The St Petersburg Ballet Theatre bring a festival of ballets to South Africa in May 2015, including Giselle, Don Quixote (seen here) and Swan Lake.

Having already toured to 36 cities in France since the start of the year, the St Petersburg Ballet Theatre open their South African tour on Wednesday 6 May at Montecasino in Johannesburg performing Giselle, followed by Don Quixote and Swan Lake before they head to Cape Town to perform Swan Lake at Artscape from 19 May 2015.

But at least in Johannesburg, the Russian company has a tough act to follow after Joburg Ballet’s very recent and spectacular production of Swan Lake, complete with grand new sets, clever new storytelling twists, and a collaborative international cast of 80 dancers including three prima ballerinas sharing the stage.

For ballet fans though, there’s no such thing as Swan Lake fatigue, and every company offers their own unique experience. In this case, the St Petersburg Ballet Theatre have a few things going for them.

For one, ballet lovers in Joburg are in for a decadent triple-bill treat, with the cast of 55 dancers performing the three ballet favourites of Giselle, Don Quixote and Swan Lake in true traditional, classical Russian style.

Due to scheduling constraints for the Cape Town tour, the company will be performing the much-loved Swan Lake only, but it’s the first time the company will be in the mother city after eight years, which is in itself a welcome treat. All performances are accompanied by a live orchestra too, with either the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra or the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra.

The company’s trump card

But the ace up the company’s sleeve is most certainly their prima ballerina, Irina Kolesnikova, who recently returned to the stage after the birth of her daughter. Known for her magnetic stage presence, rock-solid technique and fiery fouetté turns, she transports the audience deep into the magic and mystery of her ballet characters.

Watch this entertaining video clip as the Top Billing crew go behind the scenes for more insights into the company, its lead ballerina and their upcoming SA tour…

Booking Details – Johannesburg:

Dates for Giselle: 6 – 8 May 2015
Dates for Don Quixote: 9 – 10 May 2015
Dates for Swan Lake: 12 – 16 May 2015
Venue: The Teatro at Montecasino
Tickets: from R290 to R690 via Computicket

Booking Details – Cape Town:

Dates for Swan Lake: 19 – 25 May 2015
Venue: Artscape Opera House
Tickets: from R285 to R630 via Computicket