PERM OPERA BALLET THEATRE is situated in the Russian city of Perm, 900 miles east of Moscow. Its full name in Russia is the Tchaikovsky Perm Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre.
Perm Opera Ballet opened almost 140 years ago and owes its existence in large part to the DIAGHILEV family, in particular the Russian arts impresario Serge Diaghilev. The Perm Ballet traces its roots back to St. Petersburg Kirov Ballet. A classical ballet school was developed in Perm during the 1940s and 50s. Several teachers from the Vaganova School in St. Petersburg stayed in Perm to teach.
The Perm company blends Russian classical academicism with neo-classical creative energy. Following the arrival of its new artistic director, Alexei Miroshnichenko, the Perm company became the second troupe in Russia to stage works by William Forsythe, Jiri Kylian, Kenneth MacMillan and Frederick Ashton.
Perm Opera Ballet was honored with Russia’s most prestigious national award, the "Golden Masque", and was nominated for the best show, best ballet choreographer and best dancer. In February 2016, two stars of the Perm Opera Ballet, Inna Bilach and Nikita Chetverikov, won the top prize in Russia’s most prestigious competition, "Le Grand Ballet", televised across Russia.
ROMEO AND JULIET
Music by Sergei Prokofiev. Choreography by Kenneth MacMillan.
Ballet in three acts, thirteen scenes. Running time: 3 hours including 2 intermissions.
The ballet was first staged in 1965. It was first performed in Perm in 2013.
Romeo and Juliet are the most famous lovers on the planet. Kenneth MacMillan is a legend of the world ballet. The marvellous Perm Ballet and the magnificent Renaissance costumes created by Italian designers offer a unique version of MacMillan iconic ballet.
"Kenneth thought the Prokofiev score was one of the very best ballet scores ever written"
— LADY DEBORAH MACMILLAN, WIDOW OF KENNETH MACMILLAN
"MacMillan’s particular feature is the abundance of dance. Compared to all other versions of Romeo and Juliet that were staged in our country from the times of the Soviet Union this one is the most difficult"
— BELCANTO.RU
"The costumes in the performance are truly amazing, not only thanks to the impressive quality of the fabrics and designer solutions, but also because of the adherence to the Renaissance traditions"
— NEWSKO.RU
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
Music by Piotr Tchaikovsky. Choreography by Marius Petipa, in Gabriela Komleva's version. Set designer Vyacheslav Okunev.
Ballet-féerie in a prologue and three acts. Running time: 3 hours 10 minutes including 2 intermissions.
The ballet was first staged in 1889. It was first performed in Perm in 2003.
Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty is set to music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and has been described by theatre critics as "an encyclopaedia of classical ballet". In 2003 the ballet was revised for the Perm stage by Gabriela Komleva, the prima ballerina of the Mariinsky Theatre from the 1960s to 1980s.
THE FOUR SEASONS
Music by Giuseppe Verdi. Choreography by Jerome Robbins, Lighting design by Les Dickert.
Duration : 40 minutes.
World premiere in 1979 in New York, premiere in Perm in 2007.
The Four Seasons is a brilliant example of neo-classical choreography. The story of this theatrical the Four Seasons is a brilliant example of neo-classical choreography. The story of this theatrical work began when Jerome Robbins wrote Spring, a choreographic miniature to music by Verdi, to be performed by New York City Ballet soloists Kyra Nichols and Peter Martins. The production enjoyed great success, and the choreographer decided to present all the seasons of the year in a similar fashion. This resulted in the creation of a divertissement dating back to the old traditions of court ballet. Work began when Jerome Robbins wrote Spring, a choreographic miniature to music by Verdi, to be performed by New York City Ballet soloists Kyra Nichols and Peter Martins. The production enjoyed great success, and the choreographer decided to present all the seasons of the year in a similar fashion. This resulted in the creation of a divertissement dating back to the old traditions of court ballet.
THE CONCERT (THE PERILS OF EVERYBODY)
Music by Frederic Chopin. Choreography by Jerome Robbins. Lighting design by Jennifer Tipton. Costume design by Irene Sharaff.
Duration 31 minutes.
World premiere in 1956 in New York, Premiere in Perm in 2007.
The Concert is a rare example of a comedy in ballet; it is often called a caricature ballet. "One of the pleasures of attending a concert", Robbins commented on his conception of the piece, "is the freedom to lose oneself in listening to the music. Quite often, unconsciously, mental pictures and images form, and the patterns and paths of these reveries are influenced by the music itself, or its program notes, or by the personal dreams, problems and fantasies of the listener. Chopin’s music in particular has been subject to fanciful 'program' names such as the Butterfly Etude, the Minute Waltz, the Raindrop Prelude, etc."
GISELLE
Music by Adolph Adam. Choreography by Jules Perrot, Jean Coralli and Marius Petipa, in Tatiana Legat’s version from 2008. Lighting by Sergei Martynov. Costumes by Elena Zaitseva.
Ballet in two acts.
In 1926, Giselle, in Marius Petipa’s canonical choreography, opened the first page in the history of Perm ballet. The libretto is based on Heinrich Heine’s retelling of the legend of the spirits of dead brides: the Wilis. In 2008, former Mariinsky Theatre soloist Tatiana Legat revived the production.
Music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov in Natalia Makarova’s version. Sets by Peter Farmer. Costumes by Galina Solovyeva. Lighting by Sergey Martynov.
Ballet in three acts.
Premiere in Perm in 2005.
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