"A soulful flight", said Alexander Pushkin about Russian ballet. It has made a name for itself over the world, and its success is usually, and not surprisingly associated with the Bolshoi. But no single, even the most famous theatre could keep up world fame.

Alongside with the Bolshoi, the country has several other brilliant ballet companies, among which one of the most prominent places justly belongs to the ballet group of the Moscow Musical Theatre named after Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko. This theatre happily blends the traditions of the Russian classical ballet school with a search for the advancement of novel forms. The theatre itself stands in the very heart of Moscow, in Bolshaya Dmitrovka street. Its attractive old-fashioned auditorium seats 1,500, and is packed every night. The stage sets are truly magnificent.

The history of the theater’s ballet group (there is also an opera group) goes back to the late 1920’s, when Moscow acquired a dance company that called itself Art Ballet. Its production caught the ballet lovers’ attention right away. The audiences were captivated by the performers’ excellence as ballet dancers and drama actors. Credit for this goes to the founder of the new company, former Bolshoi ballet star Victorina Krieger, who used Stanislavsky’s and Nemirovich-Danchenko’s system in her ballet productions.

The ballet group of the Musical Theatre consists of high-class professionals, winners of national and international contests. The Musical Theatre has long made an international name for itself. It was enthusiastically applauded in Japan, France, Hungary, Portugal, Yugoslavia, Latin America, Greece, Italy, Finland and other countries worldwide.

Address: Bolshaya Dmitrovka street, 17 , see map

About Brilliant Classical Stanislavsky Ballet and Opera theatre (established 1887, founded by Stanislavsky)

The Russian National Ballet Theatre has given Russian ballet a new lease of life. The theater's repertoire includes not only classical performances such as Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Scotland Suite, Don Quixote and Gala Concert, but also modern ballets set to the music of Mozart, Bach, Ravel and others. The company personnel numbers more than 50 dancers, and is the result of the pain-staking search for dedicated and talented artists. A great effort has gone into providing the correct atmosphere and conditions in which to develop and perfect the artists` mastery and creative pursuits. The company"s main soloists are: Honoured Artist of Russia M. Bogdanova, E. Berezina, O. Pavlova and prize winners of international ballet competitions - M. Romanov, K. Pavinskaya, N. Ivanova, N. Kungurtseva, to name but a few.

Moscow State Theatre of Folklore has been operating since 2000. The main activity of the theatre is to familiarize the general public with the traditional culture of the peoples of Russia.

National Ballet of Russia "Kostroma" presents the folk programme that doesn't have any analogues in Russia as far as artistic production and staging mastery are concerned – "National Russian Show" which takes place in Moscow State Theatre of Folklore. The Show is called up to brightly introduce traditional Russian culture avoiding backward and trite popular patterns. During almost 2 hours you will become the witness of the grandiose combination of music, drama and dance, luxurious sets and costumes, video-projection and laser animation. "National Russian Show" is a show every item of which is distinguished with unique choreographic language, the show that unites the Russian folk dance with its modern stylizations. 

See also Feel Yourself Russian Folk Songs and Dance Programme in St. Petersburg, Rissia

Renowned opera prima Galina Vishnevskaya founded the Opera Center in Moscow in 2002. Beginning opera singers undergo training and internship here. However, lots of those mastering their skills here are already somewhat experienced in stage work and participating in music festivals. World acclaimed opera stars, including Mstislav Rostropovich, Boris Pokrovsky, Peter Stein, Zubin Meta, Riccardo Muti, Theresa Bergantsa, Mirella Freni, Dennis O'Nill, and Thomas Hampson worked and taught at the Center in various years. After training at the Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Center singers become soloists of the Bolshoi Theatre, the New Opera, the Helicon Opera and other large-scale musical theatres. In addition, lots of them perform on the European stages.

Galina Vishnevskaya's Center is famous not as an educational and training institution only. For years of its existence, the organization has made a significant contribution to Russian culture, with a great number of concerts given and eleven operas staged. The theatre company also takes part in international contests and festivals. Another activity of the Center is organizing its own international projects. Thus, the 6th Galina Vishnevskaya International Contest of Opera Singers was held in the summer of 2016. 
Galina Vishnevskaya Opera Singing Center aims at keeping up traditions of the Russian opera and promoting a new perception of opera stage productions. In these undertakings the organization is supported by the Russian Ministry of Culture, the Government of Moscow and Moscow Culture Department

MOSCOW STATE ACADEMIC CHAMBER MUSICAL THEATRE NAMED AFTER BORIS POKROVSKY Chamber Musical Theatre founded by B. A. Pokrovsky in 1972 is one of the most famous and internationally-known Russian musical theatres. From its earliest days, the theatre has been a true contemporary opera laboratory remaining an only theatre of its kind in Russia for many years. At the festival, the theatre will present I Quatro rusteghi (The Four Ruffians), by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, one of the most original opera composers of the 20th century. The composer’s talent was revealed most clearly in his comic operas, he successfully applied commedia dell'arte principles in modern opera becoming one of the few worthy successors of the of Italian opera buff tradition. 

Russian folk show "Golden Ring" is the symbol of dedication to the authentic traditions of multinational Russia. The viewers will be able to plunge into the history of Russia, visit various epochs and examine in detail the fragments of different cultures, scenes of people's lives, and see an array of times and eras.Expanding the horizons and going deep into Russian history, the musical performance enables you to appreciate the truly incredible scale and scope of Russia.

"Golden Ring" is a Soviet and Russian variety ensemble, which was founded by Nadezhda Kadysheva, a popular folk singer. The ensemble's repertoire includes folk and pseudo-folk music compositions. Like a time machine, the new concert program of the Golden Ring will take the audience on a fascinating journey across the vast lands of Russia in different eras of its existence. The show is unique for the fact that everything here is shown through the prism of folklore.