Schwanensee - International Festival Ballet
International Festival Ballet & Hungary Festival Orchestra present
A Fairy Tale of Beauty, Elegance, and Grace
“Swan Lake”
The best ballet classic of all time
Music: P. I. Tchaikovsky
Choreography: L. Ivanov and M. Petipa
Set Design and Costumes: V. Okunev
A Ballet Dream: “Swan Lake”
International Festival Ballet presents a fairy tale of beauty, elegance, and grace. A refined masterpiece with live orchestral accompaniment, “Swan Lake” is synonymous with ballet for many. The romantic tale of young Prince Siegfried who falls in love with the Swan Princess Odette and endeavors to free her from the evil sorcerer Rothbart is a story about the power of true love. This ballet piece is part of the standard repertoire of all major companies. Especially the Allegro Moderato from the Swan Dances in the 2nd act, choreographed by Lev Ivanov, has been the subject of numerous parodies and is widely known beyond ballet enthusiasts as the “Dance of the four little Swans”. In short, a brilliant work by a brilliant composer and a magnet for audiences for centuries.
“Swan Lake” is brought to the stage by one of the best classical ballet ensembles, the International Festival Ballet. Moreover, the grandiose set design by the brilliant theater designer Vyacheslav Okunev, who has worked for the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg and La Scala in Milan among others, stunning costumes, and the boundless elegance and carefree lightness of the “International Festival Ballet” create a dreamy and enchanting version of a classical ballet that continues to fascinate even after over 100 years.
The International Festival Ballet Ensemble dances under the Artistic Direction of Alex Bogutsky
Once the new programs featuring Swan Lake, Nutcracker, and Sleeping Beauty go on sale from the summer, the St. Petersburg Festival Ballet will have a new name.
Shocked and moved by Russia's inhumane attack on Ukraine, the renowned ballet ensemble changes its name and will henceforth be known as the “International Festival Ballet”. With this change, the artists express their unequivocal stance. The Festival Ballet is an internationally thinking ballet company that stands for global understanding and togetherness in the poetry of art, music, and dance, transcending all national boundaries. Since the beginning of the war, the artists have expressed their stance against Russian aggression through multiple protest actions before each performance. As a result, they are now under threat from Russia. The ensemble, where a large number of Ukrainian artists also perform, sees itself as a ballet of peace and unity among all people.
The “International Festival Ballet” is a high-caliber ensemble that impresses worldwide with its strict classical elegance, a fresh touch of the twenty-first century, and a flawless dance performance. The troupe consists of 42 dancers. All dancers are graduates of the best Russian ballet schools such as the Vaganova Academy of St. Petersburg, the State Choreographic Academy of Kyiv, the Moscow Choreographic Academy, the Ufa Ballet School, and the Perm Ballet Academy. Additionally, the ensemble has collaborated with the best ballet theaters, winning numerous awards and accolades at international ballet festivals and competitions. Thus, these 42 dancers of the “International Festival Ballet” form one of the most beautiful and strongest ballet companies, and one of the most prestigious worldwide.
Hungary Festival Orchestra
Artistic Director & Chief Conductor Vadim Nikitin
The Hungary Festival Orchestra was founded by talented musicians from Hungary, Ukraine, and Latvia. The artistic director and chief conductor is a famous conductor, Maestro Vadim Nikitin. The orchestra's repertoire includes works by Ravel, Debussy, Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Massenet, Faure, Albegis, Gounod, and others. At the heart of the repertoire are the music of classical ballets such as Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Don Quixote, and many others. The orchestra has collaborated with renowned ballet ensembles from Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. The Hungary Festival Orchestra has successfully performed in France, the UK, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, and other European countries, and despite its relatively small lineup, it has established itself as one of the best ballet orchestras in Europe. In the near future, they will play the Russian ballet seasons for the renowned ballet ensemble International Festival Ballet in Scandinavia, Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Germany, and Austria.