Exhibition of Vladimir Arefiev and the ballet "Manon" in MAMT. 06/24/2019.
In the hot summer time, MAMT begins not so much with a hanger, but with an exhibition of the main artist of the theater, Vladimir Arefiev. He has an anniversary.
As I understand it, the artist himself came up with and thought out his exhibition, deciding what and how he wants to show us.
To be honest, two intermissions of the ballet were not enough for me to consider everything I wanted. I'm going to visit "The Seagull" in July and I hope that I will be able to see the exposition again, having received not only visual, but also tactile pleasure.
The fact is that, in addition to drawings and models, which, of course, “do not touch with your hands”, fragments of scenery are also placed in the lobby.
I really love the theatrical backstage. I love, quietly and not for a long time stepping (always with the permission of the theatre!) across the line of the ramp, to wander behind the scenes, bumping into strange things and objects - which on the stage, by the magic of the artist, turn either into clouds, then into islands, then into little donkeys or big rhinos. I like to sit at the behind-the-scenes Masters, watching, from, literally, what kind of rubbish “grows”, say, the royal caftan ...
This time my joy spilled out in the foyer - and you can recognize what you have already seen on the stage ... or, as most neophytes do, just “take a selfie” next to unusual theatrical objects as a keepsake.
Theatre-goers, even those who do not know the MAMT repertoire well, will still be interested in the exhibition. There are many Arefievs and he works very effectively in other theaters.
For example, for me, who regularly visits the Satyricon, it was damn interesting to see how both "The Man from the Restaurant" and "Don Juan" were conceived and realized.
Now about the ballet.
I carefully read the articles of professional ballet critics on the theatre's website... I wasn't inspired by them. There are many clever words and comparisons of the dance of MAMT ballet performers with other productions of this work, which I will never see.
I was even upset by the thought: what they will show me in the evening at MAMT, I can’t like it in any way. For - "not matured" ...
In fact, I was absolutely delighted!
I don't know how impeccable the technique was... I was just watching an interesting and very sad story about how "love and poverty forever caught me in the net."
Charming, very typical performers suitable for their characters. Beautiful music - for the ballet it is collected from various works by Massenet ... and how good are the love duets to the famous "Elegy"! Extras, so interestingly built that sometimes you are distracted by it even from the performers of the main roles. The bright scenery is a bit conditional, but you believe in the reality of the place where the action takes place.
Oh, how good is the scene in the second act, where in the salon of Madame the men pass the heroine literally from hand to hand! I think that here the technique was impeccable ... and how beautiful, too!
This is a sad story about how a girl named Manon was going to a convent... and ended up in hard labor, only to disappear later in the swamps of Louisiana.
Why did it happen? Maybe because love comes and goes... eh best friends girls are diamonds. Maybe because the ballet characters are too young and inexperienced both in life and in feelings. Maybe because the understanding that the main thing is to live, pushing aside the optional, secondary, came to them too late ...
IN this case, unlike most ballets, the action did not end on an optimistic note at all. And the curtain, having moved, closed from the audience not the cheerful finale of a common dance, but two tormented and tired people dying in a gray swamp by no means from love, but from the fact that they no longer had the strength to live ...
Sadness in our viewers' hearts. And the general regret that there is nothing in this sad and beautiful story cannot be corrected.
Wonderful "aftertaste", which happens only after good performances in good theatres.
And - yes, at the very beginning I wrote about MAMT's "The Seagull". She was highly praised to me. And now - in mid-July, this ballet will be shown for the last two times.
I am going to go.
Maybe some of those who "collect" productions based on Chekhov's play will want to keep this unusual variation in their memory as well?
Well, or simply - wants to join the beauty.
To tears
A wonderful ballet, beautiful, interesting, emotional and very dramatic.
Monday is not the best day for visiting theaters and other cultural events. After active rest or digging and mowing work on weekends and late laying down on Sunday, Monday evening, the body has one desire - to sleep. And at the sounds of beautiful music, your eyes close - it’s better to listen to music without being distracted by anything - and you begin to enjoy ... not music, but sleep (it’s good if it’s quiet) And this time, when the overture sounded, the body habitually tuned in to take a nap, but something happened: the eyes did not want to close, they were interested. Yes, what happened on stage was beautiful, interesting, emotional and very dramatic.
Beautiful. Ballet, as a rule, is always elegant, colorful and enchanting. And dances, and costumes, and scenery add up to amazing picture, from the contemplation of which it is impossible to break away. It doesn't matter if it's a fairy tale or not. By the way, I have not seen so many fairy tale ballets, and Manon is one of them.
Interesting. I haven't read The History of Manon Lescaut. And it turns out to be fascinating) Now after the amazing performance, the time has just come, and in what I have already read in a couple of days, I already feel the common and different in the characters of Manon and de Grie in the book and on stage.
And again, this is what is interesting: how the idea of the heroine changes, what it should be. It is different in a book, in a ballet, but what can I say, it differs depending on the mood of the ballerina. After all, as the performer of the role of Manon, Ksenia Shevtsova, said in an interview: “Many say:“ Manon should be like this. Should not. Today is like this, tomorrow is different, this is theater, this is not cinema, not photography, each time something new, completely different. It seems to me that this is what expands us, different things can happen on stage, you rehearse one feeling, but on stage you will feel completely different. These feelings are impossible to predict, the performance is a living organism, and your role is alive, and you are alive on the stage, and then it is interesting.”
When I saw the program, I regretted that it was not Oksana Kardash who would dance the part of Manon. Although I have not seen many ballets, I already remember this name, I like her very much. But Ksenia Shevtsova was beautiful. It felt the Character, it was with a capital letter, the Character, which fell to the lot of trials. And after all, it was after the ballet "Manon" artistic director Ballet Theater Laurent Hilaire announced that Ksenia Shevtsova was elevated to the rank of prima ballerina.
Denis Dmitriev (Chevalier de Grieux) is exactly what he should be, in my opinion. Still practically a boy - according to the book he is 17 years old - naive, gullible, very decent. When they danced together for the first time, it was just a miracle - so sweet, in love, just mi-mi-mi, although I really don’t like this expression. And how “matured” de Grieux by the end of the performance. No longer a boy, but a husband.
Emotionally. I really like that the artists not only dance, but also play. And how wonderful. There are scenes when there is almost no dance as such, but the artists say everything with gestures and facial expressions.
Dramatically. The ballet starts light and light, but there are so many dramatic events throughout the performance, you feel so worried about the characters, and the final scene is just a cry from the heart.
Massenet's music is beautiful. It's a pity that I didn't know this composer before. Although ... I recognized one work)
The scenery is good. Both the scenery and the costumes take us to France in the 18th century. By the way, I would like to tell you more about this side of the theater's life, because right now the foyer is hosting the anniversary exhibition of the theater's chief artist Vladimir Arefiev. And interestingly, the scenery can be seen in the drawings, and in the layouts, and in reality, you can even wander around in them. It seemed to me that the "avant-garde" style enjoys the greatest love of the artist, although his classics are very good.
ABOUT musical theater them. K.S.Stanislavsky and Vl.I.Nemirovich-Danchenko can only be spoken with admiration and awe!
⠀ I visited the ballet "Manon".
The curtain opens, on the stage France of the late 18th century. The chic and brilliance of that time, balls, ladies in crinoline dresses, gentlemen are ready to die in a duel for love. One of the most romantic periods in history!
⠀ Story line love main character Manon (Xenia Shevtsova) and young student(Denis Dmitriev). This love is opposed by the girl's brother Lesko (Georgi Smilevsky), creating many obstacles to this union.
⠀ The eternal struggle of life in poverty and all-consuming love with the carelessness and wealth of an unloved man. The struggle of mind and feelings, heart and emotions, impulses and humility.
⠀ Everyone has their own choice! Of course, the heroes rush to love into the pool with their heads, breaking dreams and hopes on the hard edges of betrayal, but they go through this path together.
⠀ The tragic finale of Lescaut's death in a fight, and then of Manon herself, dying in a Louisiana swamp while escaping from prison.
Was it possible to change the fate of a young girl? Maybe! Does it happen in life? Undoubtedly! From century to century, each of us makes a choice regardless of nationality, time, gender and views!
Choreography by Kenneth Macmillan - famous British choreographer. Pas de deux great! ⠀
The scenery makes you admire, the costumes and entourage carry you through the eras, and the skill of the performers once again helps to survive all the hardships together with the characters!
⠀ The music of Jules Massenet performed by the orchestra under the direction of Conductor Felix Korobov deserves special attention.
MAMT should be visited by all Muscovites and guests of the capital. In addition to the 100-year history of the theater, there are certainly some of the best musical classical productions in the country. Even if you are in Moscow for a couple of days, be sure to visit this theater! And you will definitely cover one of the best places cultural life and this evening will remain in my memory for a long time!
#where to go in Moscow # where to go in Moscow # manon # MAMT
The Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Musical Theater is making final preparations for the premiere of the ballet Manon. Composer Jules Massenet wrote an opera of the same name based on the novel by Abbé Prevost, The Story of the Chevalier de Grieux and Manon Lescaut. And in the 20th century, Kenneth Macmillan, a brilliant dancer and choreographer, director of the Deutsche Oper, and then chief choreographer of the Royal Ballet in London, created a ballet to Massenet's music. In it, the main part allows the performer to fully reveal her dramatic talent. Natalya Somova is helped to cope with this task by invited British experts in choreography. tell
The Frenchwoman Manon, settled in London, a welcome guest on the ballet scenes of the world, finally got to Moscow. The troupe of Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko was waiting for this guest. The repertoire already includes Macmillan's ballet "Mayerling", and now - again love story and again - a tragedy.
Karl Barnett no longer remembers when he first staged Manon - it was so long ago and on different stages. At La Scala he made a game for Svetlana Zakharova and Natalya Osipova. Barnett is in contact with Macmillan's widow, Deborah, who owns the copyright for the production, and therefore all the nuances are observed - costumes, scenery, choreography, as in the original, in Covent Garden, for which this masterpiece was staged. In Moscow, Barnett not only staged dances, but also struggled with the overwhelming Russian temperament.
"Russian and English ballet schools- different. Here - the scope - the ballerinas want to raise their legs high, make a quick fouette ... But you need a little lower, a little more restrained. To give emotions not only to movements - to acting. She is as important here as the dance. There are no secondary roles here, every detail adds up to a big picture, in which there is an incredible number of facets,” explains choreographer Carl Barnett.
Igor Zelensky, artistic director of the troupe, who knows "Manon" from Marinka, gives Georgi Smilevsky the last CC. He will play the role of brother Manon, who is just as temperamental and indomitable. Brother and sister stand next to each other.
In Macmillan's ballets, stories are dramatic. "Manon" is also provocative, like the book of Abbé Prevost itself. Courtesans elite, salons ... Natalya Somova, rehearsing the part, did not think that the dance was the simplest. Not a technique - the emotions of the heroine take strength and de-energize. She is forced to make a choice between money and love.
“She is difficult, obstinate. Everything requires an emotional cost. When you turn on, there is no emotional strength left for anything, ”says the prima ballerina ballet troupe Musical Theater named after Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Natalia Somova.
Three compositions rehearse the play. Ivan Mikhalev for the first time received a party of such a level and scale - beloved Manon - the same cavalier de Grieux, who went from passionate love to hard labor and the death of his beloved.
I had to not only dance, but also to show acting skills- what keeps the English ballet theater. “The Macmillan choir requires emotional feedback. You have to show a deep character - in movements, poses,” says Ivan Mikhalev, soloist of the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theater.
Dancing Manon after the tour of Covent Garden, which ended ten days ago, is a test for the troupe. After all, "Manon" is the hallmark of the English royal. But Moscow dancers do not try to imitate - they make their own "Manon", passing French history with an English flavor through the Russian soul.
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Ballet in four acts
Manon Lesko
De Grieux, her lover
corporal recruiter
Marquis de Gerville
Police Commissioner
Guard
prison guard
Exiles, ballerinas, soldiers.
Action one.
Stroll in the garden of the Palais Royal. De Grieux meets with Manon, seized with a passion for her. Avid for spectacles and amusements, basking in the enthusiastic glances of men, envious of fashionistas, Manon, at the same time, passionately loves de Grieux, although he regrets that he, due to poverty, cannot decorate her with jewels, which ladies strolling through the garden boast about. De Grieux recklessly signs the contract slipped to him by the recruiter, and Manon receives from him a thing she likes as a gift.
The Marquis de Gerville, the commander of the regiment, pays favorable attention to Manon, for whom the corporal recruits recruits. He invites her along with her cousin to the performance of the Grand Opera.
The action moves to the theatre. On the stage there is a magnificent ballet with the participation of famous ballerinas. During the performance, de Grieux bursts into the theater. He arranges a scene of jealousy for Manon. Because of the scandal, the performance is interrupted. De Grieux is arrested. Manon, unable to bear everything that happened, faints.
Action two.
House of the Marquis. They bring Manon, bring her to her senses. The Marquis promises to release de Grieux, but takes the word from Manon to participate in a ball he is hosting at his home.
Ball. Cousin informs Manon that de Grieux was nevertheless taken into the soldiers. Manon begs the marquis to terminate the contract with de Grieux.
The marquis agrees, but on the condition that Manon settle in his house and will no longer meet with de Grieux. He promises that he will not seek reciprocity for Manon until she herself feels affection for him. Manon hesitates; and yet, fearing that de Grieux will be sent to war and killed, he agrees. The Marquis leaves the house.
Manon reflects on what happened. Again in her soul there is a struggle between interest in dresses, jewelry and love for de Grieux. A thunderstorm starts. De Grieux himself appears in the window. He is amazed to find Manon in the colonel's house and reproaches her for treason. To prove his loyalty to de Grieux, Manon refuses jewelry, puts on a cloak and is ready to run with her beloved wherever her eyes look, she only asks de Grieux to wait out the bad weather.
In the midst of a love dialogue, the marquis appears. He orders the servants to throw the intruder out the window. De Grieux draws his sword and wounds the marquis. De Grieux is arrested. The police commissioner orders Manon to be seized and sent to overseas colonies for dissolute behavior.
Action three.
New Orleans. Manon, along with other exiles, is in forced labor. In inconsolable anguish, she looks at the sea, remembering France and her lost love.
De Grieux, who has become a soldier, receives permission from the guard to see Manon. The appearance of the prison guard forces him to hide. The warden offers Manon to become his mistress, promising freedom and " good life". Manon indignantly rejects his advances. The warden threatens her with violence. De Grieux comes to the rescue. He locks the warden in prison and persuades Manon to escape by descending the mountain on a rope. Manon succeeds, but, unfortunately, de Grieux catches the guards. A short fight follows. He is wounded and yet flees. Cannons are fired to celebrate the arrival of a ship from France carrying the new Governor General of Louisiana.
Action four.
Desert. The heroes were exhausted from wanderings, thirst and heat. They exchange wedding rings and swear their love to the grave. Manon's strength is only enough for this oath - she dies. De Grieux is in despair. Soldiers surround him.
The warden orders to seize de Grieux. The Governor-General (this is the Marquis de Gerville) recoils at the sight of the lifeless Manon.
"Dead!" he says. "Dead!" - exclaims de Grieux and falls unconscious on the body of Manon.
Petrushka Libretto by A. Benois and I. Stravinsky
Ballet in one act
Characters
Parsley
Ballerina
arap
Magician
street dancers
Organ grinder
Ukhar-merchant
Two gypsy women, coachmen, cabbies, nurses, merchants, mummers: Baba, Devil, Goat, Hussar, Cook; artisans walking.
Carnival festivities in St. Petersburg. Booths on the Tsaritsyn Meadow. A motley crowd is moving: military men, merchants, St. Petersburg dandies, an old countess with a lackey, pupils of the cadet corps, maids, artisans. Organ grinders and street dancers appear. They are cold, but still start the show. The noise of the celebratory crowd is interrupted by drumming.
Two grenadiers from the era of Nicholas I push back the crowd and open a booth hidden behind a chintz curtain. The magician appears, dressed in an oriental costume. He makes passes and plays the flute.
Inside the booth, three dolls on tripods are visible: on the left is the Arap, in the middle is the Ballerina, on the right is Petrushka. The dolls begin to dance, first in place, and then among the crowd. A ballerina, an empty coquette, dances first with one, then with another. Parsley, jealous of her to the Moor, hits the opponent with a stick.
The light goes out. The curtain falls. Grenadiers appear. Drum roll sounds.
Petrushka's room, grey, unattractive. It's lonely, like a prison cell. There is a piercing scream. With a kick, the Magician pushes Petrushka through the door. He falls to the floor, miserable, miserable. Parsley is crying. The sorcerer is rude and cruel to him, and the Ballerina, whom he loves, is carried away by the Arap. Suddenly, the Ballerina appears. Parsley is happy! He is joyfully spinning from an excess of happiness. Oh joy, it has finally arrived! But the Ballerina does not intend to linger in Petrushka's room. Not understanding his joy, she fearfully backs away to the door and leaves.
Petrushka is alone again and no one needs him. In desperation, he rushes to the portrait of the ruthless magician host, threatening him.
What to do? No exit. In a frenzy, Petrushka breaks through the wall of his room. The sounds of an accordion can be heard in the distance. There is life and fun!
Darkness. The grenadiers come out again and beat the drums.
Arap's room with colorful exotic patterns on the walls. The lazy black man, lying on the ottoman, is having fun with a large coconut. He likes that something is noisy in the nut, and he tries to split it with his curved saber. He does not succeed, then he begins to pray. In a nut, supernatural power is a deity for a stupid Arap.
The door opens and the Ballerina appears on the threshold. She plays a cheerful melody on the clarinet. The arap is dissatisfied with her appearance and does not hide it. But the Ballerina defeats him with her coquetry. Arap tries to hug her. Suddenly the door swings open and Petrushka rushes in with a piercing cry. He runs around the room in a frenzy. Arap pushes Petrushka out.
The ballerina admires the courage and strength of the Arap and falls into his arms.
The fraction of grenadier drums.
Another carnival celebration. It's evening. In a slow, as if sliding dance, a line of nurses passes, they are replaced by a bear guide, then a drunken merchant with two young gypsies. The merchant squanders money. Dancing to keep warm, coachmen and grooms. The mummers run in.
The dance and fun are interrupted. Something is happening behind the chintz curtain of the booth: as if someone wants to break out into the wild. Finally, the frightened Petrushka runs out, overtaken by the Moor. Arap kills Petrushka. It's called the watchman. The Magician appears and explains to the audience that this is just a puppet, nothing more. He shows Petrushka's body stuffed with sawdust. Everyone disperses. Suddenly, a piercing scream is heard in the silence. Illuminated by the moon, Petrushka appears on the roof of the booth; he shakes his fists at his tormentors.
Flames of Paris (Triumph of the Republic) Libretto by N. Volkov and V. Dmitriev
Ballet in four acts
Characters
Gaspar, peasant
Jeanne And Pierre, his children
Philip And Jerome, Marseillais
Marquis Costa de Beauregard
Count Geoffroy, his son
Marquis estate manager
Mireille de Poitiers, actress
Antoine Mistral, actor
Amur, court theater actress
King Louis XVI
Queen Marie Antoinette
Master of Ceremonies
Jacobin orator
National Guard Sergeant
Marseilles, Parisians, courtiers, ladies, officers of the royal guard, Swiss, huntsmen.
MOSCOW, July 4 - RIA Novosti. The Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theater presents on Friday last premiere of the season - the ballet "Manon" by the world-famous choreographer Kenneth Macmillan to the music of Jules Massenet, the production is carried out by British specialists Carl Barnett and Patricia Ruanne, the press service of the theater told RIA Novosti.
"It's hard for me to say how many times I have already staged this ballet on the stages of theaters different countries, but work in Moscow for the first time for me. It is always very important for us to preserve the original, so the Moscow version will not differ from Macmillan's production. But, of course, Russian artists will bring their own nuances, their own flavor to this creation of the choreographer," Barnett told reporters.
According to the screenwriter, he already had Russian performers "Manon" - prima ballerina Bolshoi Theater Svetlana Zakharova in a performance at La Scala and a soloist Mikhailovsky Theater Natalya Osipova. As for the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theater, here three ballerinas dance Manon.
“They all perform the same movements, but each expresses her feelings and her understanding of Manon in the dance. This heroine, like a chandelier, represents different facets, sparkles with different colors, and it’s very interesting for a ballerina, but it’s not easy to create such an image,” Barnett noted.
According to the performer Manon Natalia Somova, it is the dramatic emotional side that is the most difficult thing in this ballet. "It's not just arabesques and pirouettes - here are all the feelings, Manon's whole life. Not only to be technically flawless, but to constantly live in character, to experience all the ups and downs with Manon - this is the main thing," she told reporters.
This is not the first time that the musical theater has turned to the work of the outstanding choreographer. In 2013 Macmillan's ballet "Mayerling" was performed here. This work was highly appreciated by Lady Macmillan, who visited the premiere. "Manon" and "Mayerling" will form a kind of diptych of the British choreographer's ballets in the repertoire of the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theatre, which presents performances by such outstanding choreographers, classics of the 20th century as Neumeier, Petit, Kilian, Duato.
Ballet "Manon"
The ballet "Manon" Macmillan created at the time of his tenure as artistic director of the London Royal Ballet. The premiere took place in 1974 at the Covent Garden Theatre, where in autumn 2014 the 40th anniversary of this choreographer's work will be solemnly celebrated.
The libretto "Manon" was created based on famous novel Abbot Prevost, created in the eighteenth century. Macmillan's interest in this work was provoked by Jean Aurel's film "Manon 70" with Catherine Deneuve in leading role. As musical material, the choreographer chose fragments from various works by Massenet, the author of the opera Manon.
When I found out that the MAMT (Moscow Academic Musical Theater named after K.S.Stanislavsky and V.I. "Manon" is an opera. And then the ballet.. It turns out that Sir Kenneth MacMillan wrote the libretto based on the work of Abbé Prevost and, using the music of the same Massenet, created a truly masterpiece ballet. It was staged for the first time at the Royal opera house Covent Garden, London in 1974. In MAMT, the premiere took place in 2014.I watched this ballet and was amazed at how exactly the music follows the plot, or rather reflects not even the action itself, but the mood of the characters, their character, certain actions. I found out later that MacMillan "composed" the ballet from various works by Massenet, and then, at the performance, I simply enjoyed the magical symbiosis of music and a sad story known to us a long time ago.
Speaking of dramaturgy, libretto. The action of the ballet has been moved to a slightly different time ..on the eve of the Great French Revolution. Such liberty with source code justified by the desire to show "brilliance and poverty." It was then (as before any revolution) that the difference between wealth and poverty was most acute. Poverty is like leprosy, like a disease, and by all means I wanted to stay at least within the framework of prosperity, or better ... luxury. So Manon at first preferred to "sell out" to the wealthy Mr. G.M. However, money is by no means everything. Love. She sometimes pushes for reckless actions. Manon and the student de Grieux is a tragic love story told with great tenderness and passion.
So, the ballet "Manon". It amazes with the splendor of the scenery, which, at the whim of the plot, is magically transformed. It was a chic salon setting, and in the next act the room of a poor student with shabby curtains comes to the fore, and in the next act we have a busy station, or a noisy port. So many crowd scenes. And they are very curious and characteristic. I watched the dances of the "second plan" (scenes at the station, dances of the courtesans) with no less enthusiasm than the solo parts. I was especially impressed by the dance of the women prisoners. So much hopelessness in it!
And the costumes, what beautiful costumes!! The color scheme of the performance is interesting - muted golden and brown tones. And only two bright spots - Manon and de Grieux .. Although Manon, a kept woman G.M., in a black dress with sparkles, is very spectacular. For some reason, I remembered the Black Swan, a kind of psychological technique of replacing White with Black. Effectively, but with a "-" sign, a kind of antithesis of the girl's bright and naive character, a secular lady against a simpleton. In my opinion, that Manon that I saw on stage was a self-confident girl who understands everything "pro and contra", who knows how to control men and get what she wants, namely to get away from poverty to wealth. In the first acts of the ballet, Manon is exactly like that. And only the call of love and passion, an escape from de Grieux and further life's upheavals literally knock her off her feet. And we see Manon broken, crushed and subjugated.
Despite the tragedy, this ballet is very gentle thanks to the duet of Manon and de Grieux. This is how love looks, by golly. And he just loves the gentleman, selflessly, gently and passionately. These few scenes of love blew up the hall. So many shouts of "Bravo!" I haven't heard for a long time.
Manon was danced by Xenia Shevtsova. In my opinion, great! And you know, after the performance, Laurent Hilaire (artistic director of the ballet) came out to bow and said that Ksenia had become the prima ballet of the theater. Bravissimo! Three hours (3 acts with 2 intermissions) flew by quickly, unfortunately very quickly. The ballet music, performers, scenery and costumes were so magnificent. But the sad ending was inevitable. And the swamps of Louisiana "swallowed" the poor lovers. By the way, it was curious how these swamps would be depicted. Quite arbitrary, but understandable. And the scene of the death of the weakened and emaciated Manon was very tragic and ..beautiful.