Ghosts, Passion And Tragedy At McCallum Theatre

The Moscow Festival Ballet brings the spectacular drama, Giselle to the McCallum Theatre on Tuesday, February 13 at 8pm. The Moscow Festival Ballet was founded in 1989 when legendary principal dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet, Sergei Radchenko, sought to realize his vision of a company which would bring together the highest classical elements of the great Bolshoi and Kirov Ballet companies in an independent new company within the framework of Russian classic ballet.

Under the direction of Sergei Radchenko, the Moscow Festival Ballet continues to expand its repertoire with leading dancers from across Russia joining Radchenko in an exciting new company staging new productions of timeless classics such as Giselle, Don Quixote, Paquita and Carmen.

Since its inception, the Moscow Festival Ballet has toured extensively throughout the United States, beginning with a Coast-to-Coast tour in the Winter/Spring of 1997 and returning in 2001 and 2004. During the 2006-2007 season, the company returns to America for a 17-week tour. The company has also completed tours of Europe, with extraordinary receptions in Italy, France, Spain, Germany and the Netherlands. Tours of the United Kingdom, including capacity audiences at London's famed Coliseum. The company has also performed with great success in Turkey at the Istanbul Festival and in Greece at the Athens Festival, and recently completed a two-month tour of Japan, Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong.

In addition to commissioning new works from within Russia and abroad, the company specializes in Twentieth Century full-length ballets such as Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet, Legend of Love, Stone Flower and The Golden Age. Mr. Radchenko has researched the original choreography and stage productions of several of Marius Petipa's classic ballets, including a recreation of Jules Perrot's and Jean Coralli's Giselle.

Giselle is the story of a peasant girl who falls in love with a nobleman, Albrecht, who, disguised as a villager, tries to woo the young woman. However, her mother, Berthe, takes an instant dislike to Giselle's love and tries to dissuade her by telling the legend of the Wilis, ghostly maidens who have been jilted and die before their wedding day. This vengeful sisterhood becomes deadly at night, when they force any man who crosses their path to dance himself to death. The love story unfolds with dire consequences.
Riddled with ghostly visions, jilted lovers and tragedy, the classic ballet Giselle performed by the Moscow Festival Ballet will awe and amaze with their grace and technical prowess in the grand style and tradition of the Bolshoi Ballet.

Tickets for the Moscow Festival Ballet's "Giselle" on Tuesday, February 13 at 8pm, are on sale now. Ticket prices are $75/65/20. Tickets are available at the McCallum Theatre Box Office by calling 760-340-ARTS, online at www.mccallumtheatre.com, or by walk-up.

The McCallum Theatre Box Office is located at 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92260. The Theatre accepts payment by cash, personal check, VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express. -- www.mccallumtheatre.com