Ballet in 2 acts
Music : Dmitri SHOSTAKOVICH
Libretto : Adrian PIOTROVSKY and Fyodor LOPUKHOV
Choreography : Alexei RATMANSKY
Sets : Boris MESSERER
Lights : Alexander RUBTSOV
With the Orchestra of the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre
With the Bolshoi soloists and the Bolshoi Corps de Ballet
Alexei Ratmansky: After graduating from the Academic College of Choreography in Moscow in 1986, Alexei Ratmansky went on to become a principal dancer for the National Opera of Ukraine, Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the Royal Danish Ballet. Whilst dancing, he staged numerous ballets and became famous as a choreographer. In 2003, the Bolshoi Theatre offered him to revive a soviet ballet: The Bright Stream. The ballet became a huge success and Alexei Ratmansky was appointed artistic director of the Bolshoi the following year. He remained in this position until 2009.
Originally created in April 1935 at the Maly Theatre in Leningrad, The Bright Stream was brought to the Bolshoi Theatre by Russian composer Fyodor Lopukhov in November 1935. Fyodor Lopukhov created an amusing ballet about Muscovite ballet dancers spending some time in the Russian countryside. Although the ballet became an instant hit, the political regime quickly forbade it. At the time, “Dramballet” was the official genre and The Bright Stream was forbidden for treating too light-heartedly life the Kolkhozy. The ballet was not seen on stage again until 2003.
In the Caucasian steppes, the collective farmers have completed their harvesting. Everyone is about to celebrate the end of field work and is waiting for a troupe of artists and dancers to arrive from the capital. Once the artists arrive at the Bright Stream, one of the farms, Zina recognizes one of the female dancers. Zina and her took dance classes before Zina married Pyotr and moved away. When Pyotr meets the newly arrived ballerina, he falls in love with her and starts to court her. Zina, together with her friend, decide to disguise themselves and swap roles in order to play a good trick on him...
Distributor:
Forum Cinemas AS - ESTONIA
Director:
Alexei Ratmansky