Africa on the Stage of Soviet Musical Theaters

Traditionally, ballet productions have been studied from the perspective of choreographic, musical, and scenographic solutions. However, the materials behind ballet performances also hold significance as reflections of state cultural policy. During the Soviet era, ballet became a channel for disseminating key ideas related to domestic politics and international diplomacy. Ballet productions echoed shifts in the USSR’s relations with other countries. Drawing on African-themed ballets (“Little Stork”, 1937; “The Path of Thunder”, 1958), this article demonstrates how Soviet ballet conveyed ideas about the African continent, its international standing, and the USSR’s role there. Libretti and production materials are preserved in the Central State Archive of Literature and Art in St. Petersburg. These materials reveal how Soviet perceptions shifted from abstract notions of African countries to a more nuanced understanding of individual nations’ specific contexts and how this transition expanded Soviet understanding of the African continent.

USSR, Africa, ballet, theatre, art, cultural policy, international diplomacy