THE BOLSHOI PREPARES FOR U.S. TOUR

Marina Semyonova--matronly, bespectacled, her gray hair pulled into a loose bun--rose from a straight chair on the rehearsal stage of the Bolshoi Theater and signaled the pianist to play.

Her 78 years seemed to fall away as she moved gracefully across the boards in time with the music, demonstrating fine points of her art to nine lithe young dancers.

They, in turn, dressed in warm-up tights and tutus, followed Semyonova in an intricate series of lovely movements. After a dazzling sequence of leaps and turns, Semyonova said to the dancers, “Thank you, thank you.”

Offstage, Victor Tikhonov, a Bolshoi Ballet official, whispered, “Marina was one of our best dancers, and now she is our best teacher.”

Indeed, Semyonova serves as ballet mistress with the Bolshoi and is held in obvious respect, even reverence, by the woman dancers.

Watching the rehearsal was a rare look backstage at the Bolshoi Theater for some U.S. correspondents--a sort of preview of the American tour that begins at the end of next month, the first such since 1979. The Bolshoi will dance in New York, Washington, San Francisco and, from Aug. 11-30, in Los Angeles.

“We find American audiences very warm, very sincere,” said artistic director Yuri Grigorovich, “and we are looking forward to the tour.”

The Bolshoi’s rehearsal hall is on the top floor of the theater--an immense building that dominates Sverdlova Square in the heart of the Soviet capital. Below is the main auditorium, a six-tiered space that seats 2,100, which is surrounded by practice studios.

The orchestra of the Duesseldorf opera, here on tour, rehearsed in the main auditorium pit. Meanwhile, the Soviet dancers practiced above, first the women, then the men.

As a woman played all-purpose melodies on the piano, the nine dancers under the tutelage of Semyonova, who frequently executed movements for the dancers to follow, progressed from simple, stretching exercises to more complex maneuvers.

Next, 10 young men, led by their teacher, Boris Akimov, an energetic man with a bald pate and long sandy hair, took their turn at the practice barre.

Later, Grigorovich answered some questions--and ducked a few others.

He said that the Bolshoi Theater would be closed for extensive renovations beginning in June until October, reopening only in time for the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the October Revolution.

He was asked whether Mikhail Baryshnikov, who defected to the United States from the Kirov Ballet Company, had declined an invitation to dance at the Bolshoi.

Grigorovich explained that Baryshnikov was invited to attend a peace conference in Moscow and possibly dance with some of the other artist guests but had responded by asking that the American Ballet Theatre, of which he is artistic director, be allowed to perform on the Bolshoi stage in October.

Those dates were simply not available, said Grigorovich, and that presumably has ended the matter.

The choreographer was also asked whether he was worried that Bolshoi dancers might defect during the tour, since previous dancers who did so often claimed they needed more artistic freedom outside the Soviet Union.

He replied that those dancers who had defected seemed to dance pretty much in the style they had attained in the Soviet Union. Therefore it seemed like a thin reason to leave.

As to whether the Bolshoi was getting somewhat dated, Grigorovich answered: “Our young dancers have kept up with the trends.”

Finally, queried as to whether he considered the Bolshoi or the Kirov Ballet of Leningrad the best, the 60-year-old artistic director smiled and said:

“During my 20 years with the Kirov, I thought it was the best. Now, after more than 20 years with the Bolshoi, I think it is better.

“But I don’t think there is a best in the world. A number of companies are very good. And all are different. You can’t compare art with art. It’s a matter of preference.”