Win tickets to the ballet
Don't miss Russian ballet at its best when Stars of Ballet Russia comes to Durban's Playhouse Opera Theatre for just two nights.
STEEPED in the finest ballet traditions, Pearls of the Russian choreography comes to Durban for two shows only at the Playhouse Theatre on 6 and 7 August with an enchanting programme of classical ballet highlights compiled by former artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet Yury Vetrov.
Presented by The Stars of the Ballet Russia Company, the first half of the programme features Acts 2 and 4 of Swan Lake. The second half includes the romantic pas de deux from the timeless Sleeping Beauty and the magnificent Grand Pas Classique from the popular Paquita, widely considered one of the finest achievements of choreographer Marius Petipa.
This richly textured programme of fantasy and fairy stories, of gypsies, swans and sorcerers will delight both old and new audiences of the ballet.
Danced to the sublime music of Tchaikovsky (Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty) and the legendary ballet composer Minkus (Paquita), the creative direction of Pearls of the Russian Choreography is in the hands of Yury Vetrov and Maria Bylova.
Vetrov started his career as a principal dancer with the Bolshoi Theatre and then trained under the direction of world-renowned choreographer Yury Grigorovich before completing his ballet master training at the Bolshoi Theatre in 1982.
He created the television film ballets Adagio and This Wonderful World and choreographed several famous dance scenes in the operas, The Spanish Hour (Ravel) and The Masquerade Ball (Verdi).
From 1990 to 1994 he was the artistic director of The Bolshoi Ballet and subsequently choreographed Don Quixote and Cinderella for the Russian National Ballet Company.
He currently works as a choreographer in various Russian and international ballet companies and teaches at the Moscow State University.
Maria Bylova has been described as one of the most outstanding ballerinas of all times. Her grace and elegance captivated audiences during her celebrated international career as a showcased prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Theatre.
Her performances are well archived on film and you will find many a young ballerina feasting on her extraordinary skill on YouTube clips.
The Spring Waters pas de deux is one such favourite. Bylova is currently the ballet mistress to Stars of the Ballet Russia instilling her exacting standards on this carefully selected touring company.
The featured female soloists are Maria Sokolnikova and Maria Klueva from the Russian National Ballet. The impressive German Zhukovsckiy, a 2012 soloist of the Bolshoi Ballet Theatre and a recent member of the Kremlin Ballet, will partner them. Mikhailov Mikhail an award winning lead dancer, also from the Kremlin Ballet, will join them.
All three featured ballets are major cornerstones of the traditional classical ballet repertory and have been staged over centuries by ballet companies throughout the world.
Tickets range from R150 to R280.
Shows are at 7.30pm and tickets are available from Computicket.
WIN
Three lucky Berea Mail readers can each win double tickets to the show on Wednesday 6 August. To enter, fill in and submit the form below. Terms and conditions apply. The competition closes at 10am on Thursday 31 July. Winners will be contacted by phone and will collect their tickets at the show.
Sorry, this competition is closed.
