Founded over half a century ago, the St. Petersburg State Academic Leonid Yacobson Ballet Theatre truly stands out among Russia’s ballet companies. Its repertoire combines the tried and true classics with the innovative productions by the remarkable 20th century choreographer whose name the troupe is proud to bear. This one-of-a-kind creative team has been honoured with such prestigious awards as the Golden Soffit St. Petersburg Theatre Award, the Golden Mask National Theatre Award, and the Taglioni Award, a prize coveted by many ballet theatres in Europe.
Act I
PREMIERE
Bruch. Suite
A ballet in one act
Music: Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Choreography: Igor Bulytsyn
Set Design: Alyona Pikalova
Lighting Design: Sergey Vasiliev
As the score for his choreographic creation, ballet master Igor Bulytsyn chose two pieces by the remarkable German Romantic composer Max Bruch, specifically an excerpt from Suite on Russian Folk Melodies (op. 79B) and Swedish Dances (op. 63). This Classical Revival production features seven soloists, each of whom gets a unique opportunity to showcase both their technical mastery and character development skills.
Act II
598 Beats
This show was staged by Vyacheslav Samodurov, a renowned ballet master, winner of the Golden Mask 2025 National Award in the Best Choreographer nomination.
Won the Golden Soffit 2024 Award in the Best Ballet nomination.
A ballet in one act
Music: Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Set Design: Elena Trubetskova
Lighting Design: Sergey Vasiliev
The 598 Beats one-act ballet is Vyacheslav Samodurov’s second collaboration with the Leonid Yacobson Theatre. It was recognised by the Golden Soffit Award as the best production of 2024 and has recently earned its creator the Golden Mask Award. The name alludes to the number of music beats in the chosen score. Lacking a clearly defined plot, the ballet instead communicates the creator’s ideas about the physical and spiritual aspects of human existence.
Act III
Cheeky Chastushki
Won the Golden Soffit 2024 Award in the Best Ballet nomination.
A ballet in one act
Music: Rodion Shchedrin
Choreography: Vyacheslav Samodurov
Set Design: Anastasia Nefyodova
Lighting Design: Sergey Vasiliev
The Cheeky Chastushki show was added to the Leonid Yacobson Ballet Theatre playbill in December 2022. It originally premièred at a festival celebrating Rodion Shchedrin’s 90th birthday, as it was an instrumental concerto by this composer that inspired choreographer Vyacheslav Samodurov to create a sparkling, sharp-witted, and quintessentially Russian extravaganza. Ballet critics were astonished by the way the ballet’s bold, street-smart characters grasp at the elusive essence of the Russian national identity, while also following the modern urban rhythm and trends.
