Meet Xander Parish, the principal dancer of the famous Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. He became the first Brit to join the company eight years ago and has forged a brilliant career in one of the best ballet companies in the world.
Xander guides us through the backstage of the historic Mariinsky Theater and its new stage, as well as through his everyday life as a ballet dancer. We discover the hidden corners of one of the best Russian theaters, meet Xander’s colleagues, friends, and his guru, Director of the Mariinsky Ballet Yury Fateev, who played a vital role in his decision to move to Russia. We accompany Xander in his preparations for two ballets in Mariinsky, Paquita and La Corsaire, from make-up, costume, and warm-up on the stage before the performance till the end of the show.
Our hero explains which character traits have helped him to succeed in Russia and shows us his favorite spots in beautiful St. Petersburg: St. Isaac’s Cathedral and the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood.
Xander shares his experience of living in Russia and shows how much work and dedication one needs in order to be successful in the ballet world.
Author and director of the film is Yulia Shamporova.
This article was originally posted on Russia Beyond on November 19, 2018, and has been reposted with permission.
This post was written by the author in their personal capacity.The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of The Theatre Times, their staff or collaborators.
This post was written by Yulia Shamporova.
The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.
