For almost fifteen minutes, the six-thousand-strong Summer Amphitheatre in Vitebsk gave a standing ovation to the Igor Moiseyev State Academic Ensemble of Folk Dance, as reported by a BELTA correspondent. At the "Slavianski Bazaar in Vitebsk" International Festival of Arts, the renowned ensemble performed as part of Russia's Culture Day. The ensemble celebrated its 75th anniversary in February, and the concert was dedicated to this jubilee. It featured the best choreographic pieces created by the ensemble's founder, Igor Moiseyev, and carefully preserved by the new generation of young artists. The six-thousand-capacity Summer Amphitheatre, filled to capacity, greeted each performance with rapturous applause, whether it was a Russian dance, the choreographic composition "Partisans," the Moldavian "Joc," the Estonian polka "Through the Leg," the Greek "Sirtaki," or the dance of the Argentine shepherds "Gaucho," fragments of which a trio of dancers had to perform as an encore. As a token of appreciation to Belarusians, they also danced "Bulba." And the legendary sailor dance "Yablochko" truly became the climax of this concert. The audience gave the artists a standing ovation, thanking them for their skill and talent, and chanting "Bravo" and "Well done." The world-famous ensemble is no stranger to applause, but the reception in Vitebsk deeply touched the dancers. At the end of the concert, People's Artist of Russia, Artistic Director and Director of the ensemble, Elena Shcherbakova, took to the stage and sincerely confessed: "You are the most knowledgeable and spirited audience in the world. We are delighted to be back on the stage of the 'Slavianski Bazaar' after ten years." Russia Day at the "Slavianski Bazaar" today passes the baton to Belarus Day.-0-

BELTA