Middle Duet

The Middle Duo (Middle Duet) (choreographer Alexei Ratmansky, composer Yuri Khanon) — is a one-act ballet staged at the Mariinsky Theater in November 1998 to the music of the first movement of the Middle Symphony. The ten-minute production became Ratmansky's debut as a choreographer at the Mariinsky Theater.

In 2000, the Middle Duet received a Golden Mask Award nomination in the “best ballet” category. After his appointment as chief choreographer of the Bolshoi Theater, Ratmansky transferred “The Middle Duet” to this stage, and then to the New York City Ballet (2006). Two or three years after the premiere, “The Middle Duet” became a kind of calling card for Ratmansky as a choreographer and followed him on all the stages on which he worked, and then was included in the program of the farewell concert “Ratmansky Gala” on the New Stage of the Bolshoi Theater before his leaving the post of chief choreographer and moving to New York.

In addition to the theatrical version with scenery and orchestra, for ten years the Middle Duet was shown around the world as a concert number, not only on theater tours, but also in numerous enterprises, earning a reputation as one of the best one-act ballets in Russia at the beginning of the 21st century.

From the moment the ballet was staged at the Mariinsky Theater until the last performance, music was used in the ballet without drawing up a contract. As a result of systematic violation of the composer's copyright and counterfeit use of music, in 2010 “Middle Duet” was banned from performance and removed from all stages.