Performances in St. Petersburg
Performances of Eifman Ballet at the Alexandrinsky Theatre during the 45th season
Start of the season
The first performances of the Company at the Alexandrinsky Theatre took place in autumn. Eifman Ballet presented to the St. Petersburg audience a production about the great French comedian Molière Passion, or The Mask of Don Juan (October 9 and 10), as well as a ballet based on the legendary novel by Leo Tolstoy Anna Karenina (October 11).
"Boris Eifman is a PHENOMENON of our time... A GENIUS. I won't rest until I watch all his performances live."
"Sunk into the very soul, now I recommend everyone to go and see."
"Having 7 years of classical ballet experience behind me, I'm just thrilled to see Eifman Ballet. Absolutely extraordinary, modern and sophisticated."
"Sunk into the very soul, now I recommend everyone to go and see."
"Having 7 years of classical ballet experience behind me, I'm just thrilled to see Eifman Ballet. Absolutely extraordinary, modern and sophisticated."
“
(reviews from St. Petersburg audience)
Start of the season
The first performances of the Company at the Alexandrinsky Theatre took place in autumn. Eifman Ballet presented to the St. Petersburg audience a production about the great French comedian Molière Passion, or The Mask of Don Juan (October 9 and 10), as well as a ballet based on the legendary novel by Leo Tolstoy Anna Karenina (October 11).
"Boris Eifman is a PHENOMENON of our time... A GENIUS. I won't rest until I watch all his performances live."
"Sunk into the very soul, now I recommend everyone to go and see."
"Having 7 years of classical ballet experience behind me, I'm just thrilled to see Eifman Ballet. Absolutely extraordinary, modern and sophisticated."
"Sunk into the very soul, now I recommend everyone to go and see."
"Having 7 years of classical ballet experience behind me, I'm just thrilled to see Eifman Ballet. Absolutely extraordinary, modern and sophisticated."
“
(reviews from St. Petersburg audience)
Anniversary of Dostoevsky
On October 25, the first performance of the ballet Beyond Sin in St. Petersburg since 2017 took place. The production, along with other projects of the Company, was dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the birth of the great writer Fyodor Dostoevsky.
On the eve of the performance, the leading soloists of the Company visited the exhibition Fyodor Dostoevsky in the Fine Arts from the State Russian Museum Collection. On the 200th Anniversary of the Writer’s Birth in the Saint Michael's Castle.
On the eve of the performance, the leading soloists of the Company visited the exhibition Fyodor Dostoevsky in the Fine Arts from the State Russian Museum Collection. On the 200th Anniversary of the Writer’s Birth in the Saint Michael's Castle.
"This is the deepest, philosophical, worldview and chillingly relevant Company’s ballet of those that we were lucky to see. The spirit of Dostoevsky conveyed without words. A Living Spirit! One can write a whole treatise on this production. So many feelings, images,
associations, prophecies! When Ivan showed Alyosha the happy world of the Grand Inquisitor, goosebumps ran through my body."
"One of the most powerful and emotionally difficult ballets by Boris Eifman, to which the viewer needs to grow up. Questions that are not easy to raise and even more difficult to hide back. Everything is allowed ... From 2017 to 2021 – with completely different eyes."
associations, prophecies! When Ivan showed Alyosha the happy world of the Grand Inquisitor, goosebumps ran through my body."
"One of the most powerful and emotionally difficult ballets by Boris Eifman, to which the viewer needs to grow up. Questions that are not easy to raise and even more difficult to hide back. Everything is allowed ... From 2017 to 2021 – with completely different eyes."
“
Lyubov Andreyeva, Sergey Volobuev, Oleg Gabyshev and Dmitry Fisher at the exhibition in the Saint Michael's Castle. October, 2021
(audience reviews)
EIFMAN GALA at the Oktyabrskiy Big Concert Hall
On December 11, the Company presented an exclusive two-act programm including fragments from selected productions of the choreographer. The gala concert became a symbolic prologue for a whole series of the events in honor of the anniversary of Eifman Ballet
In the New Year 2022
During the New Year holidays, Eifman Ballet presented to the audience three productions from its repertoire. On January 3 and 4, the Company performed the 2021 premiere Molière Passion, or The Mask of Don Juan. On January 5 and 6 the performances of the bright comedy production The Pygmalion Effect took place. The series ended with the performance of the ballet Rodin, Her Eternal Idol which took place on January 7.
The spectators shared their impressions of what they saw on social networks:
The spectators shared their impressions of what they saw on social networks:
"The amazing gift of the brilliant choreographer to tell in the language of dance not only about the fate of a great person, but also to present those works that made him great! In one action, to show the transition from the moment of creativity to creation itself, the emotional connection, the embodied thoughts of the creator! Eifman is second to none in this!" (about the ballet Molière Passion, or The Mask of Don Juan)
"The ballet is filled with emotions, passion, tragic inevitability, and the striking plastique of the dancers fascinates and completely immerses in the feelings of the main characters. It was wonderful! I want to watch this story endlessly." (about the ballet Rodin, Her Eternal Idol)
"The ballet is filled with emotions, passion, tragic inevitability, and the striking plastique of the dancers fascinates and completely immerses in the feelings of the main characters. It was wonderful! I want to watch this story endlessly." (about the ballet Rodin, Her Eternal Idol)
“
"Everyone can interpret a beautiful ending in their own way, but a fairy tale, alas, does not always have a happy ending. But Eifman is precious for that – the opportunity to reflect, to worry, to delve into oneself and to go home with a light heart. Bravo!" (about the ballet The Pygmalion Effect)
The Seagull. A Ballet Story
Boris Eifman's new production based on the play by Anton Chekhov premiered at The Alexandrinsky Theatre on February 22 and 23. The action moves from a country mansion to a rehearsal room, where a successful classic choreographer confronts a young experimenter obsessed with his pursuit of new forms of dance, where love affairs are entangled with the torment of the creative process.
Anna Karenina
On April 16 and 17, the Company returned to the St. Petersburg stage and performed the ballet hit, the production about the woman consumed by destructive passion and crushed by sensual attraction.
Anna Karenina, April 16, 2022. Photo by Ivan Chekhlov
"I didn’t watch this ballet for the first time, but my impressions were as if I did: again, I was stunned, swept off my feet, I love the work of this greatest Choreographer."
"I watched the first act in one breath and the second one with sinking heart. I return home happy and peaceful, despite the tragic end of the story. That's what the power of art means!"
"I watched the first act in one breath and the second one with sinking heart. I return home happy and peaceful, despite the tragic end of the story. That's what the power of art means!"
“
(from audience reviews)
To the music of Alexander Sitkovetsky
On April 30 and May 1, performances of the ballet Eugene Onegin took place. The last time the St. Petersburg audience could enjoy a production based on the novel in verse by Alexander Pushkin was in 2018. And on May 2 and 3, the Company again presented the premiere production The Seagull. A Ballet Story.
An interesting fact: in both productions, the music of rock musician Alexander Sitkovetsky sounds.
An interesting fact: in both productions, the music of rock musician Alexander Sitkovetsky sounds.
"The amazing influence of Eifman's ballets on me is that after the performance I traditionally go to Yandex for help: I study facts, look for answers, turn to history ... And now I want to re-read The Seagull."
"The visit to the Alexandrinsky Theatre to Boris Eifman's ballet Eugene Onegin left the most vivid impression. Actually, our trip to St. Petersburg was planned to go to the ballet. Eifman's productions are something incredible. I sat in the auditorium and envied myself. I left the theatre with a desire to go to his next ballet."
"The visit to the Alexandrinsky Theatre to Boris Eifman's ballet Eugene Onegin left the most vivid impression. Actually, our trip to St. Petersburg was planned to go to the ballet. Eifman's productions are something incredible. I sat in the auditorium and envied myself. I left the theatre with a desire to go to his next ballet."
“
(from audience reviews)
To the music of Alexander Sitkovetsky
On April 30 and May 1, performances of the ballet Eugene Onegin took place. The last time the St. Petersburg audience could enjoy a production based on the novel in verse by Alexander Pushkin was in 2018. And on May 2 and 3, the Company again presented the premiere production The Seagull. A Ballet Story.
An interesting fact: in both productions, the music of rock musician Alexander Sitkovetsky sounds.
An interesting fact: in both productions, the music of rock musician Alexander Sitkovetsky sounds.
"The amazing influence of Eifman's ballets on me is that after the performance I traditionally go to Yandex for help: I study facts, look for answers, turn to history ... And now I want to re-read The Seagull."
The visit to the Alexandrinsky Theatre to Boris Eifman's ballet Eugene Onegin left the most vivid impression. Actually, our trip to St. Petersburg was planned to go to the ballet. Eifman's productions are something incredible. I sat in the auditorium and envied myself. I left the
theatre with a desire to go to his next ballet."
The visit to the Alexandrinsky Theatre to Boris Eifman's ballet Eugene Onegin left the most vivid impression. Actually, our trip to St. Petersburg was planned to go to the ballet. Eifman's productions are something incredible. I sat in the auditorium and envied myself. I left the
theatre with a desire to go to his next ballet."
“
(from audience reviews)
Just before the summer
The final chord of spring 2022 was a series of performances at the Alexandrinsky Theatre. On May 29 and 30, Eifman Ballet performed the production Anna Karenina, a choreographic interpretation of Leo Tolstoy's novel. And on May 31 and June 1 the performances of the ballet Rodin, Her Eternal Idol took place.
One of the spectators, after watching the production about the great French sculptor, noted:
One of the spectators, after watching the production about the great French sculptor, noted:
The rehearsal of Rodin, Her Eternal Idol. Spring, 2022. Photo by Yulia Mikheeva
"One can endlessly look at three things: how fire burns, how water flows and how Eifman Ballet dances."
“
The 45th anniversary
In the summer of 2022, the big series of the performances was held at The Alexandrinsky Theatre as part of the celebration of the Company's anniversary. The dancers presented the ballets Eugene Onegin, The Seagull. A Ballet Story, Beyond Sin, The Pygmalion Effect, Russian Hamlet and Molière Passion, or The Mask of Don Juan
On the birthday of the choreographer
At the end of the season, the Company celebrated Boris Eifman's 76th birthday with two performances. On July 21, the St. Petersburg audience could once again enjoy the premiere production The Seagull. A Ballet Story, and on July 22, the choreographer's birthday, Eifman Ballet performed the ballet Rodin, Her Eternal Idol.