The Russian ballet theater knows many brilliant renewals of classical heritage. Many of them continue to delight audiences in Russia and around the world to this day. Preserving this intricate process is no easy task.

As the ballet artistic director, I consider it my duty to maintain in the theater’s repertoire examples of classical heritage. This is important not only for the professional growth of dancers but also for preserving the best achievements and examples in world ballet. Preserving these examples is also crucial for the educational process in ballet academies and schools.

But what is the method of preservation? And who has the right to stage these performances? Working on such a ballet requires a careful approach to historical material, which demands from the choreographer profound professional knowledge of classical ballet, styles, precise execution, and, of course, talent.

I hesitate to speak about the large number of unqualified productions, “borrowed” from video recordings by people distant from the profession of ballet choreographers but commissioned by equally uninformed theater directors. These productions not only fail to foster a love for ballet in the audience but also drive away previously loyal theatergoers.

Working on staging a ballet of classical heritage requires studying historical material. Sometimes, in our enthusiasm for what is dear to us as professionals in classical ballet, we forget that today’s audience differs from the audience of the 18th-19th centuries. Today’s performers are dancers with different techniques and contemporary aesthetic worlds.

Teaching artists the nuances of style and era, imparting knowledge of the masterpieces of choreographic text from the masters of past centuries, is a necessary task. But a performance that preserves all the important charming moments of a historical performance must be interesting to today’s audience and today’s dancers. An attempt to revive it in its original ancient form today, in the process of development, often turns into a boring action that attracts only a small group of ballet lovers, mainly in theaters in major cities.

Such an attitude towards revivals can lead to the decline of our classical ballet, to the loss of its popularity, and to the replacement by contemporary dance forms. But undoubtedly, it contributes to the transmission of historical information and its preservation.

On the other hand, productions where the pearls of choreography are carefully preserved and thoughtfully supplemented with necessary materials to match the performance to today’s ballet theater can not only preserve but also continue the traditions of this beautiful art.

What is the danger here? Mainly in the professionalism and talent of the choreographer, in the right choice and preparation of the dancers for the production. Often, without full knowledge, choreographers distort and overly modernize the production. The enthusiasm for modern acrobatic execution of variations delights the audience. And the artists are pleased with the opportunity to show themselves. But this contradicts the style of this historic ballet, the choreography of the original author, who is honored on the poster. Also encourages the artists to indulge in technical tricks that do not correspond to the aesthetics and purity of style, allows for empty execution, filling the assigned scheme. This is a path to the loss of our heritage.

So, who is right? Fans of the first or second approach? There is no right answer here. There should be no dispute here. These are two genres, close in form but different in spirit. But there is one definite answer: preserving the heritage of the national ballet theater is our duty, the duty of the Russian ballet theater and those who today bear responsibility, holding positions as directors of ballet companies in the country.

© Konstantin Uralsky