Bakhrushinsky Theater Museum

To the 100th anniversary of Roland Petit’s birth.

Roland Petit is a legendary figure. And not only in the world of ballet. Petit’s work was admired in the world’s major theaters and in Hollywood, where he staged dances for Fred Astaire. He was friends with Rudolf Nureyev, knew Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo, worked with Mikhail Baryshnikov and Maya Plisetskaya.

Even during his lifetime Petit became a modern classicist. His ballets are danced on the world’s most diverse stages. He is quoted, his performances are studied…

Petit from his youth was surrounded by outstanding people of his time in literally every field of art. The music for his ballets was written by Henri Dutilleux and Henri Sauget, the sets for his performances were created by Pablo Picasso and Max Ernst, the costumes by Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior, and the libretti were written by Jean Anouille, Jacques Prévert and Georges Simenon.

The exhibition dedicated to one of the greatest choreographers of the 20th century presents the works of Mikhail Logvinov, a famous photographer of the Bolshoi Theater, who for more than 10 years shot performances and rehearsals of R. Petit with French and Russian dancers. The audience will see the most different Petit – sad, ironic, laughing, immersed in his thoughts – on stage and backstage in theaters and in ballet class with the stars of world ballet.