Booking now open | Box Office 020 7304 4000 | Book online at www.roh.org.uk
Ivan rehearsing Le Corsaire
The name Bolshoi never fails to conjure up visions of spectacular
ballets in the minds of balletomanes around the world. During a history
spanning more than 225 years, the Bolshoi Ballet's vast, continually
expanding repertoire has been linked to a roster of celebrated
choreographers and dazzling dancers who, from generation to
generation, have remained custodians of their great heritage.
Since its legendary first-ever London performances in 1956, the
Bolshoi Ballet has been enthralling British audiences, winning new
followers with each unforgettable bravura performance. Now again
this summer, together with the celebrated Orchestra of the Bolshoi
Theatre, there is another opportunity to see this great company in
ballets old and new, intimate and grand, lyrical and monumental.
SPARTACUS 19, 20, 21, 31 July at 7.30pm
31 July at 2pm
The Bolshoi Ballet opens this eagerly
awaited season with the spectacular
staging of Spartacus by Yuri
Grigorovich. This monumental ballet,
set to Khachaturian's exciting music,
first took London by storm in 1969
and displays the Bolshoi Ballet at its
most powerful.
The epic portrayal of the uprising
against ancient Rome of the
gladiators and slaves, led by
Spartacus, is now an established
classic of Russian contemporary
ballet, epitomising the Bolshoi's
unique style.
Ivan Vasiliev in Spartacus
Photos Damir Yusupov
COPPÉLIA 22, 23, 24 July at 7.30pm
24 July at 2pm
"Just as Giselle is ballet's great
tragedy, so Coppélia is its great
comedy."
Thus wrote George Balanchine
of this joyous and witty ballet,
premiered in 1870. Delibes'
sparkling score highlights the
humour and brightness of the tale
of the beautiful mechanical doll
which threatens the happiness of
the two young lovers. The Bolshoi
Ballet's revival by Sergei Vikharev
of Petipa and Cecchetti's superb
choreography delights
and enchants.
Chinara Alizade in Coppélia
Photos Damir Yusupov
SERENADE / GISELLE 26, 27, 28 July at 7.30pm Two great ballets display the elegance
and beauty of the Bolshoi dancers.
Serenade is a magical fusion of
Balanchine's choreographic genius
with Tchaikovsky's poetry and drama.
Giselle, the story of the betrayed
peasant girl whose love transcends
even death, has captivated audiences
for over 160 years. Yuri Grigorovich's
acclaimed version embodies all the
lyricism and purity of the Romantic
style as well as its charm and pathos.
Maria Allash, Natalia Osipova and Karin Abdulin in Serenade
Photos Damir Yusupov
PETRUSHKA / RUSSIAN SEASONS / PAQUITA 29, 30 July at 7.30pm
An evening of brilliant Russian
choreographers.
Inspired by Sergei Diaghilev,
Petrushka is the tale of the comi-tragic
puppet with the human soul.
Fokine's choreography, Benois'
designs and Stravinsky's strikingly
original music combine to create this
work of genius.
Russian Seasons - the Bolshoi brings
Ratmansky's dazzling and spirited
celebration of Russian folk dance.
Yuri Burlaka's revival of the famous
Grand Pas from Petipa's masterpiece,
Paquita, presents the Bolshoi's
greatest ballerinas in a glittering
display of spectacular virtuosity.
Svetlana Zakharova and Andrei Uvarov in Paquita
Photos Damir Yusupov
LE CORSAIRE 2, 3, 4, 5 August at 7.30pm
The Bolshoi Ballet's magnificent staging of Marius Petipa's Le Corsaire, with
new choreography by the outstanding Russian choreographers Alexei Ratmansky
and Yuri Burlaka, has proved an extraordinary international success.
Set on the banks of the Ionian
Sea against a climate of political
unrest between the Greeks and the
Turks, this exotic ballet contains
all the ingredients of a traditional
Russian spectacular - love, intrigue,
deception, a splendid shipwreck,
a harem and a kidnap. A perfect
vehicle for the Bolshoi dancers'
exuberant energy.
Maria Alexandrova and Nikolai Tsiskaridze in Le Corsaire
Photo Mikhail Logvinov
DON QUIXOTE 6, 7 August at 7.30pm
7 August at 2pm
8 August at 3pm
The excitement and wit of
Cervantes' masterpiece are perfectly
conveyed in Alexei Fadeyechev's
stunning production of Don Quixote.
In astounding displays of virtuoso
dancing, the plot unfolds as the love
between Kitri and Basil is challenged
by the fruitless attempts of Kitri's
father to engineer his unwilling
daughter into a more lucrative
match. Drama, comedy and love
combine in Petipa's enchanting
classic, originally created for the
Bolshoi in 1869.
Natalia Osipova in Don Quixote
Photos Damir Yusupov
CHAMPAGNE SUPERSEATS AND UNDER-16s MATINEE SUPERSAVER For information about Champagne Superseats and under-16s matinee Supersaver Phone 020 7304 4000 or go to www.roh.org.uk/bolshoi
