This splendid tale of forbidden love, self-sacrifice, jealousy and suffering returns to the Bolshoi stage after a ten-year absence. The Legend of Love is one of Russian master Yuri Grigorovich’s earliest choreographic works, and its storyline explores the conflict between love and duty through its two heroines.
The plot of this lavish production is loosely based on Théophile Gauthier’s novel Le Roman de la Momie. French choreographer Pierre Lacotte was exclusively commissioned in 2000 by the Bolshoi Theatre to resurrect Marius Petipa’s mighty Egyptian fresco, and he succeeded brilliantly in giving new life to this forgotten masterpiece. With its exotic setting, impressive parades, spectacular variations and crowd scenes, this grand 19th‐century Orientalist fantasy is one of the most remarkable productions in the Bolshoi’s repertoire. The main roles are here danced by Bolshoi principals Svetlana Zakharova, Nina Kaptsova and Ruslan Skvortsov.