Sooner or later every major artist finds a leitmotif of his creativity. For Zlenko it was ballet, a classic theme in European and Russian painting from the late XIXth century from impressionists and Edgar Degas to Zinaida Serebryakova´s pastels. Zlenko´s image of ballet is multifaceted, the author shows some of its little-known aspects of backstage, rehearsal, dancers´ repose.
The tradition of the European art is to present ballet as toil. Of course Zlenko touches upon this “other side of the ledger”, but Serguei´s ballet is a particular world a magic world, where dreams come true. Zlenko´s danceuses look like simple young girls who can be tired and sad, unbosom their intimate feelings to each other, and reminisce. But at the same time they are a little bit out-of-body. Living in theatre makes them spiritual. The art transforms the reality, creates a unique atmosphere where routine work becomes creativity.
