of the the claims of the king of the belgians leopold the 2nd to the congo were finally authorized by the leading european countries in 18. 85. in the very heart of the african continent states under the rule of the belgian monarch was declared. since the beginning, the congo free state was total may have for the local population and functioned as a universal concentration camp. the majority of the population, including women and children, were forced to work on the rubber plantations. those who failed to fulfill their quota were beaten and mutilated. to keep the con, the least people under control, they gained setup the so called force bleak which were punitive detachments that cast terror on the captured country. and its inhabitants. fearing that their

subordinates would simply waste bullets hunting for wild animals, the officers demanded that the soldiers gave an answer for every bullet used. and as proof presented a job hand of an african. it was not uncommon when drying to justify the use of the munition, the columnist amputated the hands of not only those who were dead, but also of those who were kept alive. the atrocious exploitation of the congo turned into a real genocide. you know, late 20 years, the policy of the belgians laid into the depths of nearly 10000000 people. alongside all across the genocide of the congo population is considered to be one of the grimmest pages in the history of mankind. the

we are in moscow standing in front of one of versus most iconic symbols and embodies greece elegans, and expressive goals. on a grandiose scale, the buffer theater, the said long as i thought about is the prima ballerina of the ball show a. and one of the most famous dancers of our time having graced all of the world's

best stages she chooses to make the ball for a her home. the thank you for taking the time to meet me here. and this is the imperial for a of the buffer theater in spectacular location. you've said that the bus ride doesn't actually accept everybody. what do you mean by that? who does the boss? we accept it the so the nice a special place i so it's out the stage of the bull show you is not your typical stage, really? it whatever it is, steve and tradition of it. so emotionally is it has a rich history with a great artist because downstairs and seniors whose grace said lady in the z, even on a psychological level in which crossing that line which separates the wings from the stage is not something everyone can do within the even died,

beautiful auditoriums, where people watch the shows themselves when you see it from the stage to your hard stops. there's so much anxiety, not everyone is capable of overcoming that fear. so 1st of all, there's the psychological tension that some simply can't handle. and then of course, the stage of the boss choice, special as i said before, not everyone has the presence to occupy it. and that's the record. when you enter it, you need to make an impression will go, but you need to own it because the stage is so big, the more to so not every artist has been successful in this regard, is not every artist hasn't been happy on this stage of stick so what i'm talking about our guest performers for me though. as soon as i walked on, i realized it was the place for me, my theater, my stage, my audience, and i've been dancing at the bull show for 20 years now. it has seen some of my happiest performances. when you started your career,

your very young and you have said yourself that when rehearsing yourselves descent into madness, that you had to rely on the cues of your instructor. because you yourself had not experienced those emotions and didn't know exactly how to move through that i guess you know, to what extent does that emotion play into your dance and how do you express that emotion in your dance? a, a bonus to kind of, i remember my teacher telling me where i was supposed to be her day and there's no but how i was suppose to show my heart a with the adjuster, because i see at the good that that's not where i was supposed to look so that the motion in the madness scene would read, should the audience with it know, and i definitely escalate. it wasn't just a life experience that helps to be billed on the character of she says is a good performance experience to was i don't know how many times they've done. she's done it by now as in rush and elsewhere. but if each performance is unique, because they're all different and it depends on who you're dancing with,

in whose eyes you're looking skills that the how your partner takes you by the hand . incredible emotions lesson can empty out on that stage and the moment less then you move with, there's lots of they may not even be there during rehearsals. but if it's something that there's a stage magic that can turn the what the language line that the heart of a and her partner is, provide entities in an algebra to make it real. that how do we only an artist can tell you what amazing changes he or she can experience because at a moment like that or that the full, when you're fully immersed in your role, every role can be danced and slightly different ways. but every story can be told with a variation. so like with a different feelings and in a different flight, i've never had 2 performances in my career that were exactly the same that came loose and there's something different every time. and it makes things very interesting. but other than way approaches and serious, i'm kind of following along with that and nothing happens in a vacuum. the motions actually affect an artist on stage,

the plasticity of an artist on stage outside of motions or something. this something that you cannot control when you're on stage technical here there's, i need to be able to control my to keep on stage talking about emotions. it's true that sometimes they can alter your plasticity and movement. and they can be hard to control of them is if, let's say, i feel like turning my head not like this with a duck like this today. most of the, of the way it makes a different of those of the world. and it's a reflection of how i'm feeling at that moment. the deal is bad, or maybe i feel like offering my hand not like this, like this. the creates a different mood. the ballet dancers tell stories with their bodies. and what else uh, slightly sodium salem, packages, caustically speaking, in the short, you can see our face as well. if you're sitting behind ro, 5 or 600 subject, which means that we can only express our emotions with our souls before good,

which is how russians dance. and our bodies move, move plastic until the you bring up a good point in some ways that the la gives a form to the intangible, something that we cannot grasp. it gives meaning in a lot of ways in this sense, is belly, understandable by everybody? is it for everybody, or do you have to have that special, unique quality to understand as a form of our? there's this stereotype that valet is an art form for the chosen few. what am i

strongly disagree? just as long as viewers do a little bit of homework to understand what the ballet is about to assume what's the artist or dancing about, what's happening on stage. then they'll get everything. the viewers will even think, gosh, it's a simple, after all, it actually makes perfect sense. why was afraid of going to evaluate before and whatever made me think i wouldn't be able to understand it. that's because body language is simple and easily accessible and modern technology these days give us a greater range of tools or technology as well. modern dancers are like a top fleets and have great are cap ability to stand on the stool. everything has evolved through a stage of higher do more turn to form crazy live in the right. it's all very impressive. should we cherish our solutions for sure. but we also try to build on

them and try something new that. and so we like to showcase new possibilities to move dancers today even look different compared to 40 or 50 years ago. as of if it's all very impressive as up by the move. sure. thought for chip that by the way i have to point out the echo in this room is pretty intense. it's fun to play with . one of the interesting facts about the ball. so i guess classical ballet is often confined if you will. maybe that's not the right word by the idea of the choreographer. um, have you yourself ever thought about going into modern ballet or trying something a different so that you can have more freedom as an artist? the question that's a pros. great question. so you can look, there are many new answers to consider here. classical abilities have been around for centuries. at one point i realized there was no need to invent anything else. some of this valley is genius. as it is. all you need to do is perform it as

brilliantly as it was choreographed. it helped me at the time because that was when i was in a spiral young valerie knox. but i used to think i should go like this or like just this stuff that can explain your deal. it just sits in here. i thought i should give this look or place my foot in a different position to do is i keep thinking of how to do everything my way back was staying within the boundaries of the initial choreography. because the just the, when you call it, every artist is unique. so we all have a certain, this disease kind of us, certain physical limits and techniques and stuff. so i stopped obsessing about all those relevant things and just done with the right mood and with souls to him. it's always a great pleasure when the motion you've been trying to channel throughout the show . lots that comes back to you from the audience. that was that i said, so that's the most important thing for me as an artist, it up to the,

the most iconic part of the bulk of a theater is it's a historic stage, catalina novick of a has been, which is a voluntary for over 2 decades. and she's the white person to help us get a better understanding of what this theater is all about. the so it seems here we are in the big stage of the traditional hall. so it is said that no other theater in the entire world can do with the bulk of a theater does. what does that mean to my video? it's very difficult to judge and the most was definitely unique festival, by outstanding beauty of this whole way were staying with you. i was historical and secondly, by the great size of, mostly by all means, bush was always able to stage something to a big. there's lots of sets and also in the design and costs choose and numbers of

outstanding arts you stand in the bali field as well. not many companies can perform classical ball it on such a level as we can do because we don't have only just some outstanding condensers for doing reading flies. we have the whole core, they've all a which is trained in the best possible way. so that's why when you look on the old harry page such as swan lake or by a there or some other titles where you need, if huge, quoted volley, united with the same b or c, then you definitely have to look after only very few companies and as well, such as bolshoi my you skin that made it very sore throat lascola and common gun, but not many because truly a lot of efforts must be done. so be, is the idea of such kind of level. what is the mission of the policy prime mission? these, of course, the promotional items, russian culture, and in that sense, when we build our repertoire and also is there a per theater? so we have numbers of different titles every year in ball and in the order. but of

course, his goal is to she wouldn't do the phone from russian classics because we think if we don't perform russian cries, we come to proper way. who else in the world would do this? so this is our prime mission to preserve the highest point of rushing noise, and then of course, to show the highlights of wealth culture. so our 2nd goal is to perform old mazda 2 pieces, and of course, one of the main goal of the bull. sure, as of industry, if it is much easier, it's a life unit. so we have to produce something new and we have to be getting in the sense and we have to move it forward. and when, as people speak about tradition, they tend to forget that one of the main traditional in this house is to produce near things, new music and new productions, and to find new stars in pinball in the field. now the classical stage is behind us . it is fantastic to see, well, i think this whole is a very how to say soccer or like very special whole for the russian soul. also

because numbers of absolutely outstanding actors were coming on that stage mainly and trying to send you that you feel like police yet scale along are law, offline of out of here for a restful use done or you just that to me was i can push these and they all were here and we were, we were thinking, so our, so as all of the energy and all of the odd was on the stage and this was never taken away. we all feel we uh, on the, the protection on a full, she is our land leader. she leads us. so over the difficult times and as to the energy. i don't know how everyone feels. he also in these books to which we were looking, if you was in 20 century $100.00. fortunately, there is a different countries were sitting in his books watching performances in the walls . i saw you name like the guard or candidate or guys the, they all was eating g as well from that stage of their announced the verse of

soviet union or the death of william. because this was also done on that stage. so this whole itself is very special. the address is also very particular. first of all, it's very, very, very beautiful and full of history. and sometimes we feel that it's affects people who come to work on that stage as in new directions, let's say, because they come with a very daring good use. and then they come on the stage. they look into this whole and all of a sudden, sometimes they really feel the heavy pressure, all this history and re themes. this page them give you my chance to do mistakes in what they are doing on that stage. okay, so i have to ask you been here for many years? this is kind of a home for you. uh, has the audience changed over the years? i mean, why do people come to the bulk like, what do they get from come here? i would think that's more than 70 percent of our what is has a tool of doors of his art manuals people to come to the most golf courses and wants to come for the bolshoi,

at least for the ones in this house. but i think big number of our organs are the 2 lovers of this form of art. and those are the people who were done several times through the years. but very often people have particular fashion, either to visual in voices, to the ultra as an art board towards the bali. i'm lucky, i'm one of the people who love both opera and by the way. now, earlier we talked about the balance between old and classic and new works. what about a set designs? and i'm also a, has a big norma sets amazing costumes. it's all part actually. is there ever a desire or an idea to move to a virtual sense or use technology to kind of enhance that performance or is it all traditional it's, it's sort of depend on the creators. in real theater, you don't saved sort of stage design. you need just an outstanding, she wouldn't be one stage, but the school one audience comfortable choice. they don't expect this closer to

for theater. this is something they would not like to stay in the boss if audience comes here, they expect sound spring. absolutely expect back to us. i don't. so maybe in the future staging something new production of some fee or a ball as we would use, new technology is possible, but this new technology never can replace outstanding, showing things on stage and then they work. so pete, of course, of course, what about the costumes? um they are in a, in themselves. it's just great ornamental pieces of i understand they're all made right here of both. so it has a tradition to have its own workshop season. so for many years, i think also the history, we have our own workshops and the very advanced and our in custom department is really outstanding. i think if you will little call numbers of our different productions, you will see absolutely outstanding costumes. and we'll see from the number of this course, it was as impressive, for example,

now for the medical over 200 customers. one made. and of course they can do more than costumes, and they can do all the questions and they can do questions for the ultra. and they can do a to choose for the buyer or different kind of shapes of skits as it's, as it's needed. now, a little bit of trivia for those who might not know the costume department is actually really easy, little to locate if you're looking at the bus or theater. if you see of also from the front back to the apple or quadrant, you see the windows, which i gets to our custom departments. the a lot of people associated both with belly. but also opera is incredibly important, as we've been discussing, what makes an opera an opera. what makes it different from just being a people thinking on

a stage and costume unless you go to the call center. so what are you still of course can enjoy any score be performed just like this and phone says when you come to the theater kristof like a few who have, who has done with it as well. he wants to see a full scale performance. we want to see not fingers on the stage, much characters on stage. we want to see drama. we want to see x one to feel compassion. not only because of the beauty of the music, but because of the action which takes place on stage. that's why and why, why and profile altura production is really musical theater. i means the theater, where people perform. but as a performers, they have music to sing and not words to say the was there to witness one of the big oper, premiers of the season that the mostly the

renowned offer, senior soloist of the partially theatre of buddha client, is going to help us understand more about this enigmatic, artful the, the going to hello, hello. do you mind if i ask you a few questions? of course. so i guess my 1st question is, does one have to understand opera and classical music in order to enjoy it?

or can you just listen from your heart? you have the more store you this. i don't think it's enough to just close your eyes and enjoy the music. there's not, certainly you need to be able to understand opera and i think a little harder from the opera is almost like a drug addicted to a new or either totally addicted or you give up on it completely. or that's why are audiences aren't as large as others on or is more accessible to everyone around the world. yes. so i believe understanding opera is important to go to because them, it will find its way into your soul. now kind of a weird question, maybe, but do you ever think fun or for therapy or is it just strictly work for you and leave it in this way? it's a difficult question for me to answer. probably because i was born into the opera theater into it's not upstairs. i was the essentially raised backstage to me. it's impossible to live outside off from outside use. your voice must be very important to you. what happens if you're going through a difficult time in life,

or if you're just even sick? how does that affect your voice mall of being an offer, simmer is more than just being a professional level. you have to be able to sing whatever condition you're in that they didn't put once i had to perform 5 days after my brother died and flores and we were performing car mad at autism. and it was one of the most challenging experiences of my life because of 2 and a person is in a state of grief. they don't have full command of their body, then use them, but the power of art is so and then that when i go on stage, i forget a 1st thing. going back to your previous question. it's a form of therapy because only on stage i truly forget about my problem. so the,

so when you're thinking, what do you want the audience to feel beautiful, which is near? because the above all, i think the viewer has to be able to understand the character i'm playing. my will get to the words that we say or rather sing. if i do not tell the full story, a singer always tries to present the character and an opera through the sound, through indignation to act in a sing ours. we always try to reach out to our audiences and makes them feel a whole range of emotion stuff. and that includes sadness and melancholy. and it gives me great pleasure to see if you can crying in the audience because it means we did a good job on stage presenting a tragic story or a sad one, or an emotionally intense one. it means we've been able to make people reach an

emotional climax if you will. and i believe it means your real professional. if you can make people cry, a system that you are a human which means your small compared to the big stage. everything here has to be bigger than life. is it difficult to express emotions when you're just a tiny person on a big stage and the audience is so far away? can use not. oh yes, definitely. and do you need to develop certain skills to be able to do it? i'm not, it's not enough just to be able to go deep into different emotions. because as you mentioned, the stage is huge. the 1st row is about 35 or 40 meters away, thinking about i can't say exactly, but it's really far away. and as for the back seats, we can't even see them from where we're standing. so it's certainly involves exaggerated movements and facial expressions. you have to be very expressive, so everyone in the audience can see your emotions vehicle. we also use heavy makeup

materials and when we things we're mindful of voice production with because our voices have to reach far and wide out to the sea. optical performance is always about exaggerating, pretty much everything on stage boom, less big to back in the time of varying audiences used to sing along and they would share on the stars on stage. now that would be considered really taboo if you're here at the mostly, if you kind of ever wish for that to happen in opera, or you any more because it does happen, which is particularly with famous arias like cub, on euro, or delilah, the to should some more common in concerts than in office. i don't think it's really in the style of offer for the audience to sing along. although i think it's couldn't be nice to have this choir. the audience choir joined in on pieces like pretty ladon name, mobility, or even the hub on euro. but i don't think it works within an actual opera

performance some more. they think of us more than the new music. uh, there's a lot of computers involved uh, guitars, different things, a lot of people say that the quality of music is going down. do you think that this will affect the opera? and if so, how? so? yeah, obviously i'm one of those people who believe that very little genuinely talented music history and created today all of these except will endure for centuries. but it also may be that we do not appreciate contemporary music deeply enough. it was more maybe a 100 years from now. there will be operas by some of today's lecture known composers, alongside mozart, verity and tchaikovsky. can you speak? so i think only time can tell me, suggest lock shooting is not the

in the late 18 ninety's, french soldiers led by general to boot. i arrived in asia with the goal of expanding french control in west africa to the territory of more than shot. the most funny, i mean, he stuck up some issues with all the cars and trucks showing this to the tent, the food i on the east, one of the most horrific campaigns of a trustees to have ever taken place in the history of the continent. liability getting hold of somebody, i know the pushing it to download the glass. you followed there to do some paper

electron. once i could have multiple villages with devastated a numerous members of resistance groups. what the headed on that department is in for us to get the move of nancy, and i'm going to be a young investigator in search of his own identity and box on that you need to africa. the choices, general good eyes, blood drenched roots in an effort to establish how your legacy still echoes throughout the confidence. so my name is center and i come from england and i'm ready to find out more about the, the mission of willy, um, on the history of in, in the region the united states. it is of our big vassals states or the coalition against fees from ukraine to cause. it is defined in ministration. it is against most of the world and

historical wind is blowing against the west. the russian navigator, stripe chop was taking a but ukrainian drone and control positions in the don't ask republicans as a clearing of the recently captured key city of, of do you have got continues, we are reporting in some of the ground. this is the, the nets water filtering plant the ukrainians. they were the 1st to gain a foothold here. the 1st order of business for them here was to strip citizens of the nets of something as basic as the rice, as the access to tap water, lighting, and food involves more advances in strength, fitting rushes and forces as well. it's coming on the defender of the fatherland national holiday, i guess the day after he took to the skies co pilot, the thing, the fastest strategic palmer in the world.