The article considers the process of transformation of the image of the main character of the ballet Undine by Caesar Puni and Jules Perrault from London to Peterhof and St. Petersburg productions. The main angle of this analysis is the correlation of certain qualities of the Undine / Naiad, emphasized by the authors in three versions of the ballet, with the main features of the archetypal image of the sea maiden, which gained special popularity in the era of romanticism. It is emphasized that with obvious changes from version to version, Undine / Naiad still retains the main characteristic of the sea maiden-the ambivalence of the image, expressed by appropriate dramatic and musical means.

The article is devoted to the initial period of the history of modern Turkmen choreographic art. The focus is on the first performances that appeared after the first generation of Turkmen ballet masters trained in the walls of the Leningrad Choreographic School and the Ashgabat Ballet Studio appeared on the stage in the late 1930s. First of all, we are talking about such a striking phenomenon as the ballet Klimenty Korchmarev’s Aldar Kose, one of the best domestic ballets of the 1940s. The drama of the performances of Girls of the Sea by Korchmarev and both Akpamyk Veli Mukhatov and Alexander Znosko-Borovsky is also considered.

The focus of research is a unique type of ornamental dance, recorded in the 21st century by the folklorists of the St. Petersburg Conservatory. These round dances were popularly called walking the street, walking in columns around several static objects. In the course of the work, the author reveals the characteristic signs of this type of movement: the presence of odd static objects, the embodiment of the meander idea as an embodiment of the eternity of movement, confined to the spring-summer cycle, style ties with the traditions of the Russian North, West, and Urals, etc.

The research of the Italian anthropologist Noretta Nori focuses on tarantella, its history, contemporary music and choreography. The scholar has created a typology of several kinds of tarantella based on the typical characteristics of the dance. She emphasizes two types of tarantella – tammurriata and tarantella Montemarano that are spread in Campania.

The article covers the events of the early twentieth century related to the opening of the faculty of theater history at the Zubovskiy Institute and the conduct of scientific research in it in the field of choreography and ballet art. Merits are noted for professional ballet criticism and domestic ballet studies by scientific staff of the Zubovskiy Institute of different years: A.A. Gvozdev, Yu. I. Slonimsky, I. I. Sollertinsky and some other leading Russian theater and ballet historians.

The main feature of the culture of post-Soviet Azerbaijan is a particular interest in national traditions, as well as a broad manifestation of the spiritual heritage to the world. Mugham, a genre of professional music of oral tradition, in the 20th century, became the basis of national composers school, boosting the development of opera and choreographic productions and performances. This article discusses the syncretism of the ancient musical traditions of the Azerbaijani people and modern balet art. Particular attention is paid to modern interpretations of the best national ballets, as well as to new choreographic stagings based on the composers` works of the 20 th century. The new versions go beyond the cultural and stylistic framework, being more adapted to the Western audience, but at the same time, the national specificity has not only been preserved, but has gained even greater expression and brightness.

The second part of the article is devoted to the ballet composers of The Six (‘Les Six’) group of the period of the 1920s, which are distinguished by the expressed eccentricity of the musical and stage embodiment. The most daring works by artistic decision are analyzed, including ballet opuses of the D. Milhaud Man and his desire (L’Homme et son desire), The Ox on the Roof (Le Boeuf sur le toit), The Creation of the World (La Création du monde) the ballet The hinds (Les Biches) and the choreographic concert Aubade by F. Poulenc, ballet-symphony Skating-Ring by A. Honegger. The emphasis is on the expansion of the genre boundaries of ballet in these works. The work also examines the collective work of The Six (‘Les Six’) group - the ballet The Marriage on the Eiffel Tower (Les Mariés de la tour Eiffel) — ballet without one specific genre.

This article examines the Field mass of Boguslav Martinu in the aspect of its choreographic reading, proposed by I. Kilian. The spiritual work, which is relevant to the choreographer, reveals a kinship with the ballet music of Martin. The composer’s ballets are briefly described; the Field mass is presented in the context of works that were chosen by the Czech choreographer for his productions at that time, which are close in terms of problems and musical language. The history of the creation and musical drama of the Field mass is covered, the semantic relationship of the musical and choreographic series in the production of Kilian is traced. The author reveals a complex of characteristic features of Martinu’s ballet music, which are also manifested in the Field mass, contributing to its choreographic interpretation: plasticity of musical intonations, frequent stylistic contrasts, freedom in the interpretation of the genre, attraction of the human voice; transfer of magic, ritual action through dance.

The article is devoted to the main issues of voice in the academic manner of singing. Emphasis is placed on the characteristics of the voice and the basics of its staging in the Belkanto technique, an emotional-figurative analysis of the romance of P. I. Tchaikovsky to the words of A. K. Tolstoy, “If I Knew,” is carried out. The conclusion is drawn about the need for competent work with the voice, both during the training period and throughout the vocalist’s singing career.

A review of a new book about the outstanding ballet teacher P. A. Pestov (1929–2011) reveals the authors ‘ intention to present the evolution of his views and teaching methods.

The article identifies and considers aesthetic parallels between А.А. Blok’s and N. S/. Gumilyov’s poetic dramaturgy. Such dramaturgic works by Gumilyov as Don Juan in Egypt, Gondla and The Poisoned tunic reveal the reminiscences of Blok’s dramas Balaganchik, The Stranger, The Rose and the Cross in the figurative system, the nature of the conflict and plot constructions. The analysis of the plays by acmeist poet Gumilyov, theoretically opposed to Blok’s aesthetics, demonstrates that the new artistic movement aimed at “overcoming symbolism” not only has the common origin with symbolism, but also can be traced back to the theater philosophy of F. Nietzsche.

This article discusses the evolution lines of chromatic harmonic keyboards. Keyboard improvements are shown depending on the spiritual needs of society and various operating conditions in musical genres from the 19th century to the 21st century. Ways of overcoming urgent problems in modern performance and pedagogy of accordion-accordion culture are revealed.

The article raises the principles of the functioning of the American Repertory Theater (ART), founded in 1980 by Artistic Director Robert Brustein, together with Robert Orchard, in the first decades of its development. There is not the state theater in the USA, it is a public organization and exists thanks to the support of the audience and philanthropists. Many regional theaters in America are supported this way, including ART, which, in its turn, was able to form a guest troupe, repertoire policy and make many educational programs that help to form an audience. Exploring the multilateral activities of the American Repertory Theater the author dwells on positive examples of the development of the company, which has become in many ways the benchmark for many American regional theatres. The example of the American Repertory Theater shows the possibility of the emergence and development of the American regional theatre as part of a national theatre process. The research method is the study of numerous data on the principles of the formation of the creative core, working with the audience, analysis of the characteristic model of a regional theatre. The author proves that thanks to the professional efforts of artistic leadership, the American Repertory Theater has become a phenomenon that is spread among American theatres.