EN
Two ballet performances are being analysed: Pietruszka by Igor Strawiński and Dama Kameliowa choreographed by John Neumier. The author discusses a metatheatrical character of the two performances, which reveals itself through a concept of “a theatre within a theatre”. The analyses presented in this article are rooted in a (slightly modified) methodological approach defined by Marcin Gmys. The analysis leads to the conclusion that the three subcodes (dance, music and drama) determine the functionality of the concept of ‘a theatre within a theatre’ in both performances.