Debra Li

NEARLY 80 ballet dancers of the Kremlin Ballet Theater (KBT) will stage two performances — the classic “Swan Lake” and new ballet “Notre Dame de Paris” — in collaboration with the Symphony Orchestra of Russia (SOR) at Poly Theater early next month.

One of Russia’s most prominent ballet companies, the troupe will bring to Shenzhen its artistic director Andrey Petrov, prima ballerina Svetlana Romanova and “ballet prince” Vadim Kremensky. All three have been named “People’s Artists of Russia.”

Perhaps the world’s most popular ballet with music by Tschaikovski, “Swan Lake” captures like no other ballet the full range of human emotions, from hope to despair, from terror to tenderness, from melancholy to ecstasy.

It tells the story of young prince Siegfried, who falls in love with the swan queen Odette, a woman transformed into a bird by an evil sorcerer. Odette explains that she is destined to remain a swan until rescued by a man’s true love. Enthralled by her beauty, the prince pledges his eternal love. But later, at a party in honor of his 21st birthday, he is tricked by the sorcerer, Von Rothbart, into declaring his love for Odile, an evil twin of Odette. Realizing his inadvertent betrayal, the prince rushes back to the lake. There, he battles Von Rothbart, and destroys his power. The lovers are reunited.

It is technically demanding, due in part to remarkable Italian ballerina Pierina Legnani. When she danced the central dual role of Odette/Odile, Legnani brought to it the ability to perform 32 fouettes in a row. The public was so impressed that from then on, any ballerina who danced the role had to perform the 32 fouettes.

Petrov, who choreographed the present production, added folk dance elements, including a Spanish dance, a Neapolitan dance, and a Polish mazurka. The classics of the original, the pas de deux by the prince and the black swan, the solo by the swan princess and the dance of the four little swans have all been preserved.

A genius with elegant gestures, solo ballerina Romanova will perform the white swan Odette and the wicked black swan Odile. Her execution of the 32 fouettes has been highly praised.

In addition, the dance by 24 elegant young ballerinas, who perform uniformly as if they were one person, has been widely acclaimed after previous shows.

The scenery was created by Russia’s leading painters of stage backdrops, Stanislav Benediktov, Olga Polyanskaya and others.

Victor Hugo’s tale of the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda and the hunchback Quasimodo in 15th-century Paris serves as the basis for Petrov’s new ballet “Notre Dame.” The story unfolds in Notre Dame cathedral and was first performed as a ballet as “La Esmeralda” in 1844.

Since then, the “Hunchback” has been adapted to opera, the musical stage, screen — there’s even a Disney animation — as well as ballet.

Following a trend in the former Soviet Union to transcribe great works of literature to ballet, Petrov spent five years choreographing “Notre Dame”. It is so far the only ballet adapting the complete work of Hugo. Petrov’s theater is also the copyright owner of the ballet-version “Notre-Dame de Paris.”

Unlike classical ballets like “Swan Lake” and “Sleeping Beauty” that are rather lyrical and conforming to norms, “Notre Dame,” with innovative parts in pas de deux, enraptures audiences with its conflict and drama.

Fantastic, dramatic scenery and powerful dancing emphasize the conflict between good — the hunchback bell-ringer Quasimodo and Esmeralda — and evil — the demented archdeacon who lusts for Esmeralda and accuses her of witchcraft.

All props for the show are being shipped in from Russia.

Swan Lake: Feb. 1, 2
Notre Dame de Paris: Feb. 3
Add: Poly Theater, Nanshan District
Tickets: 80/180/380/580/880/1080/1280 yuan
Hotline: 8637-1698, 8637-1699, 11185