There is no question that John Neumeier’s „La Dame aux Camélias“ belongs to the category of the great Ballet masterpieces written in the late 20th century, not only choreographically but also dramaturgically. It has the distinction of being perhaps the only ballet that will inspire you to go as soon as possible to the next bookshop and buy „Prévost’s „Manon Lescaut“ to understand even more intrinsically the connections of the ballet/play to the „play within a play“, a technique created by Shakespeare, or should we call it „Ballet within Ballet“?

This work of genius and its brilliant treatment of „time“ mixed with phantasy, as the „use“ of figures as Manon and Des Grieux together with the „main couple“ (Marguerite and Armand) will create. multiple situations in which pas de deux, pas de trois and pas de quatres will take place. Situations which will define the characters even more distinctively to the audiences – from Marguerite Gautier’s ambitions to possess money and jewels power and from her questioning about true love until the „last“ pas de trois, in which Des Grieux is carrying a dying Manon (and Marguerite) through the New Orlean’s swamps – wasn’t it mentioned on her diary how „lucky“ Manon was to at least die with her beloved one while she…