Ballet & Dance

Ulyana Vyacheslavovna Lopatkina (Born 23 October 1973 in Kerch, Crimea) is a Russian prima ballerina who performed with the Mariinsky Theatre from 1991–2017. She is a People's Artist of Russia (2005), laureate of the State Prize of Russia (1999) and the Government Prize of the Russian Federation (2015). She studied at the Vaganova Academy with Natalia Dudinskaya. Upon graduation Lopatkina joined the Kirov/Mariinsky Theatre Ballet in 1991, and was promoted to principal dancer in 1995. On June 16, 2017, she officially announced the end of her dancing career and she entered the art department of St. Petersburg State University. Since 2024, she has been collaborating with the Leonid Yakobson Ballet Theatre as a rehearsal teacher . Lopatkina excels in classic and dramatic roles. She is a perfect example of the Russian (Kirov) school with long limbs, great strength and a classical purity of line, as well as noted musicality. At 175 cm, she is among the tallest classical dancers in the world. Tracklist: 1. Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Lopatkina during warm-up - Fan made) 2. Raymonda Act III - Variation de Raymonde 3. La Bayadère Act II - Nikiya's Death 4. Paquita - Variation 5. Swan Lake - The Dying Swan

1. Pas de deux from Don Quixote (1966) Choreographed by Marius Petipa to the music of Ludwig Minkus. Dancers: Raisa Struchkova, Boris Khokhlov Orchestra Conducted by Algis Zhuraitis 2. Pas de deux from Sleeping Beauty (1971) Choreographed by Marius Petipa to the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Dancers: Raisa Struchkova, Boris Khokhlov - Raisa Stepanovna Struchkova (5 October 1925, Moscow – 2 May 2005, Moscow) was a Russian dancer and People's Artist of the USSR. Struchkova was born on 5 October 1925 in Moscow to a factory worker. She studied at the Moscow Ballet School, her teacher was Elizaveta Gerdt. In 1944, she graduated from Bolshoi Ballet school and became its member the same year. Unlike other famous female ballet dancers of that time like Galina Ulanova and Maya Plisetskaya she didn't become an international star, but the Cinderella role made her famous nationwide. Throughout her career she danced as a leading role in such ballets as Giselle, Don Quixote, Swan Lake, the Sleeping Beauty, the Nutcracker, and many, many others. Later on, she became a ballet teacher in 1962 at the State Theatrical Institute of the Arts and in 1978 became ballet coach at Bolshoi. She died in Moscow on 2 May 2005 at the age of 79. - Boris Ivanovich Khokhlov ( 22 February 1932 , Moscow – 23 June 2000 , Moscow) was a Russian Soviet ballet dancer, teacher, and People's Artist of the RSFSR (1969). In 1951, he graduated from the Moscow Choreographic School of the Bolshoi Theater of the USSR. From 1951 to 1972, he was a ballet dancer with the Bolshoi Theater . He was known as a danseur noble—the ideal performer of princes and romantic heroes. A virtuoso in his technique, he was also an outstanding master of duet dancing. Ballerinas valued him as an extremely reliable partner. In 1972, he retired from acting. From 1976 to 1977, he was a teacher and rehearsal director for the Bolshoi Theater's mime ensemble. In 1981, he graduated from the ballet masters department of GITIS . From 1981 to 1988, he taught in the choreography department there. He died on June 23, 2000 in Moscow and was buried at the Troekurovskoye Cemetery .

A 1979 film ballet dedicated to the work of the Bolshoi Theatre soloist Marina Kondratyeva. Include ballet scenes and choreographic miniatures to music by A. Adam, S. Rachmaninoff, C. Gounod, A. Khachaturian, S. Prokofiev, F. Auber, R. Shchedrin, C. Gluck, and J. Schneitzhofer. Scriptwriter - Svetlana Kononchuk Director - Felix Slidovker Cinematographer - Alexander Tafel Marina Viktorovna Kondratyeva (Russian: Марина Викторовна Кондратьева 1 February 1934 – 8 July 2024) was a Russian ballerina at the Bolshoi Ballet. Described as "weightless, airy, poetic and spiritual", she is known for roles such as Juliet in Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet and as Adam's Giselle, but also performed in contemporary ballets including world premieres. She toured with the Bolshoi troupe to London and the Metropolitan Opera in the 1960s. She became a master tutor at the Bolshoi, passing its tradition to younger dancers for decades. Kondratyeva died in Moscow on 8 July 2024 at the age of 90 and was buried in Troyekurovskoye Cemetery.

Magic is a 1969 film ballet about the work of Irina Kolpakova, a soloist with the Leningrad State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after S. M. Kirov. Irina Aleksandrovna Kolpakova (Russian: Ирина Александровна Колпакова; born 22 May 1933) is a Soviet and Russian ballerina, choreographer and pedagogue. People's Artist of the USSR (1965) and Hero of Socialist Labour (1983). She was the prima ballerina of the Kirov State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet (now the Mariinsky Theatre) in Saint Petersburg. From 1974 to 1979, she served as a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. In the 1990s, she worked for several seasons as choreographer and coach at the American Ballet Theatre in New York City. She is currently a professor of classical dance at the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in Saint Petersburg and a ballet coach at American Ballet Theatre. She is married to the noted ballet dancer Vladilen Semyonov, also a People's Artist of the USSR. The program includes excerpts from the ballets: Chopiniana The Stone Flower by S. Prokofiev The Legend of Love by A. Melikov Raymonda by A. Glazunov The Nutcracker by P. Tchaikovsky Choreographic miniatures to the music of I. S. Bach and G. Berlioz. The film features soloists V. Gulyaev, N. Dolgushin, A. Gridin, V. Semenov, I. Chernyshev, E. Shcherbakov, and ballet dancers from the Leningrad State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after S. M. Kirov (Mariinsky Theatre). Scriptwriter: Nelly Mashenjinova Director: Alexander Stefanovich Cinematographer: Georgy Konovalov

Gabriela Komleva and artists of the Leningrad State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after S. M. Kirov. Gabriella Komleva was born in Leningrad in 1938. She graduated from the Vaganova Choreographic School (class of Vera Kostrovostkaya) and joined the Kirov Ballet in 1957. Famous for her perfect technique, great expressiveness and versatility. Komleva danced both classical and contemporary roles including Nikiya (La Bayadère), Raymonda (Raymonda), Giselle and Myrtha (Giselle), Odette-Odile (Swan Lake), Kitri (Don Quixote), Aurora (The Sleeping Beauty), Asiat (Gorvanka) and Ophelia (Hamlet). She is the recipient of People’s Artist of the RSFSR (1975), People’s Artist of the USSR (1983) and The National Theatre Award Golden Mask – “For outstanding contribution to the development of theatrе art” (2019). Komleva left the stage in 1988 and became a coach and repetiteur with the Kirov Ballet (Mariinsky Theatre). Track List: - Variation from "Raymonda" by Alexander Glazunov, choreography by Marius Petipa, danced by the soloist of the ballet of the Leningrad State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after S. M. Kirov Gabriela Komleva. - Choreographic miniature from "Romance" by Murad Kazhlaev, danced by Gabriela Komleva and Eldar Aliev - Monologue of Mekhmeneh Banu from Arif Melikov's ballet "The Legend of Love", danced by Gabriela Komleva, choreography by Yuri Grigorovich; - Adagio from Arif Melikov's ballet "The Legend of Love", danced by Gabriela Komleva and John Markovsky; - Fragment of Herman Levenskold's ballet "La Sylphide", danced by Gabriela Komleva and Sergei Berezhnoy, choreography by August Bournonville; - "Gavotte" by Jean-Baptiste Lully, choreography by Vasily Vainonen, danced by Gabriela Komleva. Director: Petr Zhuravlev Camera operator: Roman Chernyak Designer: Valentin Lebedev Performers: Gabriela Komleva, Eldar Aliev, John Markovsky, Sergei Berezhnoy Lentelefilm 1981

A Christmas classic revisited in dance form at the Finnish National Opera: Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Recorded on 9 December 2023 at the Finnish National Opera and Ballet. It's the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a grumpy, miserly old man who, on Christmas Eve, is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. A magical tale popular with all ages, adapted into a ballet by an all-British artistic team including composer Sally Beamish and choreographer David Bintley. Director: Jussi Buckbee Choreography: David Bintley Director: Anna Fleischle Composer: Sally Beamish Costumes: Anna Fleischle Music director: Paul Murphy Finnish National Ballet Finnish National Opera Orchestra

"Ivan the Terrible" is a classical ballet in 2 Acts. The world premiere of the ballet Ivan the Terrible took place at the Bolshoi Theater on 20th of February 1975. Yuri Vladimirov performed as the tsar, Natalia Bessmertnova as Anastasia, and Boris Akimov as Kurbsky. The second production, in 1977, was performed by Vladimir Vasiliev (Ivan IV), Lyudmila Semenyaka (Anastasia) and Boris Akimov ((Prince Kurbsky). The premiere caused great resonance. That same summer the troupe toured in the USA, where „Ivan the Terrible” created a great sensation and collected innumerable comments from viewers and media. Next year the ballet was staged at the Paris Opera, where it met the same warm reception, and soon it was shown on the stage constructed specifically for this performance in Louvre during the summer season. "Ivan the Terrible" is music by Sergei Prokofiev originally composed for the Sergei Eisenstein film about the sixteenth-century ruler. Prokofiev composed music to Part 1 in 1942-44, and to Part 2 in 1945; the score is cataloged as Op. 116. After the composer’s death, music for the film was arranged first into an oratorio (with speaker, soloists, chorus, and orchestra) by Alexander Stasevich (1961), who was the conductor of the film score, and later into a concert scenario by Christopher Palmer (1990). It was Abraham Stassevitch, conductor for Sergei Prokofiev's score for director Sergei Eisenstein's "Ivan the Terrible - Part II" (1958), who proposed to Grigorovich that he transfigure IVAN, along with its music, into a full-length dramaturgic dance work. In 1973 the choreographer and theatre director of Bolshoi Yuri Grigorovich, commissioned the distinguished Soviet composer as well as professor of composition, Mikhail Chulaki, to create a balletic scoring based upon Eisenstein's cinema masterpiece. It is cobbled from 377 fragments from Prokofiev's Ivan Part II musical design in addition to other pieces by the great composer. In 1976, based on this Bolshoi Theater performance, the film-ballet was shot, which was released on screens in 1978 by Mosfilm. Composer: Sergei Prokofiev, in a musical edition and composition by Mikhail Chulaki Choreography: Yuri Grigorovich Costume Designer: Simon Virsaladze Set Designer: Simon Virsaladze Screenplay and Directors: Vadim Derbenev, Yuri Grigorovich Artistic Director: Yuri Grigorovich Cast & Characters: Ivan the Terrible - Yuri Vladimirov Anastasia - Natalia Bessmertnova Prince Kurbsky - Boris Akimov Ballet dancers and the orchestra of the Bolshoi Theater of the USSR Conducted by Algis Žiūraitis For Yuri Vladimirov, the title role became a milestone, and the part of Tsaritsa Anastasia became one of the most consistent to Natalia Bessmertnova’s acting personality and professional talents in her creative biography. The following tsars, which have always included artists, distinguished by technical virtuosity and endowed with acting temperament, – Mikhail Lavrovsky, Alexander Godunov, Irek Mukhamedov, Alexei Fadeyechev, Alexander Vetrov – left a vivid mark on this ballet’s history.

Notte della Taranta ("Taranta Night" in English) is a popular music festival in Salento, Puglia (Apulia), Italy, that aims to enhance traditional Salento music through its revival and contamination with other musical languages. The Notte della Taranta is focused on pizzica, a popular folk genre in Salento, and takes place in various municipalities in the province of Lecce and the Grecìa Salentina, especially in Melpignano. It gives great importance to the folk music tradition of taranta and pizzica. The festival tours around Salento, normally culminating in a grand finale concert in August, in front of the Augustinian Convent of Melpignano, which lasts until late night. Each year a new musical director is chosen, who has the task of arranging the traditional music of Salento, fusing its rhythms with those of other musical traditions. The festival started in 1998 by an initiative of several municipalities of the Salento, which sponsored the event. In August 2008 the "La Notte della Taranta" foundation was born with the aim of defining strategic and management directions and choices, promoting autonomous initiatives and coordinating the members' action for the valorisation and protection of the Salento area. In particular, it supports the study of the ethnographic heritage by promoting cultural, musical, social and communication events, and projects to support and develop research on the phenomenon of tarantism, Grike and Salento traditions, with specific reference to popular music. The most important book about pizzica and tarantism is "The Land of Remorse", written by the Italian philosopher, anthropologist and historian of religions Ernesto de Martino. The attendance of the final concert alone, which has taken place on the large lawn in front of the Augustinian Convent of Melpignano since 1999, went from 5,000 in 1998 to 200,000 in 2022. The 2020 edition took place without live spectators due to Covid restrictions. Cast & Crew: The Popular Orchestra of La Notte della Taranta and the Roma Sinfonietta Orchestra Concertmaster: Paolo Buonvino La Notte della Taranta Corps de Ballet Choreography: Sharon Eyal Tracklist: 1. QUANNU TE LLAI LA FACCIA LA MATINA 2. TARANTA DI LIZZANO 3. TAMBURIEDDHU MIU 4. BEDDHA CI DORMI (Sand by DIODATO) 5. KALINITTA (canto in grico)* 6. FERMA ZITELLA 7. SECUTA SECUTA 8. CENT’ANNI SALE 9. PIZZICA 10. ELA, ELA MU CONDÀ (canto in grico)* 11. FIMMENE FIMMENE (Sang by GIANNA NANNINI) 12. LU RUCIU DE LU MARE 13. CARPE NOCTEM (Composed by PAOLO BUONVINO) 15. AGAPI * These songs are sang in Griko, sometimes spelled Grico, a dialect of Italiot Greek spoken by Griko people in Salento (province of Lecce), and also called Grecanico, in Calabria. It features elements of Ancient Greek, Byzantine Greek and Italian. It is spoken in the Grecìa Salentina (Griko for "Salentine Greece"), in the province of Lecce.

A 1987 Trilion Pictures production presents George Frederick Handel's "Water Music" from The Banqueting House - Whitehall London. Musicians and dancers perform at the Banqueting House in Whitehall, London in authentic Baroque costume and with period surroundings. English Bach Festival Dancers Choreography by Belinda Quirey Costumes (from original designs) by Derek West The English Bach Festival Orchestra Conducted by and Solo Violinist: Christopher Hirons Director: Derek Hanlon The Water Music (German: Wassermusik) is a collection of orchestral movements, often published as three suites, composed by George Frideric Handel. It premiered on 17 July 1717, in response to King George I's request for a concert on the River Thames. The Water Music opens with a French overture and includes minuets, bourrées, and hornpipes. It is divided into three suites About the Baroque Dance: When we think of "baroque dance", we often think of enormous wigs and frilly dresses, a rond de jambe and graceful entrechats. This is of course true, to a certain extent: as the Belle Danse developed during the 17th century, it was a dance reserved for the nobility and gentlemen, wearing their finest clothes. However, under the reign of Louis XIV, the baroque dance was not only a source of entertainment or a simple pass-time. Quite the contrary, it was a veritable art-form, with a social and political impact. In 17th century France, dance was an integral part of a gentleman's education. The nobility learned to read and to write, to handle weapons, and to dance. But what did baroque dance actually look like? "This dance is built upon the premise that if you can walk, you can dance", explains choreographer Béatrice Massin, advisor to director Gérard Corbiau for the film Le Roi Danse (2000). "Everything is built from very simple elements since the ball dances were necessarily accessible to all, nobody was a professional at this time. The baroque body was a round one, fully capable of taking advantage of the space. A body that takes pleasure both in volume but also in height. On every strong beat, for example, the body rises. There is a particular way of using the arms since the shoulders were not free when wearing court costumes. In the baroque dance, the ports de bras (name of a general arm movement in dance and ballet) thus remains oriented towards the pelvis and the lower part of the body, whilst the bust stretches upward, as if to assert grandeur and ease. As for the steps, the premises of classical dance with entrechats, chassés, and pas de bourrée... All variants that were built from a walking step."

Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino (CGS), formed by writer Rina Durante in 1975, is a traditional music ensemble from Salento, Italy. The seven piece band and dancer perform a contemporary style of Southern Italy's traditional Pizzica music and dance. In the Italian province of Taranto (taking its name from Tarantas), Apulia, the bite of a locally common type of wolf spider ("Lycos" in Greek means "wolf"), named "tarantula" after the region, was popularly believed to be highly venomous and to lead to a hysterical condition known as tarantism. This type of dance became known as the "tarantella". The dance is believed to be a survival from a "Dianic or Dionysiac cult", driven underground. In 186 BC the tarantella went underground, reappearing under the guise of emergency therapy for bite victims. The stately courtship tarantella danced by a couple or couples, short in duration, is graceful and elegant and features characteristic music. On the other hand, the supposedly curative or symptomatic tarantella was danced solo by a victim of a Lycosa tarantula spider bite (not to be confused with what is commonly known as a tarantula today); it was agitated in character, lasted for hours or even up to days, and featured characteristic music. However, other forms of the dance were and still are dances of couples usually either mimicking courtship or a sword fight. The confusion appears to derive from the fact that the spiders, the condition, its sufferers (tarantolati), and the dances all have names similar to the city of Taranto. The dance originated in the Apulia region, and spread throughout the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The Neapolitan tarantella is a courtship dance performed by couples whose "rhythms, melodies, gestures, and accompanying songs are quite distinct" featuring faster more cheerful music. Its origins may further lie in "a fifteenth-century fusion between the Spanish Fandango and the Moresque ballo di sfessartia". The "magico-religious" tarantella is a solo dance performed supposedly to cure through perspiration the delirium and contortions attributed to the bite of a spider at harvest (summer) time. The dance was later applied as a supposed cure for the behavior of neurotic women (carnevaletto delle donne). The tarantella is a dance in which the dancer and the drum player constantly try to upstage each other by playing faster or dancing longer than the other, subsequently tiring one person out first. Tarantism, as a ritual, is supposed to have roots in the ancient myths. Reportedly, victims who had collapsed or were convulsing would begin to dance with appropriate music and be revived as if a tarantula had bitten them. The music used to treat dancing mania appears to be similar to that used in the case of tarantism though little is known about either. TARANTA (lyrics: M. Durante / music: L. Einaudi, M. Durante) Mauro Durante: violin, tamburello, backing vocals Giulio Bianco: recorders, bagpipes, harmonica, flutes, bass Emanuele Licci: vocals, guitar, bouzouki Massimiliano Morabito: organetto Giancarlo Paglialunga: vocals, tamburello, bendir, tapan Alessia Tondo: vocals, castanets, percussion Lyrics in English: I hold anguish in my chest this is killing me and never stops the ground is trembling under my feet there’s no stopping me falling what I eat has no taste for me there is no more light nor color people knew how you had to cure yourself If your ilness was called taranta And now that times have changed who can feel my pain who brings me the water to cure who shall I ask to grant me recovery I don’t know if it’s taranta that got me but it doesn’t let me and makes me crazy if it’s taranta don’t abandon me if you dance alone you cannot heal if it’s taranta let her dance if it’s melancholy throw it out