Eighty (80) Moscow Ballet dancers arrive in the Berkshires Nov 2 to prepare for North American premiere of Romeo and Juliet and Great Russian Nutcracker
Canyon Ranch in Lenox hosts soloists and Berkshire Pulse provides studio space

Moscow Ballet’s
Great Russian Nutcracker

Exhibition judges Dan Talmi,
Nataliya Yablakova and Oleg Vinogradov

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

High resolution images: http://www.nutcracker.com/promo

(Berkshires, MA) Aug 11, 2011 – Moscow Ballet partners with Berkshire organizations Canyon Ranch in Lenox and Berkshire Pulse in preparation for premiere performances of the 2011 North American 60 city tour of Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker and all new Romeo and Juliet. Moscow Ballet’s two troupes of 40 dancers each (East and West tour) prepare for the intense two month tour from the Berkshires for the first time ever. Canyon Ranch in Lenox hosts soloists and offers classes, lectures and Meet n Greets with the soloists to their patrons. Berkshire Pulse provides rehearsal space for both troupes in the 2 story center. Pulse students will observe company class and twelve select Pulse dancers will perform side-by-side with the pros in the premiere performances. Ballet Master Andre Litvinov’s acclaimed dancers Alexandra Elagina and Anatolie Ustimov wowed NY Times’ Chief Dance Critic Alastair Macaulay in 2010 and return in 2011 to travel the west coast in Romeo and Juliet. Moscow Ballet’s 2011 Great Russian Nutcracker tour premiere is at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center November 10 and 11, 7:30pm. For tickets call 800-745-3000 or go to www.nutcracker.com. Group rates are available for ten or more, call 800 320 1733.

Berkshire Pulse’s dance educator, founder and choreographer Bettina Montano says, “Beginnings are always exciting, but the beginning of a national tour of the Moscow Ballet is an extraordinary event. We are thrilled that Berkshire Pulse students will be a part of these dynamic performances which will be historic for our region.” Ballet Director Ruby Aver adds, “It is an honor to have the opportunity for our students to work alongside the Moscow Ballet in performance and to have the artists training in the studios with our students, only compounds this already rich experience.” Berkshire Pulse, a not-for-profit organization in Housatonic, MA, is a dance and creative arts education center dedicated to building and strengthening community life through diverse and accessible programming in performing, movement and creative arts.

Canyon Ranch has been named the “Healthiest Spa in America” by Health magazine as well as the “Best Spa for Food” by Gourmet magazine. In addition, Canyon Ranch is the only 11-time recipient of the Condé Nast Traveler Best Destination Spa Award and was recently recognized by readers of Travel + Leisure to hold three of the top 10 spots in the magazine’s World’s Best Awards 2010 for Destination Spas. Canyon Ranch pioneered the evolution of the wellness lifestyle and has been an industry leader for over 30 years. Operating the world’s most celebrated collection of life-enhancement properties, Canyon Ranch has destination health resorts in Tucson, Ariz., and Lenox, Mass., and Canyon Ranch Hotel & Spa in Miami Beach, the nation’s first luxury wellness hotel and residential community. Canyon Ranch also operates SpaClub facilities at The Venetian & The Palazzo in Las Vegas, Nev. and Canyon Ranch SpaClub at Sea onboard Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, as well as Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 luxury ocean liner.

Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker tells the beloved Christmas story of the girl who falls in love with a Nutcracker Prince – with Russian flair. Praised by NY Times Chief Dance Critic Alastair Macaulay as “thrilling and expansive” and “elegant…brimful with feeling” the 40 impeccably trained Russian dancers leap, spin and lunge bringing the traditional story to life. The Act I Christmas party enchants with its magical toys, evil Mouse King and a journey through the glittering Snow Forrest. Unique to the Great Russian Nutcracker, Russian folk characters Father Christmas and the Snow Maiden escort Masha (aka Clara) to the Land of Peace and Harmony in Act II where she and the Nutcracker Prince are honored by emissaries from heritages the world over; African, Russian, Asian, European and Hispanic. Set to Pytor Tchaikovsky’s famous score, Moscow Ballet’s production features lavish costumes, nine hand-painted backdrops with 3-D ornamentation and fanciful, larger-than-life puppets designed by Russian puppet master Valentin Federov. A must see show for everyone in the family this holiday season! www.nutcracker.com

Moscow Ballet - History
Moscow Ballet 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. 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). Moscow Ballet made its debut in 1993 with the Great Russian Nutcracker which was directed and choreographed by soloist Stanislav Vlasov of the famous Russian Bolshoi Theatre. In 1994, Moscow Ballet invited the Moscow State Theatre of Natalia Sats, and the theatre's full orchestra, to expand the company to an 88-artist tour which was billed as the "19th Century Classical Nutcracker." In 2003, Moscow Ballet announced the appointment of Anatoly Emelianov, winner of the Diagelev award, and Vladimir Troshchenko, director of Odessa State Ballet and a pivotal figure in the ballet world, as co-artistic directors. Moscow Ballet continues to feature top graduates of Perm, Vaganova, Moscow State Academic Choreographic and Kiev schools in its productions.

East and West 2011 Tour Cities