Maya Plisetskaya: Diva of Dance

Although her father was executed in a Stalinist purge and her actress mother was sent to a prison camp, the young Maya Plisetskaya still rose to become a legendary star of the Bolshoi Ballet (member from 1943-1990). Diva of Dance compiles clips from Plisetskaya's past performances, mostly tantalizing snippets of archival black and white footage from classics such as Don Quixote and her signature The Dying Swan (with color excerpts from Raymonda and Swan Lake)—all of which are featured in the 1964 documentary Plisetskaya Dances. What's new here are sections from Spartacus and Isadora, as well as a sensational full-length performance of Maurice Béjart's Boléro, performed in Brussels in 1977. Although no other dates are provided, a glance at Plisetskaya's biography suggests that she was dancing, and dancing spectacularly, into her 60s. Given the limitations of the faded media, these clips would be of only fleeting interest were it not for the sheer force of the dancer's talent, conveyed in the liquid arm movements, spectacular grand jetés, and whiplash fouettés. But the real draw here is the interview material filmed in Munich in 2004, which finds the octogenarian artist talking about her life, various roles, and artistic philosophy, while her husband, composer Rodion Shchedrin, adds revealing remarks on the vicissitudes of her career. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Reed)