Interview with Maya Plisetskaya, a famous Russian ballet dancer (continued) “AiF”: - And you’re a perfectionist, Maya Mikhailovna! You perfect your pen movements as you do on the stage! And who appraises your work? Your readers? M. P. – These are people who are interested in the lives of actors and sportsmen. I started in Soviet times. And everything I wrote in my books is absolutely veracious, I can swear to it even now. When one of my acquaintences who knew all my life was told rhat I must have had exaggerated, he answered; “On the contrary, sha has understated”. But I neither exaggerated nor understated. I wrote only the truth. I have never been keen on fancies. I wrote for those who are interested in the life of those times, not only ballet, but the life of people and our country. You can find all of it there. “AiF”: - Have you forgiven those who have made trouble for you? The impostor daughter, the press which is slinging dirt at you? M. P.: - For what reason should one forgive bad people? They remain bad. I tell you upright that I haven’t forgiven or forgotten. Maintain the Reputation “Aif”: - You’ve recently celebrated your jubilee! How was it held? M. P.: - My jubilee was celebrated by two theatres in Moscow and in Paris. In Paris it was a luxurious theatre on Champs Elysees where Dyaghilev used to start his famous Russian seasons, and in Moscow the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Theatre. Today’s best ballet dancers performed in a big concert program.