Moscow Festival Ballet Brings COPPELIA to Jorgensen, 3/25

The Moscow Festival Ballet, an exciting company of leading Russian dancers under the artistic direction of Bolshoi great Sergei Radchenko, brings the magical enchantment of Coppélia to Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m. Charleston's Post and Courier called their performance "magnificent," while the Las Vegas Review-Journal said, "They deserved bravos within minutes of the opening steps."

This new production of a timeless classic spins the tale of a mysterious, somewhat malevolent toymaker and Coppélia, his mechanical doll who snares the heart of Franz, an unsuspecting swain. When Swanhilda, the suitor's former sweetheart, brings the toymaker's duplicity to light, Franz realizes how foolish he has been, and true love triumphs.

Coppélia premiered on May 25, 1870, in Paris and was an instant hit. The three lively acts are lighthearted portrayals of love, folly, mistaken identity, enlightenment, and reconciliation, all culminating in a joyous village wedding. The dancers of the Moscow Festival Ballet provide the pantomime, comedy, mayhem, and happily-ever-after romance that ensure that this sunny, charming ballet will continue to be a popular favorite.

Since 1989 the Moscow Festival Ballet has been delighting audiences by fulfilling Mr. Radchenko's vision of a company that would bring together the best elements of the great Bolshoi and Kirov Ballet troupes in an independent new company within the framework of Russian classic ballet. In addition to its classical repertoire and newly commissioned works from within Russia and abroad, the company specializes in twentieth-century, full-length ballets including Stone Flower and The Golden Age.

The Moscow Festival Ballet has completed two tours of Europe, with extraordinary receptions in Italy, France, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands. The company generated capacity audiences at London's famed Coliseum, and has performed with great success at the Istanbul and Athens Festivals and recently on a two-month tour of Japan, Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong.

See Coppélia at Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, located at 2132 Hillside Road on the UConn campus in Storrs. Tickets are $25, $27 and $30, with some discounts available. Call the Box Office, Monday through Friday, 11 am to 5 pm, at 860.486.4226, or order online at www.jorgensen.uconn.edu. Free convenient parking is available across the street in the North Garage.

 

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