Gallery at Leningrad Center Show Space Presents Aleksey Ishmaev’s Photo Project Backstage. Portfolio

September 23 – October 11

Traditionally, the sixth theatre season in Leningrad Center opens with an exhibition – a new photo project that describes the process of creating a show, shows life behind the curtain and the secrets of the creative process. This time, the exposition’s main idea is different and unique: the exhibited pictures were taken by Aleksey Ishmaev, performer of the Leningrad Center troupe.

Ishmaev is a talented gymnast capable of performing the most complex acrobatic stunts. He is a very hardworking performer with excellent natural abilities. Aleksey has won some of the most prestigious international festivals and circus competitions. He is the Silver Prize winner at Mondial du Cirque de Demain (Paris, 2019) and laureate of the First Minsk International Festival of Circus Arts (Minsk, 2017) and Festival International del Circ Elefant d’Or (Spain, 2017). Aleksey Ishmaev was also recognized as best aerial gymnast of 2016 in the Aerial Ring nomination at the United States Aerial Championship (US, 2016).

Aleksey Ishmaev’s creative biography Backstage. Portfolio is his first experience as a photo artist, with a unique view into the "insider" look into the daily routine usually concealed from prying eyes. The beauty of the moments captured during many hours of rehearsals, his work on different tricks and polishing various elements all help provide a glance into how the magic of a show is born. The exhibition will be accompanied by video fragments from the behind-the-curtains life of the Leningrad Center, which will be presented to the general public for the first time.

“My fascination with photography is directly related to the theatre, our shows and our performers. It was here that I was inspired by the beauty and magic around me, and I have always wanted to make it a lasting memory. My first photos were taken in the Leningrad Center hall itself, and were of actors, dancers, singers and gymnasts. I have been trying to make note of every minutia, every emotion, every look, and the beauty of the body. It is all so enchanting!” Aleksey says.

The exhibition continues the dialog with the audience that started at the end of last season with the premiere of Portfolio, a theatre review with elements of documentary films. In this show, actors discuss their creative paths and talk openly about their profession, their successes and their failures. It is significant that the atmosphere of Leningrad Center is conducive to the development of talented people, whether they choose to further their professional development or stage bold theatre experiments.

Aleksey Ishmaev’s photo project Backstage. Portfolio will be presented from September 23 to October 11.The exhibition will be open daily from 12:00 to 20:00 in the Gallery of the Leningrad Center; on show days the exhibition will be open until the end of the performance.