Interpretations of biblical stories and images in performances ballet theater (to the 150th anniversary of the birth of S.P. Diaghilev)

This article discusses aspects of the interpretation of biblical plots and images in ballet theater performances. The author of the article notes that the ballet theater turned to biblical stories and images relatively recently, at the beginning of the twentieth century. Before that, the ballet plot was based on events taken from life, literary author's works, historical facts, myths, fairy tales, poems, but not religious literary works. Starting from the very fi rst performance, the ballet theater, having unique expressive means in its arsenal, interprets the biblical plot in its own way. The article uses the method of comparative analysis: the texts of the Bible and the libretto of such famous performances of S.P. Diaghilev's troupe as "The Legend of Joseph" (1914), "The Prodigal Son" (1929) are compared. The author of the article comes to the conclusion that in the listed performances using biblical plots and images, there is a tendency to achieve picturesqueness and entertainment, which are manifested in music, scenography and choreography and in a departure from the literary basis.