Ivan the Terrible

Mikhail Lobukhin as Ivan IV

Ivan the Terrible was the last of the presentations of the Bolshoi Ballet for this season.

I couldn't make mself commit to going since everything else in my life seemed so pressing.

But at the last moment I was persuaded to pack all of that in and head off to the ballet.

How many chances does a person get to spend the afternoon watching a Russian ballet?  That is the best reasoning I could find to pack up my bags:  a bottle of water, a warm sweater, my purse.

The ticket taker asked me to open my bag (afteral, I am dragging an airplane carry-on behind me).  Then he looked at the large popcorn in my hand and decided the bag could hardly be full of treats since I could hardly manage what was in my hands and he waved me on.

I am not crazy about theatre popcorn.  But it has a function.  Pop a handful of that in my mouth and I don't go to sleep.

... stunning colour, movement and blocking ...

I am the least knowledge about ballet of any of the art forms. That might put me off a bit.

But Katya Novikova does a lovely pre-ballet introduction.

As well, she did an interview at the intermission.  I noticed that some people who had headed out to the lobby hung out at the back of the theatre until she was finished.  They, as well as I, were hungry for any description of what was going on or what we should watch for.

Instead she filled us in on the history of this ballet.  Hard to believe we get the ballet and all of that information as well.

Anna Nikulina as Anastasia

A list of the 2015-2016 Season is out already.

Be prepared to watch for the following: Giselle, Jewels, The Lady of the Camellias, The Nutcraacker, The Taming of the Shrew, Spartacus, and Don Quixote.

I hope I never tire of seeing the Bolshoi at the Cinema.

Arta