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New Season Opens 19 September

On 19 September, the Mikhailovsky Theatre will open its 179th season. The September repertoire will include last season’s two outstanding premieres: Giacomo Puccini’s opera La Bohème and the one-act ballets by Nacho Duato, as well as the acknowledged ballet masterpiece Swan Lake.



Nacho Duato’s Without Words and Duende, which have already become ballet classics, can be seen on 19, 20, and 22 September. On one evening, the two ballets will also be joined by Prelude, which had its world premiere at the Mikhailovsky Theatre on 14 June 2011.

The opera season opens on 21 September with a performance of La Bohème. On that occasion, the celebrated Italian tenor Giuseppe Varano will sing the part of Rodolfo, the role that has made the most significant contribution to his successful international career.

The special events of the new season include the international project Kings of the Dance, which marks its fifth anniversary this year. On 8 and 9 October, the Mikhailovsky Theatre will stage the latest programme in the Opus 3 project, featuring the work of leading world choreographers. Top dancers from all over the world will be taking part: Marcelo Gomes and David Hallberg (American Ballet Theatre), Guillaume Côté (National Ballet of Canada), Ivan Vasiliev (Bolshoy Theatre), and Denis Matviyenko (Mariinsky Theatre), as well as Leonid Sarafanov, who will be making his debut at the Mikhailovsky Theatre and dancing in this project for the first time.

 One of the most pleasant traditions is the Mikhailovsky Theatre Grand Prix, a review competition for students from dance schools: the future stars of Russian ballet. The Grand Prix will be held for the third time in November 2011. Its aim is to demonstrate the potential of Russia’s system of choreographic education.

In December, the magical time before Christmas, the Mikhailovsky Theatre will premiere its new version of the ballet Sleeping Beauty, choreographed by Nacho Duato. Inspired by the fabulous ballet of Petipa, Duato plans to retell the story of Princess Aurora in a new way, following the «romantic and magical spirit of the classical masterpiece». The fairytale, beloved by children and adults, will be told in a new language of dance, a synthesis of classic and modern choreography. Angelina Atlagić, who has worked on more than 150 shows in theatres in Serbia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Greece, and Russia, is the costumer and set designer. The principal roles in the new production will be performed by Irina Perren and Leonid Sarafanov.