A Sizzling Summer of Ballet at the Bolshoi: A Tribute to Legends

For the 10th time, the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus is opening its doors to summer with its signature project, “Ballet Summer.” The jubilee “summer” kicks off on June 2nd, with all tickets for the first day already sold out!

Seven Days of Ballet Extravaganza

This year’s “Ballet Summer” is a seven-day event featuring two invited troupes from St. Petersburg (the Boris Eifman Dance Academy and the Leonid Yakobson Ballet Theatre), a premiere from the departing season at the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus (the ballet “Illusions of Love”), and guest stars in classic productions such as “Swan Lake” and “La Bayadère”. The grand finale, a Gala concert, will be the “cherry on top,” showcasing a dozen ballet primas and premiers from various renowned theaters in a single evening.

Dedicated to Legends

This year, “Ballet Summer” is dedicated to legends. The legendary names on the poster include our great and magnificent Valentin Elizariev, who has dedicated 50 years to the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus. His production of “Swan Lake” will be shown on June 7th.

The second legend featured is Boris Eifman. The Boris Eifman Ballet Theatre recently toured Minsk with two productions. On the first day of “Ballet Summer,” two productions by Boris Eifman will be presented: “Musagete” and “My Jerusalem.” The former, set to the music of I.S. Bach and P.I. Tchaikovsky, is dedicated to the outstanding 20th-century choreographer George Balanchine. The latter, set to the music of W.A. Mozart, S.V. Rachmaninoff, and F. Glass, is inspired by the history of Jerusalem. Notably, the performances will be presented not by the artists of the Boris Eifman Dance Theatre, but by students of the St. Petersburg Ballet Academy of the renowned choreographer, the future stars of the stage.

The third legendary name in the “Ballet Summer” program is Leonid Yakobson, an outstanding Soviet and Russian choreographer. Over two evenings, on June 4th and 5th, the St. Petersburg State Academic Ballet Theatre named after Leonid Yakobson will present the best performances from its repertoire on the stage of the Belarusian Bolshoi Theatre. On June 4th, we will see the premiere of choreographer Vyacheslav Samodurov’s ballet “598 Beats,” his one-act choreographic composition “Playful Chastushkas,” and Leonid Yakobson’s cycle of miniatures “Roden” – one of the most original choreographic works of the 20th century. The next day, the audience will enjoy “Brilliant Divertissement” – a program consisting of works where Yakobson’s genius is most vividly manifested. These include the cult miniatures from the cycle “Classicism – Romanticism,” the one-act ballets “Wedding Cortege” to the music of Dmitri Shostakovich, and “Brilliant Divertissement” to the music of Mikhail Glinka.

Guest Stars and Gala Concert

A highlight of “Ballet Summer” will be the appearance of invited ballet stars in well-known performances. On June 6th, the prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theatre, Oksana Skorik, will dance the part of the Girl in Igor Kolb’s production of “Illusions of Love.” On June 8th, the ballerina will appear in the romantic role of Nikiya in Minkus’s melodrama “La Bayadère.” The performance will also feature brilliant dancers from the Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theatre – the People’s Artist of Bashkortostan, Rustam Iskhakov, and the Honored Artist of Bashkortostan, Irina Sapozhnikova. The ballet stars will perform the parts of Solor and Gamzatti.

On June 7th, the leading parts in “Swan Lake” (Odette-Odile and Siegfried) will be performed by guests from the Mikhailovsky Theatre (St. Petersburg): the theatre’s first soloist and laureate of international competitions, Anastasia Smirnova, and the young artist Guilherme Vicente. Anastasia is a graduate of the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, and Guilherme was born in Portugal and studied at the National Conservatory of Lisbon and the National Ballet Academy of Amsterdam.

The final chord of the 10th “Ballet Summer” will be the Gala concert of ballet stars on June 9th. On this day, the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus will feature both its soloists and guests – Oksana Skorik (Mariinsky Theatre), Anastasia Smirnova and Guilherme Vicente (Mikhailovsky Theatre), Irina Sapozhnikova and Rustam Iskhakov (Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theatre), Shirin Vlasenko and Bekzod Akimbayev (State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Uzbekistan named after Alisher Navoi), Laura Vasconselos and Pedro Seara (Samara Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after D.D. Shostakovich).

Text: Maria Sergeeva
Photo: provided by the press service of the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus

For more information, visit the official website of the Bolshoi Theatre of Belarus.