“Les Saisons Russes”… “Cléopâtre”…
I… was…
There…
On… stage…
Free… free from all that shackles… the spirit…
Free… from troubles… of the weary soul…
I… was dancing…
Swaying…
Pirouetting… flying…
Along… with the…
Dazzling… ballerina…
The… blonde…
“Cléopâtre“…
Ethereal… hypnotic…
Dancing seductively… with her dashing lover…
The human form… at its ultimate…
In… perfection…
In… excellence…
How could… a human mind…
Embrace…
So much… talent…
Imagination… of the mind…
Dazzling… interpretation…
Inspiration…
The audience clapping… jolted me from my reverie into the…
Reality of the… now…
We were attending… the Serge Diaghilev ballet…
“Les Saisons Russes du XXIe siècle“… “28 juin au 1er juillet 2012″…
Organised by… “Le Fondation Maris Liepa“…
“Le Ballet du Kremlin… et SAV entertainment”…
At the cultured… sophisticated… Théâtre des Champs-Élysées… on the chic Avenue Montaigne…
With its truly handsome stage… elegant foyers… beautiful chairs of burgundy velvet… which enhance the magnificence of its performances…
The programme consisted of the three best known ballets of the “Ballets Russes” repertoire… directed by the world famous former Bolshoi ballet star, choreographer, director… founder and Artistic Director of the Maris Liepa Charity Foundation… Andris Liepa… with the soloist dancers and troupe of… The Kremlin Ballet…
“Cléopâtre – Ida Rubinstein“…
“Le Spectre de la Rose“… original choreography by the “ground breaking” Michel Fokine… (Sergei Diaghilev’s chosen choreographer for the famous “Ballets Russes” in Paris prior to the legendary Vaslav Nijinsky)…
“L’oiseau de feu“… “Firebird”… from the 1910 historic ballet created by the composer Igor Stravinsky and choreographer Michel Fokine…
The enchanted stage was set at the time of the Pharaohs… with the tall imposing figure of Tutankhamun… standing next to the… silent mystery of the Pyramids…
Flooded… with veils of pale purple… layers of soft peach…
“Cléopâtre“…
The… exquisite…
Ballerina…
A… golden swan…
A… venus of beauty…
Sinewy… in movement…
Perfection…. in form…
Enchanted… I was… with her “Cléopâtre”…
Who is this… ethereal creature who…
Shimmered…
Dazzled…
Ilzé Liepa…
The daughter of legendary Bolshoi principal dancer Maris Liepa … was born in Moscow on November 22nd 1963…
She was awarded the title of “Merited Artist of Russia” in 1996… then “People’s Artist of Russia”… in 2002…
“Cléopâtre… her role…
Was first performed on the 2nd of June 1909… by Serge Diaghilev‘s… “Ballets Russes“… at the “Théâtre du Châtelet”…
In their first season in Paris… Fokine convinced Diaghilev of introducing a non-professional dancer in the part of Cleopatra…
Ida Rubinstein…
Who was a Russian ballerina… actress… patron and Belle Époque figure…
Whose interpretation of Cleopatra was so dazzling… this performance of the ballet was named after her…
Ilzé Liepa… the leading star in Cleopatra… was described thus…
“Liepa’s dance goes far beyond the limits of canonical traditions but retains its academic quality”…
Liepa previously performed in “Don Quixote”… “Romeo and Juliet”… Roland Petit’s 2001 world premiere of “The Lady of Spades”… “Scheherazade”… (originally choreographed by Michel Fokine and revived by Andris Leipa… her brother… at the Mariinsky Theatre and the Bolshoi Theatre)… “Le Spectre de la Rose”… where her dancing partner was again her brother Andris…
A family of… great talent…
“Cléopâtre“…
“La belle”…
A performance… of dazzling power…
Emotions… of beauty…
Sublime… feelings…
I was… transported…
Into an… ethereal…
Divine… world…
A… utopia…
a.