July: A Celebration of the Classics and a Refreshing Première

At the height of summer, St. Petersburg welcomes visitors from all over the world, and for many, exploring the city is inseparable from experiencing its extraordinary artistic heritage. Ballet in particular is practically synonymous with the city’s name. So it comes as no surprise that our summer playbill puts classical ballet firmly in the spotlight, with Swan Lake taking centre stage. While Tchaikovsky’s magical creation is beloved everywhere around the world, it is a cherished dream for many theatre aficionados to see it live in the city where it began its rise to fame. A series of Swan Lake showings will take place on two of the city’s finest historic stages: at the Alexandrinsky and Mariinsky Theatres.
 

The programme also features such enduring classics as the immortal, eternally youthful and mystically alluring Giselle; the immaculately thought-out, entrancing Sleeping Beauty; and the energetic, nigh-swashbuckling Don Quixote.
 

For discerning ballet lovers, the highlight of the month will undoubtedly be an evening devoted to three one-act ballets by Vyacheslav Samodurov. His Cheeky Chastushki, 598 Beats and Curtain Call will be presented together for the first time at the Alexandrinsky Theatre on 15 July. The latter work made its stage début only recently, at the beginning of summer. The enthusiastic response and the wealth of reviews following its première have already placed Curtain Call among the season’s most intriguing shows.
 

July will conclude with a series of performances of The Queen of Spades. This unique production, created especially for our theatre, is yet another distinctly St. Petersburg-esque title on the playbill. The story of the inimitable wordsmith Alexander Pushkin, its aura of mystery, and its many interpretations find an unexpected, even challenging expression through the art of choreography.