After this ballet, I want to live!

November 10, 2022 on the stage of the State Kremlin Palace The premiere of Alexei Shelygin’s ballet The Toy Seller by the Kremlin Ballet Theater was a huge success

The premiere was the first production at the State Kremlin Palace over the past four years, said Andrey Petrov, People’s Artist of Russia, artistic director of the Kremlin Ballet, choreographer of the performance: “ To retell Viktor Dobrosotsky’s novel The Toy Seller in the language of choreography is not an easy task, but it is extremely interesting. Starting to stage a ballet based on this work and taking into account the philosophical meanings laid down in it by the author, I focused on the main storylines. The main thing was the love story of the heroes in the present. And through the image of the ancestor of the kind of princes Bersky, a connection was drawn between the past and future of the characters. The Toy Salesman belongs to a rare number of ballets about our modern life. His characters live in Paris and St. Petersburg, work as salespeople, tour guides, fly Aeroflot planes, ride scooters, etc. But on Christmas days, from December 25 to January 7, they find themselves in the magical world of a Christmas fairy tale.”

In The Toy Seller, Petrov used a new choreographer’s approach to dance vocabulary. It is based on classical choreography, that is, primarily finger technique. But at the same time, it is organically complemented by both elements of modern movements, including everyday, sports, and various modern dance systems. “This allowed us to more capaciously and authentically create images of our contemporaries, and it became the quintessence of the reference Russian classical ballet, the rare melody of modern music and a fascinating plot, which in general gives the audience a unique sense of harmony and joy from contact with the brightest moments of Christmas happiness and New Year’s miracle , cleansing the soul from fuss and problems, ”the director explained.

A chance meeting and dreams of a hero, fights and declarations of love, what is it? A Christmas tale or a philosophical parable? A story of happiness or a love story? Is it possible to combine all this in a ballet production for the whole family? Absolutely yes! The deep text of Viktor Dobrosotsky, the expressive music of Alexei Shelygin and the triumph of high classical choreography are intertwined in an amazing story about a French toy seller who finds happiness and meaning in life in the homeland of his ancestors – in Russia, a modern ballet that will certainly become a new symbol of New Year’s miracles.

The fairy-tale story is based on real events, said the author of the libretto for the ballet, writer, scientist, statesman Viktor Dobrosotsky. This, according to the author, is the secret of the success of the “Toy Salesman” – a time-tested work. Dobrosotsky wrote a book of the same name a decade and a half ago after meeting with a descendant of the Russian princes Baryatinsky. The heir to a great family worked as an ordinary seller in a supermarket, but in the guise of this man, his emphatically aristocratic manners attracted attention. This chance meeting prompted the plot of an adventure story. The family story formed the basis of the plot, first of a literary work, and then of a film, where Pierre Richard played the main role. Later, the opera “The Toy Seller” appeared, and now the ballet. “Each of us at any age has a need to be transported into a fairy tale, to receive positive emotions, to believe in tomorrow,” said Dobrosotsky, “today this is especially true. The simplicity of the story, on the one hand, a beautiful show with humor and joy, on the other hand, creates, it seems to me, the right effect. After this ballet, I want to live.”

The new production of the Kremlin Ballet Theater is a modern Christmas tale that can compete, perhaps, even with the famous The Nutcracker. The action of a bright, romantic and at the same time exciting performance takes place today – in Russia and France. Paris-based toy maker Nicolas Bersky (Prime Minister Daniil Roslanov) is the heir to an old Russian princely family. One day, by the will of fate, he finds himself on New Year’s Eve in St. Petersburg. There, the young man has to overcome the machinations of an evil professor and a harmful, but such an emotionally beautiful museum caretaker, find a treasure hidden by his grandfather on an estate that once belonged to their family, and, finally, meet his love – a Russian girl Natasha (prima ballerina, honored Russian artist Ekaterina Pervushina).

The action takes place in bright scenery. The scene is framed by intertwining snowflakes, and on constantly changing backdrops appear city landscapes, then the interiors of mansions and shops. The scenography uses video and light – from quite ordinary projections of snowflakes to moonlight, foreshadowing the revival of the portrait of Prince Bersky. The performance was designed by the famous Grigory Belov, who successfully acts as a stage designer at a variety of venues – from drama theaters to city holidays. By the way, it was he who for many years was the author of the design of the famous “Kremlin Trees”! This production clearly demonstrates the versatility of the master’s talent, who always manages to accurately convey the color of the place and time, while recreating the unique atmosphere of a particular work with the help of scenography, that visual space that helps to reveal the meaning of the action and emphasize the characteristics of stage characters.

The music for “The Toy Seller” was written by the recognized hitmaker Alexei Shelygin, who has dozens of compositions for films, performances and even operas. True, I had to compose music almost before the production itself, and the composer jokes that he was hallucinating in some way: “Andrey Petrov showed me some sketches of the future ballet, introduced me to the plot of the work, and I began to work,” Shelygin said, “the task turned out to be not easy: write a modern work, but in the classical tradition. I wanted music to bring joy. I hope I succeeded.”

To match the scenery and costumes of the ingenious and unique Olga Polyanskaya: bright dresses of dolls, fashionable outfits for young people on the streets, strict coats of detectives and a sophisticated outfit of the old grandfather-prince, and the unforgettable lady “blue stocking” is simply out of competition! The harmonious combination of different costumes on the stage is pleasantly surprising: classic pointe shoes and tutus here coexist with the uniform of police officers, felt boots of an ice cream seller, white coats of doctors and a strict suit of the mayor. And the heroine in this performance has to not only twist the fouette, but also ski!

For the performance, an age recommendation of 6+ was set, but the creators are sure that both children and adults will like the production, everyone will be able to find their own meaning in it. “Kind humor and love are universal things that everyone understands. They help a person to live at all times,” said A. Petrov. The light, playful nature of the ballet captivates adults and young spectators with the depth of family values, the importance of the memory of ancestors, the connection of generations in the fate of each person. In order for goodness and love to triumph, the heroes need to realize a lot. An abandoned, snow-covered manor, many trials and mysteries, secrets of the past and, of course, bright, all-powerful love – this is the magic story of a young hero. As in any New Year’s fairy tale, a happy ending is inevitable.

The Toy Salesman ballet is truly a unique phenomenon in contemporary choreography. This is a family show, not only because it can be watched by children, but also because it can be a great opportunity to talk and think about human values. With a captivating plot, modern choreography, a large stage and a real orchestra, The Toy Salesman has everything to become a theatrical hit and a worthy festive alternative to the traditional The Nutcracker.

The applause and shouts of “Bravo!” did not stop for a long time. The artists were filled with flowers, the audience dispersed happy. But the best impression of what was happening was expressed by one young viewer: “This is the best day of my life!” – the kid said excitedly.

Elena Minashkina.

Photo by Mikhail Kovalev