Samara State Ballet Theatre

Samara Opera and Ballet Theatre is one of the largest theaters in Russia.
It began its biography in 1931,having opened the first season by Musorgsky’s “Boris Godunov”.
Basis of the repertoire of Samara Academic Opera and Ballet have always been pieces of world opera and ballet classics.

On the theater’s billboards choreographic masterpieces of M. Petipa, L. Ivanov, A. Gorsky, Fokine, R. Zakharov have never disappeared.
On the stage of the Samara Opera and Ballet Theater first were born such new ballets as: “The Legend of Love” by G. Kreitner, “Chitra” R. Tagore, “cliff”, “The Return” by E. Lazarev, who created his own version of the ballet “The Snow Maiden” by Tchaikovsky; “Remember!” by A. Eshpai, “The Nutcracker” by Tchaikovsky (musical staging of an outstanding conductor G. Provatorova), “Poem of two hearts” by A. Melikov, “Romeo and Juliet” by H. Berlioz, “Scythian Suite” by Prokofiev, “Rhapsody in Blues” by Gershwin (choreographer, People’s Artist of Russia Igor Chernyshev.

Samara Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre has long term creative friendship with contemporary composers:
Tikhon Khrennikov – opera “The Storm” (1940), ballets: “Love for Love” (1977), “Hussar Ballad” (1980), comic opera “Dorothea” (1984);
Andrei Petrov – opera “Peter the First” (1978),Andrew Espa – ballets “Angara” (1977), “Remember!” (1981), (1981),
Marin Goleminov – Opera “Ivaylo” (1979), staged by the talented Bulgarian conductor D. Dimitrov.

Ballet troupe (founded in 1933)roots are inextricably linked with the St. Petersburg school of classical ballet, famous throughout the world, the most accurate and complete preservation of the traditions of academic ballet.
During the entire history of Samara Ballet the Petersburgers performed exclusively: student Vaganova, Honored Artist of Russia, Laureate, Nehru Natalia Danilova (from 1940 to 1967.), matchless dancer, choreographer, teacher – People’s Artist of Russia, State Prize winner Alla Rustle (from 1970 to 1973gg.), the brightest contemporary choreographer, People’s Artist of Russia Igor Chernyshev ( 1976 to 1995.) Since 1997, the Samara Ballet has been led by People’s Artist of the USSR, the winner of the Paris Academy of Dance, Professor Nikita Dolgushin.

During his guidance the theatre team has staged “Esmeralda” Ts Puni (1997), the triptych “Russian Ballet Silver Age, including choreographic masterpieces by Mikhail Fokine: “The Firebird” by Stravinsky, “Les Sylphides” to the music of Chopin , Armida’s Pavilion Tcherepnin (1999) and the ballet “Sleeping Beauty” by Tchaikovsky (2000).

Samara Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre has a solid touring geography, covering about 50 cities in Russia, CIS and foreign countries, Bulgaria, Spain, Italy, Germany.