The Polovtsian Dances (or Polovetsian Dances) (Russian: Половецкие пляски, Polovetskie plyaski) are perhaps the best known selections from Alexander Borodin's opera Prince Igor (1890). They are often played as a stand-alone concert piece. Borodin was the original composer, but the opera was left unfinished at his death and was subsequently completed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Glazunov. In the opera the dances are performed with chorus, but concert performances often omit the choral parts. The dances do not include the "Polovtsian March," which opens Act III (No. 18), but the overture, dances, and march from the opera have been performed together to form a suite from Prince Igor. In the opera Prince Igor, the dances occur in Act II (in the original edition). A typical performance lasts between 11 and 14 minutes. Choreography by Anatoly Emelianov. Moscow ballet theatre - THE CROWN OF RUSSIAN BALLET The turn of the centuries always witnessed the appearance of new art trends. Every epoch was depicted by contemporaries and it provoked new ideas and thoughts. "The Crown of Russian Ballet" was founded in 1997 as the choreography of the day demanded new repertoire. The first production was Cross Winds to Chopin's music. Now, years after, this performance as well as other productions of this company, is included in the theatres' repertoire around the globe. Last year Cross Winds was a huge success at the Metropolitan Classical Ballet, USA. "The Crown of Russian Ballet" also stages such pieces as Daylight Leaves the Earth, Gypsy Motives, Romeo and Juliet, Juno and Avos, Carmen, Tristan and Isolde, Kursk Songs. Every theater's repertory is based on classical ballets. Gems by Petipa, Fokine, Gorsky, as well as lyrics by Pushikin, Esenin, Lermontov and music by Tchaikovsky, Musorgsky, Stravinsky will always be masterpieces. They convey eternal values to every generation. "The Crown of Russian Ballet" boasts of such pieces as the Nutcracker, Cinderella, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, and Giselle, etc... Dancers develop their talent on classical choreography. The company consists of the best Russian choreography schools graduates. "TheCrown of Russian Ballet" has toured successfully in Russia and around the globe: in the Italy, Spain, USA, Great Britain, Canada, Germany, Finland, India, Switzerland, Austria, Tanzania, Kenya, Zambya, Israel, Japan, Sri-Lanka, China, Romania, Kazakhstan, Marocco, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Vietnam. In May 2006 "The Crown of Russian Ballet", gave the first in Eastern Africa ballet performance ever. Artistic Directors: Anatoly Emelianov and Anna Alexidze.