The film tells about the origin and development of classical ballet in Russia, famous ballet dancers and tells about the Bolshoi Theater tour in Paris in 1972. Part 1. Galina Ulanova and Anna Pavlova Part 2. The Bolshoi Theater tour in Paris. Maya Plisetskaya as the White Swan on the stage of the Opera Garnier. Part 3. The Opera Garnier in Paris. Russian Seasons of 1909. Part 4. "Polovtsian Dances" staged by M. Fokine. Part 5. The Zenit Concert Hall in Paris. The ballet "Les Sylphides" (Chopiniana). Part 6. Yuri Grigorovich. The ballet "Spartacus". The leading role is performed by Vladimir Vasiliev.
The book by Fyodor Lopukhov "Choreographic revelations". F. Lopukhov (synchronously) talks about the great ballerinas: Galina Ulanova and Anna Pavlova.
Ballet master Galina Ulanova at rehearsals with her students.
Portrait of G. Ulanova in her youth.
Galina Ulanova on the stage of the theater in the 50s of the 20th century (chronicle).
Photos of Anna Pavlova on stage and in life.
Anna Pavlova dancing on stage in 1912 (chronicle).
Ballet, ballerinas
Galina Ulanova - ballerina. Anna Pavlova - ballerina.
1912
Saint Petersburg
Ballet dancers: Natalia Bessmertnaya, Vladimir Vasiliev, Mikhail Lavrovsky, Ekaterina Maximova at rehearsals and a story about them by Fyodor Lopukhov (synchronously).
An airplane takes off.
Paris.
Notre Dame Cathedral illuminated at night.
A walk along the Seine with views of Paris at night.
April 1972. The Paris Opera Garnier.
The interior of the Opera Garnier.
Smartly dressed spectators climb the stairs to the auditorium.
The ceiling of the Opera Garnier.
Maya Plisetskaya prepares for a performance and dances the part of the White Swan from Swan Lake by Pyotr Tchaikovsky on the stage of the Opera Garnier.
The corps de ballet of the Bolshoi Theater prepares to go on stage.
Ballet, Paris, Opera Garnier
Maya Plisetskaya - ballerina
1972
Paris
Spring
Paris.
Opera Garnier.
Dance of the Black Swan from the ballet Swan Lake on the stage of the Opera Garnier.
The audience applauds. M. Plisetskaya as the White Swan comes out to take bows.
The audience applauds.
Yuri Grigorovich comes out to take bows after performing the ballet Spartacus.
Vladimir Vasiliev and Ekaterina Maximova in costumes for the ballet Spartacus backstage.
Natalia Bessmertnaya as Giselle comes out to take bows.
Views of Paris.
Selling flowers in Paris.
Views of Paris and the Opera Garnier 1909 (chronicle).
Photograph: M. Diaghilev.
Photographs by artists: A. Benois, Lev Bakst, Nikolai Roerich, Pavel Golovin, Pablo Picasso, Natalia Goncharova, Henri Matisse.
Photographs of composers: I. Stravinsky, Sergei Prokofiev, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel.
Photographs of choreographers: Mikhail Fokine, Vaslav Nezhinsky, Leonid Mosin, Sergei Lifar, Georges Balanchine.
Interspersed with views of Paris.
View of the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
Auditorium of the Théâtre du Châtelet.
Excerpt from the ballet "Polovtsian Dances".
Opera Garnier - Paris Opera, ballet "Swan Lake", ballet "Spartacus", ballet "Giselle", Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, Bolshoi Theatre Tour in France, USSR-France
Natalia Bessmertnova - ballerina. Yuri Grigorovich - Soviet and Russian choreographer and ballet master. Maya Plisetskaya - ballerina. Vladimir Vasiliev - ballet dancer. Ekaterina Maximova - ballerina.
1909
Paris
Spring
Scenes from Borodin's ballet "Polovtsian Dances".
Photographs by choreographer M. Fokin.
An excerpt from the ballet "Polovtsian Dances".
Fyodor Lopukhin writes at his desk and talks about Russian ballet (synchronously).
Playbill of the Bolshoi Theater in Paris.
Views of the Opera Garnier.
Adagio from the ballet "The Nutcracker" - the wedding of Masha and the Prince performed by Ekaterina Maximova and Vladimir Vasiliev.
Ballet "Polovtsian Dances", ballet "The Nutcracker"
Fyodor Lopukhin - choreographer. Vladimir Vasiliev - ballet dancer. Ekaterina Maximova - ballerina.
Moscow Paris
Photos of ballerina Anna Pavlova are interspersed with rehearsals of the Bolshoi Theatre corps de ballet.
An excerpt from Mikhail Fokin's ballet "Les Sylphides" (Chopiniana) performed by Svetlana Adyrkhaeva and Maris Liepa.
The Zenit Paris Concert Hall applauds the Bolshoi Theatre ballet.
Views of Paris.
Vladimir Vasiliev signs autographs for the enthusiastic French public.
Anna Pavlova, ballet "Les Sylphides", Concert Hall "Zenith Paris"
Svetlana Adyrkhaeva - ballerina. Maris Liepa is a ballet dancer. Vladimir Vasiliev is a ballet dancer.
1972
Paris
Spring
Visiting Fyodor Lopukhov, Yuri Grigorovich talks about the Bolshoi Theatre's tour in Paris.
Interspersed with excerpts from the ballet "Spartacus".
The role of Spartacus is performed by Vladimir Vasiliev.
A view of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.
Curtseying to the audience after the performances: Vladimir Vasiliev, Maya Plisetskaya, Natalia Bessmertnova, Mikhail Lavrovsky, Maris Liepa.
Ballet jumps by famous ballet actors.
Bolshoi Theatre, ballet "Spartacus"
Yuri Grigorovich - choreographer. Vladimir Vasiliev is a ballet dancer.
1972
Moscow