Maya Plisetskaya – unknown facts, life, creativity, ballet

One of the greatest Russian ballerinas, Maya Plisetskaya, was a fragile Lebed, and at the same time a strong and unyielding personality. Despite all the hardships that life regularly presented to her, Maya fulfilled her dream. Of course, not without sacrifice in the name of a dream.

And, of course, her top was given to her by hard work. But the road to a dream is never straight …

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The content of the article:

1. Childhood of a ballerina: never give up!
2. “The daughter of an enemy of the people” and the beginning of a career
3. Remember the dream even during the war
4. “Ballet is hard labor”
5. Personal life of Maya Plisetskaya
6. Plisetskaya’s iron character
7. 10 unknown facts about the life of the Undying Swan

Childhood of a ballerina: never give up!

Little Maya became part of the famous theatrical Messerer-Plisetskikh dynasty, born in 1925 into a Jewish family in Moscow.

The parents of the future Prima were actress Rachel Messerer and a Soviet business executive, and later the Consul General of the USSR, Mikhail Plisetskiy.

Mother’s sister Shulamith and their brother Asaf were talented ballet dancers. The fate of a girl born among completely talented people in such an environment was predetermined.

Maya felt her vocation at a young age at the play in which her aunt Shulamith played. Aunt, noting her niece’s interest in ballet, immediately took her to the choreographic school, where Maya was accepted, despite her age, due to her special talent and natural abilities.

Video: Maya Plisetskaya

A steep turn of fate: “the daughter of an enemy of the people” and the beginning of a career …

The 37th year was for Maya the year of the execution of her father, who was accused of treason. Soon my mother and her younger brother were sent to the Akmola camp.

Maya’s second brother and the girl herself ended up with Aunt Shulamith, which saved the children from the orphanage.

It was her aunt who helped the girl not to lose heart and cope with the tragedy: Maya not only continued her studies, but also won the favor of most teachers.

The day before the Great Patriotic War, Maya performed for the first time at a concert at the school – it was her professional debut and the beginning of a long journey.

Remember the dream even during the war

The outbreak of the war again thwarted the plans of the young ballerina. The Plisetskys were forced to evacuate to Sverdlovsk, but there were simply no opportunities to practice ballet there.

Aunt Shulamith again helped Maya maintain her shape and “tone”. It was then that, together with his aunt, they created the party of that very dying swan. In this production, the aunt emphasized all the best that was in the aspiring ballerina – from her stunning grace to the plasticity of her hands. And it was the aunt who came up with the idea of ​​introducing the public to “The Dying Swan” to start from the back of the dancer, which had never happened before.
The return from evacuation took place in 1942. Maya graduated with honors and immediately became part of the Bolshoi Theater corps de ballet group. Thanks to her talent, Maya quickly moved into the ranks of the leading actresses of the theater, and over time was approved in the rank of Prima, which before her was proudly worn by another great Russian ballerina – Galina Ulanova.

Maya conquered the capital with the “Dying Swan” of Aunt Shulamith, who forever became her “calling card”.

Video: Maya Plisetskaya. Dying swan

“Ballet is hard labor”

The owner of a huge number of awards, orders and awards from different states, being a ballerina of the highest rank, Maya managed to create her own style even in this classical form of art, and all young ballerinas began to adopt Plisetskaya’s techniques. Maya was not afraid of experiments, and always achieved maximum harmony in her hardest work, which was ballet for her – despite the fact that she could not imagine her life without him.

Ballet is not only art. This is a voluntary hard labor, to which ballerinas are sent on a daily basis. It is known that even 3 days without classes are destructive for a ballerina, and a week is a disaster. Classes – daily, then rehearsals and performances. The hardest, monotonous and obligatory work, after which Maya never came out tired and ugly – she always fluttered, she never hurt, even after hard filming and a 14-hour working day, she came out fresh, beautiful and Goddess.

Maya did not allow herself to become limp – she was always in shape, always in good shape and collected, always attentive to everyone, demanding of herself and others. These qualities and her amazing fortitude delighted everyone, from fans and directors to close friends.

Personal life: “Connect and develop our ashes after death over Russia”

The reinforced concrete constancy of Maya was expressed not only in her adherence to principles, but also in love: for more than 50 years of marriage (57 years!) They lived in perfect harmony with the composer Rodion Shchedrin. They lived for each other, like two suddenly connected poles – each year their love only grew stronger, and they themselves became closer to each other – and everything is better next to each other.

Shchedrin himself commented on their relationship as ideal. After the departure of his wife on tour, he marked every day of her absence on the wall during the telephone conversations every night. Shchedrin was introduced to Plisetskaya by the same friend of Mayakovsky – and the owner of a fashion salon – with the well-known name Lilya Brik.

They carried the tenderness of feelings and true love throughout their lives.

Unfortunately, dreams always require sacrifice. Choosing between a career as a ballerina and children, Plisetskaya settled on a career, realizing that it would be extremely difficult to return to ballet after childbirth, and a year of maternity leave for a ballerina is a huge risk.

Video: Personal life of Maya Plisetskaya

Since childhood, I have been at odds with lies: Plisetskaya’s iron character

Maya devoted her whole life to dancing. Despite the unique capacity for work, she was lazy in what the tough ballet demanded, and did not particularly strive for rehearsals, thanks to which, according to the ballerina herself, she kept her legs.

Despite the fact that her childhood was spent first on Svalbard, and then against the background of repressions, Maya remained an amazingly bright and kind person. She counted her years according to the epochs of the “reign” of the leaders, more than anything in the world she hated lies and perfectly understood that the system of human relations did not become just.

Ballerinas are doomed to put up with injuries and joint problems all their lives. Violence against the body, of course, does not go in vain. And Maya all her life, from childhood, endured pain in her knee, dancing only for her audience.

For all her external fragility, the ballerina never forgave enemies, and did not forget anything, but she never divided people into races, systems and classes. All people were divided by Maya only into good and bad.

The ballerina bequeathed to future generations to fight, fight – and “shoot back” to the very end, fight until the last moment – only in this case it is possible to achieve victory and educate character.

Video: Documentary “Maya Plisetskaya: I’ll be back.” 1995 year

Behind the scenes: the unknown side of Maya Plisetskaya – 10 unknown facts about the life of the Undying Swan

One of the greatest ballerinas of Russia lived 89 years of a happy life, becoming a professional and successful dancer, a beloved and loving woman, an example for many artists and just for young people.

Until the end of her life, she remained slim, flexible, in excellent shape and in good spirits.

• The best dietAs the ballerina believed, who most of all loved bread and butter and herring, this is “to eat less”.
• One of Maya’s hobbies was collecting funny names. As soon as she stumbled upon a similar one in one of the magazines or newspapers, the ballerina immediately cut it out and added it to the collection.
• Plisetskaya always looked “one hundred percent” and dressed with a needle… Despite the fact that during the Soviet era it was difficult to do this, Maya’s outfits were always noticeable. So noticeable that even Khrushchev once asked at a reception if Plisetskaya was living too richly for a ballerina.
• The ballerina was warm friends with Robert Kennedyhaving met him during the tour. They had one birthday for two, and the politician, who did not hide his sympathies, often congratulated Maya on the holiday and gave expensive gifts.
• Maya could not imagine her life without fatty nutritious creams… Having smeared a thick cream on her face, she played solitaire in the kitchen – sometimes until late at night, suffering from constant insomnia. Maya often could not do without sleeping pills.
• Despite her tender and strong love for Rodion, Maya was in no hurry to get married… This idea came to her along with the idea that the authorities would finally release her abroad if she binds herself to Shchedrin by marriage. Plisetskaya was not allowed abroad until 1959.
• To make pointe shoes fit better on your feetMaya poured warm water into the heels of her shoes before each performance. And I was terribly afraid to forget about my reflection in the mirror before going on stage, because a poorly painted ballerina is a “colorless moth”.
• Plisetskaya loved football and fiercely rooted for her favorite team – CSKA.
• Maya never smoked, did not like smokers themselves and did not have a special friendship with alcohol either.
• The ballerina danced right up to the age of 65! And then she went on stage again, at the age of 70, and besides, as a performer of the main ballet role! For this anniversary, especially for Maya, Maurice Bejart created an exciting number called “Ave Maya”.

The legend of the 20th and even the 21st century, the legendary Maya, fragile and mysterious, has achieved incredible success. What would not have happened without a strong will, striving for excellence and fantastic hard work.

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