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This is a one-hour, made-for-TV condensation of the Maly-Moussorgsky Ballet of St Petersburg's staging of Petipa's Esmeralda. It stars their 'prima,' Elvira Khabibulina, who has made this her signature role back home. The video of this film has been available in Russia for five or six years and has been telecast in various European countries. Great to see that it is finally making its way to America, in 'legit' commercial fashion. :yahoo:

Sorry - it doesn't include the 'Esmeralda pdd' that we see in countless competitions but it DOES show the equally famous Gypsy Pas de Six in its proper context, at the betrothal party in Fleur-de-Lys' garden.

Well, well, if this film has made its way to America, could the Russian films of other rare treasures, such as 'Little Humpbacked Horse' (traditional Mariinsky version), 'Carnaval,' or 'Egyptian Nights,' be next? Perhaps the success of the 'Pharaoh's Daughter' DVD has started a trend?!

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I had always wanted to see the ballet that the ballerinas of the old Imperial Ballet triumphed in, being that I had read so much about it in books and various other sources. I had only seen the usual excerpt that get performed on thier own, like the Drigo Pas de Deux and the MARVELOUS Pas de Six with the tamborines to the beautiful Pugni music.

I saw this Mussorgsky Ballet movie/performance film via a tape a friend of mine copied for me from a telecast that they recorded from German TV. I had always dreamed of seeing this ballet, and I guess my expectations were WAY to high, as I was very dissapointed with the ballet. Some of my dissapointment had to do with the fact that the ballet was filmed like a movie - it reminded me alot of Baryshnikov's "Nutcracker" movie, at least as far as the way it was shot. The stage that the ballet was shot on was REALLY small, especially in the scenes of Esmeralda's house. I really loved the little goat running around a la Kschessinka. But all in all the ballet was WAY over the top as far as the plot went, and the lead ballerina Elvira Khabibulina, was not all that exciting as a dancer, though she did her best and has lots of spunk.

I guess for it historicle points it a greatDVD to have and for the little documentary before the ballet, but the ballet itself is really stupid.

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