It is the beating heart of Russian culture: St. Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre, a bastion of arts excellence that has endured regime changes and revolutions for over two centuries. As a cultivator of innovation and talent, it is unparalleled. Balanchine studied there, as did Baryshnikov, Nijinsky, and Nureyev. Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov premiered operas there. And Mahler, Berlioz and Rachmaninoff all conducted on its stages.
Today, under the leadership of artistic director Valery Gergiev, the Mariinsky—which comprises an orchestra, chorus, ballet and opera company—remains at the forefront of the international scene.
In this two-week residency at Brooklyn Academy of Music, beginning January 14 - January 25, the renowned theater offers a diverse program that bridges its incomparable legacy with its present-day status in the vanguard of the performing arts.
Principal casting*: Viktoria Tereshkina/Vladimir Shklyarov (Jan 15), Ulyana Lopatkina/Yevgeny Ivanchenko (Jan 16), Yekaterina Kondaurova/Timur Askerov (Jan 21), Oxana Skorik/Xander Parish (Jan 22), Viktoria Tereshkina/Vladimir Shklyarov (Jan 23)
*Casting subject to change
This ravishing production is widely considered one of the world's finest. A pillar of the Mariinsky repertoire since it was staged in 1950 by renowned Russian dancer and choreographer Konstantin Sergeyev, after Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa's original version in 1895, it has served as the inspiration and exemplar of countless productions since.
Reveling in the expressiveness of Tchaikovsky's score, this Swan Lake has a happy ending—a remnant of Soviet-era heroics—while remaining true to the medieval period in which the story was originally set. Bathed in radiant aquamarine, the company's exquisite corps de ballet is the epitome of classical grandeur, floating ethereally into the moonlight.
Tickets start at $35. To purchase tickets, go here.
https://youtu.be/FZ2lst6S_6I