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Bolshoi prima Maria Alexandrova gets injury at guest performance in London

Dancer of the corps de ballet Daria Bochkova performed the final part of the second act instead of Maria Alexandrova

Photo ITAR-TASS/Archive

Photo ITAR-TASS/Archive

LONDON, August 3 (Itar-Tass) - The Bolshoi Ballet continued with a brilliant ballet La Bayadere its guest performances in the British capital last Friday. The spectacle featured the best Bolshoi ballet dancers - Svetlana Zakharova, Maria Alexandrova and Vladislav Lantratov. However, this time a legendary ballet was held in an unexpected variant even for the actors.

At the beginning of the second act Maria Alexandrova dancing a leading part of Gamzatti has got a leg injury and had to leave the stage, not bringing her part to the finale. But the ballet was not stopped. Conductor Pavel Sorokin reacted immediately and dropped a substantial part from the music scores. The actors were not at a loss either. Dancer of the corps de ballet Daria Bochkova performed the final part of the second act instead of Maria Alexandrova. Meanwhile, it turned out that the young dancer, who is a laureate of many ballet contests, succeeded to help the ballet company worthily in an emergency situation.

Such top-notch professionals work at the Bolshoi Theatre, even in the corps de ballet. Meanwhile, this is the corps of ballet that ends La Bayadere, performing a fantastically beautiful act “Shadows”. This act was welcomed with loud applauds in London as everywhere. The full Royal Opera House in London’s Covent Garden, where the Bolshoi Ballet is on guest performances, burst out in terrific applauds, plunging La Bayadere in a storm of applauds.

“Masha Alexandrova was taken to hospital,” Director General of the Bolshoi Theatre Vladimir Urin told Itar-Tass. “Unfortunately, no ballet actor is safeguarded from such injuries. Masha Alexandrova had a very active creative season. Moreover, in June she participated in long guest performances in Australia, where she was the main heroine. Already in July she came to dance in London. I hope that British doctors will help our remarkable actress to go back to the homeland as soon as possible,” he said.

The Bolshoi Ballet is again to stage the ballet La Bayadere on Saturday and it will certainly be held. All guest spectacles have several cast lists. The guest performances of the Bolshoi Ballet in London will last until August 17.

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