See Inside Russia's Famed Mariinsky Ballet Theatre | National Geographic

less than 1m read

·Nov 11, 2024

Russians seem to be very good at taking something and bringing it to a whole new level. Take ballet, for example; it was invented in Italy, popularized in France, but the ballet we know now would not be here if it weren't for the Russians.

The heart of ballet here in St. Petersburg is right here at the Mariinsky. The father of ballet in Russia was Marius Petipa, the legendary choreographer who gave us such timeless classics as Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. But the first thing he did in Russia was Paquita, which he staged in this theater in 1847.

Today, we're fortunate to witness something very special: Paquita reimagined for the 21st century by company dancer Youris M. What is ballet for Russian people? [Music] [Music]

It's all made to look effortless, but I can assure you the precision, strength, balance, and endurance of these ballerinas rivals any professional athlete. They rehearse up to 6 hours a day; it can take 40 minutes for them just to put their pointe shoes on.

And all this just to give us a chance to escape from reality into a fairy tale. It's all happening a few moments from now: Paquita reimagined. The orchestra is warming up, and so are the dancers. You can feel the tension in the air, but ultimately, they're not worried. The future of ballet is safe at the Mariinsky. [Music] k [Music]

TIL: These Birds Trick Others Into Raising Their Gigantic Kids | Today I Learned

International Women's Day Livestream: Women In Technology For Good

View All

15 Things Everyone Wants But Money Can’t Buy

You know, there are things money can’t buy. You know it, but you forget it. You forget that fundamentally, you’re on the same level as the richest people in the world. You have to appreciate these things now, so that when your wealth grows, your motivatio…

Anti-Gravity Wheel Explained

Standing on the scale. The wheel is spinning and it still weighs 92 kilograms. You made the prediction. Let’s see what happens when I throw it up over my head in three, two, one. What do you think? I don’t know about you, but to me, it looked like a shaky…

15 Habits of Highly Organized Individuals

You know, Aluxer, life is like a puzzle full of colors. The pieces are chaotic, have irregular shapes, and are so colorful your brain hurts sometimes when you’re trying to put them all together. You might say it’s impossible to make this puzzle, but some …

Sam Altman : How to Build the Future

I’m Jack, Sam’s brother, and we are here in our backyard, where we also live with our other brother. Sam wanted to give some advice about how to have an impact on the world, and since you couldn’t interview him himself, here I am. So, Sam, thank you. Th…

My thoughts on Passive Income and Real Estate Investing

That’s the thing that I’d like to explain to everybody is that it doesn’t have to start out like. I feel like a lot of people see a big number and they get intimidated by it. Like they see like almost sixty-five hundred a month and they’re just like, “How…

Camp Hailstone | Life Below Zero

My name is Ignacio Stone. I’m married to Edward Hale Stone. We call him Chip. I’m Edward Hale Stone, master of systems, hunter. I’m a subsistence gatherer, fisherman. I’m married to Agnes, and I have five daughters. I tried to get them all involved in eve…

See Inside Russia's Famed Mariinsky Ballet Theatre | National Geographic

More Articles