Natalia Bessmertnova

A look behind the scenes at the Bolshoi Theatre. This feature-length ballet film explores the Russian school of realistic dance and highlights the immense daily effort that goes into an artist’s preparation before they take to the stage. Chronicles the arduous journey to mastery: from the first lessons of the kids who joined the ballet class, to the performances of famous dancers – the public’s idols, who have already mastered the magical lightness and beauty of choreography, the pinnacle of this art.

Bolshoi Ballet stars dance to Prokofiev's score of a cruel Russian czar (Yuri Vladimirov) and his poisoned wife (Natalia Bessmertnova).

A 1975 recording of the Bolshoi Ballet's performance of Yuri Grigorovich's production of "Spartacus".

The role of Anastasia entered Natalia Bessmertnova's creative biography as one of the roles that best suited her acting personality and professional abilities. The libretto has no literary basis; it was written by the choreographer himself. The score was assembled by Mikhail Chulaki from fragments of Sergei Prokofiev's music for Sergei Eisenstein's film of the same name and other works by the composer. According to Yuri Grigorovich, it was the music that became the primary creative impetus for the ballet's creation.

The Bolshoi Ballet perform Prokofiev’s classic ballet, “Romeo and Juliet”, based on the tragic love story about two young star-crossed lovers, featuring the original choreography of Leonid Lavrovsky revised by Yuri Grigoovich.

Spartacus, the story of a Roman slave's fight for freedom, is one the great epic adventure stories. Grigorovich's choreography fills the huge Bolshoi stage with dynamic scenes of tension and conflict.

Peasant girl Giselle dies of a broken heart after discovering her lover is betrothed to another. She is summoned from the grave by spirits who dance men to death. The spirits target her lover for death, but Giselle's great love frees him from their grasp.

Raymonda is betrothed to Jean de Brienne, a gallant knight who pledged to go on a crusade led by the King of Hungary. When her beloved leaves, Abderakhman, a foreign knight, makes a bid for the hand of Raymonda and threatens her fate when she rejects him…