On 24 March (19:00), 25 March (14:00 and 19:00) and 26 March (17:00) George Balanchine's productions will premiere at the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre. The programme includes one-act ballets Apollo, Scotch Symphony, Serenade and Prodigal Son.
George Balanchine (born Georgi Balanchivadze) is one of the greatest choreographers of the 20th century, who created a new style in choreography. His most notable productions were one-act ballets with no plot. Peculiarities of "the Balanchine technique" first appeared in his ballet Apollo, the choreography of which is based on classical academic dance, revised to ensure full disclosure of the innovative score by Igor Stravinsky. Scotch Symphony stands apart among multiple George Balanchine's performances, later it became the first choreographer's production included into the Mariinsky (than the Kirovsky) repertoire. Balanchine dressed the dancers in kilts, hoses and plaid berets, using a picturesque romantic landscape as a background for dances.
Also, the March playbill includes repertoire ballets of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre: Le Corsaire (3 March), The Firebird (5 March), Giselle (8 March), The Nutcracker (10 March), Carmen Suite (12 March), Swan Lake (18 March).
The Mariinsky Primorsky will for the first time feature Holidays at the Mariinsky. From 28 through 2 April The Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre will show operas and ballets for all the family: the new season's so much beloved Far Eastern premiere Christmas Eve (on 28 March at 19:00 and on 29 March at 17:00), Giselle (30 March at 17:00), The Magic Flute (31 March at 19:00), The Nutcracker (on 1 April at 14:00 and at 19:00), The Tale of Tsar Saltan (2 April at 14:00). The opera repertoire includes an appearance by Oxana Shilova - one of the best performers of the part of Violetta in La traviata (2 March), as well as Eugene Onegin (4 March), Tosca (9 March), Macbeth (11 March), The Love for Three Oranges (17 March) and Carmen. The names of invited soloists will be announced later.
