Raymond Gubbay Ltd., now in their 46th year, have again brought the Russian State Ballet of Siberia to the UK for their annual tour.
If you are very lucky you can catch their performance of Swan Lake at the Grand Theatre in Blackpool on Sunday, 13th January 2013 - at 2.30 and 7.30 p.m.
This evening (Saturday, 12th January 2013) we saw one of our favourites - "The Nutcracker". This beautiful ballet in two acts with a traditional Christmas theme is a real treat for the whole family, with music by Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky, choreography by Vasily Vainonen and Sergei Bobrov, ballet concept by Marius Petipa after a fairytale by E.T.A. Hoffmann.
We love the fact that the Russian State Ballet of Siberia bring not only their soloists and corps de ballet but also their full orchestra conducted by Alexander Yudasin.
The magic of any performance by the Russian State Ballet begins as the house lights go down and the members of the orchestra stand as the conductor comes into the auditorium. This evening the overture was accompanied by a delightful snow effect in lights on the curtain, setting the scene. The costumes were absolutely gorgeous - a lovely touch to have the top hats and cloaks and hoods dusted with snow as the guests made their way to the Christmas party at the Stahlbaum family home. The scenery was also beautifully designed. The Nutcracker was magical and the changeover scenes so skilful that you could believe he really did come to life. The mice were particularly scary with their glittering eyes.
I could have sworn too that the temperature fell during the delightful dance of the snowflakes performed by members of the Corps de Ballet in beautiful white tutus and sparkling headgear that began the dream sequence of Act Two. The Pas de Deux in Act Two is my favourite of all classical ballet pas de deux and this was particularly well interpreted by the two soloists this evening.
The Russian State Ballet is currently touring the UK - next stop Swindon, then Leicester, Southend, Hull, Basingstoke, Darlington, Liverpool, Ipswich, Marlowe, Wolverhampton, Dartford, Croydon, Aylesbury, Wimbledon, Buxton, Bromley, Brighton and Edinburgh.
Do try to see them - they also perform Swan Lake, Coppelia and La Fille Mal Gardee - all of which are a delight and all performed with the same perfectionism and dedication that epitomise performances by the Russian State Ballet of Siberia.
Our thanks as always to all the members of the State Ballet of Siberia for bringing such delight to our shore, to Raymond Gubbay and to all those involved in making the evening so memorable and enjoyable - especially those behind the scenes at Blackpool's iconic Grand Theatre.
The Grand Theatre
33 Church Street
Blackpool, Lancashire
FY1 1HT
Tel.: 01253 290190
www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk
