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"Classical Ballet" revived the performance "Strauss Gala"

Ballet concerts in theaters happen extremely rarely, and this can only be upsetting - where else can an artist try out a role, where can he find room for a fresh miniature? But the reasons for the lack of concerts in the repertoire are economic, not artistic. The artists are paid for going to work, and on the day of a regular performance, the theater usually spends on fees for the ballerina, fees for the premiere, several soloists, etc. The lower the rank of the participant in the performance, the less money he, of course, will receive. Meanwhile, the concert (if it is organized in good faith) will always involve several ballerinas and several premieres. It's not profitable for the theater. It is not known how the not-richest of the capital’s theaters, the “Classical Ballet” under the direction of Kasatkina and Vasiliev, solves this problem, but they have just launched a natural concert into their repertoire. More precisely, they resurrected this concert in the repertoire.

“Strauss Gala” was first staged in 1984, then disappeared from the repertoire for a very long time. The evening's program includes fragments from "The Corsair", "The Swan", and from the works of the theater's artistic directors. And “Strauss” - because the concert is framed in a marvelous plot frame - the frame of a competition. It was invented that all the performances are the performances of the contestants, which the jury watches. And all the “competition” mini-plots take place to the accompaniment of classical waltzes.

The “Kasvas” members dance the classics diligently, sometimes just well, but the “frame”, the “competition” nevertheless shines brighter. Because, strange as it may seem, to look for the truth of life in dancing, but the sharp accuracy of portraits of characters is a great thing. And Kasatkina and Vasilev know what they are talking about. They are familiar with competitive morals firsthand.

So, the jury meeting. A socialite in an eccentric costume, more suitable for a tiger tamer, an “oriental guru” in a fez with a blissfully idiotic expression on his face, like a gentleman in a long top hat who had swallowed a stick, and a couple of other similar clowns. In the role of the chairman of the jury there are two people, a man and a woman, they are dressed in one jacket, each with a sleeve (the chairman has two votes). The viewing begins - and it instantly becomes clear that all the participants are students of someone from the jury. And this is where the little shiny skit begins.

An ambitious teacher pushes a student onto the stage with a starting pistol. His head is pressed into his shoulders, his back is curved like a dollar - he is simply scared. But under the teacher's shots, he goes the distance - and even dances at the end. Here is a teacher whose one student can claim at least something, and he dotes on her - and it doesn’t matter that the tall and beautiful girl on the front stage becomes stiff and barely moves: the tiny diligent teacher himself will lift her, turn her over and carry her into air - as if she were flying like that, without any help. Here is the performance of the Oriental students: there are five of them, their fluffy pants increase the volume of their hips in a non-ballet way, they wear something like a burqa on their faces, and the performance is more like a belly dance than any classic (especially those who danced in the stalls spectators who recalled the performances of one of the Egyptians two Moscow competitions ago - in fact, reproduced on stage almost chronicle). And a lot of small episodes: the ceremonial entrances of the “competition favorite” (during the warm-up, he lifted his partner above him and indifferently threw her back, behind his back - fortunately, one of the “teachers” picks her up from behind), “television news” (a frame attached to members of the jury and the competition participants take turns - the “favorite” simply falls out of the TV), a couple of teachers, so carried away by explaining to their students how to dance that they go through the entire program for them - and they stand on the sidelines and watch in bewilderment.. The charming intonation of the “kasvas” and their light sense of humor, layering the evening-concert (the jury’s bickering takes place between quite serious concert numbers), turn this evening into a rare pleasure for Moscow. It's not often that we joke around in ballet. Moreover, it’s so successful.

Anna GORDEEVA