Maya Plisetskaya was the most famous ballerina in for her time in Russia, indeed throughout the world. Maya died on Saturday May 2nd 2015.
Who was Maya?
Maya Plisetskaya was a Russian ballerina. She danced - well, I have no words as to how she danced. Graceful is an understatement. Her dancing was a joy to watch. But what is really interesting is that she was born during the Soviet Times, when it was very hard to get known around the area. But that didn't stop her. Oh no. She kept on dancing throughout her life, the result being she became one of the most famous ballet dancers ever.
Early years
Maya was born in Moscow in 1925. Her parents were both Jewish. Her mother was a film actress.
In 1934, Maya entered the Bolshoi Theatre School of Ballet. Her gift of dance became so obvious. She was long and lean, loved to perform big, sweeping movements and long jumps, but the part I love most was her arms. Her arms
"can twist like snakes and beat like ribbons in the wind. ... [I]n Act II of Swan Lake ... the ... wavy movements of the arms on a straight, motionless body ... create the image of a gliding swan, a proud bird sailing through smooth water," wrote a Russian critic.
That just about describes it. Maya studied hard and within two years was dancing important roles in the school repertory.
Anyway, in 1937 her father as arrested and executed (in case you forgot, World War II was about to begin in the next two/three years) and in 1938 her mother was arrested and sent to a labour camp. However, her aunt managed to get Maya's mother to a small and shabby town in Kazakhstan where Maya visited her in 1939. Here, Maya performed her now famous The Dying Swan, the music performed by another exile.
You can see a performance at the Bolshoi Theatre here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wpk7Kx4dt-U
In 1941 her mother was released, but within months, with the country at war with Germany, the family was again displaced, this time to Sverdlovsk. After a year, Maya returned illegally to Moscow and resumed her studying.
Fame
Maya rose to stardom quickly. She performed in over 20 different roles, but her most famous one would be The Dying Swan. She performed it also at the age of 61! Most ballet dancers retire in around their 30s, so that shows you what an amazing dancer she was. Her dancing career continued until she was 65! Here are a few links to some of her ballet performances:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNA40ott0Kw&spfreload=10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Luz5g-doa34
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmsokIChU-0
