Andrian Fadeev: “You can't fool the audience! Masterpieces need no comparison

Four years ago, Honored Artist of Russia Andrian Fadeev was offered to head the St. Petersburg State Academic Ballet Theater named after Leonid Yakobson. The offer was one of those that cannot be refused, and he took up this difficult but interesting business.

Elena DOBRYAKOVA

Andrian, in May of this year the collective managed to stir up the Petersburg public when the ballet Stone Coast was shown on the stage of the Hermitage Theater, choreographed by Vladimir Varnava. The audience saw a short, but very bright, imaginative performance with unusual plasticity, with a clearly built drama, tragic in sound.
- Yes, the topic is nagging - about the victims of the Holocaust. There is a monument in Hungary: there are stone shoes on the banks of the Danube - these are the shoes of those who were shot by the Nazis. The dead fell into the river, their legs were tied with a single rope, and the shot was dragging other condemned people into the water with him. Vladimir Varnava, a young and very talented choreographer, took up the job with great enthusiasm, and, I think, the performance turned out to be piercing. We are going to continue to cooperate with this director.

"Laziness is fraught with loss of health"
- What remains in the priority direction of the Yakobson Theater? Classical or contemporary choreography? Large multi-act ballets or short productions?
- I think we succeed in both sweeping canvases and choreographic miniatures. Everything has a right to exist, including modern choreography in its most unexpected manifestations. The main thing is that it should be spectacular, talented and interesting to the viewer. After all, the laws of theater have not changed over the past 300 years. In Russian ballet, everything rests on the classics, and, believe me, not a single troupe, not a single dancer speaking the language of only contemporary dance will perform Swan Lake or Sleeping Beauty. Our art has always been a subject of Russian pride. Domestic dancers master the skill of classical dance much better than their foreign counterparts. No wonder today, despite the political situation, tours abroad are not canceled, but on the contrary. Our theater is negotiating trips for 2017-2018. Russian ballet is alive and in great shape!

- When you came to the Yakobson Theater, what was the state of the troupe?
- The theater was going through difficult times. Now the composition of the artists has been completely renewed, and today I am satisfied with the quality of the collective's work. There were no revolutions - I acted very calmly and persistently.
First of all, he demanded discipline. Having worked in different ballet companies, I understand how the theater should exist and what are the components of success. You need to work hard and honestly in a team of professionals. And here some of the artists did not come to class in the morning, and the reasons were very different. One time, another - you believe, and then you are convinced: a person is just a slacker. In ballet, laziness is fraught, first of all, with the loss of health. So that people do not break their legs, do not tear ligaments, they need to practice every day. Soloists have to work on fitness, go to the gym, run.
And, of course, what I saw on stage did not suit me. The scenery and costumes were in a terrible state. And even if the artists danced beautifully, with such backdrops and props it would be impossible to offer performances to any impresario. Now we have completely changed the design of "Giselle", "Nutcracker" and "Swan Lake". But most importantly, we have become one team: I treat both teachers and artists as partners, we are united by a sense of responsibility for the cause we serve.

"I'm not afraid to take risks"
- Recently you had the premiere of Romeo and Juliet to the music of Prokofiev. The experimental thing, however, came out! The two clans - the Montagues and the Capulets - fight each other as two opposing schools of dance - classical ballet and modern dance. But in the end everything merged into one cocktail. Is it so conceived?
- When the theater invited the drama director Igor Konyaev to stage Romeo and Juliet in such an unexpected reading, I, of course, knew that it was a big risk. And he deliberately went to him, realizing that today you will not surprise anyone with another classic version of Shakespeare's work. Romeo and Juliet is staged at the Mariinsky Theater with wonderful choreography by Leonid Lavrovsky and at the Mikhailovsky Theater staged by Nacho Duato. Our performance is fundamentally different. It is up to the viewer to judge how much of what was conceived. In any case, I believe that the troupe has made a huge step forward, convinced of the success of the sold out and the reaction of the public. This means that in the field of bold experiments it is possible and necessary to move on.
I'm not afraid to take risks. Romeo and Juliet is the third contemporary ballet in the last two years, including Stone Coast. Not so long ago, the premiere of the play "Faces of Contemporary Choreography" staged by Anton Pimanov and Konstantin Keikhel took place. Different choreographers, different styles of choreography: neo-classical and modern. We deliberately support young Russian choreographers, of course, we will also invite foreign ones. There is an idea to stage a ballet based on the works of Mikhail Lermontov. This is our yet unborn project with Vladimir Varnava.

"Jacobson's plastic is very difficult"
- Surprisingly, the choreography of Leonid Yakobson still seems very interesting and modern today. Will you keep it?
- This is one of the important areas of our work. We restore his masterpieces every year. And today, 50 years later, they look unexpectedly relevant. After all, Jacobson was a revolutionary in dance, boldly experimented, broke traditions. Our artists organically feel his choreography, although the plastic is very complex. Not so long ago we showed the ballet The Wedding Cortege. At first glance, nothing breathtaking, you don't need to twirl a fouetté. But how to convey this broken lines, the character of the characters? Unusually interesting. We constantly give performances dedicated to the work of Leonid Yakobson. Recently we held such an evening together with the Academy of Russian Ballet.
- And what is happening there today, do you know?
- I think everything is in order there. The competition for admission is huge. Well, there are not enough boys, as always, things are better with girls. So it was 20 years ago. I saw the graduation of the Academy, was a member of the state commission - everything is at a high level.
- The Yakobson Theater has been without its own stage for many years, there is only a rehearsal base on Mayakovsky Street. What are the prospects?
- Our theater, I am sure, has its own special place in the city. Young dancers get the opportunity to immediately perform the leading parts. Well, your own playground is a dream, and I hope it can be realized.

"I threatened my mother that I would steal her passport"
- Tell us about the vicissitudes and joys of fate. Is ballet a family thing for you?
- Mom was a soloist of the Mikhailovsky, in those years, the Maly Opera, theater. Therefore, childhood passed behind the scenes. My parents didn't really want a ballet fate for me. After all, too many stars must be lit for an artist to take place in the profession. I threatened my mother that I would steal her passport and still go to ballet school. It worked. And in the end, the stars did not let me down.
I graduated from the Vaganov School and was accepted into the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater. This is not to say that it was an easy way. In those years, Farukh Ruzimatov, Igor Zelensky shone on the stage, and there was fierce competition among my peers. I worked a lot in the evenings, after 10 o'clock, when the ballet halls were vacated, and not only with teachers, but also on my own. Believe me, this is a great pleasure - slowly, step by step, to go to the goal. And I had it. I became the premier of the Mariinsky Theater, performed on the best stages in the world, worked with John Neumeier, Alexei Ratmansky, William Forsyth.
What else can a dancer dream of?
I am a happy person, my creative life was successful. My wife, Alexandra Gronskaya, is also a ballerina, but our 10-year-old son breathes evenly with regard to dance. But we are not upset, let us choose what our soul is in.
- Do you feel bored today without going on stage?
- My wife's grandmother said: "You are bored - go and work!" I have no free time, I am always busy with business. For six months he even tried to combine the activity of the Mariinsky soloist and the leadership of the troupe. And I was convinced that this is impossible. I rushed about between Teatralnaya Square and Mayakovsky Street and realized: I need to do one thing. Today my business is the Jacobson Theater.

"Everywhere its own characteristics"
- You said that you worked a lot abroad. What can we learn from foreigners, and what is unacceptable for us?
- There is also a strong ballet, excellent professionals who work all over the world. But our classical school is undoubtedly the best, which is why Russian dancers are so appreciated. We can do everything!
There are still no such influential trade unions in Russia as abroad. It is unrealistic to detain an artist at a rehearsal in excess of the time prescribed in the contract. Otherwise, the insurance company will not pay compensation for the injury, if any. All rules are strictly followed. Not so long ago we had a joint project with the Teatro Massimo in Palermo - the play "Giselle". Italian artists have joined our corps de ballet. And it began! One does not have the right to work under the contract on Saturday, the other has either evening rehearsals or mornings on some days. And processing for the sake of art, as is customary in Russia, is categorically unacceptable. It comes to the ridiculous: in "Giselle" there is a scene where the dancers carry out the table. The Italians refused, saying that they were not props. Difficulties and peculiarities are everywhere. I think there are no such conditions for professional growth as we have anywhere else!
- How do you feel about Chinese ballet and the fact that China has set a goal to surpass everyone in the world, including in the field of ballet art?
- I was in China at the invitation of the great ballerina and choreographer Natalia Makarova, who staged her version of Swan Lake at the Beijing Opera. He danced with a Chinese woman. It's hard for me to perceive Chinese artists in classics. Although technically they are very well prepared: they have excellent teachers, many of them, by the way, from Russia. The Chinese work fanatically, and if our ballet lesson starts at 11.00, in Europe - at 10.00, then in China - at 9.00. But their dance is more like acrobatics. And what has been passed down from generation to generation in Russian ballet for centuries cannot be made up in a few years, despite the capacity for work and material investments. That is why we so carefully preserve, value and, of course, develop what we have.

"We celebrated the New Year in Cannes"
- Where exactly is the theater going to tour?
- In many places, we have permanent impresario. This year the theater is expected in Japan, France, Switzerland. And we celebrated the New Year in Cannes, danced on December 31 "The Nutcracker" in the famous hall where the film festival is held. We have such a holiday!
- What else will the Yakobson Theater make for ballet lovers this summer?
- We are showing Swan Lake to the music of Pyotr Tchaikovsky, choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, in updated scenography and costumes by Vyacheslav Okunev, with wonderful soloists - Alla Bocharova, Daria Elmakova, Svetlana Smirnova, Artem Pykhachev and Stepan Dematurov. And, what is especially important, we are dancing this performance at the Mariinsky Theater. And to step on this great stage is always a great honor and responsibility.

Dossier
FadeevAndrian Gurievich FADEEV
born on October 22, 1977. Ballet dancer, choreographer, soloist of the Mariinsky Theater since 1997. In 2011, he became the artistic director of the St. Petersburg State Academic Ballet Theater named after Leonid Yakobson. In 2008 he received the title of Honored Artist of Russia.
In 2001, especially for Andrian Fadeev, John Neumeier created the main role in the ballet Sounds of Empty Pages. In 2003 he made his debut at the Berlin Opera as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. At the Rome Opera he danced in the performances "Apollo", "Sleeping Beauty", "Swan Lake". In 2005 he sang the title role in The Nutcracker (choreography by Vasily Vayonen) at the Tokyo National Theater. He made his debut at the Munich Opera in Ivan Lishka's play Sleeping Beauty.
Performed leading roles in the ballets La Sylphide, Giselle, Le Corsaire, La Bayadère, Don Quixote, Chopininana, Fountain of Bakhchisarai, Romeo and Juliet, Jewels, Youth and Death ...
Laureate of the international competition Vaganova-Prix (1995), the Baltika prize (1998), the highest theatrical prize of St. Petersburg “Golden Soffit” (1999, 2000), the annual international prize “For the art of dance named after L. Massina ”(Italy, Positano, 2006).

Olesya Novikova's debut in the role of Sylphide can be considered successful. But I still wanted more ...
I'll try to explain what I mean.

The composition of the performance:
Sylphide - Olesya Novikova (first performance), James - Philip Stepin,
Effie - Oksana Marchuk, Medzh - Alexandra Gronskaya, Gurn - Ivan Sitnikov.
Conducted by M. Agrest.

By the way, about the conductor. For some reason, ballerinas with enviable consistency bring the conductors onto the stage when the performance ends. I don't know what feelings Novikova felt when I took Agrest to bows, but personally, in her place, I would not be in a hurry to do this - :( In my amateurish opinion (and hearing), the conductor did not help the ballerina, but interfered. Only sometimes the dance merged with music, but still Olesya had to catch up with the orchestra, then "slow down" so that he caught up with her -: (Nevertheless, I liked the orchestra itself - such a paradox. yourself - a great achievement.

I will repeat myself - I expected more from Novikova, especially from the second act. After the recent La Bayadere at the Mikhailovsky Theater, it seemed to me that Novikova had reached a new performing level. But Bournonville's "Sylphide" is such a tricky "little thing" that even a very experienced dancer simply cannot cope with.

When the curtain opened and the first mise-en-scene with James sleeping in an armchair started, it seemed to me that I was seeing the Mariinsky Theater's best Sylphide to date. Hands, jumps (absolutely noiseless and weightless), postures - everything was so beautiful and stylish that the soul was just happy! But gradually the first charm disappeared somewhere ... I began to notice that the ballerina's body was somewhat tense, that the jumps might not be as energetic as Novikova demonstrated. Of course, we had a real Sylph in front of us, but still this dancer is clearly capable of more. It seems to me that "sylph" is generally a property of her dancing nature - :)

I repeat: Novikova jumped almost silently. Against the background of her friends clattering with pointe shoes, her Sylphide seemed like a truly unearthly creature. I think this is Novikova's greatest achievement in this performance.

Stepin really liked the first act, but by the second he was clearly tired. I don’t know - maybe I was in a too “picky” mood that evening. In general, both main characters played their roles well, which is also very important, in my opinion.

In addition to the main characters, I would like to mention I. Sitnikov - Gurna and A. Gronskaya - Madge, who brought some kind of "revitalization" into the plot.

The theater troupe, as you know, went on tour to the United States. The rest of it dances for foreigners who came to St. Petersburg. It seemed to me that a very large part of the audience was made up of guests from Asia. The audience did not applaud too zealously, but still was not entirely sleepy.

In general, the "everyday life of the Mariinsky Theater" began. The corps de ballet danced at random. Once it seemed to me at all that the sylphs got confused - who where to run - :( The final passage of the sylphs along the backdrop was not: the "swing" on which the "corpse of the sylph" (white scarf) usually flies, was simply liquidated - obviously due to And at the beginning of the second act, the Sylphide herself also ran, and did not fly into the forest - :( She flew up to the nest in the tree with "jerks" - machinery that day was clearly not on the side of the ballet dancers - :(

Three photos from bows - "none", excuse me ...

Philip gave his bouquet to Olesya

Once the curtain, which had already been lowered, was nevertheless raised, and the main characters still bowed to us.

Aleskandra, in your opinion, what is the difference between the Kiev school and other schools?

I traveled a lot to various schools in Europe for internships. Was in London, Paris, Monaco, Vienna and Barcelona. The Russian school stands out for its discipline. In Europe, the work of feet, fine technique and good rotation are more appreciated, while in our country - the purity of performance and academicism. You can see the Kiev school from hand to hand. Our top is more squeezed. In Barcelona, \u200b\u200bmany immediately spoke to me in Russian, not yet knowing where I was from.

Many ballet stars from Ukraine are Nina Semizorova, Svetlana Zakharova, Sergei Polunin. Why do you think this is so?

Ukrainians are hardworking and motivated. We are ready to work day and night. And also in Ukraine there are very beautiful people, and the stage loves beauty.

You have a stylish instagram. Is it a tribute to fashion or a desire to become more popular?

I am extremely pleased that he is considered stylish! I try to combine posts in colors, make them interesting and beautiful. At first, it was really a tribute to fashion - all the girls had their own page, and I also wanted to. And now, thanks to him, I can meet and communicate with people from other parts of the planet and share what I love.

There is a lot of poetry on the page. Why? What is your favorite poet?

Favorite poet - Sergei Yesenin. I always carry with me a small collection of his poems and I know most of them by heart. From acquaintance with his work, my love for poetry began. I read Blok, Lermontov, Fet, Pushkin and Mayakovsky. I compose myself. Previously, exclusively for myself, now I share with my subscribers. But so far I do not indicate my authorship under all the poems - I am shy.

What theater would you like to dance in?

Theater of Dreams - the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg or the Grand Opera Theater in Paris. These are theaters with a rich history and incredibly beautiful, many great artists have performed on these stages. Hope to join them someday.

How is it possible to combine study and hobbies, dance and travel?

As a child, I did not let my parents switch the Culture channel, which often showed ballet. From the age of 3 I already knew that I would associate life with classical dance, and other hobbies appeared later, and did not prevent me from doing what I loved. I completely surrender myself to ballet, and everything else fades into the background. It's hard to say that I combine it. On the plane, I study poetry, stretch out reading books. I have been to many countries, but not as a tourist, but as an artist who improved his ballet qualifications.

What's your biggest fear?

I'm afraid to be wrong. I am an idealist, I believe that everything should be done ideally or not at all. Because of this, I used to be afraid that they would be scolded, but now I practically overcame this fear. And I realized that they make comments when they want to help, and if something continues to fail, the principle will work - more work, less nerves.

What is your favorite school discipline?

I love all subjects in school, but especially classical dance. Everyone in my family is either mathematics or physics. My parents once wanted me to follow in their footsteps, so I had no chance to dislike technical disciplines.

Try to recall a case during training when you did not succeed for a long time. What was it? And how did you find a way out?

Once I wanted to dance a variation from the ballet Esmeralda. Everyone said that I was a lyrical ballerina and I could not dance it either emotionally or technically. Everyone is used to the fact that Esmeralda is a fatal beauty, although according to Victor Hugo's plan, she is an expression of innocence and purity. I managed to convince the teacher, and I danced this variation in the semifinals of the YAGP competition in Paris.

Are there any ballet dancers you want to be like?

I like Oksana Skorik, Victoria Tereshkina, Sylvie Guillem, Diana Vishneva. But I don't want to be like someone, I don't want to become a copy. I strive for individuality.

Interview Elizaveta Emelkina

A photo Ira Yakovleva

Andrian Fadeev was born on October 22, 1977 in Leningrad.
Graduated from the Academy of Russian Ballet. A. Ya. Vaganova (class of V. Semenov).
Has been with the Mariinsky Theater since 1995, and has been a leading soloist since 1997.
Was born on October 22, 1977 in Leningrad. Father - Malofeev Guriy Nikolaevich (1932-2000), engineer. Mother - Svetlana Leonidovna Fadeeva (born in 1936), ballet dancer, teacher, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation. Wife - Gronskaya Alexandra, ballet soloist.
Andrian grew up in a family that could be said to be theatrical through and through. Mother - Svetlana Leonidovna danced the leading roles at the Leningrad Maly Opera House, finished her career after 20 years of the stage path.
The elder brother of Andrian - Slava studied at the choreographic school. Little Andrian admired him: what his brother was doing is incomprehensible to the mind! He could jump high and even beat one foot against the other! Or, in a jump, turn in the air two or even three times! He grabbed the younger one, threw him up, allowed him to fall down regularly, caught him at the last moment at the very floor and praised the subject for his courage. It was breathtaking from all these flights. And in the depths of my soul it was ripe: dance is a miracle!
So everyone in the family thought. My father worked as an engineer, but he lived by dancing. I helped my mother so that nothing would bother her while she danced. And he dreamed of becoming a dancer. He dreamed of an artistic path, but decided not to risk it, to devote himself to a reliable one - technology. Even after his wife left the theater, both spouses lived by discussing theatrical affairs: what they succeeded there, and what is unlikely to survive.
“The second, youngest, is also an artist? Are there many artists in the same family? However, theater is a part of our life, ”the parents reasoned. Andrian, of course, was brought to his mother's mother Maly for a ballet performance. It was the old Coppelia, re-staged by Oleg Vinogradov. Long, by the standards of childhood, performance. It was difficult for the child to sit it out to the end. Andrian fidgeted, grabbed his mother's hand, pulled her to another - interesting, behind the stage, place. There, behind the scenes, to run from the heart, laugh, marvel at the unprepossessing scenery and costumes that looked so attractive from the hall.
Mother decided: there are enough artists in the family! The father was discouraged, but he was forced to agree. One protested - Andrian. He stated categorically: “I will steal your passport, mommy, since they certainly require the presence of parents. I'll give the document to another. To the one who will believe: I cannot live without a dance! "
Mother resigned herself. In the choreographic school, Andrian was examined, recognized as fit for the craft of a dancer, and enrolled.
And a new life began for him. Difficult. From 9 am to 5 pm. Break one for 45 minutes: swallow a sandwich, drink tea, relax a little. And again, tackle the main thing: how to make the body obedient, expressive, and how to subordinate the dance to your will, the will of the one who composed the choreography and music.
The dance revealed its secrets reluctantly. The teacher demanded accuracy, but the body resisted. And my mother repeated in the evenings: technique is one thing - art is another. How can you find your own, unlike anyone else's path?
Release arrived in time. Fadeev had a chance to dance two pas de deux: one - an old one, from the "Venice Carnival", the other - closer to us: "Pas de deux" to the music of Tchaikovsky, composed by G. Balanchine. Both numbers showed: they expect a virtuoso dance from a graduate; Such that not only support the ballerina, but they themselves can express themselves in a solo dance.
Fadeev's teacher was Vladilen Grigorievich Semyonov. Favorite student of Boris Vasilyevich Shavrov, who combines loyalty to academism and curiosity for innovation. Semenov limited himself to academicism. With the students he was quietly strict, but persistent. The first time after Andrian's arrival in the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater V.G. Semenov meticulously rehearsed with him, but soon left for the West, settled in the United States. Andrian had to look for new mentors. Now he is preparing a repertoire with Yu.V. Fateev.
Fadeev did not stay in the corps de ballet: the capable newcomer was immediately instructed to prepare an insert pas de deux in Giselle. He overcame difficulties with success. Then the leading parties poured out as if from a cornucopia. Now he is the premier of the Mariinsky Ballet Company. Everybody loves dancing Andrian. At first it was difficult, having performed an academic performance, to switch to modern plastics. Then I managed to find a solution here as well.
Success came to Fadeev early. In the year of graduation from the Academy of Russian Ballet, he became a laureate of the Vaganova-Prikh International Competition (1995). In 2000 he was awarded the Golden Soffit (St. Petersburg) and Soul of Dance (Ballet magazine, Moscow) awards.
Andrian Fadeev is especially effective in the academic classics, which require a refined technique and noble manner. His prince Désiré in The Sleeping Beauty is either majestically statuesque or lively impetuous. And in Swan Lake, its hero, Prince Siegfried, is melancholy, dreamy and brooding. He is immersed in his inner world, and everything that happens to him is a poetic dream. The poet, who prefers his fiction to reality, is one of the main themes in the dancer's work. Such is his James in "Sylph". Some of his heroes - Albert in Giselle, Solor in La Bayadère - shy away from open confrontations and give way to circumstances. As a result, each of them loses the most precious thing in life and only through the pain of loss comprehends the true measure of morality.
The hero-lover is the direct business of the dancer: the ardent Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, the fearless Vaclav in the Fountain of Bakhchisarai, and the mischievous Basil in Don Quixote are close to him. But the artist is no stranger to genre colors: his Lankedem in "Corsair" is colorfully selfish, savagely bargaining, passionately defending his own profit. He enthusiastically trades in female beauty, slaves, because he knows the true price of his product.
Andrian Fadeev values \u200b\u200bhis performances in the modern repertoire. Here you can quench your craving for juicy, bright, contrasting plastic paints. His participation in the productions of J. Balanchine was a success. He dances Soloist in Symphony in C major and Rubies, Apollo in the ballet of the same name.
A little more - and Andrian will step over into the second decade of his stage career. There came a mature skill, experience, an extremely diverse repertoire. Here are the beloved M. Petipa, and M. Fokine, and Y. Grigorovich, and J. Balanchine. And next - J. Neumeier, R. Petit, W. Forsyth, A. Ratmansky.
There were more strict domestic judges. Now, in addition to his mother, his beloved wife, also a ballet soloist, is present at Andrian's performances, Alexandra Gronskaya.
Ballet, ballet all around. This is the main thing in Andrian's life. And what is happiness for him? “Perhaps harmony in my house,” he replies.
Lives and works in St. Petersburg.

In December 2016 and January 2017, the St. Petersburg State Academic Ballet Theater named after Leonid Yakobson comes to Germany on tour. On the eve of the tour, the artistic director of the theater, Honored Artist of Russia Andrian FADEEV, kindly agreed to answer the questions of our magazine.

- Andrian Gurievich, despite the fact that the theater's repertoire includes many wonderful modern performances, you bring only classical ballet to Germany. What caused this choice?
- Russian ballet is famous first of all for its classics. Therefore, this program was chosen for our tour in Germany. Moreover, this visit coincides with Christmas and New Year's holidays, which means that we must show our famous "Nutcracker".

- What else do you plan to surprise the German audience with?
- We will bring "Giselle", "Nutcracker", "Chopiniana" and a gala program. All this is amazing music, beautiful design, skill of dancers and stories that have touched human hearts for more than one century. We are not trying to surprise. If the audience came, turned off their mobile phones for three hours, forgot about their everyday problems and, no matter how trite it sounds, plunged into the world of beauty, then our task is completed. And if they wanted to attend the next performance, then this is already a victory.

- Five years ago you headed the ballet theater. Has the repertoire changed over the years? What do you prefer - classics or modern productions? What tasks do you think are among the priorities?
- Our main task is to be interesting to the viewer. Nobody knows what will be needed for this tomorrow. We try to work in various directions and do it professionally and conscientiously. And how much the theater manages to do this is up to the public to judge. You can't fool her.

- You have already been on tour in Germany several times. Is the German audience any different from other audiences in Europe?
- Spectator perception does not depend on geographic location. In any country there are people who came to the ballet for the first time, there are sophisticated connoisseurs, and in the end everything depends on the artists - how much they manage to touch the hearts of the audience.

- You are familiar with many countries. Which audience do you think is the most receptive to ballet?
- Perhaps, Japan, there they are especially sensitive to this type of art. It is difficult to find a girl in this country who does not attend a ballet studio. Over the past 20 years, Japanese ballet has changed beyond recognition. Russian teachers work throughout Japan. And today a representative of the Land of the Rising Sun dances in any ballet troupe in the world. Our theater is no exception.

- Petersburg is famous for many famous ballet companies. How do you manage to withstand such strong competition and what place does the Yakobson ballet occupy among the theaters of the Northern capital?
- Our theater does not compete with anyone. We have our own place in the ballet space of St. Petersburg, our own repertoire, our own destiny and, of course, our audience. In addition, young dancers performing with us get the opportunity to immediately perform the leading parts. Of course, admirers of Leonid Yakobson's work do not miss memorable evenings dedicated to the master and his ballets. Some people prefer our classical productions, but there are also those among the audience who follow with interest the search in the field of modern choreography.

- The performances of your theater often take place on the stage of the Bolshoi Drama Theater or the Alexandrinsky Theater.
- Own playground is still a dream, and I hope it is achievable.

– The best ballet companies from all over the world come to Germany on tour. What is the distinguishing feature of the Yakobson Ballet Theater? What can the audience see at your performances that other theaters do not have?
- Our theater is an academic state theater, and it simply has to meet high professional criteria. And not only in terms of the quality of performance. That is why we pay such close attention to decorations and costumes. Everything should be at the same high level, otherwise there will be dissonance: with a poor design, you will no longer want even the most brilliant dances, and a bad orchestra will ruin the impression of the whole performance. After all, this is a complete piece, where every detail is important.

- You were born into a dancing family. And from an early age they were in love with ballet. What else makes your heart beat?
- My mother was a soloist of the Mikhailovsky Theater, in those years it was still called the Maly Opera. Therefore, childhood passed behind the scenes. My parents didn't really want a ballet fate for me. For too many things have to converge for an artist to take place in the profession. But the stars did not let me down. I graduated from the Vaganov School and was accepted into the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater. This is not to say that it was an easy way. In those years, Farukh Ruzimatov, Igor Zelensky shone on the stage, and there was fierce competition among my peers. I worked a lot in the evenings, after ten o'clock, when the ballet halls were vacated, and not only with teachers, but also on my own. Believe me, this is a great pleasure to go slowly, step by step towards the goal. And I had it. I became the premier of the Mariinsky Theater, performed on the best stages in the world, worked with John Neumeier, Alexei Ratmansky, William Forsyth ... What else can a dancer dream of? I am a happy person, my creative life was successful. My wife, Aleksandra Gronskaya, is also a ballerina, but our twelve-year-old son breathes evenly when it comes to dancing. But we are not upset: let him choose what the soul is in.

- How do you prefer to rest?
- I don't know how to rest. Of course, it's great to get on a plane and fly with your family to the sea. But I never manage to disconnect one hundred percent from work. It may not be right, but it's a given.

- What associations do you have with the word "Germany"?
- I remember my work at Deutsche Oper in Berlin. It was September, I flew in with my wife after my honeymoon, the weather was amazing, I danced Romeo, and my whole creative life was still ahead ...

- Munich and Berlin applauded you. How did your work develop in this country?
- For a conscientious professional artist, it makes no difference whether to dance in Russia or in Germany. Nowadays all troupes in the world are absolutely international. For a dancer, this is a huge experience and movement forward - to have contracts in different cities and countries of the world.

- Are there any must-see places that you would like to visit while touring in Germany?
- For me, places are often associated with people. I have many friends here, and, of course, if there is such an opportunity, I will try to see them ...

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