To  begin  with  I*d  like  to  say  that  the  theatre  is  a  great  means  of  promoting  culture  among  people. It*s  often  called  « the  Temple  of  Art »  because  it  educates, relaxes, entertains  and  shows  us  how  wonderful  the  world  around  us  is. There  is  a  great  variety  of  theatres  in  Moscow  and  the  most  difficult  things  for  the  theatre -  goers  is  to  decide  which  theatre  to  go  to.  Some  theatres  are  more  popular  with  the  public  than  others  that*s  why  it*s  almost  impossible  to  get  tickets  when  a  good  play  is  on.  If  you  managed  to  get  tickets, you  will  enjoy  the  performance  from  the  very  beginning  to  the  end. 
    I*ll  never  forget  my  first  visit  to  the  Ballshoi  Opera  House. My  friend  and  I  wanted  to  see  the  famous  ballet  the  Swan  Lake  by  P.E. Chaikovsky, the  great  Russian  composer. We  bought  the  tickets  in  advance. It  was  an  evening  performance  and  we  came  half  an  hour  before  the  show. We  bought  a  play  bill  and  find  out  what  the  cast  was. We  were  glad  to  know  that  the  leading  parts  were  acted  by  the  talented  young  dancers. Than  my  friend  and  I  took  our  seats  in  stalls  not  far  from  the  stage. Though  it  wasn*t  the  first  night  but  there  was  a  full  audience  at  the  theatre. Soon  the  lights  went  down  and  the  curtain  went  up. As  soon  as  the  music  started  the  public  cheered  enthusiastically  and  began  to  applaud.  
    From  the  very  first  minute  I  was  deeply  impressed  by  everything  I  saw  on  the  stage  and  followed  the  play  with  the  great  interest. The  setting  and  dancing  were  exelent. The customs  were  fine  and  the  scenery  and  the  music  were  brilliant. The  ballet  seemed  to  me  as  the  beautiful  fairy  tale  and  the  atmosfere  was  really  magical. I  couldn*t  take  my  eyes  off  the  stage. After  the  first  act  we  went  to  look  over  the  theatre. We  saw  boxes, the  orchestra  pit, the  dress – circle  and  the  gallery. There  were  many  portraits  of  opera – singers  and  the  ballet  dancers  on  the  walls  of  the  foyer. 
    I  was  especially  charmed  by  the  « Small  Swans*  dance ». When  the  curtain  fell  of  the  end  of  the  performance  there  was  a  storm  of  applause. The  dancers  were  presented  with  flowers. The  performance  was  a  great  success  with  the  public. In  a  word  my  first  visit  to  the  Ballshoi  Opera  House  gave  me  unforgettable  impressions!
My visit to the theatre