PEMBROKE — Performances of the Russian National Ballet Theatre are fan favorites at The Givens Performing Arts Center.
The company returns to The University of North Carolina at Pembroke’s GPAC on March 11 at 7:30 p.m. with a performance of “Sleeping Beauty.”
Tickets are $36, $31 and $21 for adults, and $18 for children. The show is sponsored in part by Lumbee Guaranty Bank.
“Sleeping Beauty,” the ballet, was first performed in 1890 with music by Tchaikovsky. The score was completed in 1889, and is the second of his three ballets. The work has become one of the classical repertoire’s most famous ballets.
The Russian National Ballet was founded in 1989 as the Moscow Festival Ballet under the direction of Bolshoi Theatre dancer Sergei Radchenko, an honored artist of Russia. The first independent company of classical ballet began to develop rapidly, so it was decided to create an extra troupe — the Russian National Ballet Theatre, under the direction of Elena Radchenko, soloist dancer of the Mariinsky-Kirov Theatre and the Bolshoi Theatre.
“The Russian Ballet performed ‘Swan Lake’ at GPAC two years ago,” said James Bass, GPAC executive director. “They are well-liked and they put on an amazing performance. The Russian Ballet Theatre is widely respected around the world.”
The repertoire presents many famous ballet masterpieces, including “Swan Lake,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Don Quixote,” “Giselle,” “Carmen Suite,” “La Bayadere,” “The Nutcracker,” “Cinderella,” “Coppelia,” and “Romeo and Juliet,” as well as a wide range of concert numbers of Russian and foreign world classics.
Other performances on the GPAC Professional Artist series include The Red Hot Chili Pipers on March 20 and The Midtown Men on April 15.
The Russian Ballet’s “Sleeping Beauty” is one of several performances being held in conjunction with the Act I Diner’s Club. These themed meals are available for an extra charge, and will be served in the University Dining Room before performances in GPAC. Call the GPAC box office at 910-521-6361 for information.
Visit www.uncp.edu/gpac to see the full list of shows coming this season or call 910-521-6361.
