The Kennedy Center Presents Mariinsky Ballet in Marius Petipa's LA BAYADERE

Performing the classical masterpiece La Bayadère as part of the company's celebration of choreographer Marius Petipa's 200th anniversary of his birth, the acclaimed Mariinsky Ballet returns to the Kennedy Center for its 16th annual engagement for seven performances in the Opera House, October 17-22, 2017. Last performed at the Kennedy Center by the company in 2008 and set to Ludwig Minkus' score, this three-act version of La Bayadère tells the story of temple dancer (bayadère) Nikiya and her eternal love for Solor, a noble warrior. All performances will be accompanied by the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra.

Replete with forbidden love, shocking betrayal, and a spectral voyage to the afterlife, Petipa created La Bayadère for the Mariinsky Ballet more than 140 years ago. Radiating with vibrant sets and costumes, the production includes one of the most revered scenes in ballet, Act III's iconic "The Kingdom of the Shades," which includes a seemingly endless line of ghostly maidens in white, floating in perfect synchronicity across the stage. A beautiful evocation of the Romantic ideal in classical ballet and inspired by Gustav Doré's illustrations for Dante's Paradiso from The Divine Comedy, this ethereal scene is an idyllic showcase for the Mariinsky's renowned corps de ballet.

For more than 200 years, the St. Petersburg-based Mariinsky Ballet has consistently performed in the top tiers of artistic achievement. The company traces its heritage directly to the 1730's reign of Empress Anna, an advocate for the arts. In 1869, the position of principal ballet master was entrusted to Marius Petipa who markedly raised the professional standards of the company. This famous choreographer collaborated with the composers Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Alexander Glazunov on some of their greatest works, including The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and Raymonda. As one of the great Imperial Theaters of Russia, the ballet and opera companies, along with the theater itself, were renamed during the Soviet era for S. M. Kirov, a Soviet statesman and political leader.

Funding Credits:

Support for Ballet at the Kennedy Center is generously provided by C. Michael Kojaian.

Russian Cultural Initiatives are supported by The Vladimir Potanin Foundation.

International Programming at the Kennedy Center is made possible through the generosity of the Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts.

Ticket Information

Tickets start at $39. Tickets can be purchased at the Kennedy Center box office or by calling Instant Charge at (202) 467-4600. Patrons living outside the Washington metropolitan area may dial toll-free at (800) 444-1324. For all other ticket-related customer service inquiries, call the Advance Sales Box Office at (202) 416-8540.

Performance Schedule & Principal Casting (subject to change)

Mariinsky Ballet
Valery Gergiev, Artistic Director of the Mariinsky Theatre
Yuri Fateev, Deputy Director of the Ballet Company

La Bayadère
Music by Ludwig Minkus
Choreography by Marius Petipa
Libretto by Marius Petipa and Sergei Khudekov
Set design by Mikhail Shishliannikov after (Adolf Kvapp, Konstantin Ivanov, Pyotr Lambin, and Orest Allegri

Costumes by Yevgeny Ponomarev

Lighting Design by Mikhail Shishliannikov

with the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra

Tuesday, October 17, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.
Nikiya: Viktoria Tereshkina
Solor: Kimin Kim
Gamzatti: Anastasia Matvienko

Wednesday, October 18, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.
Nikiya: Oxana Skorik
Solor: Andrei Yermakov
Gamzatti: Anastasia Kolegova

Thursday, October 19, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.
Nikiya: Ekaterina Kondaurova
Solor: Timur Askerov
Gamzatti: Nadezhda Batoeva

Friday, October 20, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.
Nikiya: Viktoria Tereshkina
Solor: Kimin Kim
Gamzatti: Anastasia Matvienko

Saturday, October 21, 2017 at 1:30 p.m.
Nikiya: Oxana Skorik
Solor: Andrei Yermakov
Gamzatti: Anastasia Kolegova

Saturday, October 21, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.
Nikiya: Ekaterina Kondaurova
Solor: Timur Askerov
Gamzatti: Nadezhda Batoeva

Sunday, October 22, 2017 at 1:30 p.m.
Nikiya: Viktoria Tereshkina
Solor: Kimin Kim
Gamzatti: Anastasia Matvienko

For more information about the Kennedy Center visit www.kennedy-center.org.

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