For Further Press Information: Dianna Mesion dianna@diannamesion.com 917.829.0344 Pathé Live and BY Experience Announce the 2015-16 Bolshoi Ballet Cinema Season Featuring Seven Productions Including Brand New Ballets Direct from Moscow to Select Cinemas across the U.S. and Canada March 12, 2015 New York, NY Pathé Live and BY Experience proudly announce the new 2015-16 Bolshoi Ballet in Cinema season featuring seven exceptional productions, with four live performances (captured earlier the same day of the cinema broadcast from Moscow) and three pre-recorded programs, screened as Sunday matinees to over 450 cinemas and performing arts centers across the U.S. and Canada. Opening the sixth season of cinema events is one of the greatest romantic ballets, GISELLE performed live on October 11 followed by George Balanchine s opulent JEWELS (recorded) on November 15 starring the celebrated young prodigy Olga Smirnova in Diamonds. John Neumeier s tragic masterpiece, THE LADY OF THE CAMELLIAS, which only recently entered the Bolshoi s repertoire to incredible success, will be performed live on December 6, followed by THE NUTCRACKER (recorded) on December 20. For the very first time, North American audiences will be able to see Jean- Cristophe Maillot s brand new production of Shakespeare s comedy THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, specially created for the Bolshoi, on January 24, 2016. SPARTACUS (recorded), Grigorovich s signature ballet is set for March 13, and closing the season is a same day as live broadcast of Fadeyechev s dazzling production of DON QUIXOTE on April 10. Tickets will go on sale in the U.S. and Canada on June 19, 2015.
The new season combines classic and brand-new productions -- some never-before-seen in the U.S. -- featuring the Bolshoi Ballet of today at their absolute best. Starring the company s exquisite roster of dancers in works by contemporary choreographers John Neimeier and Jean-Cristophe Maillot, and ranging from iconic George Balanchine to more timeless pieces in the classical ballet canon, this season is one not to miss. Giselle Sunday, Oct.11, 2015 at 12:55 p.m. ET / 11:55 a.m. CT / 10:55 a.m. MT and 12:55 p.m. PT/AK/HI Music Adolphe Adam Choreography Yuri Grigorovich The young peasant girl Giselle dies when she learns that the man she loves, Albrecht, has betrayed her. Against her own will, she joins the wilis, vengeful spirits who now turn against Albrecht and condemn him to dance until he dies of exhaustion. This treasure of romantic ballet is one of the oldest and greatest in classical repertoire, touching upon the great romantic themes: a doomed love affair ending in tragedy, a dive into fantasy and ultimate redemtion through the power of love. The Bolshoi is renowned for its intimate and emotionally intense interpretation of this beloved drama. Jewels (recorded) Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015 at 12:55 p.m. local time Music Gabriel Fauré (Emeralds), Igor Stravinsky (Rubies), Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Diamonds) Choreography George Balanchine This opulent triptych was inspired by Balanchine s visit to the famous jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels on New York s Fifth Avenue, celebrating the citites and dance schools of Paris, New York and St. Petersburg, each bound to its own precious stone. With this first abstract ballet, Balanchine built an homage of captivating beauty to the dance schools that had forged his style: Paris, New York, and St Petersburg, each represented by a contrasting jewel: emerald, ruby, and diamond. Jewels offers a unique occasion to enjoy Balanchine s visually captivating work, as the Bolshoi is only company authorized by the Balanchine Trust to film and broadcast his masterpiece. Starring Olga Smirnova, Semyon Chudin, Vladislav Lantratov, Anna Tikhomirova, Ekaterina Krysanova, and the Bolshoi Corps de Ballet.
The Lady of the Camellias (Sunday, December 6, 2015 at 12:55 p.m. ET / 11:55 a.m. CT / 10:55 a.m. MT and 12:55 p.m. PT/AK/HI Music: Frédéric Chopin Choreography: John Neumeier A young bourgeois, Armand Duval, falls madly in love with Marguerite Gautier, a gorgeous courtesan celebrated by the Parisian high society. Despite her infidelity, Armand will do all he can to win the beautiful woman s heart and convince her to leave her indulgent life. The Bolshoi breathes new life into John Neumeier's tragic masterpiece, inspired by Alexandre Dumas' novel and accompanied by Chopin's exquisite score. This production assumes a new emotional and dramatic texture that only the Bolshoi s dancers can deliver. Neumeier s character-rich ballet has found a company that is equal to its challenges Financial Times. The Nutcracker Sunday, Dec. 20, 2015 (recorded) at 12:55 p.m. local time Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Choreography: Yuri Grigorovich On Christmas Eve, Marie is given a wooden nutcracker as a gift. When the clock strikes midnight, the Nutcracker transforms into a prince and saves Marie from the Mouse King and his army. This beloved holiday classic will enchant the whole family with its fairytale setting and Tchaikovsky s timeless score. The Bolshoi s version of The Nutcracker has a unique and beautiful sense of romance and philosophy, danced by the heroic Denis Rodkin as the courageous Prince and the magical Anna Nikulina as Marie. The Taming of the Shrew Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016 at 12:55 p.m. ET / 11:55 a.m. CT / 10:55 a.m. MT and tape-delayed to 12:55 p.m. PT/AK/HI Music: Dmitri Shostakovich Choreography: Jean-Christophe Maillot Many suitors dream of marrying the lovely and docile Bianca, including Luciento. However her father will not let anyone marry her before her elder sister, the ill-tempered shrew Katharina, is herself married. French choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot lands a coup with his adaptation of Shakespeare's comedy tailored specifically to the Bolshoi dancers, and achieves a magnetic two hours of breathtaking, nonstop dance unlike any other, portraying the Bolshoi s audacity and energy in a completely new way. This new production was staged exclusively for the Bolshoi and cannot be seen anywhere else!
Spartacus (recorded) Sunday, March 13, 2016 at 12:55 p.m. local time Music Aram Kachaturian Choreography Yuri Grigorovich In ancient Rome, Spartacus, a Thracian king, is turned captive by Crassus with his wife Phrygia. Forced to fight as a gladiator and kill one of his friends, Spartacus plots an unprecedented upheaval. Grigorovich's Spartacus was created at the Bolshoi in 1968 and has since remained the Russian company s signature ballet. This most spectacular production is an epic tour de force, giving full expression to the virility and strengh for which the Bolshoi s male dancers are renowned. Principal dancer Mikhail Lobukhin is stunning in the role of the legendary gladiator, along with Svetlana Zakharova as Aegina and Vladislav Lantratov as Crassus. Don Quixote Sunday, April 10, 2016 at 12:55 p.m. ET / 11:55 a.m. CT / 10:55 a.m. MT and tape-delayed to 12:55 p.m. PT/AK/HI Music Leon Minkus Choreography Alexei Fadeyechev (after Marius Petipa and Alexander Gorsky) Cervantes eccentric hero Don Quixote leaves on journey full of adventures with his loyal squire Sancho Panza in search of his perfect woman. On the way he meets Kitri, the dazzling daughter of an innkeeper who he thinks might be his ideal love. The Bolshoi's panache and excellence are combined in Fadeyechev s critically acclaimed staging of this exalting performance with Leon Minkus famous score. Featuring brand new sets and costumes to accompany this colorful and technically challenging production, DON QUIXOTE is quintessential Bolshoi, abounding with life and not to be missed! More information on these productions, venues, and tickets coming soon. Please visit www.bolshoiballetincinema.com for updates. About Bolshoi Ballet The Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, one of the greatest music and dance stages in the world, was founded in 1776 and to this day remains a spearhead of Russian culture. With more than 250 dancers, the Bolshoi Ballet is one of the largest and most celebrated ballet companies in the world. Its annual repertoire of up to 30 titles per year includes classical masterpieces, rare productions and outstanding works by the most famous contemporary choreographers. Moreover, thanks to its school, the Bolshoi keeps the revered tradition of classical ballet alive through new generations of talented young dancers. For the 5th season, the Bolshoi Ballet will continue to open its doors and allow viewers across the world to attend their outstanding performances in over 1,000 cinemas internationally. # # #
About BY Experience BY Experience kicked off the digital revolution of live events to movie theaters and other locations globally with David Bowie s 2003 Reality album launch and since then, over 22 million tickets have been sold worldwide for cinema events BY Experience has distributed globally. Current cinema series credits: Distribution Representative, The Met: Live in HD (Worldwide; since 2006), the U.K. s National Theatre Live (Ex-UK; since 2009), Bolshoi Ballet (North America; since 2014), Stratford Festival HD (Ex-Canada, since 2014). Additionally, BY Experience has executive produced and/or distributed several diverse programs for cinema including numerous rock concerts, radio programs, fine art exhibits, and other special content events. BY Experience distributes to over 60 countries, to over 2,000 movie screens. www.byexperience.net. About Pathé Live Pathé Live, a Gaumont-Pathé subsidiary since 2008, is the European leader in the distribution of alternative programs in cinemas. Its network is rapidly expanding and now counts more than 130 cinemas venues in France and over 1000 venues around the world. Thanks to its unique system of high definition and video transmission by satellite, Pathé Live is able to deliver high quality live and recorded events everywhere across the globe. Pathé Live has, over the years, been providing a wide variety of programs such as operas, ballets, concerts, exhibitions and has also been a pioneer in the broadcast of 3D live shows. Pathé Live is the distributor of the Met Live in HD in France and Switzerland. Pathé Live has also been producing and distributing the Bolshoi Ballet shows since 2010 live or near live in 1000 cinemas across the world and will launch with the new 2014-2015 season, its 5th Bolshoi Ballet in cinemas season. These shows, specifically shot for the big screen with 5.1 sound and 10 HD cameras, will continue to provide a unique opportunity for the audience to experience an unprecedented proximity with the artists and enjoy a unique look behind the scenes of the most renowned ballet company in the world.