St. Petersburg Ballet dazzles audience at Fox

The St. Petersburg Ballet performed at the Fox Theatre last Sunday. The ballet, directed by Yuri Petukhov, consisted of three separate pieces: Chopiniana, Capriccio Italian and Scheherazade. The pieces, composed of a variety of styles, made for a lovely, entertaining evening.

Chopininiana came from Chopin ' s Seventh Waltz. It is a popularly performed piece, written by Michel Fokine.

The first scene opened with many ballerinas struck in a pose of eagerness against an arboreous background. The eagerness of the beginning pose represents the Young Man ' s dream.

This piece is different from most ballets. The focus is not on plot or character growth but a developing theme and feeling. The music alternates generating an overall mood of peaceful dreaminess with moments of exuberance. The white dresses and the slow steps of the background dancers added to the dreamy feel of the performance.

Though Chopininiana had a strong sense of theme and mood, it lacked a plot and color. The next piece, Capriccio, fulfilled these two components. It began with what seemed to be a vibrant and elaborate party. The curtains and candles displayed in a red and black background contributed to a formal theme. The dance steps were unique and catchy with an Italian touch.

The opening party continued, showing three drunken men who were soon paired up with female dancers dressed in green. Then, two more couples arrived in matching red attire. The main couple wore bold black clothing.

The dancers presented a truly fun and powerful performance towards the end of the play to surprise an already impressed audience. This piece received a standing ovation and seemed to be the favorite of the night.

The last performance, Scheherazade, consisted of two strong story lines. It was an adaptation from the popular book Arabian Nights. Sultan Shahriar has the tradition of marrying a new girl every night and beheading her the next morning. In the story, one girl avoids her death by storytelling. Her suspenseful stopping points keep the sultan from killing her each morning. Although Scheherazade seemed prolonged towards the end, the crowd enjoyed it. It included a well-developed plot and impressive choreography.Overall, the three pieces performed by the St. Petersburg Ballet nicely demonstrated the grace, talent and meticulous training that has made the ballet company so renowned around the world. While they were in Atlanta for only one night, they are certain to return sometime in the future. When they do, the show is certainly worth catching.