Studio Blog

In celebration of the 25th North American Anniversary Tour of Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker, and other classic story ballets, Moscow Ballet Producers Akiva and Dan Talmi launched a record sized tour in 2017 featuring leading soloists from prestigious State Opera Ballet Theatres including the Mariinsky Ballet Theatre, Kiev National Theater, Perm Ballet Theater, Odessa State Academic Ballet Theatre, and the Almaty State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. Never before have so many ballerinas and danseurs, from the highest regarded ballet theaters across Russia, assembled in one tour to over 130 U.S. and Canadian cities. “Excelling in both synchrony and grace...Both male and female corps were outstanding all night,” Stephan Bonfield, Calgary Herald

Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker is the only fully produced national tour of the Christmas favorite and includes one 60’ growing Christmas Tree, seven backdrops featuring Russian heritage, 10-foot tall puppets, 40 dancers, and 100 costumes for each of the 3 tours. The backdrops and costumes were hand-made in Russia at a 300-year old theatrical shop that also builds for Italy’s La Scala and other venues.

Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker appeals to everyone from city dwellers to small-town, rural citizens; ‘tweens to pensioners; ballet aficionados and families. “Lively and resourceful... Virtuosity...Fleet authority...disarmingly poetic,” Lewis Segal, Los Angeles Times. Hundreds of thousands of Moscow Ballet patrons agree, here is simply nothing like it!

Principal and Featured Dancers for the 2017 Tours include: Andrey Batalov, of Mariinsky Ballet Theater, is “Honored Artist of Russia;”  Iryna Borysova, recipient of Bronze Medal from Ukraine’s International Ballet Competition Named After "Serge Lifar;”

Veronika Hordina First Place winner at the International Youth Competition of Choreography in Kiev; Rustem Imangaliyev  awarded Best Arabesque at Perm International Ballet Competition in Russia; Natalia Ivasenko  is winner of “Yuri Grigorovich International Youth Ballet Dancer of the World” Sochi 2009 and “International World Ballet Competition” Orlando 2012;

Olekseii Potiomkin Silver at 3rd Istanbul International Ballet Competition and Bronze at International Ballet Competition Kiev; Olena Pecheniuk Honored Artist of Ukraine in 2016 and Honored Artist of Culture in 2013 Oleksandr Skulkin awarded Silver at Beijing International Ballet Competition; Karyna Shatkovskaya Honorable Mention at 2^nd International Ballet Competition in Astana, Kazakhstan; Rafael UrazovSpecial Prize in “Arabesque” at IBC in Perm and Artistic Gold Winner in the Korean International Ballet Competition. www.moscowballet.com.

See Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker in 132 cities across the US and Canada from November 3 to December 30. Tickets at www.nutcracker.com .