From its early days, the Russian ballet theater has been a vibrant and evolving art form. It is no coincidence that its fame has endured through the centuries, and to this day, we proudly say, “Russian ballet.”

Our ballet has given us great masterpieces: “Swan Lake,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Spartacus,” and many others. Many ballets created in the 19th century are now considered classics, but at that time, they were innovative, and this path continued the development of the Russian ballet theater. Our theater was a leader in creating ballet productions using the language of classical dance.

However, classical ballet is not a museum. The language of classical dance continually evolves, incorporating not only technical advancements but also influences from other dance forms. It is important that productions remain classical ballet and do not shift into modern dance forms.

The influence of contemporary productions in modern dance techniques is undeniable. They gained popularity in the latter half of the 20th century and reached the stages of major theaters. The trend of inviting modern dance choreographers to create works for ballet companies around the world became prominent. Perhaps in an effort to secure contracts, choreographers skilled in classical ballet began to adapt to this new wave by incorporating elements of modern dance into their ballets. Was this the right approach to finding new expressive solutions for productions?

The language of classical dance is very rich. As it develops, it absorbs new elements while gradually discarding what hinders its purity and beauty, evolving with what enriches it. How and what enriches it is a serious question. Classical ballet is a language of beauty, emotion, and action through which a choreographer, while remaining within the classical dance framework, conveys the narrative of a production or the symphony of the musical score.

Human emotions have changed little since the inception of ballet. Feelings of love, pain, hatred, sorrow, and loss remain the same. Aesthetics have changed, the world around us has changed, but our feelings have not.

Ballet is an athletic art form, and from a young age, we train to achieve perfection not only in the beauty of the body but also in the purity of technical execution of classical ballet elements. All this is created to convey the beauty, emotion, or content of the production. When the main goal of a production becomes showcasing complex technical elements for audience admiration, rather than finding an expressive language or a set of interesting dance elements that often stray far from the classical dance form, it shifts into another genre.

This does not mean that this genre is better or worse. It is simply different, with its own audience, enthusiasts, and fans. We must respect and understand both forms of ballet art, but one should not replace the other.

The Russian ballet theater has always been renowned not only for its technique but also for the deep psychological insight and dramatic qualities of its productions. These productions showcased artists of the Russian ballet school. Their impeccable technique was combined with a deeply psychological and emotional interpretation of their roles. The loss of these qualities on stage and the shift to purely technical execution of roles signifies a loss of the Russian ballet theater’s unique style and individuality.

Unfortunately, a departure from the meaningful expression of feelings through movement also leads to issues in classical dance education. This is a separate topic, but I can say that, working with graduates from many schools around the world, I see how their training leads to a mechanical execution of movements. And the Swan ceases to be a Swan…

© Konstantin Uralsky