Gloria

Plisetskaya danced the complete Raymonda with the Bolshoi from the 1940's into the early 1960's.

During the 1960's, the two ballerinas that danced it most often in Moscow were Rimma Karelskaya

and Elena Riabinkina.

When the Bolshoi appeared for the last season at the Old Met in 1966, Plisetskaya danced the third act with her great partner, Nikolai Fadeyechev. It was a lesson in dance. She was brilliant. Every time I hear the music, I can only think about her.

Somewhere in the Russian Television archive there could be a complete performance of her in it.

They filmed complete live performances back then of everything.

Thanks, Kevin, thanks for telling me about Natalia Solgoub.

I will certainly look forward to seeing her dance. What other Kirov dancers do you like?

How wonderful it is to have a dancer like this and there is so much promise for the future. I would love to see everything she creates.

About "The Nutcracker," it was Ekaterina Maximova's greatest role in ballet (along with Don Quixote).

No doubt, among the new generation of dancers, Alina Cojocaru

is the best in it.

Can't think of a production of Prokofiev's "Romeo and Juliet" that I haven't seen, but by far, one of the most extraordinary is the ballet by Vladimir Vasiliev.

Celebrating the 75th birthday of the great musican and conductor, Mstislav Rostropovich, the London Symphony Orchestra presented the ballet with Rostropovich conducting, March 14, at the Barbican, London.

In this production, the orchestra and conductor are characters in the ballet, the conductor as the narrator and central character. There isn't another ballet that has used the music and story in such an intimate way. Rostropovich was as interesting to watch as the dancers, feeling the music so deeply and expressing his love for it and Prokofiev with every measure. The LSO played the score better than anything I have ever heard. The Lithuanian Ballet performed with great style and care, and it was so moving to see this ballet done in London by foreigners. A great experience in theatre.

All I can say is I hope this production is not for export .

Makes me wonder in what direction is the Kirov Ballet going?

I saw the Kirov dance it on tour to the USA in 1964 with

Alla Sizova and Yuri Soloviev with Gabriella Komleva and Natalia Makarova as the two sisters. It was pure magic.

My friends in London have been raving about this dancer and after seeing her for the first time in "Giselle," I can only add to the

raves. Hard to believe that she is only 20. Not only a beautiful dancer, she has the rare gift of being a superb actress as well.

She has found a fine partnership with Johan Kobborg. Her next new role is Juliet. The Royal Ballet is in great shape.