RUSSIAN NATIONAL BALLET

BY ED BRUCE edbrucevegas@yahoo.com

Can't start on time...8:07...at least they can't use the "we were selling tickets excuse" that the Nevada Ballet Theatre used....maybe it was the "we came all the way from Moscow excuse".
This "late" thing never plays........ along with a 22 minute intermission it cut into the greatest ballet I have ever seen.

Truly the best ballet dancing I have ever seen ...maybe because it is the most recent but it was sensational.....marvolous pairs, historic music, hall of fame choreography, full speed dancing and a terrific backdrop canvas that worked with everything. The Russians brought the first team !

Their words in the program...."In 1994, the legendary Bolshoi principal dancer Elena Radchenko was selected by Presidential decree to assume the first permanent artistic directorshop of the company. Ms. Raqdchenko is the founder of the Russian National Ballet Theatre, and she has focused the Company on upholding the grand national tradition of the major Russian ballet works and developing new talents throughout Russia, with a repertory of virtually all of the great full works of: Petipa, Don Quixote, La Bayadere, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Raymonda, Paquita, Coppelia and La Sylphide, as well as production of the The Nutcracker, Sylvia and La Fille Mal Gardee, among others." That about covers it !

Somewhere in the late 80's this or a similar full company from Russia with an 80 piece orchesta came to the Alladin Theatre for the Performing Arts and did 10 days to include full length Don Quixote, Swan Lake and others.....that which I saw everynight was at this level.

Opening piece...Pas de deux from Act lll of The Sleeping Beauty....with Dmitry Dmitriev and Marianna Chemalina spectacular.....if Marianna wants to defect she can come to my house !

I like the big picture, but at halftime my date suggested front row....we dropped to the below stage second row extreme left for a great angle closeup....good suggestion....all patrons should experience different views of games, shows and events for new prospectives....not a problem here, they did not even open the balcony and maybe 1000 attended...they were not as excited about this as I was....no standing ovations....just a few ill timed rounds of applause from excentrics.

This Ham hall venue on UNLV campus still perfect for me....great parking, great staff, great site lines, great sound and 2700 seats for 1000 patrons for Classic entertainment....why do we need a downtown Theatre Center ?

Best entertainment of the year 93 A....lost 7 points for being 7 minutes late !
Boy this was great stuff....more ballet West Las Vegas Library theatre Thursday Friday and Saturday....three in a week....very special.