Maya Plisetskaya, a “genius of metamorphoses”

November 20 marked 85 years since the birth of the legendary dancer Maya Plisetskaya, whose name is equally familiar to both passionate ballet fans and ordinary people.

Her style was defined by the famous French ballet critic Andre Philippe Hersin in three words “genius, audacity and avant-garde.”

Plisetskaya danced the famous classic Dying Swan, which brought her fame already when she was a student, in her special way – hearing the sound of a human voice. And the musical accompaniment was recorded for her by Montserrat Caballe.

In the Bolshoi Theater, Plisetskaya performed in Sergei Prokofiev's Cinderella and Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. She participated in the staging of Alexander Glazunov’s Raymonda, Adolphe Adam’s Giselle, Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty and Ludwig Minkus’ Don Quixote (photo).

Maya Plisetskaya performed as a model by demonstrating the costumes of the French fashion designer Pierre Cardin. A shot from the documentary film Maya Plisetskaya. 1987.

Spain is another passion of Plisetskaya. “Where does this my passion for Spain come from? Passion for all the Spanish – flamenco, bullfighting, combs, flower in hair, mantles and necklaces? I can say nothing special. But there is a secret link between us.”

The “most Spanish” dance of Plisetskaya is Carmen Suite. It was specially staged for Plisetskaya by Cuban choreographer Alberto Alonso and the Bizet opera was adapted by Rodion Shchedrin. Plisetskaya danced this ballet in Spain. “When the Spanish shouted Ole! I understood that I won,” she said. Photo: a scene from the Carmen Suite ballet. 1978.

In the 1960s, the Bolshoi Theater staged two ballets by ballet master Michael Fokin. Plisetskaya starred in one of them, Firebird, on the stage of the Kremlin Palace.

Maya Plisetskaya in the ballet Anna Karenina. 1972.

Maya Plisetskaya during the performance at a gala concert devoted to her 80th birthday. 2005.

The ballet Anna Karenina was for the first time choreographed by Plisetskaya to music by Rodion Shchedrin.

After the Sea Gull ballet in which Plisetskaya acted as a ballet master and danced the part of Nina Zarechnaya, she was invited to work as the artistic director of the Rome Opera Ballet. Photo: Maya Plisetskaya and Viktor Barykin rehearse Rodion Shchedrin's ballet the Sea Gull. 1980.

A “genius of metamorphoses” – this is how the famous choreographer Maurice Bejart called Plisetskaya, who danced the legendary Bolero.

In 1976, Bejart choreographed a solo, Isadora, for Plisetskaya. The premiere was held in Monaco where ballet dancer Isadora Duncan died when her scarf became entangled in a wheel of her car. Photo: Maya Plisetskaya in the ballet Isadora. 1985.