description Russian Seasons Overview
George Balanchine’s Russian Seasons is a ballet exploring the vibrant social world of St. Petersburg’s Imperial Ballet in the 1890s. The work features intricate choreography and evocative music by Tchaikovsky and Delibes. Choreographer William Forsythe created a modern interpretation, drawing inspiration from Balanchine's original while presenting a new narrative about ambition and artistic rivalry within a ballet company.
It is suitable for audiences interested in 21st-century ballet and the evolution of classical forms.
help Russian Seasons FAQ
Who choreographed the ballet Russian Seasons?
Russian Seasons was choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky, not George Balanchine or William Forsythe. He created it for New York City Ballet in the mid-2000s.
Who composed the music for Russian Seasons?
Leonid Desyatnikov composed the vocal and instrumental cycle used in the ballet. The music draws on Russian folk material while filtering it through a modern concert style.
Does Russian Seasons depict the Imperial Ballet in the 1890s?
No, it is not a historical backstage story about St. Petersburg. Ratmansky presents an episodic cycle of courtship, separation, ritual, humor, and grief through recurring color-coded characters.
Is Russian Seasons connected to Diaghilev's Ballets Russes?
The title echoes the phrase used for Russian cultural seasons abroad, but the ballet is a modern Ratmansky work rather than a Diaghilev revival. Its immediate identity comes from Desyatnikov's score and Galina Solovyeva's vividly colored costumes.
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