Prix Ballet 2000, a Gala Hommage a Maia Plissetskaia in Cannes

The world needs more ballet these days ! The thrills, the connection, the sincerity, the body language translated into muet words - everything that puts in between art and humanity in one place ! The art through dance, the body language showcasing human emotions turns everyone to profound feelings of love and caring, the deep relationships that send us to our inner roots, tell us stories through this wonderful art that is contemporary ballet.

Last evening it was the Prix Ballet 2000, a Gala « Hommage a Maia Plissetskaia » in Cannes, a journey through amazing performances that made us wander through times and emotions. This edition was dedicated to Maia Plissetskaia that received the Ballet 2000 award in 2004 and who performed on the stage of Palais de Festival in Cannes. The Russian ballet legend who was 79 at that time danced Ave Maria in a simple manner showing her talent in a delicate way under the musical notes of Gounod.

Maia Plissetskaia was one of the greatest Russian ballerina, named « the dance diva » and made Bolchoi's prima ballerina assoluta in 1962. In her written memories book, Moi, Maia Plissetskaia, she writes :

« I was born in Moscow. In the kingdom of Stalin. Then I lived under Khrushchev, Brezhnev, Andropov,Chernenko, Gorbachev, Yeltsin ... And I did well as I will never be reborn again. Live your life ... as I did. I do not forget those who have been good to me. Nor those who died, crushed by the absurd. I've lived for the dance. I've never known anything else. Thank you to this nature with was good to me, it did not let me break, I have not capitulated. »

She created a number of leading roles, including ones in Lavrovsky's Stone Flower (1954), Moiseyev's Spartacus (1958), Grigorovich's Moscow version ofThe Stone Flower (1959), Aurora in Grigorovich's staging The Sleeping Beauty (1963), Grigorovich's Moscow version of The Legend of Love (1965), the title role in Alberto Alonso's Carmen Suite (1967), Petit's La Rose malade (Paris, 1973), Bejart's Isadora (Monte Carlo, 1976) and his Moscow staging of Leda (1979), Granero's Maria Estuardo (Madrid, 1988), and Lopez's El Renedero (Buenos Aires, 1990).

Fashion designers like Yves Saint Laurent or even closer, Pierre Cardin, considered  Maia Plisetskaya one of their inspirations. Pierre Cardin alone traveled to Moscow over 30 times just to see Plisetskaya perform. He created costumes especially for her.

More than two thousand connoisseurs of classical dance from around the world visited the event. Russian legendary composer Rodion Shchedrin, husband of Maya Plisetskaya, was guest of honor.

During the press conference organized on July 30th, Jury coordinator, famous dance critic and BALLET2000 Editor-in chief Alfio Agostini told that in 2004, the first edition of the Prix established by BALLET2000 went to Maya Plisetskaya. "She refused just to receive the award, she danced on the stage of Palais des Festivals for the last time. She was 79 at the time", said Agostini. "Since then, we host annual concerts, but this year - year of her birth anniversary, we decided to pay tribute to her and to establish an Award in her honor."

Artistic director of the event, Mariinsky Étoile Irma Nioradze said that the Prize is the most important event in the world of ballet. "I wanted to create something special that would have a link with the name of this truly legendary ballerina. I am convinced that ‘Prix Maya' and a statuette of Maya Plisetskaya, whose talent and creativity are symbols of eternity and world culture, will have a great history."

Award Ceremony was attended by Kiril Komarov, First Deputy Director General of Rosatom, one of the event organizers. "The talent of Maya Plisetskaya was recognized across borders. The great Russian ballerina, she became a symbol of the dialogue of cultures and people - no matter what era was behind walls of the theater. The language of her art was equally understood and loved all over the world. Rosatom, as a global international company presented today almost in all corners of the Earth, could not stay away from the Gala concert dedicated to the memory of Maya Plisetskaya.

The jury presented in Cannes awarded the performances from last evening with special award to Diana Vishneva, the star of Mariinsky Ballet and the American Ballet Theatre and Aurelie Dupont, Etoile of the Paris Opera Ballet.

The performances that created the stories and invited us to a journey of emotions were : Anjara Ballesteros - Lucien Postlewaite Lac - chor. Jean-Christophe Maillot, mus. Piotr I. Tchaïkovsky ; Davide Dato Arépo, solo - chor. Maurice Béjart, mus. Charles Gounod ; Osiel Gouneo - Jem Choi Le Corsaire pas de deux - chor. (version) AnnaMarieHolmes, mus. Riccardo Drigo ; Óscar Chacón - Kateryna Shalkina Anima Blues - chor. Gil Roman, mus. Rahsaan Roland Kirk ; "Forceful Feelings" Sarah-Jane Brodbeck, Galina Mihaylova, Mia Rudic, Arman Grigoryan, Vahe Martirosyan, Arsen Mehrabyan, Tigran Mikayelyan Songe d'une nuit d'été - chor. Heinz Spoerli, mus. Philip Glass ; Diana Vishneva - Friedemann Vogel Vertigo - chor. Mauro Bigonzetti, mus. Dimitri Chostakovitch.

The Award Ceremony included Prix à la Carrière Hans van Manen (Choreographer's works presentation) ;  "Forceful Feelings" Serenity (groupe) - chor. Arsen Mehrabyan ; Maëva Cotton - Alessio Passaquindici Adagietto - chor. Óscar Araiz, mus. Gustav Mahler ; Virna Toppi - Jacopo Tissi Cendrillon pas de deux - chor. Mauro Bigonzetti, mus. Sergueï Prokofiev, Sergio Bernal Farruca, de El Sombrero de tres picos (Le Tricorne) - chor. Antonio Ruíz Soler, mus. Manuel De Falla ; Aurélie Dupont avec Alessio Carbone (partenaire invité) Together Alone - chor. Benjamin Millepied, mus. Philip Glass ; Vladimir Sklyarov - Viktoria Tereshkina Don Quichotte pas de deux - chor. Marius Petipa (Alexander Gorsky) mus. Ludwig Minkus

The world needs more ballet, needs to turn much more towards art and pure emotion performances that exhilarates the good in humanity. A magic edition that needs to reiterate  each year with its talentuous ballet dancers.

Editor Andra Oprea