Leili and Majnun

Leyli and Majnun (Azerbaijani: Leyli və Məcnun) a classic Persian story of love couple; it is a one-act ballet by Azerbaijani composer Gara Garayev. The libretto is based on Nizami Ganjavi's poem Layla and Majnun (the third book of the Khamsa, 12th century). The choreographer of the original production was Nelya Nazirova. The premiere, conducted by R. D. Abdullayev, took place on 25 May 1969 at the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater in Baku, with V. N. Pletnev as Majnun and T. N. Mamedova as Leyli. Nazirova's production was the basis of the ballet film In the World of Legends that was filmed by the creative association Ekran in 1975.

In 2001, choreographer Georgy Aleksidze carried out a new production of Leyli and Majnun. The performance took place on 17 February (soloists R. Iskenderov and G. Mirzayev), and on 4 December of the same year the ballet was shown on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater, during a tour in Moscow.