“ROUND DANCES” AT THE MARIINSKY THEATRE
The first ballet premiere of the season at the Mariinsky Theatre is "Round Dances”, set to music by Rodion Shchedrin and choreographed by Vyacheslav Samodurov. Samodurov will be responsible not only for the choreography but also for the entire set design, including both sets and costumes.
The story behind the musical composition that forms the basis of the production is connected to both Russia and Asia. The musical language of "Round Dances” skillfully, richly, and colorfully interprets Russian folk motifs, seamlessly blending them with the composer's expressive techniques and recognizable style. The work's sonic palette features classical symphony orchestra instruments alongside recorders, piccolo clarinet, piccolo trumpet, and even Russian wooden spoons and a set of bells from a Russian troika.
The world premiere of Shchedrin's one-movement orchestral concerto, "Khorody," took place on November 2, 1989, far from the banks of the Neva. The work was written by the composer specifically for the International Music Program at the renowned Suntory Hall in the Japanese capital, where it was performed by the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Naohiro Totsuki.
This is the first production of Shchedrin's "Round Dances” at the Mariinsky Theatre. This music inspired Vyacheslav Samodurov, one of Russia's most sought-after choreographers and a recognized master of plotless choreographic works.
"This is the collective unconscious." "When people join hands and form a chain, their minds switch off. The romanticism of this music is very deceptive; it leads to hard jazz towards the end. When, in folk dances — Russian, Caucasian, Jewish — people, clasping hands, begin jumping to the rhythm of the music, as if in a trance, it always makes a powerful impression," Vyacheslav Samodurov comments on the concept of his production.
The choreographer's debut at the Mariinsky Theatre took place in 2025 with the production of "Dance Scenes" to the music of Igor Stravinsky's famous Symphony in C. Now, Vyacheslav Samodurov, turning to Shchedrin's vibrant and rhythmic "Round Dances," has created a work based on folk ritual dance. One of the important elements of the production is lighting, which complements and highlights the sets, costumes, and the movements of the dancers themselves. Lighting designer Anatoly Lyapin created the production's lighting design.
"The ballet 'Round Dances' has no plot; it's a canvas woven from the threads of choreography, music, and lighting. It's an inseparable, unified fabric. It's impossible to say that light is the star or stands out as a separate character. Light here is like the weather, like an element. Moreover, lighting in a performance is part of the set design," he explains.
The new production features the best talents of the Mariinsky Ballet Company: Victoria Tereshkina, Roman Belyakov, Konstantin Zverev, Renata Shakirova and Timur Askerov.
The musical director of the production is the company's artistic director, Valery Gergiev.
The story behind the musical composition that forms the basis of the production is connected to both Russia and Asia. The musical language of "Round Dances” skillfully, richly, and colorfully interprets Russian folk motifs, seamlessly blending them with the composer's expressive techniques and recognizable style. The work's sonic palette features classical symphony orchestra instruments alongside recorders, piccolo clarinet, piccolo trumpet, and even Russian wooden spoons and a set of bells from a Russian troika.
The world premiere of Shchedrin's one-movement orchestral concerto, "Khorody," took place on November 2, 1989, far from the banks of the Neva. The work was written by the composer specifically for the International Music Program at the renowned Suntory Hall in the Japanese capital, where it was performed by the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Naohiro Totsuki.
This is the first production of Shchedrin's "Round Dances” at the Mariinsky Theatre. This music inspired Vyacheslav Samodurov, one of Russia's most sought-after choreographers and a recognized master of plotless choreographic works.
"This is the collective unconscious." "When people join hands and form a chain, their minds switch off. The romanticism of this music is very deceptive; it leads to hard jazz towards the end. When, in folk dances — Russian, Caucasian, Jewish — people, clasping hands, begin jumping to the rhythm of the music, as if in a trance, it always makes a powerful impression," Vyacheslav Samodurov comments on the concept of his production.
The choreographer's debut at the Mariinsky Theatre took place in 2025 with the production of "Dance Scenes" to the music of Igor Stravinsky's famous Symphony in C. Now, Vyacheslav Samodurov, turning to Shchedrin's vibrant and rhythmic "Round Dances," has created a work based on folk ritual dance. One of the important elements of the production is lighting, which complements and highlights the sets, costumes, and the movements of the dancers themselves. Lighting designer Anatoly Lyapin created the production's lighting design.
"The ballet 'Round Dances' has no plot; it's a canvas woven from the threads of choreography, music, and lighting. It's an inseparable, unified fabric. It's impossible to say that light is the star or stands out as a separate character. Light here is like the weather, like an element. Moreover, lighting in a performance is part of the set design," he explains.
The new production features the best talents of the Mariinsky Ballet Company: Victoria Tereshkina, Roman Belyakov, Konstantin Zverev, Renata Shakirova and Timur Askerov.
The musical director of the production is the company's artistic director, Valery Gergiev.
