#14
http://ardani.com/eb.htm
Ardani Artists Management
Producer, Sergei Danilian
present
EIFMAN BALLET OF ST. PETERSBURG
Boris Eifman
Artistic Director
Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg (The Company Story) - Founded by Boris Eifman in 1977 as the St. Petersburg Ballet Theater, Eifman Ballet has revolutionized the concept of classical dance in Russia by taking the art of ballet to its highest level of expressiveness. Eifman created a new type of dance artists, dancers/actors, who use the solid foundation of impeccable classical ballet training as a launching pad for innovative, modern choreography. The theater's unique style fuses avant-garde dance with the methods of the 20th century dramatic theater and film, using all aspects of a theatrical production to create a rich and a multi-dimensional theater experience.
Shortly after being formed, Eifman Ballet began touring in Russia, performing to sold-out houses of audiences hungry for original artistic expression. Despite the pressure for Eifman to leave the country for not making "Soviet art," the company stayed in St. Petersburg and continued to perform to tremendous popular acclaim.
Unable to tour internationally during the first 10 years of its existence for political reasons, Eifman Ballet instantly became known internationally in 1988 after its first performance abroad at the Champs Elysees Theatre in Paris. The success of that performance has sent Eifman Ballet on tours throughout Western and Eastern Europe, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Israel, and Latin America. In January of 1998, Ardani Artists took the risk of introducing American audiences to the unique world of Boris Eifman's daring choreography. Sharply contrasted against the strict conventions of classical ballet set by famous Russian ballet troupes like Bolshoi and Kirov, Eifman Ballet electrified the New York audiences with its vibrant, often shocking and always original style.
Hailed by critics worldwide as one of the most significant contributors to today's culture of ballet arts, Eifman Ballet continues to constantly reinvent the art form. Responding to the enormous success of its first three seasons in New York, the company began its annual U.S. tours in 2000. In 1999, Eifman Ballet joined only three other dance companies in the status of a resident company of City Center, becoming the first non-American company to receive this honor.
Boris Eifman (Artistic Director and Choreographer) - Noted by The New York Times as today's "most successful Russian choreographer," Boris Eifman is one of the major figures in modern ballet. He has garnered tremendous recognition and received numerous awards in Russia and internationally for his outstanding choreography and lifetime achievement in the art of dance. Eifman began his choreographic career by enrolling in the choreography department of the Leningrad Conservatory in 1966. He commanded the attention of local critics as early as 1970, when he premiered his widely acclaimed ballet, Icarus. That same year, he became the official choreographer of the Vaganova Academy, the official school of Kirov Ballet, and had the opportunity to choreograph for numerous television programs and ice shows. In 1972, Eifman choreographed Gaianeh for the Maly Opera and Ballet Theatre. The ballet became an overwhelming success, resulting in a widely popular film version that was released in New York in 1979. In 1975, he choreographed Firebird for the Kirov Ballet. He formed his own dance company in 1977 and immediately began touring in Russia, performing to sold-out houses of audiences hungry for original artistic expression. Despite the pressure to leave the country for not making "Soviet art," Eifman stayed in St. Petersburg and continued to create his ballets to enormous popular acclaim.
Unable to tour internationally during the first 10 years of its existence for political reasons, Eifman Ballet instantly became internationally known after its first performance abroad at the Champs Elysees Theatre in Paris. The overwhelming success of that performance has sent Eifman Ballet on tours throughout Western and Eastern Europe, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Israel, and Latin America. Eifman's choreography received recognition in the U.S. as early as 1978, when The New York Times reviewed one of Eifman Ballet's Moscow performances. The life and work of Boris Eifman have also been depicted in a 1991 feature film, Eifman: The Man Who Dared and the 1998 documentary of Eifman Ballet's 20th Anniversary celebration at Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow entitled, The Triumph at Bolshoi. In 1998, Eifman Ballet made its critically acclaimed American debut in New York, which led to the company receiving the prestigious resident status at New York City Center.
Since 1993, Eifman has created a series of full-length productions, beginning with Tchaikovsky in 1993 and including The Karamazovs in 1995, Red Giselle in 1997, Requiem and My Jerusalem in 1998, Russian Hamlet: The Son of Catherine the Great in 1999, and Don Juan in 2000.
Deeply concerned about the subject matter of his ballets, Eifman is not the first in Russian ballet to explore philosophical issues through emotional depth and theatricality by fusing the expressiveness of modern dance with the language of classical ballet. Introduced by Jean-Georges Noverre in the 18th century and rediscovered by Michel Fokine in the early 1900s, this artistic approach is not new to the Russian stage. But, as Anna Kisselgoff wrote in The New York Times, though he may not be the first, "He is arguably the best."
EIFMAN BALLET OF ST. PETERSBURG
USA 2002 TOUR
RUSSIAN HAMLET
March 6, 7 @ 8pm
DON JUAN & MOLIERE
March 8, 9 @ 8pm
March 9 @ 2pm
The Wang Center for the Performing Arts
Boston, MA
www.wangcenter.org
www.telecharge.com
TCHAIKOVSKY
March 13, 14 @ 8pm
DON JUAN & MOLIERE
March 15, 16 @ 8pm
March 16, 17 @ 2pm
Auditorium Theatre
Chicago, Illinois
www.auditoriumtheatre.org
www.ticketmaster.com
RUSSIAN HAMLET
March 20, 21 @ 7:30pm
Northrop Auditorium
Minneapolis, Minnesota
www.ticketmaster.com
THE KARAMAZOVS
March 22, 23 @ 8pm
March 23, 24 @ 2pm
March 24 @ 7pm
Palace of Fine Arts Theater
San Francisco, California
For tickets call:
City Box Office - 415-392-4400
www.tickets.com
www.cityboxoffice.com
TCHAIKOVSKY
March 27, 28 @ 8pm
American Premiere
DON QUIXOTE
March 28, 29 @ 8pm
March 29, 30 @ 2pm
March 31 @ 7pm
RED GISELLE
April 3, 4 @ 8pm
DON JUAN & MOLIERE
April 5, 6 @ 8pm
April 6, 7 @ 2pm
April 7 @ 7pm
THE KARAMAZOVS
April 10, 11 @ 8pm
American Premiere
PINOCCHIO
April 12, 13 @ 8pm
April 13, 14 @ 2pm
April 14 @ 7pm
City Center
New York, New York
www.citycenter.org
Next Issue
March 17, 2002:
#6140
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