On June 1, 2019, the XI International Ballet Festival “In honor of Ekaterina Maximova” will open in Chelyabinsk, Russia.

By tradition, the program will open the premiere of the Chelyabinsk Opera and Ballet Theater – “Anna Karenina”. The great novel of Leo Tolstoy was embodied in dance thanks to the Honored Artist of Russia Vera Arbuzova. A ballet master from St. Petersburg proposes to look at a familiar plot from an unusual angle.The original costumes and decorations for the play were developed by the actress and ballerina Violetta Zhigalina (St. Petersburg). Interesting and ballet music that supports the unusual idea of ​​the production. These are fragments from the works of Russian and foreign composers: C. Monteverdi, V. A. Mozart, F. Liszt, S. Rakhmaninov, O. Respighi, B. Britten and L. Levashkevich.  The festival program will continue with the Bashkir State Opera and Ballet Theater. Artists will present the play “The Legend of Love” staged by People’s Artist of the USSR Yuri Grigorovich. This is the seventh work of an outstanding choreographer in the Bashkir theater. “The Legend of Love” brought world renown to composer Arif Melikov, choreographer Yuri Grigorovich and artist Simon Virsaladze more than half a century ago. And today, this performance continues to captivate the elegant beauty, emotional plasticity and soulfulness of movements.

The festival “In honor of Ekaterina Maximova” allows viewers to enjoy the work of not only Russian ballet companies, but also foreign ones. One act ballets in contemporary choreography will be performed by the Spanish band TitoyayaDansa. The works of its founder, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, are widely known not only at home, in Valencia, but throughout Europe and the USA. In the first part of the audience will see the play “Socium”, embodied the severity of synchronous movements and the emotion of solo parts. Ballet promises to give the atmosphere of this holiday and energize the dance.

In the second part, the audience see real Spanish passion in the ballet “Carmen”. This is a modern choreographic version of the story of a femme fatale, the culmination of Gustavo Ramirez Sansano’s work. The choreographer was inspired by black and white illustrations by Pablo Picasso for the novel by Prosper Merimee. Minimalism is reflected in the decorations of Louis Crespo, and in the costumes of the famous designer David Dolphin. In the review of the American newspaper “Chicago Sun-Times”, the play is called a masterpiece of modern choreography.