Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker is a family treasure, a dance-lover’s treat and a travelogue too!
Premiering award-winning Russian dansers in 60 cities across the US and Canada

MB Elagina & Ustimov

MB Dove of Peace

MB folk characters

MB dancer and puppet

MB ethnic dancer

Contact: Sally Michael Keyes
413-499-1733 x21 JLIB_HTML_CLOAKING

(Berkshires, MA) June 2, 2011 – Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker brings the festive, holiday tale to life on 60 stages across North America with an authentic experience of Russian culture. The press says, “Thrilling, expansive and elegant” NY Times; “Breathtaking, awe-inspiring” Charleston Today; and “Spellbinding, fabulous,” San Francisco Stark Insider. Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker, a Christmas tradition that creates lifelong memories, is overflowing with 40 stunning dancers. “{Masha and Nutcracker}…partnered beautifully and executed their solos with aristocratic finesse,” Don Rosenberg, Cleveland Plain Dealer. Performing to Tchaikovsky’s famous score, this holiday favorite delights audiences and features Russian culture throughout – like traveling to Russia without leaving town!

The experience begins as the curtain rises to reveal the onion-domed Moscow skyline and guests make their way to the Stahlbaum’s Christmas Eve party. At the party, magical, life-sized dolls dance in the grand room that features a painting of the Russian Troika. Exclusive to Russia, the Troika is a sled drawn by three horses in a harness that splays their heads in three directions and which reaches speeds of up to 50km an hour! It is known as a symbol of the country’s strength and ingenuity. Then, to the delight of the children, Uncle Drosselmeyer presents a show with hand-puppets created by award-winning, Russian designer Valentin Federov. Russian puppetry, which has a long history in Federov’s home state of Chuvash, brings an added sense of whimsy to the Great Russian Nutcracker. Masha (aka Clara), who receives a Nutcracker Doll from Uncle Drosselmeyer at the party, later defends him in an attack by the Mice and Rat King. In the ensuing battle the Nutcracker’s cannon, inspired by statues in the glorious gardens of St. Petersburg and created exclusively for Moscow Ballet, defeats the Mice by shooting roses! Masha and her Nutcracker Prince then travel through the enchanting Snow Forrest accompanied by Russian folk figures Father Christmas, Ded Moroz, and the Snow Maiden, Snegurochka, in their magnificent, hand-made costumes.

The couple continues their adventure to the Land of Peace and Harmony home to the exotic Firebird, Bluebird, and more animals and unique to Moscow Ballet. They are led here by the Dove of Peace, replacing the traditional Sugar Plum Fairy. The new land was introduced during the time of Glasnost in Russia. The Dove, Firebird and Bluebird are symbols of peace, life and happiness in Russian culture. The backdrop, which features 3-D elements, an homage to Henri Rousseau, was created by Federov, who also created the 8 other backdrops. Finally Masha and the Nutcracker enjoy the virtuosic dancing of emissaries from heritages the world over; African, Asian, European, Hispanic, and Russian. Each couple is accompanied by life-sized puppets symbolizing their respective culture. The Russian variation features the Bear of Strength playing the Balalaika of course!

2011 marks Moscow Ballet’s 19th annual Great Russian Nutcracker tour to 60+ cities across North America. Ballet Master Andre Litvinov, Laureate of the International Ballet Competition (IBC) Romania, 1996; Grigorovich IBC 2000; Danovsky IBC, and the Diagelev Prize, the award-winning principal dancers, and a corps of thirty some perform the beloved Christmas story to critical acclaim; “Thrilling, expansive and elegant” NY Times; “Aristocratic finesse” Cleveland Plain Dealer; “Breathtaking, awe-inspiring” Charleston Today; “Spellbinding, fabulous,” San Francisco Stark Insider; and DC’s ionarts.com, “Astounding.” Go to www.nutcracker.com or 800-320-1733 for information on all performances.

History
Akiva Talmi Presents Inc. is known for its annual, touring Great Russian Nutcracker and full-length productions of the classic story-ballets; Swan Lake, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and others by the Moscow Ballet. Created by award-winning Juilliard alumnus, composer/conductor and theatrical producer, Akiva Talmi, the organization evolved out of Talmi’s all-star Russian "Glasnost Festival Tour" (1986-92). The Great Russian Nutcracker made its debut in 1993 and was directed and choreographed by soloist Stanislav Vlasov of the famous Bolshoi Theater. In 1994, the Moscow State Theatre of Natalia Sats and the theatre's full orchestra joined Moscow Ballet to expand the company to an 88-artist tour which was billed as the "19th Century Classical Nutcracker." In 2003, Anatoly Emelianov, then an upstart choreographer and winner of the Diagelev award, restaged the Great Russian Nutcracker to critical acclaim. Moscow Ballet productions continue to feature award-winning principals and top graduates of Perm, Vaganova, Moscow State Academic Choreographic and Kiev schools.

East and West Tours as of 6-3-11