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]

Khan Academy's Content

Lecture 5 - Competition is for Losers (Peter Thiel)

View All

Examples of bias in surveys | Study design | AP Statistics | Khan Academy

We’re told that David hosts a podcast, and he’s curious how much his listeners like his show. He decides to start with an online poll. He asks his listeners to visit his website and participate in the poll. The poll shows that 89 percent of about 200 resp…

Tidepooling along the Pacific Coast | National Geographic

Nature, the most powerful creative force on Earth. I’m Chef Melissa King. Cooking has taken me to incredible places. Magical. (laughs) From TV competitions and celebrity galas to countries around the world, I’m heading out to places I’ve never been before…

5 Ways To Have 10x More Energy Throughout The Day

Hey, it’s Joey. Welcome to Better Ideas! Have you ever wanted to have just like uncomfortable amounts of energy? Do you lack the necessary energy to carry out basic daily tasks, like going to the gym, doing your homework, doing the laundry? A lot of peopl…

Generational and lifecycle effects on political ideology | US government and civics | Khan Academy

What we’re going to talk about in this video is how political and cultural events might have an influence on someone’s political ideology. So let’s make this a little bit concrete. Political scientists will sometimes have various classifications for thes…

Watchers of the Land | Short Film Showcase | National Geographic

[Music] And you can’t ever lose your history or your stories; otherwise, you’ll lose who you are. It’s the Den way to pass on your teachings to younger [Music] people. A lot has changed since the 50s, and now that we do have a say, you know, we’re going t…

The Dark Reality Behind India’s Festival Elephants | Podcast | Overheard at National Geographic

Foreign [Music] This is the sound of a festival in India called Trisha Pura. Thousands of people attend this annual festival, including dozens of musicians. But the highlight of the celebration, standing out over the crowds, are the elephants. They’re cov…

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

More Articles