Dancing the Night Away

Lviv Opera & Ballet

Polish National Ballet

Armchair Tourist

About

About + Contact

Editorial & commercial work (Cro & Kow)

SIMON CROFTS

Dancing the Night Away

Lviv Opera & Ballet

Polish National Ballet

Armchair Tourist

About

About + Contact

Editorial & commercial work (Cro & Kow)

1 - Metamorphosis

The ballet tradition in Eastern Europe

Dance Academy 624.jpg

In the remote halls of the Grand Theatre, the corridors are filled with a fairy tale mix of props from past performances.

Practising a move during workshops

As the final curtain falls there is an undignified stampede for the exit. It is late and the ballerinas are under pressure to return their ìpachkiî - their tutus - to the costumes department fast to let staff get home on time.

The control panel - written at the top of the notebook are the words "Swan Lake" in Russian

Ludwik Fiegel, manager of the scenery building department (malinarnia) in the Grand Theatre in Warsaw, takes some time out from making stage sets to practise his other love - playing the piano. He has worked in the Grand Theatre for 44 years (since

Serguei Najenko as Don Quixote is deft at applying his own makeup. Smoking is a popular vice among the dancers

Ewa Nowak, soloist, preparing herself backstage during a performance of "Tanczymy Bacha" (Let's Dance Bach) - modern choreography by Krzystof Pastor, director of the Polish National Ballet

Attention to detail. Piotr Traczyk has worked in the scenery building department for the Grand Theatre in Warsaw for 24 years (since 1987). His hobby is painting and making

The auditorium and stage of the Grand Theatre (Teatr Wielki), which when built was the largest theatre in the world.

Malgorzata Aftowicz, a Coryphee at the Polish National Ballet, in one of the smaller practise rooms in the Grand Theatre.

contact@simoncroftsphoto.com