The Theatre

Historical background

‘My aspiration is the theater of open emotional experiences.
By creating the mystery in which the characters live and act
according to my rules, I create my world. 
It is like my cardiogram, the rhythm of my heart beat,
with its explosions, shocks, culminations, raises and collapses.’
Boris Eifman

The St.-Petersburg State Academic Ballet Theatre under the leadership of Boris Eifman, known to ballet-lovers all over the world as Eifman Ballet, was founded by Boris Eifman in 1977. At that time the company was named ‘Leningrad New Ballet’. The concept of ‘The New Ballet’ was innovative for that time; from the very beginning it was conceived as an experimental laboratory of one choreographer.

The very first performances ‘Two voices’ (1977) and ‘Boomerang’ (1979) brought the theater success among the audiences and prompted critics to speak of new tendencies in the Russian ballet art. However, advocates of the traditional school were reluctant to acknowledge the authority of the young choreographer. Eifman’s novelty in choosing literary basis and music, the audacity of the movement vocabulary entailed him the reputation of ‘a choreographic dissident.’

In late 70s – early 80s Eifman’s theater develops its own approach towards the repertoire formation. More and more ballets based on the works of the world classical literature appear in the theater’s playbills. The choreographer addresses classical plots and explores new genres. He creates ballets characterized by the sharpness of the choreographic patterns that render fiery passions of the characters such as ballet-buff ‘La Folle Journee, ou Le Mariage de Figaro’ (1982) и ‘The Twelfth  Night’ (1986), ballet-parable ‘Legend’ (1982), ballet-drama ‘Murderers’ (1991) based on Emile Zola’s novel ‘Therese Raquin’, ballet-epic ‘Idiot’ (1980), ‘Duel’ (1987), ‘Master and Margarita’ (1987).

As director Eifman makes his audiences not just appreciate the beauty of the ‘dance fabric’ of his performances, but empathize the scenic action.

Besides the artistic quest Boris Eifman Theater was among the first in Russia to develop its own organizational model for theater management based on principles of state and private partnership. For a long time the Company performed without either its own venue or constant rehearsal facilities. Under such conditions the matters of management and financial survival were of equal importance as artistic endeavors.

The Company gains its own rehearsal facilities in 1989, and that opens up new possibilities for the Theater. With the increased number of artists and stuff the theater produces premiers annually. That was also the time of Boris Eifman Theater’s triumph abroad.

The Company distinguished by the particular dance intellect, brilliant technique and gift for the transformation fascinates the western audience. Clive Barnеs writes in New York Post: “Now there’s no doubt that choreographer Boris Eifman is a wonderful theatrical magician…Perhaps the only thing one can still doubt is whether he is the last leading choreographer of the XX century or the first choreographer of the XXI century.” Anna Kisselgoff, one of the leading ballet critics in the USA, names Boris Eifman the leader among the contemporary choreographers: "The ballet world in search of a major choreographer need search no more. He is Boris Eifman."

At present the St. Petersburg state Academic ballet theater under the leadership of Boris Eifman is well-known among ballet lovers in Africa, Europe, Asia, the North and South America for the ballets ‘Tchaikovsky’ (1993), ‘Don Quixote, or Fantasies of a Madman’ (1994), ‘Red Giselle’ (1997), ‘Russian Hamlet’ (1999), ‘Anna Karenina’ (2005), ‘The Seagull’ (2007). Among the latest oeuvres are the new choreographic version of the ballet ‘Don Quixote, or Fantasies of a Madman’  (2009) and the premier of the ballet ‘Onegin’ (2009) based on the novel  by Alexander Pushkin.

Having choreographed over forty five ballets Boris Eifman defines the genre in which he works as ‘psychological ballet.’ By using the language of dance he speaks sincerely with his audiences about the most complex and exciting aspects of human existence such as the quest for the meaning of life, the collision of the spiritual and physical in the private human world, and the cognition of the truth.

Honored art worker of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (1988), People’s Artist of Russia (1995), Laureate of the State Prize (1999), Boris Eifman became the holder of major Russian and international theatrical awards such as ‘Golden Mask’, the highest theatrical award of the Russian Federation; ‘Golden Sofit’, the chief theatrical award of St. Petersburg; the ‘Triumph’ award for the significant contribution to the national culture.  The artists of the Eifman’s Ballet Company as well as the choreographer’s ballets were distinguished by the various awards and prizes.

The new period in the Theater’s life started in 2009, when the Government of St. Petersburg makes the decision to start building the Dance Academy, the project initiated by the choreographer. The results of the competition for the best architectural project ‘Boris Eifman Dance Palace’ on the Europe Embankment were also concluded in summer of 2009. For the time being these two large-scale projects serve as guiding points in long-term plans of the choreographer and his theater.

The last 2010 became for theater the period of active creative activity and serious fulfillments both on Russian, and at the international level. The Petersburg collective has taken part in large international festivals in Germany, Lebanon, France, and also has visited with tours a number of other countries - Finland, Italy, Israel, Poland, Spain, Holland. In December performances in Paris where with triumph ballet "Anna Karenina" has been presented, the theater has closed Year of Russia in France. Besides, in 2010 Boris Eifman's collective became the owner of the award "Golden Sofit" in two nominations - "Best ballet performance" ("Onegin") and "Best man's role in ballet performance" (soloist Oleg Gabyshev as Onegin). In August, 2010 in Petersburg has passed the premiere of ballet "I, Don Quixote", created on the basis of performance "Quixote, or Fantasies of a Madman". Veterans of the Great Patriotic War and inhabitants of blockade Leningrad became the first spectators of new statement.

Among other remarkable events in life of theater of last time - moving on new rehearsal base in Petersburg, followed the building beginning on the Petrograd party of Dance Academy, shooting of films "Anna Karenina" and "Onegin", and also work on new ballet "Rodin". The premiere of this staging will take place in 2011.