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London to host gala in memory of legendary ballerina Plisetskaya in 2016

Maya Plisetskaya "was looking forward to this gala," which was supposed to be dedicated to her 90th birthday, director of London-based Ensemble Productions company said

Flowers outside Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre in memory of Russian ballet dancer Maya Plisetskaya Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS

Flowers outside Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre in memory of Russian ballet dancer Maya Plisetskaya

© Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS

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Ballet dancer Maya Plisetskaya dies in Germany

LONDON, May 6. /TASS/. A gala in memory of Maya Plisetskaya, a star of the Russian Bolshoi Ballet, will be held at London's Coliseum theatre on March 6, 2016, organisers said on Wednesday.

Olga Balakleets, director of London-based Ensemble Productions company, told TASS that tha gala had been planed before Plisetskaya died of a heart attack in Munich on May 2.

Balakleets said that Plisetskaya "was looking forward to this gala," which was supposed to be dedicated to her 90th birthday.

She said Plisetskaya's husband, prominent composer Rodion Shchedrin, would attend the London gala starring Russian and foreign dancers.

"She [Plisetskaya] wanted not only acknowledged ballet stars but also young talented artistes to take part in the gala," Balakleets said.

The gala will be directed by ballet star Andris Liepa, whose father Maris Liepa was one of the greatest Bolshoi ballet dancers and performed with Plisetskaya.

Plisetskaya, who joined the Bolshoi Ballet company when she was 18, rose to become a leading soloist and quickly gained international fame.

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