Spartacus. State Academic Theater of Classical Ballet N. Vasilev. Theater of Classical Ballet by N. Kasatkina and V. Vasilev N. Kasatkina and V Vasilev

Moscow Classical Ballet- under this name the group is known all over the world, which is now called the State Academic Theater of Classical Ballet. The ballet troupe was formed in 1966 with the assistance of the Ministry of Culture of the USSR, and was headed by the famous Igor Moiseev. The repertoire then included fragments from classical ballets and choreographic miniatures staged by Goleizovsky, Messerer and Moiseev himself. In 1977, Igor Moiseev handed over artistic direction to Vladimir Vasilev, a student of Asaf Messerer, and Natalia Kasatkina, a student of Marina Semyonova, became the chief choreographer. The arrival of new leaders fundamentally changed the creative direction of the troupe, which turned from a concert group into a ballet theater.

The Classical Ballet Theater under the direction of Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilev celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2006. In 2007, Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilyev, directors of modern performances and restorers of classics, the creators of the only original ballet theater in Moscow, celebrated their 30th anniversary as the artistic director of the theater.

People's Artists of Russia, laureates of the State Prize - Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilev created 3 ballets and 1 opera at the Bolshoi Theater, 2 ballets and 2 operas at the Mariinsky Theater and 23 ballets at their State Academic Theater, not counting productions on other Russian and foreign stages. The ballet The Creation of the World, created at the Mariinsky Theater, has been staged in more than 60 theaters around the world. The last two premieres took place in the United States in 2003 and 2004. The author's ballet by choreographers Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilev made a significant contribution to the development of such a direction as "Classic to day" - a classic in a modern interpretation - in the world ballet art. Today, many theaters put on performances with great success with their choreography, direction and libretto.

"All genres except boring!" - this is the motto of the Classical Ballet Theatre, therefore, the peculiarity of staging each work in the theater is the desire to make any story understandable and interesting to people of all ages, nationalities and confessions.

The troupe's repertoire includes all the ballets by P. I. Tchaikovsky, Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet by S. Prokofiev, Don Quixote by L. Minkus, Giselle by A. Adam, "The Firebird" by I. Stravinsky, "The Wonderful Mandarin" by B. Bartok, "Spartacus" by A. Khachaturian, "Creation of the World" and "Pushkin" by A. Petrov and others - more than 20 ballets in total, - classical and modern, various styles and trends. Among the promising projects of the Theater for the near future are the staging of ballets by Andrei and Olga Petrovs - the folk festival "Lysistratus" based on the comedy of the same name by Aristophanes and "The Tempest" based on Shakespeare with music by Jean Sibelius. The premiere of 2008 is the ballet "Mowgli" to the music of Alex Prior, a 14-year-old composer from London.

The "Ballet Star Factory" is often referred to as the Classical Ballet Theatre. It was here that the discovery and formation of artists who received worldwide recognition took place. Among them are Irek Mukhamedov (now a soloist of the Covent Garden Theatre), Galina Stepanenko (Prima of the Bolshoi Theatre), Vladimir Malakhov (Artistic Director and Lead Dancer of the German State Opera in Berlin, Leading Dancer of the American Ballet Theatre, Leading Guest Performer in Vienna State Opera). Kasatkina and Vassilev have a special vision of the original talent of artists, and under their leadership the theater has brought up a new galaxy of world-class classical ballet stars. Among the soloists who were raised by the theater are 2 Grand Prix winners and 19 gold medalists of international competitions, 5 laureates and 2 Grand Prix winners of the Paris Academy of Dance, as well as holders of many other titles and awards of prestigious ballet competitions.

For thirty years, Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilev have led one of the most famous ballet companies in the world and continue to create new performances and discover new names for the world.

Ballet in two acts, eleven scenes.
Staging and choreography: N. Kasatkina, V. Vasilev.
Libretto based on historical materials, motives of R. Giovagnoli's novel and Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilyev's own fantasies.
Scenography: People's Artist of the USSR, Laureate of the State Prizes of the USSR I. Sumbatashvili.
Costumes: E. Dvorkina.
Stunt coordinator: Vice-President of the Freestyle Combat Federation, Vice-President of the Russian Combat Federation, Major General, Prince Alexander Malyshev.
The premiere took place in 2002.

The version of the libretto and choreography of "Spartacus" by N. Kasatkina and V. Vasilyov is focused on the heroic story of the leader of the legendary slave uprising.
"Spartacus" by Kasatkina and Vasilyov is, of course, a classical ballet, but a truly modern one. The directors wanted to convey the style, mood, tragic and sensual, rather even erotic atmosphere of that era, the era of the brilliant decline of Rome. “Only the dog remained innocent in this performance,” a now unknown critic wrote in 2002 after the premiere of the ballet Spartacus. Criticism raged as furiously as the hall at the end of the performance.
"Spartacus" by Kasatkina and Vasilyov will forever remain in ballet art the most beautiful scandal of the beginning of the century. 300 stunningly luxurious costumes of Elizaveta Dvorkina, 6 tons of unique decorations designed by Iosif Sumbatashvili (they have been assembled for more than eight hours!), play weapons made at the most famous jewelry factory - all in order to show the sensual, passionate style of the era of the brilliant decline of Rome.
The body is subject to passion, passion is subject to freedom, frank scenes are replaced by fights, and when the gambling and joyful Spartak bursts onto the stage, it is believed that all the battles are his, and all the women are his, and he needs only heady freedom, which means that he is doomed …
By the way, the professional stuntman Alexander Malyshev taught the artists the techniques of a real Roman battle. But who taught other techniques to the artists performing the “Dance of the Gaditan Maidens”? If you haven't seen this dance, you don't know anything about erotica, but they, these ancient Romans, knew... Maybe that's why they completely decomposed?..
And all this passionate world is accompanied and inexorably obeys the great music of Aram Khachaturian. For the first time in the production of Spartacus, music was used, although written by the composer for this ballet, but never before included in performances by other choreographers. The score of these fragments was exclusively provided to Kasatkina and Vasilev by the composer's heirs.
The result is a fascinating, vibrant spectacle, quite in the Roman tradition.
The performance is accompanied by a symphony orchestra. Conductor - Sergey Kondrashev.

Duration: up to 3 hours (with intermission).

People's Artists of Russia Natalya Dmitrievna Kasatkina (b. 1934) and Vladimir Yudich Vasilev (b. 1931) both graduated from the Moscow Choreographic School, both worked for more than twenty years at the Bolshoi Theater, where they performed characteristic (N. D. Kasatkina also classical) parts, both began choreographers in the early 1960s, and since 1977 they have been heading the ballet theater, which is now called the State Academic Theater of Classical Ballet.

Describing their activities, it is necessary to apply the word "for the first time" to a number of their undertakings. They were the first in many ways that happened in the artistic life of our ballet in the second half of the 20th century.

It is known that at the turn of the 1950s-1960s, a radical change occurred in all types of domestic art - literature, theater, cinema, music, fine arts. A new talented generation entered into life, later called the “sixties”. This generation overcame the ideological dogmas and artistic stagnation of the previous period, expanded the spiritual and figurative horizons of artistic creativity and determined the main achievements of Russian art in the second half of the past century.

The turning point in the development of the entire artistic culture also affected choreography. It was determined at the turn of the 1950s and 1960s, primarily in the productions of Yu. N. Grigorovich and I. D. Belsky, who found new ways in the development of ballet and influenced the entire generation of choreographers. But Yu. N. Grigorovich and ID Belsky worked in St. Petersburg, although their stunning innovations echoed throughout the country. Yu.N. Grigorovich moved to Moscow and came to the Bolshoi Theater a little later, defining its creative face until the end of the century. In Moscow, N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilev became the first young choreographers of the new wave. Their performances Vanina Vanini (1962) and Heroic Poem (1964) with music by N. N. Karetnikov, The Rite of Spring by I. F. Stravinsky (1965) and somewhat later staged in St. Petersburg, the play "Creation of the World" by A. P. Petrova (1971) joined the general process of updating domestic art and played a significant role in it.

N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilev were the first in our country (after short, later interrupted experiments of the choreographers of the 1920s) to stage performances to avant-garde music. They collaborated with the young composer N. N. Karetnikov, who followed the path of avant-garde creativity. It was new, not everyone accepted such music in ballet at that time. Now it has become quite common, but then it was unexpected and fresh, outlining new paths in ballet, stimulating searches in the field of choreographic language and forms.

N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilev were the first to stage in our country the landmark ballet by I. F. Stravinsky The Rite of Spring. It was created in 1913 and shown in Paris in S. P. Diaghilev's "Russian Seasons" with choreography by V. F. Nijinsky. Then he repeatedly staged abroad. Now it can be seen on many stages in our country. But N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilev were the first to turn to him in our country. It was bold enough, because I. F. Stravinsky was then still a semi-forbidden composer among us as an emigre and modernist, and many did not accept his music, innovative and very complex. But N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilev understood it deeply and adequately, creating a wonderful performance that is still on the stage of their theater.

N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilev were the first in our country to create their own ballet theater, which can be called authorial and experimental. That is, this is their personal (in the creative sense) theater, which arose as a parallel and addition to the leading theaters of the capital. Now V. M. Gordeev, G. L. Taranda, S. N. Radchenko have their own ballet troupes, there is a chamber ballet “Moscow”, there are several ensembles of folk dance and modern dance. But the theater of N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilev became the first author and experimental ballet company. In 1977, they headed the concert ensemble, created in 1966 (first led by I. A. Moiseev, then Yu. T. Zhdanov), and turned it into a ballet theater. The basis of the repertoire is now not concert numbers and choreographic miniatures, but full-fledged large performances. The theater of N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilev has gained popularity in their homeland and tours with constant success in many countries of the world.

N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilev were the first in our country to attract the famous foreign choreographer Pierre Lacotte, who specialized in restoring the lost classical heritage, to restore an old performance. Now Pierre Lacotte has restored a number of disappeared ballets abroad, and in our country - at the Bolshoi (The Pharaoh's Daughter) and the Mariinsky (Ondine) theaters. But N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilev were the first to call him for this purpose in our country, staging in 1980 in his restoration the old ballet “Natalie, or the Swiss Milkmaid” by composer A. Girovets, created in 1821 by the founder of romantic ballet Philip Taglioni. Nowadays, restorations have become fashionable, but to start this business, a creative initiative was needed, which is always characteristic of these choreographers.

Finally, N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilev were the first in our country to experiment in complex and unusual musical and choreographic genres, staging in 1986 the vocal and choreographic symphony “Pushkin. Reflection on a Poet" by A.P. Petrov, a composer with whom they had a creative friendship for many years. They embodied on stage both his ballets and the opera "Peter I", showing the talent of not only choreographers, but also directors. The idea of ​​Pushkin is a complex synthetic genre that combines dramatic action, symphonic music, vocals and choreography.

Already from one enumeration of choreographic phenomena, where the community of these choreographers is characterized by the word "for the first time", one can see their inherent creative initiative, the desire for artistic search, finding new ways and forms in art.

Speaking about their ballet theater, which now has a wide variety of performances, it is necessary to note the harmonious combination of classics and modernity, both in the repertoire and in the choreographic language of their productions.

N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilev staged a number of classical ballets, including Giselle, Don Quixote, all three ballets by P. I. Tchaikovsky. At the same time, they approach the embodiment of classical works creatively, they never mechanically endure versions of the capital's theaters, but create their own. Some viewers may like these versions more, others less, which is quite natural. But the main thing is not in this, but in the creative interpretation of the material, which, of course, is valuable in art.

Particularly important in the activities of N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilyev is the staging of new ballets, cooperation with modern composers, among whom were N. N. Karetnikov, A. P. Petrov, T. N. Khrennikov, A. I. Khachaturian and others, not to mention the fact that they staged the ballets of I. F. Stravinsky - "The Rite of Spring", "The Kiss of the Fairy", "The Firebird" and S. S. Prokofiev - "Romeo and Juliet", " Cinderella". In staging ballets by contemporary composers, the contribution of these choreographers to art is perhaps the most significant.

The harmonious combination of classical and modern is also characteristic of their plastic language. N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilev were brought up on classical choreography and are fluent in it. But the language of classical dance cannot be reduced to a set of school movements. It develops, enriches itself and can absorb, when it is necessary to create artistic images, a variety of plastic elements: folk, ballroom, historical dances, modern - and jazz - dance, everyday and dramatic pantomime, labor, sports, physical culture and acrobatic movements and other. Most of the domestic choreographers of the second half of the 20th century follow this path. And in their original ballets, N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilev also follow this path. The dance language of their ballets can be called an updated or modernized classic, that is, classical dance, enriched in accordance with the requirements of figurative content with elements of other plastic systems.

Special mention should be made of the fact that the theater of N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilev is a real “factory of stars”. It has produced so many laureates of international ballet competitions, including world celebrities, as no other theater has given. Their artists won nineteen gold medals at competitions, not to mention many silver and bronze ones. Not everyone knows that it was in the theater of N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilev that such world celebrities as I. D. Mukhamedov, V. A. Malakhov, G. O. Stepanenko, S. V. Isaev began their activities , such great talents as A. V. Gorbatsevich, T. G. Paliy, M. Perkun-Bebezichi and many other laureates. All this speaks of the high level of the troupe and the fact that its leaders are able to nurture creative individuals and grow outstanding actors.

The work of N. D. Kasatkina and V. Yu. Vasilev was awarded the State Prize of the USSR (1976) and the first prize of the All-Union Competition of Concert Numbers (1969). A number of their performances have been filmed.

Their extensive and multifaceted activity deserves a special and comprehensive study. In this essay, I would like to note the main thing, thanks to which these talented people have written a noticeable page in the development of national culture.

Vasiliev

August 26, 1958 Vladimir Vasiliev was accepted into the Bolshoi Ballet Company. He graduated from the school as a demi-character dancer and did not even think about dancing the classics. And initially in the theater he really had characteristic roles: a gypsy dance in the opera "Mermaid", a lezginka in the opera "Demon", Pan in the choreographic scene "Walpurgis Night" - the first large solo part. However, there was something in the young dancer that drew the attention of the great Galina Ulanova to him, and she invited him to be her partner in the classical ballet Chopiniana. Galina Sergeevna will become a friend, teacher and tutor of Vasiliev for many years and will have a huge impact on the professional and spiritual formation of the artist.

I believed in his talent and choreographer Yuri Nikolaevich Grigorovich, who then just came to the theater. He suggested

To the 18-year-old graduate of the school, the central part in his production of the ballet S.S. Prokofiev's "Stone Flower", in which Vasiliev immediately won the love and recognition of viewers and critics. Other major roles in the modern and classical repertoire followed: Prince (Cinderella, 1959), Andrey (Pages of Life, 1961), Basil (Don Quixote, 1962), Paganini (Paganini, 1962), Frondoso ( Laurencia", 1963), Albert ("Giselle", 1964), Romeo ("Romeo and Juliet", 1973).

The choreographers not only offered Vasiliev the main roles, but also staged them especially for him. He was the first performer of the solo part in "Dance Suite" (staged by A.A. Varlamov, 1959), the part of Ivanushka in R.K. Shchedrin's ballet "The Little Humpbacked Horse" (staged by A.I. Spartacus" by A.I. Khachaturian (staged by L.V. Yakobson, 1960, 1962), Lukash in "Forest Song" by G.L. Zhukovsky (staged by O.G. Tarasova and A.A. Lapauri, 1961), Soloist in “Class Concert” (staged by A.M. Messerer, 1963), Petrushka in the ballet by I.F. Stravinsky's "Petrushka" (staged by K.F. Boyarsky after M.M. Fokin, 1964), performed by Batyr in "Shural" F.Z. Yarullin. In each new work, Vasiliev refuted the established opinion about his abilities as an artist and dancer, proving that he really is an “exception to the rule”, a person who can embody any image on stage - the classical ballet Prince, and the hot Spaniard Basil, and the Russian Ivanushka, and a madly in love eastern youth, and a powerful people's leader, and a bloody despot king. This has been repeatedly said by both critics and his colleagues in art. The legendary M. Liepa, People's Artist of the USSR, premiere of the Bolshoi Theater, owns the following statement: “Vasiliev is a brilliant exception to the rule! He has a phenomenal talent in technique and in acting, and in the possession of a dance phrase, and in musicality, and in the ability to transform, etc.” And here is what F.V. Lopukhov, patriarch of the Russian ballet: “In terms of diversity, he cannot be compared with anyone ... He is both a tenor, and a baritone, and, if you like, a bass.” The great Russian choreographer Kasyan Yaroslavich Goleizovsky singled out Vasiliev from all the dancers he had ever seen, calling him "a real genius of dance." Back in 1960, Goleizovsky created especially for him the concert numbers "Narcissus" and "Fantasy" (for Vasiliev and E.S. Maksimova) and in 1964 - the part of Majnun in the ballet S.A. Balasanyan "Leyli and Majnun".

Almost all performances of the best period of Yu.N. Grigorovich is also associated with the name of Vladimir Vasiliev, who was the first performer of the central parts in his productions: The Nutcracker (1966), The Blue Bird (1963) and Prince Desire (1973) in P.I. Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker" and "Sleeping Beauty"; the famous Spartacus in the ballet of the same name by A.I. Khachaturian (1968; for this role Vasiliev was awarded the Lenin Prize and the Prize of the Lenin Komsomol), Ivan the Terrible in the ballet of the same name to the music of S.S. Prokofiev (1975, second premiere), Sergei in A.Ya. Eshpay (1976; State Prize). However, gradually between V. Vasilyev and Y. Grigorovich there was a serious difference in creative positions, which grew into a conflict, as a result of which in 1988 V. Vasiliev, E. Maksimova, like a number of other leading soloists, were forced to part with the Bolshoi Theater.

During his creative career, Vasiliev performed many and with great success abroad - at the Grand Opera, La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden, the Roman Opera, the Colon Theater, etc. e. The phenomenon of Vladimir Vasilyev has always attracted outstanding figures of the foreign theater: Maurice Bejart staged his own version of the ballet by I.F. Stravinsky's "Petrushka" ("Ballet of the XX century", Brussels, 1977). Later, at concerts, Vasiliev, together with Maximova, repeatedly performed a fragment from his ballet Romeo and Julia to the music of G. Berlioz. In 1982, Franco Zeffirelli invited him and Ekaterina Maksimova to take part in the filming of the film-opera La Traviata (Spanish dance - staging and performance). In 1987, Vasilyev performed the role of Professor Unrat in Roland Petit's production of The Blue Angel to the music of M. Constant (Marseilles Ballet). The year 1988 was marked by the first performance of the main part of Zorba in Lorca Myasin's production of Zorba the Greek to music by M. Theodorakis (Arena di Verona), as well as the first performance of the main parts of Leonid Myasin's one-act ballets Pulcinella by I.F. Stravinsky (Pulcinella) and "Parisian Joy" to music by J. Offenbach (Baron) in the revival of Lorca Massine at the San Carlo Theater (Naples). In 1989, Beppe Menegatti staged the play "Nijinsky" with Vasilyev in the title role (San Carlo Theatre). Vasiliev’s performances (and later his ballets) have always aroused a special attitude of the public - the French called him the “god of dance”, the Italians carried him in their arms, in Argentina, after the premiere of his production to the music of Argentine composers “Fragments of a Biography”, he simply became a national hero and honorary a citizen of Buenos Aires, the Americans named him an honorary citizen of the city of Tucson, etc.

In addition to Ekaterina Maksimova, Vladimir Vasiliev's constant partner, whom he always called his Muse, such famous ballerinas as Galina Ulanova, Maya Plisetskaya, Olga Lepeshinskaya, Raisa Struchkova, Marina Kondratieva, Nina Timofeeva, Natalya Bessmertnova, Irina Kolpakova, Lyudmila danced with him. Semenyaka, Alicia Alonso and Josefina Mendez (Cuba), Dominique Calfuni and Noel Pontois (France), Liliana Cosi and Carla Fracci (Italy), Rita Pulward (Belgium), Zsuzsa Kuhn (Hungary) and others.

The incredible virtuosity of the dancer, plastic expressiveness, exceptional musicality, dramatic talent, depth of thought and enormous power of emotional impact have revealed a new type of modern ballet dancer, for whom there are no technical difficulties, no restrictions on role or plot. The standards of performance declared by Vasiliev remain largely unattainable to this day - for example, the Grand Prix of the International Ballet Competition, which he won in 1964, was never awarded to anyone at subsequent competitions. Fedor Vasilievich Lopukhov wrote: "... When I say the word "God" in relation to Vasilyev... I mean a miracle in art, perfection." Vasiliev is rightfully considered a reformer of male dance, an innovator, with whom his highest achievements are associated. It is natural that at the end of the 20th century, according to a survey of leading world experts, it was Vladimir Vasilyev who was recognized as the “Dancer of the 20th century.

Ballet in 3 acts, 4 scenes.
Libretto by V. Begichev, V. Geltser.
Choreography by M. Petipa, L. Ivanov, A. Gorsky, A. Messerer, N. Kasatkina, V. Vasilev.
The performance was edited by N. Kasatkina and V. Vasilev.
Artist: T. Goodchild (Great Britain).
The costumes were made under the direction of K. Baker (Great Britain).

The premiere of the performance took place in the summer of 1988 during the tour of the State Academic Theater of Classical Ballet in the UK. This is the first joint Russian-English production in the history of Russian ballet. The choreographic version and performance were carried out by the Russian side - the State Academic Theater of Classical Ballet.
Stage design, scenery, costumes were performed by the English side. The production designer is one of the most famous British set designers Tim Goodchild. The costumes are made under the direction of Kim Baker.
The main roles in the premiere performance were performed by Vera Timashova and the brilliant Vladimir Malakhov.
Tchaikovsky's first ballet "Swan Lake" (op. 1876) tells about the struggle for love and happiness against dark forces, about love as the highest manifestation of humanity. This theme, running through all of Tchaikovsky's work, is developed in all of his ballets.
According to the original idea of ​​the composer, the ballet ended with a tragic ending with the death of the main characters. However, this idea was not realized in subsequent productions. The version of Swan Lake offered to the public follows precisely this intention of the author.
In the first production of Swan Lake (1877, Moscow Bolshoi Theatre, choreographer V. Reisinger), the innovation of music remained undiscovered. The combination of symphonism and effectiveness inherent in it was embodied only in the production of Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa (1885, the Mariinsky Theater in St. swan dances, a national character suite was solved, etc. This production became the basis for all subsequent versions of Swan Lake, including the famous performance by choreographer Alexander Gorsky at the Bolshoi Theater in 1901.
More than thirty years ago, Great Britain applauded the Bolshoi Theatre's production of Swan Lake, a production whose version in Russia is called "the old Moscow Swan Lake" (choreography by Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, Alexander Gorsky, Asaf Messerer). This almost forgotten version of Swan Lake formed the basis of the version offered to the public by the State Academic Theater of Classical Ballet. Many wonderful "pieces" of the old edition of "Swan Lake" have been carefully restored, and the original ideas of Marius Petipa in the first scene of the ballet have also been restored. And those fragments that are composed anew, sensitively and carefully convey the style of the famous performance.
When staging the performance, Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilev consulted with Nikolai Fadeechev, one of the most famous Princes of the Bolshoi Theatre, with the famous Marina Semyonova, with Asaf Messerer.
Russian ballet critic Elena Lutskaya called this work of directors "a lesson in the modern attitude to the classical heritage."
The performance was successfully shown on the stages of the USA, Turkey, Japan, France, Italy.
“The troupe brought an amazing production of Swan Lake,” wrote the American press, “this is a richly designed performance, performed with great freshness. The audience saw a ballet of special lightness and delicacy.
The performance is accompanied by the orchestra of the Novaya Opera Theater. E.V. Kolobova.

Duration: 2 hours (with intermission).

Theater of classical ballet N. Kasatkina and V. Vasilev

"Moscow Classical Ballet" - under this name the team is known all over the world, which is now called the State Academic Theater of Classical Ballet. The ballet troupe was formed in 1966 under the name of the Choreographic Concert Ensemble of the USSR "Young Ballet", with the assistance of the Ministry of Culture of the USSR, and was headed by the famous Igor Moiseev. The repertoire then included fragments from classical ballets and choreographic miniatures staged by Goleizovsky, Messerer and Moiseev himself. In 1977, Igor Moiseev handed over artistic direction to Vladimir Vasilev, a student of Asaf Messerer, and Natalia Kasatkina, a student of Marina Semyonova, became the chief choreographer. The arrival of new leaders fundamentally changed the creative direction of the troupe, which turned from a concert group into a ballet theater.

The Classical Ballet Theater under the direction of Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilev celebrated its 45th anniversary in 2011. 2012 marked the 35th anniversary of the artistic direction of the theater by Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilyev, directors of modern performances and restorers of classics, creators of the only original ballet theater in Moscow.

People's Artists of Russia, laureates of the State Prize - Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilev created 3 ballets and 1 opera at the Bolshoi Theater, 2 ballets and 2 operas at the Mariinsky Theater and 23 ballets at their State Academic Theater, not counting productions on other Russian and foreign stages. The ballet The Creation of the World, created at the Mariinsky Theater for M. Baryshnikov, was staged in more than 60 theaters around the world. The last two premieres took place in the USA. The author's ballet by choreographers Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasilev made a significant contribution to the development of such a direction as "Classic to day" - a classic in a modern interpretation - in the world ballet art. Today, many theaters put on performances with great success with their choreography, direction and libretto.

"All genres except boring!" - this is the motto of the Classical Ballet Theatre, so the peculiarity of staging each work in the theater is the desire to make any story understandable and interesting to people of all ages, nationalities and confessions, to modern people.

The troupe's repertoire includes all the ballets by P. I. Tchaikovsky, Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet by S. Prokofiev, Don Quixote by L. Minkus, Giselle by A. Adam, "The Firebird" by I. Stravinsky, "The Wonderful Mandarin" by B. Bartok, "Spartacus" by A. Khachaturian, "Creation of the World" and "Pushkin" by A. Petrov and others - about 30 ballets in total, - classical and modern, various styles and trends. Among the theater's promising projects are Olga Petrova's ballet "Lysistrata" based on the comedy of the same name by Aristophanes, "Corsair" by A. Adam and "The Legend of Swan Lake and the Ugly Duckling" to music by E. Grieg. The premiere of 2008 - the ballet "Mowgli" to the music of Alex Pryer, a 14-year-old composer from London, is designed for family viewing.

With the creativity of the theater, the originality of the repertoire of which any ballet troupe will envy, the audience got acquainted with more than 200 cities of Russia and neighboring countries, its tours took place in more than 30 countries of the world on 5 continents. All year round, 75 ballet dancers, 30 tons of scenery and 4,000 costumes made for repertory performances roam the planet.

The "Ballet Star Factory" is often referred to as the Classical Ballet Theatre. It was here that the discovery and formation of artists who received worldwide recognition took place. Among them are Irek Mukhamedov (now a soloist of the Covent Garden Theatre), Galina Stepanenko (Prima of the Bolshoi Theatre), Vladimir Malakhov (Artistic Director and Lead Dancer of the German State Opera in Berlin, Leading Dancer of the American Ballet Theatre, Leading Guest Performer in Vienna State Opera), Ilgiz Galimullin (leading soloist and teacher of our theater and the National Theater of Tokyo, Japan). Kasatkina and Vassilev have a special vision of the original talent of artists, and under their leadership the theater has brought up a new galaxy of world-class classical ballet stars. Among the soloists who were raised by the theater are 2 Grand Prix winners and 19 gold medalists of international competitions, 5 laureates and 2 Grand Prix winners of the Paris Academy of Dance, as well as holders of many other titles and awards of prestigious ballet competitions.

Today, the theater is worthily represented by Ekaterina Berezina, Ilgiz Galimullin, Marina Rzhannikova, Nikolai Chevychelov, Natalya Ogneva, Artem Khoroshilov, Alexei Orlov, Alena Podavalova, Diana Kosyreva - People's and Honored Artists of Russia and laureates of international competitions.

The theater of Kasatkina and Vasilyov can be called the Theater-Paradox. He survives in impossible conditions: 45 years without his own stage - and world recognition! Inhuman working conditions - and ... winners of the highest ballet awards. A level is constantly maintained that allows you to compete with colleagues from the world's best ballet companies. From the imaginary walls of the theater came world-class stars. There is nowhere to rehearse with scenery and lighting, and the theater's repertoire includes about 30 "live" ballets. And new performances are constantly born.

Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vassilev lead one of the most famous ballet companies in the world and continue to create new performances and discover new names for the world.