Sonnets ballet premiered in Bolshoi Theater of Belarus

Early December in the Bolshoi Theater of Belarus will be remembered for the romantic atmosphere. Those days the audience enjoyed performances by favorite ballet dancers, Shakespeare’s sonnets, ballet pas to the Capriol suite by Peter Warlock and Greensleeves by Ralph Vaughan Williams which, according to a legend, Henry VIII dedicated to Anne Boleyn in the 16th century.

Sonnets, a one-act ballet, was choreographed by Alexandra Tikhomirova, a holder of the Order of Francysk Skaryna. By the way, it was she who brought, the Little Prince ballet to the music of Evgeny Glebov back to the main stage of the country after a 30-year hiatus. The production was later recognized as the best performance of the year by the jury of the National Theater Awards.

According to the choreographer, the idea of creating a chamber ballet based on Shakespeare’s sonnets originated in the 1990s when she was working with the world-famous Russian choreographer and teacher, People’s Artist Nikita Dolgushin on The Sleeping Beauty production in Kazan. The Minsk premiere of Sonnets was not only a dream that came true for Alexandra Tikhomirova but also a creative tribute to her mentor.

The lyrical ballet based on the famous cycle of 154 sonnets by William Shakespeare comprises dance acts which represent all shades of emotions of the main character and are united by one theme. According to the libretto, the Poet experiences the eternal struggle between good and evil, while being surrounded by his devoted companions and muses – Love and Dream, White Angel and Black Angel.

The leading specialists of the Bolshoi Theater worked on the production, including conductor Ivan Kostyakhin and costume designer Yekaterina Bulgakova. The ballet starts Honored Artist of the Republic of Belarus Oleg Yeromkin (the Poet), leading dancer Anna Fokina (White Angel), participant of the 2013 Eurovision Young Dancers Yana Stangey (Dream), prima ballerina Lyudmila Khitrova (Love) and Angelina Zgurskaya (Black Angel).

Photo: Oksana Manchuk