Vyacheslav Gordeyev: "Baku is a warm city in all senses"

From August 19 to September 8, the Moscow Palace of Youth will host the "Planet of the Ballet" festival. In total, over 50 shows are scheduled in Moscow and St. Petersburg. It is expected that this year the festival will bring together over 70 thousand spectators. In anticipation of this event, Vestnik Kavkaza spoke with head of the Moscow Regional State Theater "Russian Ballet", People’s Artist of the USSR, outstanding Russian dancer, Bolshoi’s premier, choreographer, theater director and teacher Vyacheslav Gordeyev.

- How important is the "Planet of the Ballet" festival for artists?

- This festival attracts a lot of attention. If the audience comes and likes it, then people are already trying to connect their lives with ballet or just start going to the theater. But in order for us to be the best in the entire world, we need to develop ballet schools, theaters, graduates of which can later work in this field. Right now the youth is switching to other genres. There are less people who wish to connect their lives with ballet. Recruitment in dance schools is pretty bad, especially when it comes to boys. But we still have talented children - Russians are more adapted to ballet than other nationalities. Today, public and government attention to ballet is increasing; there was even the Year of Ballet, but as artistic director of the theater, I haven't really felt the effect of the Year of Ballet. Nothing was done for our theater.

- Did your theater staged Kara Karaev's "Seven Beauties"?

- Yes, we did. We celebrated Kara Karaev's 100th anniversary with this performance. Azerbaijani Ambassador to the Russian Federation Polad Bulbuloglu came to see it, Minister of Culture of the Moscow Region Narmin Shiraliyeva (she is also from Azerbaijan) came to this event. Honored artist of Azerbaijan Vitaly Akhundov made his own edition of this ballet, in my opinion, it was very successful. We modernized it a little bit, there was a video series during performance, and it looks quite different now. This successful premiere once again showed that the Soviet period, when there was a merger of different national characteristics, enriched our ballet. Kara Karaev’s music is amazing, and the fact that it was played on stage of our theater is also a definite victory for our theater.

- Vitaly Akhundov also wanted to stage “One Thousand and One Nights”?

- We talked about it, but we have very small budget. Right now I'm staging "The Fountain of Bakhchisarai", we only have money for this play. After that we will do something else.

- Do you still have contacts in Baku?

- Of course. In a year I hope to go there for competition as a member or chairman of the jury. I really like this city. When I visited it last time, everything was amazing. Warm, homely atmosphere in the streets, people are really happy. It struck me that when we, the jury members, sat at the table on tours, there were sweets, tea. Baku always has very family friendly atmosphere.

- Are you planning to go on a tour there?

- All tours depend on money. When we went there last time, the Bank of Moscow organized our tour to  celebrate its fifth anniversary. Then Heydar Aliyev attended our performance. We were received really well. Then we, together with Heydar Aliyev and Mstislav Rostropovich, went to the banquet. We had a greaat time, but it was long time ago, several years before Heydar Aliyev’s death.

- Have you spoke to him?

- Yes, of course. And I talked to Mstislav Rostropovich, to Heydar Aliyev. I remember how we went to some night restaurant with ceiling consisting of light bulbs - it was very interesting. Today the city has changed completely. There's stunning promenade, hall where the "ZHARA"festival is held. I'm amazed by this city, it left a very good impression. It's warm in all senses.