May
2012
Set to Tchaikovsky's soaring score and choreographed by Marius Petipa, Sleeping Beauty is the story of a young princess named Aurora who falls asleep after pricking her finger. Only a kiss from the Prince will break the spell. The 50 dancers of the Moscow Festival Ballet weave the tale together with the trademark precision and exquisite grace of the great Russian ballet tradition.
Embraced worldwide for its complex choreography, Sleeping Beauty's soaring leaps, high extensions, and daring lifts combine with lavish stage scenery to bring this beloved fairy tale to life.
Critical acclaim for the Moscow Festival Ballet
"This was an afternoon that deserved 'bravos' within minutes of the opening steps." Las Vegas Review-Journal
"An impressive performance of a classical ballet, energized with dramatic expression and sensational steps." The Chronicle; Durham, North Carolina
"The dancers of the Moscow Festival Ballet spoke to the soul through the body, performing a magnificent Giselle. The Post and Courier; Charleston, South Carolina
Moscow Festival Ballet | Artistic Director: Sergei Radchenko
The Moscow Festival Ballet was founded in 1989 when legendary principal dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet Sergei Radchenko sought to realize his vision of a company which would bring together the highest classical elements of the great Bolshoi and Kirov Ballet companies in an independent new company within the framework of Russian classic ballet.
Leading dancers from across the Russias have forged under Radchenko’s direction an exciting new company staging new productions of timeless classics such as Giselle, Don Quixote, Paquita and Carmen.
Since its inception, the Moscow Festival Ballet has completed two tours of Europe, with extraordinary receptions in Italy, France, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands. Two tours of the United Kingdom, including capacity audiences at London's famed Coliseum, have resulted in re-engagements during the 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000 seasons.
The company has also performed with great success in Turkey at the Istanbul Festival and in Greece at the Athens Festival, and recently completed a two-month tour of Japan, Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong. Under the direction of Sergei Radchenko, the Moscow Festival Ballet continues to expand its repertoire. In addition to commissioning new works from within Russia and abroad, the company specializes in Twentieth Century full-length ballets such as Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet, Legend of Love, Stone Flower and The Golden Age. Mr. Radchenko has researched the original choreography and stage productions of several of Marius Petipa's classic ballets, including new productions in the year 2000 of Don Quixote and Paquita, and a recreation of Jules Perrot's and Jean Coralli's Giselle.
The Moscow Festival Ballet has toured extensively throughout the United States, beginning with a Coast-to-Coast tour in the Winter/Spring of 1997 and returning in 2001, 2004 and 2007. The Company has just completed a 17-week tour comprised of over 100 cities and will return in the winter of 2012 to undertake a four-month tour of North America.
Sergei Radchenko
Artistic Director
Born in 1944, Sergei Radchenko graduated from the Moscow School of Dance in 1964 and then joined the Bolshoi Ballet, where he worked for 25 years. He danced the entire repertoire at the Bolshoi, but enjoyed a special reputation for Spanish dance, particularly the role of the bullfighter in the Bizet-Shchedrin Carmen Suite. He is the founder and Artistic Director of the Moscow Festival Ballet and has achieved a remarkable feat in the establishment and development of this young but great Russian ballet company. Mr. Radchenko presents a large number of master-classes, inviting leading teachers from the Bolshoi and Maryinsky theatres to ensure the continuation of the rich traditions of the Russian classical school.
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© 2012