The National Ballet of Canada Tours to Moscow and St. Petersburg

The National Ballet of Canada today announced the company will tour to Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia for the first time in its history. The National Ballet will perform at the Stanislavsky Theatre in Moscow (October 15 and 16) and the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg (October 19) as part of Diana Vishneva's Context festival. The company will tour a mixed programme of Paz de la Jolla by Justin Peck, Being and Nothingness by Guillaume Côté and Crystal Pite's Emergence, October 15 - 19, 2018.

"It is an honour to be invited to this prestigious festival and to tour to Russia for the first time. I am pleased to showcase two Canadian works by renowned Canadian choreographers Crystal Pite and our own Choreographic Associate and Principal Dancer Guillaume Côté, as well as a piece by American choreographer Justin Peck," said Ms. Kain. "The rich programme showcases the unique artistry of our company and is a continuation of the company's commitment to showcase our work on the international stage."

Music Director and Principal Conductor David Briskin will conduct the Stanislavsky Orchestra in Moscow and the Mariinsky Orchestra in St. Petersburg.

Context, an international festival, was founded by Diana Vishneva, Principal Dancer with the Mariinsky Ballet. The annual festival features new works, collaborations and critically acclaimed productions created by both recognized and emerging choreographers.

The tour to Moscow and St. Petersburg continues to expand the National Ballet's international reach. In July, the company performed in Hamburg and toured to London and Paris in October, where the National Ballet was named Best Company of the Year by France's l'Association Professionnelle de la Critique de Théâtre, de Musique et de Danse. In the last three years the National Ballet has also performed in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and San Francisco.

This fall, the National Ballet's 2018/19 season in Toronto opens with the North American premiere of Anna Karenina choreographed by John Neumeier, November 10 - 18, 2018. Based on Leo Tolstoy's great masterwork, Anna Karenina is the first co-production between the National Ballet, The Hamburg Ballet and The Bolshoi Ballet.

Photo: Artists of the Ballet in Emergence. Photo by Bruce Zinger.