero by Ravel when she turned 50). Perhaps, what he meant was his baby, his famous company that carried its name for a very long time, Ballet of the 20th Century (currently, The Béjart Ballet Lausanne). It greatly influenced the growth of contemporary ballet. But maybe, he thought of a bigger picture. Nevertheless, among those, who admired Plisetskaya’s dance, who analyzed it, examined the nature of her art work and art alliance with Béjart that emerged in their matured years, there will be plenty of most loyal fans and credible professional ballet lovers who are confident that without Plisetskaya’s phenomena, ballet of the past century would be impossible to imagine. Violating canons, she claimed for new omens and contemporary style in classical ballet, and she always, since childhood and especially in her matured years, was striving to create auteur theatre, besides she had such a faithful associate, Rodion Shchedrin, her husband and music author of her ballets. Her other distinction was metaphorical sound and freedom as leading motif. Plisetskaya herself was saying that she never wanted to dance just for the sake of it, she needed a story. Over the years – more of a parable. However, any tale she consolidated to a highest level.
http://www.liepa.ru/ave-mayya/
https://www.bolshoi.ru/about/press/articles/announce/Maya-2020-11-20/
https://tvkultura.ru/
DONATE if you want paypal.me/MARIAKHOREVA
mariakhoreva.com
instagram.com/marachok
youtube.com/mariakhoreva
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Khoreva
https://www.mariinsky.ru/en/company/ballet/soloists/first_soloists/dancers1/khoreva1
If you have a YouTube channel or ever wanted to start one, I couldn't recommend @TubeBuddy any higher. It's an amazing service to help optimize, manage and grow your channel. Free to install at https://www.tubebuddy.com.
