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Before speaking about my impressions of a theatre performance I�d like to say a few words about theatre in general.

For many centuries theatre has been one of the favourite arts that attracted so many people. As a matter of fact, the reason for this is that theatre ennobles the spectators makes them better and more humane. Theatre creates a special atmosphere, one feels the illusion of being together with the actors on stage in everything they perform.

There are basic rules of behaving to observe in the theater. It is considered impolite to eat anything or chat during a performance, and it�s also rude to be late, going to the theatre means being a very cultured person!

Unfortunately we haven�t got any theatres in Soligorsk but we often visit Minsk and never miss a chance to visit a good performance there. Actually about nine professional theatres work in Minsk, which satisfy different audience�s tastes and interests. Drama lovers are invited to visit such theatres as The Russian Drama Theatre and Yanka Kupala State Academic Theatre. The Musical Comedy State Theatre attracts us with interesting operetta performances both for children and adults and a diverse repertoire. Probably the most popular theatre of Minsk is the Opera and Ballet Theatre. The theatre has a very good reputation and is notable for an excellent direction and highly professional company.

I think I�ll always remember my last visit to the Opera and Ballet House in Minsk. Our form tutor suggested that we should visit a theatrical performance during the autumn break. We decided to see �Swan Lake �by P. I .Chaykovsky. We booked the tickets in advance and as we don�t live in Minsk we made a trip to Minsk on Sunday. We came to the theatre half an hour before the show, left our coats and jackets in the cloakroom and some of us borrowed opera glasses. We bought the programmes to see the cast. We had some time to admire the beautiful interior of the theatre and look at the photos of the leading actors and actresses. After the bell rung for the first time we hurried to the house looking for our seats which were in the stalls. As a matter of fact our seats were excellent we had a good view of the stage. As the play was very popular with the public the house was full, I think there were no vacant seats in the boxes, the dress-circle, and the balcony.  Soon the lights went down, the curtain rose and we saw a lake in the moonlight and tender sounds of music touched our ears. From that time on we couldn�t take our eyes from the stage where delicate, charming � swans� were flying in the wonderful dance. We enjoyed every minute of the performance. The setting and the dancing were superb The costumes and the scenery were magnificent. The actress, dancing the leading part was at her best and captivated the audience. When the final curtain fell and the lights went up there came a storm of applause. Curtain call followed curtain call. The dancers were presented with large bouquets of flowers. The performance was a success indeed and it left an unforgettable impression on me.