After attending The Storm at the Tovstonogov Drama Theater, I high-tailed it on foot across town to the world-famous Mariinsky Theater for an evening ballet performance of the The Legend of Love. Unlike at the previous theater, where I had lower-level tickets smack in the middle of the auditorium, I was in the highest row of the Mariinsky and could almost touch its beautiful ceiling.

The Mariinsky’s physical layout and decoration rings of imperial Petersburg’s heyday. The original tapestry curtain of the stage is still in use, lending to the vintage air of the theater. I had long heard that the Mariinsky’s ballet performances were superior to those of the Bolshoi in Moscow and decided to find out for myself. While I am not a connoisseur of ballet, I thought the dancers were quite talented and they made the emotion of their performance come across. My eyes were peeled to every move, which is a testament to their talent because my attention is not always continuous.

Whenever the lights come up at the Mariinsky during intermission, I used the high vantage point of my ticket to my advantage, and scanned the auditorium in detail. From the allegoric painting on the ceiling of the theater to the rich red velvet of the lower-level seats, I was amazed by the beauty of the Mariinsky. Between this and the talent and emotion of the ballet at hand, it was a great decision to attend this show. On top of everything, I had only just come from The Storm!