discussions by devoted balletomanes despite having
created several important roles in now-forgotten
ballets. He is the author of “The Tragedy of My Life,” an
autobiography not at all reliable.
ANDREI LEFTOV. “The Prune Danish of Russian Ballet”,
abandoned an enormously successful career as a film
actor to become a Trockadero premier danseur. His
faithful fans, however, need not despair as most of his
great films have been made into ballets: the searing
“Back to Back,” the tear-filled 'Thighs and Blisters,” and
the immortal seven-part “Screams from a Carriage.”
Because of his theatrical flair, Andrei has chosen to
explore the more dramatic aspects of ballet, causing
one critic to rename his Siegfried, “What's my Line?”
THE LEGUPSKI BROTHERS. Dmiitri, Marat, Sergey and
Vladimir are not really brothers, nor are their names
really Dmitri, Marat, Sergey or Vladimir nor are they real
Russians, nor can they tell the difference between a
pirouette and a jete...but...well...they do move about
rather nicely ...and...they fit into the costumes.
MIKHAIL MUDKIN, the famed Russian danseur for
whom the word “Bolshoi” was coined, comes to
American from his triumphs as understudy to a famous
impresario in the role of the Bear in Petrushka.
BORIS MUDKO is the Trocks’ newest danseur, having
joined only last year. Boris is a drunken but talented
Russian from Dzerzhinsk, in the former Soviet Union. He
insisted on an audition while the company was on tour.
It took some time to sober him up to make him
coherent – he was given gallons of tea and several
enemas – but finally he was accepted into the company.
He has since given up all drink and is doing quite well.
MIKHAIL MYPANSAROV soared into prominence as the
first defector whose leave-taking was accomplished at
the virtual insistence of the defectees (although in
subsequent days Mypansarov was accused of
abandoning his joyous comrades for “a mountain of
beer and an ocean of dollars”). His meteoric rise to
stardom caused him to be named Official Bicentennial
Porteur by a committee of New York balletomanes who
singled out his winning smile and losing feet.
134 | CHARLESTON GAILLARD CENTER: 2018-2019 SEASON PROGRAM: SPRING