Auditorium Theatre 2018-19 Issue 4 Eifman Ballet

6 | EIFMAN BALLET OF ST. PETERSBURG — THE PYGMALION EFFECT | MAY 17-19, 2019 ABOUT EIFMAN BALLET OF ST. PETERSBURG ABOUT EIFMAN BALLET OF ST. PETERSBURG Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg was established by Boris Eifman in 1977 (the original name of the company was Leningrad New Ballet). The concept of the New Ballet was more than innovative for its time: from the very beginning, the vision was to develop it as an experimental laboratory, a ballet theatre of one choreographer. The company’s first productions, such as Two-Voice and Boomerang , had immediate success and prompted both strong audience interest and a lively discussion among ballet critics who recognized the development of a new trend in Russian ballet art. However, proponents of the traditional ballet school were rather reluctant to acknowledge the young choreographer’s influence. The novelty of Eifman’s approach to his choice of literary and musical inspirations for his productions, as well as the audacity of his body movement vocabulary, earned Eifman the reputation of a “dissident in choreography” that stayed with him for a long time. In the late 1970s to the early 1980s, the company developed its own approach to shaping of the repertoire. The playbill included a growing number of productions based on gems of classical literature. The choreographer worked with his company, noted for their dance intellect, to explore new genres. New productions such as The Duel; The Idiot; The Mad March Day, or the Marriage of Figaro; The Legend; The Twelfth Night; Master and Margarita; Murderers; and others were distinguished by strikingly sharp choreographic patterns that aimed to express the height of passion experienced by the ballets’ characters. Today, ballet enthusiasts in Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Australia admire productions of the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg, including I, Don Quixote ; Red Giselle ; Russian Hamlet ; Anna Karenina ; The Seagull ; Eugene Onegin ; Rodin, Her Eternal Idol ; Beyond Sin ; Requiem ; Up & Down ; and Tchaikovsky. PRO et CONTRA . These widely acclaimed works not only represent the highest level of artistic achievement in Russian contemporary ballet, but also introduce international audiences to the spiritual heritage of Russia and the best of world culture — the inspiration behind the work of the choreographer and his dancers. For several decades, Eifman Ballet enjoyed success when performing in top venues across the globe. The company’s ability to immerse their audiences into the boundless world of human passion — to build a strong spiritual bond, to amaze and sometimes overwhelm them by the intensity and energy of its plastique — defined and ensured its recognition. Boris Eifman is not just a choreographer; he is very much a philosopher. He is deeply concerned about the issues of today and challenged by the mystique of creativity. Eifman speaks directly to his audience about the most complex and dramatic aspects of human existence. He defines the genre as “psychological ballet.” The New York Times calls Boris Eifman the leader among living choreographers: “The ballet world in search of a major choreographer need search no more. He is Boris Eifman.” The company is distinguished by its brilliant technique, exceptional commitment, and intellectual interpretation. Its leading dancers, top-of-the-range ballet professionals, have been recognized for their achievements both nationally and internationally, earning the prestigious theatre awards Golden Mask and Golden So³t and prizes of the President and Government of Russia for implementing Eifman’s ideas. Among these prize dancers are Maria Abashova, Lyubov Andreyeva, Dmitry Fisher, Oleg Gabyshev, Sergey Volobuev, and others. 2011 marked an important development for the company when the government of St. Petersburg decided to commence construction of the Boris Eifman Dance Academy at the initiative of the renowned choreographer. The school opened its doors for the first academic year in September 2013. The Academy complex will expand further in 2019 once construction of the St. Petersburg Children’s Dance Theatre, a new venue that will host dance festivals, contests, and performances, is completed. The Boris Eifman Palace of Dance, envisioned to become one of the world’s centers of choreographic art, is due to open in St. Petersburg in the near future. It will not only be the home of the Eifman Ballet but will also provide space and facilities to other companies and performers representing di’erent styles and genres of dance. Boris Eifman’s vision and mission is to create a unique repertoire of ballet productions that stem from the best examples of Russian psychological theatre, in order to explore innovative forms of choreography of the 21 st century and to broaden the boundaries of ballet art.