The Mariinsky Theatre
Better
known in the west as the Kirov Ballet (the name it
received during the Soviet era), this historic theater recently
returned to its original designation (which honored Alexander
II's wife Maria). The Mariinsky was built in 1860 as an opera
house, but its reputation rests largely on the ballet that was
added to its repetoire two decades later.
The apex of its fame was during
the earliest days of modern ballet, just after the turn of the
century. In fact, the choreographer of the Mariinsky at the
time, Michel Fokine (1880-1942) is widely considered to have
been the founder of modern ballet. Fokine's choreography marked
a departure from many of the rigid rules and forms of the
earlier tradition and inaugurated the freer styles of
expressionism. Fokine was the choreographer for Sergei
Diaghilev's Ballets-Russe from 1909-14, and several of the
Mariinsky's finest dancers were also members of Diaghilev's
company.
The most prominent of these
included Vasily Nijinsky, Anna Pavlova, and Tamara Karsarvina.
During the Cold War era, the Mariinsky (then known as the Kirov)
maintained its traditions despite numerous difficulties,
including the defection of a number of its finest
dancers--Rudolf Nureyev, Natalia Makarova, and Mikhail
Baryshnikov--to the West. Almost all of the Mariinsky's finest
dancers were trained at St. Petersburg's Vaganova School of
Choreography, still the world's premier ballet school in the
classical tradition. Catching a performance at the Mariinsky is
an integral part of any visit to St. Petersburg, and tickets are
best obtained as far in advance as possible. |