BOLSHOI IN VEGAS
Thirty years ago the Bolshoi Ballet's first trip to America was a political and artistic triumph and audiences queued for days to see these legends of ballet. Bolshoi in Vegas, a richly entertaining documentary, follows their disastrous 1996 tour in which they hoped to capitalize on this earlier success. The promoter had invested heavily in his dream of bringing the Bolshoi to Vegas, but the venture is beset with problems from the start and tensions mount. The Bolshoi are bewildered by their lukewarm reception, recalling that during their 1959 landmark tour, ecstatic audiences threw so many bouquets that they "walked on flowers all the way to our hotel."

THE KROV IN PETERSBURG
Kirov in Petersburg traces the development of an institution, which is both incurably altered and condemned to trade on its past glories. As Communism gives way to Capitalism, and artistic values give way to commercial considerations, the Kirov Ballet's chief choreographer Oleg Vinogradov's final year in office is set against allegations of bribery and corruption. Through the deeply personal recollections of workers, dancers and critics, specially-filmed back footage and previously unseen archival material, a unique portrait emerges of the Kirov's changing fortunes in the context of its awesome heritage.