From Perm with love
The open air performance of the Swan Lake in Sebastopol
On August 1, the State Historical and Archaeological Museum-Reserve Tauric Chersonesos hosted the premiere performance of the classical ballet Swan Lake in the author’s version of Alexei Miroshnichenko. As part of the VII International Chersonesos Opera and Ballet Festival, the ballet company of one of the oldest musical theaters in the country presented to the public a romantic story about Prince Siegfried and the beautiful Odette, turned into a white swan by the wicked wizard Rothbart. The ballet, written in 1876, has become a symbol of the Russian academic ballet school.
Right before the performance commenced, welcoming addresses by the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Olga Lyubimova and the Governor of Sebastopol Mikhail Razvozhaevby were announced.
“This stage is erected in Chersonesos every year in the summer. We understand that when the cultural cluster is completed, the festival will move to the Opera and Ballet Theater. The format will be preserved, but in a new interpretation and in a new location. And our evenings here will become history. I am sure that we will always remember this particular open air format, here, on holy land, with particular warmth,” this is how Mikhail Razvozhaev greeted the guests, participants and organizers of the festival.
In her welcoming speech, Olga Lyubimova noted that “the festival has become warmly loved by residents and guests of Sebastopol, and provides a unique opportunity to enjoy the performances of outstanding artists, concerts of classical music and presentation of dance masterpieces in the amazing atmosphere of ancient Chersonesos.”
The head of the ballet troupe of the Perm Opera and Ballet Theater, Anton Pimonov, spoke about the peculiarities of the author’s vision of The Swan Lake: “The audience will see a classic version of the ballet with the author’s variations of the last act. The production has already been loved by spectators in Perm, I hope that the residents of Sevastopol and guests of the hero city will appreciate it just as highly as it was in Perm.”
Elena Morozova, the Director of the State Museum-preserve Tauric Chersonese also addressed the guests, participants and organizers of the festival: “Today, as part of the Seventh Chersonese International Opera and Ballet Festival, which Sevastopol residents and guests of the city have been waiting for the whole year, we are meeting a classical ballet performed by the company of the Tchaikovsky Perm Academic Opera and Ballet Theater. I am sure that this will be an extraordinary performance, and that today, as in all subsequent days, our guests will come out with overwhelmed hearts. Every year we surprise the audience with something special, and I’m sure this year will be no exception.”
The organizers of the VII Chersonese International Festival of Opera and Ballet were the ANO Russian Seasons and LLC Vision Media Center in collaboration with the State Historical and Archaeological Museum-Reserve Tauric Chersonese. The event took place with the support of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Government of the city of Sevastopol.
