Birmingham Royal Ballet announces only international engagement for 2010

18 March 2010

Company performs Sir Peter Wright and Galina Samsova's production of Swan Lake at the Virginia Arts Festival

In Birmingham Royal Ballet's 20th anniversary year, the company is delighted to announce its International Tour 2010 to the United States of America. From May 7 – 9, Birmingham Royal Ballet will perform Sir Peter Wright's and Galina Samsova's production of Swan Lake at The Virginia Arts Festival in Norfolk, USA.

The Virginia Arts Festival is now in its 14th year and Birmingham Royal Ballet will headline the celebrated arts event. The company received an invitation to return to Virginia following sell-out performances of the company's The Sleeping Beauty at the 2007 festival.

The 2010 Virginia Arts Festival is celebrating an array of dance styles with performances from Garth Fagan Dance, Nalmes (A Russian Folk Dance Spectacular), Pilobolus Dance Theater and Richmond Ballet.

Swan Lake, probably the most famous and popular ballet in the world, is a classic tale of evil magicians, handsome princes, beautiful maidens and a doomed fairy-tale love affair. This majestic production of Swan Lake tells the story of the young Prince Siegfried and his doomed love for the enchanted swan princess, Odette. Whilst out hunting, Prince Siegfried witnesses a swan transform into the beautiful Princess Odette. She is under the evil Von Rothbart's spell and spends her days as a swan, returning to her human form as night falls. Only the love of someone who has never loved before has the power to break the evil spell.

With its exquisite ensembles, lyrical pas de deux and bravura solos, this production has thrilled audiences around the world, breathing new life into the choreography of the two great creators of Russian ballet, Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov.

Accompanied by the exquisite Tchaikovsky score played by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, the ballet transports the audience through an enchanted landscape, across dark fields and forbidding forests to a moonlit lake where, every night, a magical transformation takes place.

This production of the much-loved classic, with glittering black and gold scenery by Philip Prowse, was first performed by Birmingham Royal Ballet in 1991 and has since successfully toured throughout the United Kingdom and overseas, including Germany and Japan in 1995.

Please note Swan Lake can also be seen at the company's home theatre, Birmingham Hippodrome from Tuesday 22 – 26 June 2010 and due to popular demand, the extra performance on 22 June has been added to the schedule.

Birmingham Royal Ballet's performance schedule

The 14th Annual Virginia Arts Festival, Chrysler Hall, Norfolk, USA

Friday 7 May at 7:30pm
Saturday 8 May at 7:30pm
Sunday 9 May at 2:30pm
For more information about the Festival please visit: www.virginiaartsfest.com or www.brb.org.uk


ENDS

For further press information please contact:
Simon Harper, Media and PR Manager, on 0121 245 3562; Email: SimonHarper@brb.org.uk
or Claire Lishman, Media and PR Officer, on 0121 245 3549 Email: ClaireLishman@brb.org.uk

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