The greatest Russian star of ballet,

About herself she used to say:

I didn’t betray my friends,

I didn’t offend neither men nor animals.

Dealing with the professionals

I worked hard to improve my skills,

Always paid my debts and bills,

Thanks to my nature

And life full of adventure

I endured all and didn’t break

For someone’s crazy sake.

I have never given up

And always saw a half full cup.

I have never envied,

But all my life studied.

My life is only ballet dance.

And now see the people’s glance.

She was called an actress of the idea,

The splash of applause you could hear,

When her legs, body, head and arms

The audience of the whole world charmed.

She was not the slave of a form,

She was a dramatic storm.

She was a poet of a classical ballet -

They said. She was the Sun’s ray.

Her rhythm was cool and like the spark,

Or like the star that glowed in the dark.

Ballet rhymes with a flight,

With movements that might

Turn into the world of the soul,

Into the magic pole.

A generous poet of ballet she was -

The  greatest Maya .

Larisa Rzhepishevska (Odessa, Ukraine)

The 3rd of May, 2015