Dance

For decades, the legendary Maya Plisetskaya (1925–2015)—muse to choreographers Yuri Grigorovich, Alberto Alonso, and Maurice Béjart—was synonymous with Russian ballet. A star in the truest sense of the word, she is remembered for the ravenous intensity of her hyperphysical dancing and the spitfire personality that captivated audiences around the world, onstage and off. Following her passing in May 2015, the Mariinsky presents an extended tribute to this iconic performer, comprising four distinct mixed programs featuring the incomparable Diana Vishneva and longstanding principal Uliana Lopatkina, performing with live accompaniment by the Mariinsky Orchestra.

Program A opens with Vishneva and members of the Mariinsky Ballet performing Alberto Alonso’s Carmen Suite, a sensuous, electrifying work originally choreographed for Plisetskaya. Then, Lopatkina performs Fokine’s indelible short ballet The Dying Swan, beautifully capturing the ethereal swan’s final moments. The evening closes with a special video tribute: a film of Plisetskaya performing the ravishing choreography of Maurice Béjart with live accompaniment of Ravel’s Bolero by the Mariinsky Orchestra.