The main dance movement in the ensemble is birch. The beauty from Berezka revealed the secret of the magic step

Dance group, recognized national treasure. The choreographic ensemble “Beryozka” has been telling the world with its dance for almost 70 years what beauty is in Russian. Interesting facts from the history of the legendary group was collected by Natalya Letnikova.

1. Round dance like high art . A simple girl's circle is the pinnacle of choreographic skill. The ensemble “Beryozka” first “floated” across the stage to the music “A Birch Tree Stood in the Field” in 1948. Since then, the poetry of the ancient Russian round dance and the image of the Russian girl - distinctive feature team.

2. Success from the first step. To meet its audience, “Beryozka” needed to go on stage only once. Success came to the team after the first concert in the capital - in theater "Hermitage" . And for the first time, 16 young collective farmers of the Kalinin region performed their famous round dance at rural festival talents.

3. Girls from the picture. The creator of the group, ballerina and choreographer Nadezhda Nadezhdina, saw the future “Berezka” as a child. The girls in sundresses with birch branches depicted in an ancient lithograph became a dream - to bring to big stage Russian round dance. Create a truly unique dance based on folk dance.

4. The image of a birch tree is copied from nature. Sundress to the floor. The basis of the costume in which the signature number is performed. Long suit hides their legs, and it seems that the girls are floating across the stage. A white blouse with a lace “window” on the sleeve, a sky-blue scarf in one hand and a green birch branch in the other add tenderness.

5. Peace Medal. “You don’t need to read two hundred volumes about Russia, just watch one concert of “Beryozka”, and you will see what Russian morals, Russian character are, Russian beginning..." - wrote the French press after the ensemble's tour in Paris. The World Peace Council awarded the team its gold medal in 1959.

6. 80 countries. The Russian “Berezka” has visited almost all continents. She walked thousands of kilometers with her mysterious steps through the scenes of Japan, France, Argentina, Switzerland, Korea, and the USA. She performed in the most extreme conditions: for example, in Greece, in the heat of 40 degrees, she danced “Maslenitsa” in sheepskin coats, hats and felt boots.

7. 16 years of wandering. Already known throughout the world, the group rehearsed for a long time on rented venues: on the ice floor in the Hammer and Sickle House of Culture, in the hall on Volgogradsky Prospekt. The team received its current premises in Leontyevsky Lane personally from Vladimir Putin. The President saw Berezka perform in China.

8. Costumes “Berezka”weigh about two and a half tons. During two hours of round dances and round dances, the girls change sundresses and hats more than 20 times. In total, the team has about two thousand costumes. Each is a real work of art made of velvet, chiffon, lace or batik, embroidered with braid and beads.

9. Not just a dance. “Birch Tree”, “Spinning Wheel”, “Carousel”, “On autumn fair", "Sudarushka", "Swan", "Siberian Suite". Nadezhda Nadezhdina herself came up with the choreographic novellas. First, the group developed a unique style, ten years later it developed a male lineup, and then a folk instrument orchestra.

10. From ballerinas to birch trees. Graduates of choreographic schools come to the ensemble. And still the dancers have to be retrained: the ensemble has a special school. Musicality, technical skill, beauty, intelligence, texture are valued. Main secret, which beginners have to comprehend, is a floating step. And this skill is kept secret.

“We dance only the Russian repertoire, but we are different from everyone else folklore groups the fact that the founder of the group, Nadezhda Sergeevna Nadezhdina, created a genre of original works that use text, choreography, thought, and the Russian idea. We don't have dance for dance's sake. Our artists must think, they must be intellectuals, achieving maximum expression of feelings with a minimal gesture.”

Mira Koltsova, People's Artist USSR, artistic director ensemble "Beryozka"

A dance group recognized as a national treasure. The choreographic ensemble “Beryozka” has been telling the world with its dance for almost 70 years what beauty is in Russian. Interesting facts from the history of the legendary band were collected by Natalya Letnikova.

1. Round dance as a high art . A simple girl's circle is the pinnacle of choreographic mastery. The ensemble “Beryozka” first “floated” across the stage to the music “A Birch Tree Stood in the Field” in 1948. Since then, the poetry of the ancient Russian round dance and the image of a Russian girl have been a distinctive feature of the group.

2. Success from the first step . To meet its audience, “Beryozka” needed to go on stage only once. Success came to the team after the first concert in the capital - at the Hermitage Theater. And for the first time, 16 young collective farmers of the Kalinin region performed their famous round dance at a rural talent festival.

3. Girls from the picture . The founder of the group, ballerina and choreographer Nadezhda Nadezhdina, saw the future “Berezka” as a child. The girls in sundresses with birch branches depicted in an ancient lithograph became a dream - to bring Russian round dance to the big stage. Create a truly unique dance based on folk dance.

State Academic Choreographic Ensemble "Beryozka"

4. The image of a birch tree is copied from nature . Sundress to the floor. The basis of the costume in which the signature number is performed. The long suit hides their legs, and the girls seem to float across the stage. A white blouse with a lace “window” on the sleeve, a sky-blue scarf in one hand and a green birch branch in the other add tenderness.

5. Peace Medal . “You don’t need to read two hundred volumes about Russia, just watch one concert of “Berezka”, and you will see what Russian character, Russian character, Russian origins are...” wrote the French press after the ensemble’s tour in Paris. The World Peace Council awarded the team its gold medal in 1959.

6. 80 countries . The Russian “Berezka” has visited almost all continents. She walked thousands of kilometers with her mysterious steps through the scenes of Japan, France, Argentina, Switzerland, Korea, and the USA. She performed in the most extreme conditions: for example, in Greece, in the heat of 40 degrees, she danced “Maslenitsa” in sheepskin coats, hats and felt boots.

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7. 16 years of wandering . Already known throughout the world, the group rehearsed for a long time on rented venues: on the ice floor in the Hammer and Sickle House of Culture, in the hall on Volgogradsky Prospekt. The team received its current premises in Leontyevsky Lane personally from Vladimir Putin. The President saw Berezka perform in China.

8. Costumes “Berezka” weigh about two and a half tons. During two hours of round dances and round dances, the girls change sundresses and hats more than 20 times. In total, the team has about two thousand costumes. Each is a real work of art made of velvet, chiffon, lace or batik, embroidered with braid and beads.

9. Not just a dance . “Birch Tree”, “Spinning Wheel”, “Carousel”, “At the Autumn Fair”, “Sudarushka”, “Swan”, “Siberian Suite”. Nadezhda Nadezhdina herself came up with the choreographic novellas. First, the group developed a unique style, ten years later it developed a male lineup, and then a folk instrument orchestra.

10. From ballerinas to birch trees . Graduates of choreographic schools come to the ensemble. And still the dancers have to be retrained: the ensemble has a special school. Musicality, technical skill, beauty, intelligence, texture are valued. The main secret that beginners have to comprehend is the floating step. And this skill is kept secret.

The magical step of “Berezka”

— Lyuba, you probably have your own mini-team “Beryozka” on the site?

— There are, of course, many more artists in the legendary team than on the stage. But the current artists of the Beryozka ensemble also acted with us. For more than six months we existed hand in hand.

— We didn’t figure out among ourselves what was more difficult: for an actress to dance or for a dancer to act dramatic role?

- Of course, we became friends with the girls and talked a lot about our professions. They were surprised: “How do you play, how do you cry when you need it? This is impossible!” And we asked them: “How do you dance like that? From the outside it seems that technically it is not difficult - to walk beautifully on stage, but all the emotions and thoughts are conveyed to the audience...” And in this regard, we had a wonderful exchange of knowledge and experience.

— Did they teach you how to do an unsurpassed choreographic technique?

— The magical step of “Beryozka”? The girls, artists of the legendary group, devote their whole lives to this, they spend years learning to move in such a way that the viewer seems to be just floating across the stage. And we are in as soon as possible should have joined this ensemble. Therefore, my main task was not to look like a “guest” in the team. It was necessary to at least adopt their manner of carrying oneself, at least copy and play it. Because it is simply impossible for a person “from the street” to repeat this technique!

From the field to the stage

— What did you learn about the legendary ensemble on the set?

— Initially, in the ensemble of Nadezhda Nadezhdina, the founder of Beryozka, the dancers were... simple working women! In the morning they plowed in the field, then did household chores, and in the evening they went out to dance. This is a Russian woman who floats through the stage and life - despite the fact that she has “male”, peasant or working hands. But in dance she becomes who God created her to be - a woman. And these women were applauded by the whole world!

— The series takes place in the 80s of the last century. How was the immersion into the era?

— Parents with early childhood raised me on Soviet films. I remembered the eyes of the actors who played in Soviet cinema, the feeling that their performance left in the frame. For some reason I remembered the actors of the famous film “Officers” - they act there not like in our time, but openly, naively, even creating an ideal picture. They do not play the situation, but create a feeling of love, union, friendship. And I always wanted to check with my acting body: is it possible to convey this in our time.

— Did you succeed?

“I’m most worried about what kind of eyes my heroine will have in “Berezka.” Because it is very important that these are the eyes of a person of that time, and not a modern one who has just been sitting in a gadget or on a computer. People of the Information Age have a completely different view.

I want to be happy

— Lyuba, tell us about your personal life.

“I’m not married, but everything is fine in my personal life. I’m trying to refute the formula that was heard on the set of “Berezka”: that a professional cannot become a professional without experiences love dramas. I've had my heart broken, probably more than once... But I've had enough! I want to be happy - and now I am very happy!

Lyubov Konstantinova and Pyotr Rykov played a couple in love in the TV series “Berezka”

Larisa Zelinskaya, photo from Rossiya channel

An ensemble performed on the BKZ stage that needs no introduction. “Beryozka” became popular half a century ago, having traveled all over Soviet Union, and even won fans abroad. And all this time, many tried to unravel the secret of the famous swimming gait.

NTV correspondent Konstantin Boroshnev I'm sure he succeeded.

Seeing the legendary floating round dance without costumes is a rare occurrence. The artistic director of Beryozka, Mira Koltsova, usually does not allow journalists to attend such runs. What happens at the concert under the skirts of the soloists is a mystery with a 60-year history.

The floating step made Beryozka famous on the day of its first performance back in 1948. Since then, at rehearsals, girls dance at half strength, and at concerts they hide their legs under red folk sundresses “to the floor.”

Olga Reshetnikova, head. production part of the ensemble “Beryozka”: “These costumes are ours business card. As you may have noticed, on all the posters, on all the booklets, this particular costume is present. Because it all started with him.”

The team, which is so afraid of plagiarism, began with copying itself. The signature round dance is almost a copy of the dance of collective farmers of the Kalinin region. Many other domestic ensembles tried to repeat it. But “Beryozka” holds on to copyright tightly.

Mira Koltsova, artistic director of the Beryozka ensemble: “If colleagues who claim to be academic or famous are involved in plagiarism, this is sad. They say: “We have the right to imitate, copy, take a quote from the master.” No! This is wrong, you need to transfer all this through yourself, through your team.”

This heartfelt attitude towards dance is instilled in the team regularly. Without looking at experience and regalia. Even Ksenia and Natalya (each at Berezka for more than ten years) receive professional C.U. every day. from the artistic director.

Natalya Prosikova, soloist of the Beryozka ensemble: “Posture, gait - it all makes itself felt. And the girls stand out. There could be some kind of look, gestures, something else... even in communication. In our ensemble we pay attention to this education great attention. Mira Mikhailovna is working on this very seriously.”

The young ladies refused to demonstrate their signature step even without a camera. Citing high heels and unacceptable jeans for the look. Everything, they say, must be watched directly from the auditorium, otherwise the effect will not be the same.

The secret, which more than one generation of choreographers has been struggling with, is said to be very simple. The thing is that the soloists of “Berezka” in a round dance make a special movement every step, carefully pushing the hem of their sundresses. This way they achieve a smooth rocking motion. And accordingly, the legendary floating step.