Maya
PLISETSKAYA

When I was little, I didn’t know who I wanted to be. But I have always liked the stage. The first play I saw was a dramatic play, No Trifling with Love. I loved it. *

It is now required that each child be well prepared and be able to do the splits. If the child can’t, he or she is forced to stretch. This is how sports influence ballet. And we were not allowed to do so; we were told that we would not be able to do leaps if we stretch too much.

I admire my husband. And it is easy with such a man like him. It sometimes happens that creative people, even close ones, get jealous of each other. But he never would. He roots for me like no one else.

Luxury depresses me a lot. When I and Shchedrin are invited and then placed into some opulent hotel, I don’t feel comfortable. We are not used to such luxury.

Impudence discourages me. I have never been able to talk to impertinent people and can never think of a proper reply. It has happened many times, when I later thought, “I should have said this or that.”

My advice to you, future generations: never give up, until the very end. Even then, fight as long as you can. My victories were based on this. Your character is your fate.

Where is my home? Well, maybe aboard a plane…We travel a lot. Munich is a wonderful city. But we have to be there because of Shchedrin’s work. Lithuania is my mother’s homeland. We love this country and its people. Moscow? Well, what can I say…My Bolshoi Theatre and my loyal friends are there. The Moscow audience is the best ballet connoisseur. No question about it, Moscow has always been in my heart.

I know nothing about UFOs. This is something from a sci-fi book. Maybe they are out there somewhere but I don’t think they visit Earth. I believe everyone has his/her own guardian angel but we, unfortunately, rarely listen to them.

What do people want? ?I don’t know about others, but as for me, I don’t want to be a slave.

* The information is based on the accounts of the personas featuring in this section as well as accounts of their family members, acquaintances and colleagues