▁st aged ▁the ▁premi ere ▁production ▁of ▁Pro k of iev ' s ▁The ▁T ale ▁of ▁the ▁Stone ▁F lower , ▁a ▁bal let ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁short ▁story ▁by ▁P avel ▁B az hov . ▁His ▁last ▁major ▁work ▁was ▁P agan ini , ▁a ▁fant astic ▁re - im ag ining ▁of ▁the ▁life ▁of ▁Nic colo ▁P agan ini ▁set ▁to ▁Serge i ▁Rach man ino ff ' s ▁R haps ody ▁on ▁a ▁Th eme ▁of ▁P agan ini , ▁which ▁premier ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 . ▁ ▁Later ▁life ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁Lav rov sky ' s ▁style ▁of ▁ch ore ography ▁came ▁under ▁attack ▁for ▁its ▁real ism ▁and ▁lack ▁of ▁dance ▁from ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁young ▁ch ore ograph ers , ▁including ▁the ▁rising ▁star ▁Y uri ▁Gr ig or ov ich . ▁Lav rov sky ▁public ly ▁ret ali ated ▁in ▁his ▁key ▁note ▁address ▁for ▁the ▁All - Union ▁Ch ore ographic ▁Conference ▁held ▁in ▁Moscow ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 . ▁Nevertheless , ▁Lav rov sky ▁eventually ▁lost ▁the ▁battle ; ▁he ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁Gr ig or ov ich ▁as ▁art istic ▁director ▁for ▁the ▁Bol sh oi ▁Theater ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 . ▁From ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁to ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 , ▁Lav rov sky ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁professor ▁at ▁the ▁Moscow ▁State ▁Academy ▁of ▁Ch ore ography . ▁