In the world of Fokine at Den Norske Opera & Ballett

The scene is set for a completely new Firebird and Petrushka when the curtain rises on the Norwegian National Ballet's opening performance of the season, In the World of Fokine. The legendary choreographer Michel Fokine created these ballets for Diaghilev's Ballets Russes at the beginning of the 20th century. Although it is the powerful music of Stravinsky's masterpieces that have earned these works the status they have today.

Ballets Russes was a pioneering force in bringing together modern choreographers, composers, artists and dancers. This was the world of Fokine. Now we can see contemporary artists cast new light on these iconic ballets: British star choreographer Liam Scarlett has created a new Firebird, and our own house choreographer Alan Lucien Øyen gives us his interpretation of Petrushka.

In the performance world of Fokine the characters are taken from Russian folk tales, ancient myths and Arabian fables, set to the music of Ravel, Rimsky-Korsakov – and Igor Stravinsky.

In addition to The Firebird and Petrushka, the evening includes three shorter works: Ingun Bjørnsgaard takes inspiration from Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé, Daniel Proietto brings life to a new swan in Cygne, with references to Pavlova and the Dying Swan, and Ina Christel Johannessen takes the tale of Scheherazade from 1001 Nights and sets her in the Arab world of today.

This is Ingrid Lorentzen's opening programme as ballet director: five world premieres in one evening. A starting point: Michel Fokine.