| Description |
3 linear ft. (8 boxes) |
|
I. Correspondence, 1968-1972; II. Photographs, 1958-1988; III. Programs, 1956-1990; IV. Clippings, 1962-1966; V. Oversized materials, 1970-1979. |
| Summary |
The Maya Plisetskaya papers span the years 1956-1990 and consist of correspondence, clippings, photographs, slides, and negatives. Alice Vrbsky, a New York City school teacher who was a fan of the ballerina, created the collection. Vrbsky made scrapbooks of Plisetskaya's career. The correspondence is from Plisetskaya to Vrbsky and is all in Russian as Plisetskaya did not learn English. The clippings are mostly from North American publications, although there are some foreign language clippings also included. The collection contains equal amounts of publicity photographs of ballet productions, as well as candid shots, taken by Vrbsky, of Plisetskaya playing the part of a tourist. Vrbsky also took the slides and negatives. The collection is important in its documentation of the Cold War era career of Maya Plisetskaya, who danced in several tours with the Bolshoi Ballet. The collection does not have any personal anecdotes from either Vrbsky or Plisetskaya. |
| Biography |
Maya Plisetskaya, a leading ballerina with the Bolshoi Ballet during the Cold War era, became famous throughout the world as a result of her extensive touring and appearances in ballet films. Born in Moscow in 1925, Plisetskaya attended the Bolshoi Theatre Ballet School and would join the company as a soloist in 1943. She was refused permission to tour with the company for six years, but in 1959 was finally permitted to tour in the United States and eventually she performed all over the world. Elevated to prima ballerina status in 1962, Plisetskaya was known for her strong technique as well as her dramatic ability and she danced a wide variety of roles throughout her long career. Later, she turned to choreography, creating the ballets, Anna Karenina (1972) and The Seagull (1980), to the music of her husband, Russian composer, Rodion Shchedrin, whom she had married in 1958. Plisetskaya received many awards and accolades, including Russia's highest civilian honor, the medal for service to the Russian state, second degree, which she received at a 2000 gala at the Bolshoi Theatre held in celebration of her seventy-fifth birthday. |
| Language |
The Correspondence series is in Russian. |
| Indexes |
Finding aid available in repository and on internet. |
| Subject |
Plise︠t︡ska︠i︡a, Maĭ︠i︡a Mikhaĭlovna, 1926-
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Vrbsky, Alice.
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Bolʹshoĭ teatr Rossii. Balet.
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Ballerinas -- Soviet Union -- 20th century.
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Fans (Persons) -- New York (State) -- New York.
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| Genre/Form |
Correspondence.
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Clippings.
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Negatives.
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Photographs.
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Slides (photographs)
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| Occupation |
Ballerinas. |
| Added Author |
Vrbsky, Alice.
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Bolʹshoĭ teatr Rossii. Balet.
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| Call No. |
(S) *MGZMD 153
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| Research Call Number |
(S) *MGZMD 153
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