Board of Trustees, he will have to deal with money at the Bolshoi Theatre as well; however, this time we are talking about sponsors' money. Nowadays the Board co- sponsors both the Bolshoi's productions and its collective. The Board can choose to support this or that project, as well as lobby the Bolshoi's interests; at the same time, it hardly has any direct influence on the theatre's artistic policy. Mr. Shvydkoy is not a conservative; he has great experience and is tolerant of modern art. He suits the Bolshoi's image and policy harmoniously and can be very useful to the theatre. Besides, he knows Vladimir Urin, the Bolshoi's current General Director, rather well, so everyone can hope for some mutual understanding. Mikhail Shvydkoy has become the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Bolshoi's Board of Trustees The new Chairman of the Executive Committee was elected at the Bolshoi Theatre. The Bolshoi's spokeswoman Katerina Novikova told "Interfax" that it was Mikhail Shvydkoy, the Special Envoy to the President of the Russian Federation for international cultural cooperation. Mr. Shvydkoy will have this position until December 2016. He became the third Chairman of the Executive Committee in the Board of Trustees' history. Konstantin Remchukov, the editor in chief of the "Nezavisimaya Gazeta", was the first to have this position. Alexander Budberg, a journalist and a political reporter of "Moskovsky Komsomolets", has held this position for the last six years. Several days prior to the elections Alexander Budberg withdrew from elections. He recommended his colleagues to elect Olga Golodets, the Deputy Prime Minister; she, in turn, told information agencies that she was very busy and was not going to take charge of the Executive Committee. Editor's note: The Bolshoi Theatre Board of Trustees was founded in 2001. Back then the mayor of Moscow Yuri Luzhkov and Mikhail Shvydkoy, who was the Minister of Culture at that time, became its chairman and vice-chairman. Alexander Zhukov, the First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma, has been the Board of Trustees' Chairman since 2006. The Executive Committee that works in between meetings of the Board of Trustees, supports the theatre's activities; it is formed from legal representatives of the Board of Trustees' members. T ASS was a media partner of the gala concert that brought together world ballet stars On December 7th the charity concert "Ballet without Frontiers" took place at the Bolshoi Theatre. TASS provided information support to the concert, which was organized in support of the Kiev Choreographic School Svetlana Zakharova, the Bolshoi Theatre's prima ballerina, at the press conference about the charity gala concert "Ballet without Frontiers" that took place at the Bolshoi Theatre. Photo: TASS/Y uri Mashkov The brilliant galaxy of world famous artists, who decided to support their alma mater, performed at the Bolshoi Theatre together with their star partners. Svetlana Zakharova, who started her studies at the Kiev Choreographic School, the Bolshoi's prima ballerina, La Scala Ballet etoile, People's Artist of Russia and laureate of the State Prize of Russia, was the artistic director of the gala. Y uri Baranov, a Bolshoi Theatre soloist and a graduate of the Kiev Choreographic School, was the producer of the concert. Many graduates of the Kiev Choreographic School, who are first soloists at the world's best theatres, agreed to take part in the concert. The gala starred Alina Cojocaru (the English National Ballet), Ivan Putrov (the Royal Ballet), Iana Salenko (Staatsballett Berlin), Leonid Sarafanov (the Mikhailovsky Theatre) and Nina Zmievets (The Boris Eifman Ballet). The dancers came to Moscow together with their star partners. Svetlana Zakharova opened the gala; she performed the legendary "Carmen Suite". In the second part of the concert together with Patrick de Bana she performed the piece "Digital Love", inspired by the tragic disappearance of the Malaysia Airline Boeing in the sky above the South China Sea, which took place in March 2014. The concert was closed with pas-de-deux from the ballet "Le Corsaire", performed by Svetlana Zakharova and Leonid Sarafanov. All money raised will be donated to the Kiev Choreographic School and spent on its reconstruction. This year the famous educational institution turns 80 years old; in the last 30 years the building has not been reconstructed. TASS published information about this event in its news lines and its website.
.tass.ru /…/ Svetlana Zakharova's charity project in support of the Kiev Choreographic School The charity concert "Ballet without Frontiers" took place on the Bolshoi Theatre Historic Stage on December 7th; all money raised will be donated to the Kiev Choreographic School. Svetlana Zakharova, the Bolshoi's prima ballerina, initiated this project. She was born in Lutsk and studied at the Kiev Choreographic School for six years, from 1989 till 1995. She visited her alma mater in November of 2013 and was shocked: "I was told that the building had not been reconstructed at all for about 30 years… in winter the temperature in the rehearsal rooms never raised above 8 degrees Celsius, there were drifts and the roof was leaking". Famous graduates of the Kiev School, who are working at the world's leading theatres today, joined Svetlana Zakharova and decided to help their alma mater as well. The gala starred Iana Salenko, a prima ballerina of Staatsballett Berlin, Alina Cojocaru, a prima of the English National Ballet, Leonid Sarafonov, a premier of the Mikhailovsky Theatre, Nina Zmievets, a leading soloist of The Boris Eifman Ballet and Ivan Putrov, ex- premier of the Royal Ballet. Together with their famous partners (the audience probably looked forward to seeing Natalia Osipova most of all) the dancers gave a concert that consisted of two parts; Svetlana Zakharova took the most active part in this project. In the first part of the concert the ballerina performed "Carmen Suite", choreographed by Alberto Alonso; Denis Rodkin was her partner. In the second part of the concert Zakharova performed pas-de-deux from "Le Corsaire" together with Leonid Sarafanov and "Digital Love", choreographed by Patrick de Bana, who also was her partner. /…/ The presentation of the patriotic community and educational project "We are from Russia" took place at the Bolshoi Theatre on December 5th 2014 The presentation of the patriotic community and educational project "We are from Russia" took place at the Bolshoi Theatre on December 5th 2014 at 7 p.m. The event was organized by the NGO "People's Restoration" for promotion of preserving cultural and historical heritage with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. Vladimir Medinsky, the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation, took part in the project. Vladimir Medinsky took part in the presentation of the project "We are from Russia" "W e are from Russia" is a national patriotic community and educational project, launched by the NGO "People's Restoration". The project focuses on popularizing monuments of Russian history and architecture that are in critical condition. According to the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation website, Vladimir Medinsky, the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation, took part in the presentation of the project "We are from Russia" that took place on the Bolshoi December, 8 2014 Newsletter

Theatre Historic Stage on Friday, December 5th 2014. The presentation was attended by representatives of legislative and executive power on federal and regional levels, scientists, cultural and art luminaries, prominent art patrons, public and political figures, as well as representatives of the business-community. The program includes performances of the stars of Russia's leading theatres and on-stage performance groups. "W e are from Russia" is a national patriotic community and educational project, launched by the NGO "People's Restoration". The project focuses on popularizing monuments of Russian history and architecture that are in critical condition. "People's Restoration" areas of concern include fundraising for reconstruction and restoration of various objects that are part of the project. The community will be presented with the new approach to popularization of monuments of Russian history and culture and fundraising for their reconstruction and restoration. Everyone will be able to contribute to saving monuments of history and culture, suggest a monument that needs restoration and donate money. /…/ Theatre HD: "La Bayadere" Broadcast of the ballet "La Bayadere", choreographed by Marius Petipa; the Bolshoi Theatre production. This is the story of the tragic love of an ancient Indian dancer and a noble warrior. The cast stars Svetlana Zakharova, Alexei Loparevich and Maria Alexandrova. WHERE: "Formula Kino Gorizont", "Formula Kino Europa" and other cinemas COST : 450 rubles (approx. $8) /…/ W on't Asian dancers take priority in ballet? Sergei Filin, the Bolshoi Ballet artistic director: - It is hard for me to imagine that Asian dancers will take over in ballet. Why? Here is a simple example. These days Russian artists are the brightest, the best and the best-selling in any company in the world; audiences around the globe look forward to seeing Russian artists most of all. I am talking about representatives of the Russian ballet school that studied in Russia and danced at Russian theatres. Our dancers make the golden reserves of the world ballet today. Our dance education is universal. All foreign choreographers, assistants, pedagogue-repetiteurs and ballet masters that come to work at the Bolshoi Theatre say: they have not seen such levels as our artists have in any other theatre in the world. Our artists can dance ANYTHING. Unlike students of foreign schools that usually concentrate on one particular direction. Here is the second example: you should see how excited the Asian audience is about our ballet and the long queues of fans that wait for an autograph from our dancers… So I would like to calm down the readers of "Argumenty i Fakty" and tell them that we will not lose our leading position in ballet. Support that tastes like gingerbread Ekaterina Cherkaeva and her masterpiece On December 3rd representatives of the charity foundation "Life Line" demonstrated gingerbread masterpieces that they planned to sell in an auction. All money raised will be donated to critically ill children. Instead of selling similar "gingerbread houses", the organizers of the auction decided to demonstrate some creativity. Each "house" is a mini-replica of some famous building in Moscow: Historic Museum, three buildings of the railway station on the Komsomolskaya Square, and the Bolshoi Theatre, which is the jewel in the crown of this collection. The pastry chef Ekaterina Cherkaeva, who created this masterpiece, said: - It took 15 kilograms of gingerbread pastry, six kilograms of flour paste and even more frosting. According to the organizers of the auction, the starting price of the gingerbread theatre was 10 thousand rubles (approx. $188). Faina Zakharova, the President of the foundation, explained: - Our concept is about providing targeted aid; each event gives us a chance to help a particular child. In my understanding, helping is the right thing to do, it is easy, ef fective and makes you feel good. Gingerbread houses fit this pattern very well. For articles published 4 December 2014 Nice Matin publishes a long interview with Jean-Christophe Maillot who says that after Russia exporting ballet to Monaco now Monaco will export its choreography to Moscow. He also says that to mark the Year of Russia in Monaco the Bolshoi Ballet will give a series of three performances in Monaco in December. Maillot speaks about his experience of working in Moscow and choreographing The Taming of the Shrew for the Bolshoi Ballet. The San Francisco Chronicle publishes an article about Christopher Stowell the ballet master of the San Francisco Ballet who is preparing for the performances of the Nutcracker. The article mentions that Stowell is also busy coaching and working on Y uri Possokhov's new ballet (an adaptation of John Cheever's short story "The Swimmer"), while the choreographer is at the Bolshoi making another dance. Many local editions announce upcoming screenings and transmissions of the Bolshoi Ballet's La Bayadere and The Nutcracker in cinemas. The Local London writes that it is a good time to be a ballet lover because two Russian ballet companies are coming in December to perform in Dartford and Bromley the Russian State Ballet and the Moscow City Ballet and performances of the Bolshoi Ballet will be screened in cinemas. British and American audiences are experiencing the annual Nutcracker mania with hundreds of local ballet groups performing the ballet in December. Many articles mention that The Nutcracker originated in Russia at the Mariinsky Theatre. December, 8 2014 Newsletter

, 7 December, 8 2014 Ballet Co Forum posts an article publishes in Russia Beyond The Headlines about films of performances of the Bolshoi Ballet from the Soviet period that are being released on DVD in a package titled Unseen Bolshoi Ballet. The Jumping-off place for Young Singers: Moscow - Paris The joint concert of the participants of the Bolshoi Theatre Young Artist Opera Program and the Paris Opera Competition took place on December 5th at the Beethoven Hall. Dramatized concert at the Opéra Grand Avignon The cooperation of young opera talents from Russia and France started last year, when the first joint concerts took place. The artists performed at the Théâtre Impérial de Compiègne in Compiègne, on the Bolshoi Theatre New Stage and at the Opéra Grand Avignon, one of the oldest opera theatres in France. On December 5th the same young artists performed at the Bolshoi Theatre again (female singers represented France, while male singers represented Russia). The Bolshoi Theatre Young Artists Opera Program was represented by Bogdan V olkov (tenor) and the Program's graduates that have recently joined the Bolshoi Opera Company - Andrei Jilihovschi (baritone) and Oleg Tsybulko (bass). Clémence Barrabé (soprano), the Opéra Grand Avignon soloist Ludvine Gombert (soprano) and the winner of two special prizes of the recent Bellini Belcanto Contest Marion Lebegue (mezzo-soprano) represented France. The program of the concert demonstrated a vast range of styles that the young artists from Russia and France are very good at. In the first part of the concert the singers performed the classical Italian and French repertoire; in the second part of the concert they presented fragments from "Eugene Onegin" by P. T chaikovsky and operas by C. Gounod and L. Delibes, which are very close to Tchaikovsky's masterpiece in terms of style, as well as the opera "La V ida Breve" by M. de Falla, which is not very well-known to the Russian audience. In the finale of the concert all participants performed the spectacular waltz from the opera "Les saltimbanques" by L.-G. Ganne.

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