Swan Lake

On Thursday 16 March 2006 the St Petersburg Ballet Company’s magnificent production of classical ballet’s most-loved work – Swan Lake – will premiere at the State Theatre in Pretoria, beginning the company’s historic, first-ever tour of South Africa. Fresh from playing London’s Royal Albert Hall, Konstantin Tachkin’s St Petersburg Ballet Company will become the first Russian company ever to visit here with a complete work -- performing within its own sumptuous settings with a live Orchestra and hundreds of beautiful costumes brought all the way from St Petersburg. The work chosen for the nation-wide tour is Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. The production follows the original choreography of Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa. The full-length production has received lavish praise from around the world. The St Petersburg Ballet Company, 55 principals, soloists and a full corps de ballet, including prima ballerina, Irina Kolesnikova, is brought to South Africa by International Producer Michael Edgley. The ballet will perform with a full South African orchestra under the baton of Russian principal conductor Alexander Kantorov. It was Edgley who staged the blockbuster tour of The Great Moscow Circus earlier this year. He says: “In my forty years in the entertainment business I have presented many classical ballet companies. The St Petersburg is an absolute gem. Their production of the full-length Swan Lake is theatrical, lavish and beautifully danced. South Africa is due for an absolute feast! ” The St Petersburg Ballet Company will play in Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Cape Town and Durban. Booking opened at Computicket on 19 September 2005, and are selling fast!! Dates and Times: Thursday, 16th March 2006 at 19H30 Friday, 17th March 2006 at 19H30 Saturday, 18th March 2006 at 14H00 and 19H30 Sunday, 19 March 2006 at 14H00 and 18H00 Tuesday, 21 March 2006 at 19H30 Wednesday, 22 March 2006 at 19H30