Russian Lessons

Ballerina is a 2006 documentary film that follows the training sessions, rehearsals, and everyday lives of five Russian ballerinas at different stages in their career.

Reiner E. Moritz revisits the history of dance as viewed through the camera lens.

A single woman's and her dog's personalities are affected by tough life circumstances.

Anew production of Tannhäuser, which was premiered on 26 July 2019 and presented the Bayreuth debut of conductor Valery Gergiev, as well as the house debut of young soprano star Lise Davidsen. Tobias Kratzer’s staging presented Tannhäuser as a wildly contemporary parable of art and freedom which was praised as “novel” and “wrenching” (New York Times) and received exceptional press acclaim. hey were joined by mezzo soprano Elena Zhidkova’s Venus (“scene stealing”, according to Opera Today), baritone Markus Eiche’s Wolfram and Stephen Milling’s Landgraf.

A ghost and a French marquis wander through the Winter Palace in St Petersburg, encountering scenes from many different periods of its history.

La Bayadère is a three-act ballet by the French choreographer Marius Petipa. Set in 19th-century India, La Bayadère tells the sad love story of the noble warrior Solor and his Nikiya, a temple dancer or 'bayadère', who is poisoned by her rival, Gamzatti. This production of the ballet features the revised choreography by Vladimir Ponomarev and Vakhtang Chabukiani (1941), and includes dances by Konstantin Sergeyev and Nikolai Zubkovsky. The ballet’s music, composed by Ludwig Minkus, is performed by the Mariinsky Orchestra under the direction of Boris Gruzin. Among the performers are Viktoria Tereshkina, Anastasia Matvienko, Vladimir Shklyarov, and Vladimir Ponomarev. This performance was recorded at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, in July 2014.

The classic Mariinsky (Kirov) production of the greatest of all ballets. Filmed in the imperial splendor of the Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg. Starring Ulyana Lopatkina, Danila Korsuntsev and the breathtaking Mariinsky corps de ballet. Conducted by the great Russian maestro Valery Gergiev.

During a Christmas Eve party and a young girl, Clara, being given a nutcracker doll by her godfather, Drosselmeyer. Later in the evening when Clara sleeps, she finds herself in the midst of the Nutcracker’s battle against the Mouse King and his army of mice. Coming to Clara’s aid, the Nutcracker is transformed into a Prince and journeys with her to an enchanted island where spectacular celebrations are held in their honor. Pre-recorded at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg in December 2011, Wassili Vainonen’s version of the beloved holiday ballet is for the first time in 3-D in select theaters.

This is the Andrei Tarkovsky production of the famous Pushkin/Mussorgsky opera, performed in 1990. Modest Mussorgsky's opera in prologue and four acts is performed by the Kirov Opera with performances from Olga Borodina, Alexei Steblianko and Sergei Leiferkust. Boris Godunov has obtained the throne of Russia by murdering the rightful heir Dmitry. An old monk, Pimen, witnessed this, and convinces his apprentice Grigory to avenge Dmitry's death. In the following years Grigory poses as Dmitry, raising an army against Boris, who is now convinced that he is being punished for the murder. Filmed in Russia during the collapse of the Soviet Union, this particular production of Mussorgsky's 1872 tale of political upheaval is considered a highly unique and historical moment in opera. Robert Lloyd stars in the title role of Boris Godunov.

The love story of journalist and actor. They are connected by a great mutual feeling, but he has a wife and a son. Realizing that she is his only true love, he still does not dare to leave his family.

The film is based on A. P. Chekhov’s play “Tatiana Repina” and short story “Difficult People”. At his wedding, the groom is horrified to see among the church crowd his former mistress who had recently committed suicide.

A mixture of re-enactment, news reel footage, archival film and rare documents, including the diaries and intimate correspondence of Nicholas & Alexandra. Recreates the atmosphere at the time of their deportation to Siberia, life in exile, and brutal execution.