Russian ballet companies in England

March 20, 2004 10:39 PM

Performances by Russian ballet companies in England? [more inside]

It would mean a lot to my grandmother to see one of the more famous Russian ballet companies perform live, and I would like to get her tickets as a birthday present. I was hoping that it would be possible for her to see a ballet in Russia on an upcoming trip, but now it doesn't look like that will work out. I have therefore been trying to find out whether any Russian company will be performing in England (ideally in the Northwest of England, where she lives) in the coming months. So far, I have had no success. Any information and/or research suggestions would be much appreciated.

posted by sueinnyc to media & arts (2 answers total)

There are plenty of links at ballet.co.uk but the site's listings are not up to date and websites of the major Russian companies (e.g. Bolshoi, Mariinsky [formerly Kirov] and Moscow City) don't seem to list any upcoming UK tours.. I'd suggest checking the websites of likely venues in Manchester & Liverpool and go from there. The new Lowry Theatre in Salford is another possibility. In London, Sadler's Wells Theatre is home to many touring companies.

Why does it have to be a Russian company by the way? The UK produces some of the best ballet in the world. English National Ballet tours a lot, as does Northern Ballet Theatre. There is also the highly rated Birmingham Royal Ballet (formerly Sadler's Wells Ballet) and, of course, the Royal Ballet. Ah, just noticed, the Bolshoi are coming to London this summer.
posted by cbrody at 4:05 AM on March 21, 2004

Thank you so much, cbrody. The timing of the Bolshoi Ballet performances in London is excellent.

Why does it have to be a Russian company? That's a fair question. It seems that my grandmother really wants to see a Russian company - and despite decades in the ballet world, and extensive travel, she has, as far as I know, never seen a ballet in Russia or seen a Russian company elsewhere.
posted by sueinnyc at 4:34 PM on March 21, 2004