We will be celebrating the 400th anniversary since the Romanov dynasty started its reign in Russia. This anniversary is an important jubilee for the history of Russia and abroad: The Romanovs have given birth and developed a great, refined, difficult and wonderful art — Russian ballet.
Today, it would be hard to find a company in the world where there are no Russian ballet dancers or choreographers. Since the 18th century, Russian ballet tradition has remained the most prestigious in the world. Russian teachers are always the most sought-after, meanwhile Russian dancers are welcomed to leading international theaters.
Although, ballet is a performing art, therefore it is fragile, and belongs only to its contemporaries. Following generations receive dance masterpieces only in a format of memoires, archives, documents, and recordings, and the very own performance is all gone with the curtain drop.
Isn’t it unfair?
In our opinion, it is truly unfair! Therefore, the Dance Open festival has ventured to make this brave and uneasy action: unfold in front of its spectators a large scale live picture of the history of Russian ballet.
Masterpieces of Perrot, Petipa, Saint-Leon, Fokine, Lifar, Gorsky, Lavrovsky, Yakobson, Grigorovich, and Eifman will have a new life performed by the brightest stars of world ballet. Crowning pieces of Anna Pavlova, Mathilde Kschessinskaya, Vaslav Nijinsky, Nikolai Legat, Galina Ulanova, Tatiana Vecheslova, Konstantin Sergeev, and Vakhtang Chabukiani will be performed in a different interpretation by the stars of today.
Another zest of the project is a unique video content that will include archive materials, and entertaining narration by the presenter about every outstanding choreographer.
We are absolutely sure that the gala will be interesting not only to well-established ballet devotees, but also to young spectators to whom this first rendezvous with ballet may turn out to be the love of their lives.
"The History of Russian Ballet” Gala is a fascinating time journey that will bring you joy of knowledge and unforgettable impressions of the infinite mastery of international ballet stars.
Participants of the Gala «History of Russian Ballet»: Anastasia Kolegova (Mariinsky Theater), Yekaterina Osmolkina (Mariinsky Theater), Elena Yevseyeva (Mariinsky Theater), Anna Tikhomirova (Bolshoi Theater of Russia), Iana Salenko (Staatsballett Berlin), Dinu Tamazlacaru (Staatsballett Berlin), Ulyana Lopatkina (Mariinsky Theater), Kristina Kretova (Bolshoi Theater of Russia), Leonid Sarafanov (Mikhailovsky Theater), (New York City Ballet), Amar Ramasar (New York City Ballet), Anastasia Meskova (Bolshoi Theater of Russia), Anastasia Stashkevich (Bolshoi Theater of Russia), Mikhail Lobukhin (Bolshoi Theater of Russia), Denis Savin (Bolshoi Theater of Russia), Dmitry Dorokhov (Bolshoi Theater of Russia), Evgenia Obraztsova (Bolshoi Theater of Russia), Denis Medvedev (Bolshoi Theater of Russia), Maxim Zyuzin (Mariinsky Theater), Igor Kolb (Mariinsky Theater), Artem Ovcharenko (Bolshoi Theater of Russia), Yuri Smekalov (Mariinsky Theater), Semyon Chudin (Bolshoi Theater of Russia), Mikhail Kochan (Bolshoi Theater of Russia), Denis Matvienko (National Opera of Ukraine), Herman Cornejo (American Ballet Theater), Luciana Paris (American Ballet Theater), Marat Shemiunov (Mikhaylovsky Theatre), Ballet dancers of National Opera of Ukraine, Students of the Academy of Russian Ballet.