Petroushka

I. Stravinsky Ballet 12+

Ballet premieres in Perm are always a must-see. In 2016 the Perm ballet was named best company ― and its head Alexey Miroshnichenko, as best ballet master ― by the magazine Dance Europe. Perm ballet stands for magnificent technique, artistry and unique repertoire.

The 145th season will end with a special treat that will delight all dance connoisseurs: three one-act ballets, choreographed to the music of Igor Stravinsky by three leading Russian choreographers, performed by the Perm ballet company. Viacheslav Samodurov will choreograph Le baiser de la fée (The Fairy’s Kiss), Vladimir Varnava — Petrushka, and Alexey Miroshnichenko — The Firebird. The premiere will be the closing event of the 2017 International Diaghilev Festival.

Working with the character of Petrushka, Vladimir Varnava (the youngest dancer to win the Golden Mask award in 2010 and who already holds two national awards) focuses on two topics: the opposition to creative individuality of the aggressive crowd and the free will of the artist in the context of a lifelike scenario. He defines the genre of his performance as «devil’s clowning». The visual concept, developed by Galya Solodovnikova, is constructed using the device of «a theatre within a theatre»: the staging of the puppet show is inserted into the real space of the stage. Here, now going out into the light, now hiding in the shade, is the Creator who could be seen to resemble Igor Stravinsky.