In 1908, Mikhail Fokine composed a non-narrative ballet sketch. As the choreographer wrote, it was “in the style of that long-forgotten time, when ballet was governed by poetry, when a dancer rose en pointe not to demonstrate the steel-like arch of her foot, but in order to create the impression of lightness, barely touching the ground, something ethereal and fantastical… I have tried not to surprise people with the novelty, but rather to restore the conventional ballet dancing to the point of its greatest advances. I don’t know how our ballet predecessors danced. And no one else knows that. But in my dreams this is precisely how they did dance.”

The entire suite, woven by the choreographer of fleeting visions consonant with Chopin’s music, captivate the audience by its pensive beauty.

On February 4, 1923, the last edition of Fokin was resumed in Petrograd, on May 16, 1928, A. Ya. Vaganova updated Chopiniana for the Leningrad Choreographic School, and the performance was performed at the Mariinsky Theatre (graduation performance by G. S. Ulanova). The scenery was designed by Orest Allegri.

“My Boléro,” commented Ravel, “has to stick in one’s head!”
More seriously, he explained:
“In 1928, upon request by Madame Rubinstein (Ida Rubinstein, the famous Russian actress and dancer), I composed a Bolero for an orchestra. This is a dance with a very moderate and continuously even movement, both due to its melody and to its harmony and rhythm. The rhythm is continuously marked by the drum. The element of diversity is added by the orchestral crescendo.”

Maurice Béjart describes the creation of Ravel’s work in these terms, “music that is too well-known and yet still fresh due to its simplicity. A melody (originally oriental and not Spanish) that winds slowly around itself, increasing in volume and intensity, devours the sound space and swallows it up at the end of the melody.”

Without further describing a ballet that needs no introduction, let us simply point out that Maurice Béjart returns to the spirit of the Rite of Spring in a very different style. In this sense, unlike most artists who have illustrated Boléro choreographically before him, he spurns the easy choices of a picturesque exterior to simply – but so forcefully – express the essential.

Maurice Béjart gives the central role (La Mélodie) sometimes to a female dancer and other times to a male dancer. The rhythm is interpreted by a group of male dancers.

Rediscovering Bach is a captivating concert program dedicated to the timeless music of Johann Sebastian Bach. The performance offers a fresh perspective on his masterpieces, revealing the emotional depth, architectural brilliance, and spiritual power that continue to inspire audiences around the world.

Rediscovering Bach is an immersive musical journey into the genius of Johann Sebastian Bach — one of the most influential composers in the history of Western music. This program invites audiences to experience his works not as distant monuments of the Baroque era, but as living, breathing art filled with passion, humanity, and profound expression.

Through carefully selected compositions — from intricate instrumental works to powerful sacred pieces — the concert reveals Bach’s extraordinary mastery of counterpoint, harmony, and form. Each piece unfolds with clarity and intensity, demonstrating how his music transcends time and cultural boundaries.

Rediscovering Bach highlights both the intellectual brilliance and the emotional richness of his творчество, offering moments of contemplation, dramatic contrast, and uplifting joy. Whether you are a devoted admirer or encountering his music for the first time, this program opens a renewed connection to Bach’s enduring legacy.