Moscow City Ballet comes to Manchester Opera House

Moscow City Ballet returns to Manchester as part of its 2022 UK Tour, appearing at Manchester Opera House from the 20th to the 22nd of January. The company, coming from the cradle of classical ballet, recognises and acknowledges Russian tradition and will perform two full-scale classics, Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. These greatest achievements of classical ballet provide a unique artistic experience through their combination of artistry, technique, narrative, and live music.

The Nutcracker is an enchanting ballet that tells the story of Clara and her fairy tale adventure with her Nutcracker Prince. Being a real treat of the festive period, it features a grand, sumptuous set and is full of stunning costumes. Set to Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s glorious score, it is the perfect introduction to Russian classical ballet.

Swan Lake is an epic story of Prince Siegfried who would rather die together with his love, Odetta, than be forced to live apart. The ballet is performed in all the splendour that has brought it worldwide fame, and features a familiar and haunting score by Tchaikovsky.

Moscow City Ballet preserves the original choreography of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, which is upheld by the excellent dexterity, grace, and skill of principal dancers Lilia Orekhova and Dzmitry Lazovik, who add a youthful exuberance to the renowned ballets.

Moscow City Ballet, founded in 1988 by Victor Smirnov-Golovanov, is one of Russia’s most successful touring ballet companies. It is widely admired for its style, dramatic story-telling, impressive choreography and skilled dancers. Under the artistic direction of Ludmila Neroubashchenko, the company is committed to promoting the classical Russian ballet to audiences all over the world.