The Bolshoi Ballet Movies

Sergei Prokofiev's brilliant ballet Cinderella is performed by the Bolshoi Ballet troupe in this excellent cinematic performance. The sad young woman who is turned into a scullery maid by her stepmother is performed by Raisa Struchkova. Her stepmother and two stepsisters plan their great night at the prince's ball, while poor Cinderella is left at home -- at least left there until her fairy godmother shows up to transform her and provide her with that famous pumpkin vehicle so she has a chance at true love with her prince (danced by Gennadi Lediakh). The camerawork captures all the nuances of the dance, from intricate footwork to the most sweeping leaps and interactions, taking the performance beyond the confines of a theatrical stage. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

The Russian-made Grand Concert features several top ballet artists dancing to the compositions of such composers as Borodin and Tchaikovsky. Highlights include selections from Swan Lake, Prince Igor, Eugene Onegin, Romeo and Juliet and Ivan Susanin. Among the featured dancers are Valeriya Barsova, Niava Plisetskaya, Marina Sernyonova and Galina Ulanovi. Given the early 1950s political climate, the film is refreshingly free of propaganda--save for the climactic Ivan Susanin sequence, which is staged on a set representing a collective farm. Grand Concert isn't really designed for mass consumption, but its color photography is pleasing enough to attract even those only marginally interested in ballet. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi