The Russian National Ballet Brings Giselle to Fairfield University's Quick Center for the Arts March 27 | Press Releases

The Russian National Ballet will appear at Fairfield University's Quick Center for the Arts in the classic two-act ballet by Adolphe Adam, "Giselle" on Friday, March 27 at 8:00 p.m. There will be a post-show Art to Heart Q & A with the company following the performance. Ticket availability is limited.

The Russian National Ballet Theatre was founded in Moscow during the transitional period Perestroika in the late 1980s, when many of the great dancers and choreographers of the Soviet Union's ballet institutions were exercising their new-found creative freedom by starting new and vibrant companies dedicated not only to the timeless tradition of classical Russian Ballet, but to a commitment to invigorate this tradition with a new generation of Russians open to the acceptance of current developments in the dance from around the world.

Elena Radchenko, the legendary Bolshoi principal dancer, was selected in 1994 by Presidential decree to assume the first permanent artistic directorship of the company. As artistic director and founder of the Russian National Ballet Theatre, she has focused the Company on upholding the grand national tradition of the major Russian ballet works and developing new talents throughout Russia.

With "Giselle," the company preserves the choreography of the legendary Marius Petipa and Radchenko, herself, has designed costumes for the production. Adam's music expertly creates instant theatrical effects with short melodic motifs that bring the intense drama of characters and situation into sharp relief.

The ballet's history in Russia since it was first seen in Moscow in 1843, just two years after its creation in Paris, has shown a continuous sequence of performances that illuminate a basic text by the care and genius of generations of ballerinas and producers. The Russian National Ballet's production maintains the Russian tradition of scrupulous production and loving concern for this gem of the Romantic ballet.

Tickets are $45, $40, $35 and are available in limited quantities online at fairfield.edu/quick or by calling the Box Office at (203) 254-4010. The toll free number is 1-877-ARTS-396. Sign up at fairfield.edu/quick to receive e-mails for special offers and discounts for Quick Center shows.