St Petersburg Ballet Theatre (SPBT) has returned to its home city after its overseas tour. South Africa, Australia and Singapore have all been captivated by the artistry of the Saint Petersburg dancers. Next up – London and Tokyo. Eight weeks, 51 performances, 82 thousand seats filled – these are the bald figures which only illustrate the size of the tour. The audiences’ emotions, however, were expressed in the standing ovations, full houses and the local press reports.

It is especially the corps de ballet that impresses with notable unison and fine-tuned synergy. They move as a unified force with exceptional precision and astonishing flair.

The most outstanding quality of the cast is their ability to characterise. Each and every dancer presents a character that communicates distinctively and collectively contributes to a very enjoyable, entertaining performance.

Irina Kolesnikova, as Giselle, is a force to be reckoned with. Her individuality as a ballerina has made her quite a phenomenon. Technically, her dancing is flawless and her artistry breathtaking. It is, however, her personality that sweeps one off your feet.
The Star – Pinto Ferreira – 12th May 2015 – Johannesburg, South Africa

It was in May that South African audiences, already well acquainted with the Konstantin Tachkin Saint Petersburg Ballet Theatre, met the company again. Giselle, Don Quixote and Swan Lake were performed in Johannesburg and the country’s second city, the port of Cape Town. This is already the company’s fourth tour of South Africa and was accorded the same unchanging fascination by the public. There were 13 performances in Johannesburg and 9 in Cape Town. The main roles were danced by the company’s Prima Ballerina, Irina Kolesnikova and its soloists Anna Samostrelova, Lyudmila Mizinova, Dmitry Akulinin, Yuri Mirov and Mikhail Tkachuk.

Following South Africa the company made the acquaintance of the inhabitants of Singapore the first time this island state had encountered classical ballet from Russia’s northern capital. It was a successful debut. Instead of the planned five performances SPBT gave eight. 13,500 visitors came to the shows. On 29 May Singapore’s main newspaper, The Straits Times, printed an article in which Irina Kolesnikova’s performance was given special mention:

Irina Kolesnikova is a regal dancer schooled in the Russian tradition, with an expressive back and secure classical technique. She lends her white swan an athletic boldness, but with crucial mime sequences replaced by dancing, there is too much back story to fill in even with the passion she imbues.

Kolesnikova undergoes a remarkable transformation in the ballet's third act, portraying Odile with a previously unseen attack and cunning coquettishness.

Another debut happened this time in Australia. The company performed in Melbourne for the first time, a city which is often referred to as Australia’s cultural capital. In the words of Konstantin Tachkin, the company’s founder, it was a nervous time. After all, the promoters had chosen open air venues holding over 2400 people. The success, however, was plain to see. 20 thousand people came to the shows and five (!) extra performances were added. Perth is another Australian city well acquainted with the Saint Petersburg company’s creative output. Its public welcomed the artists for the fourth time. Only two of Australia’s major cities were able to enjoy the classics of Russian ballet – Swan Lake and Giselle were performed in Perth and Melbourne.

SPBT’s busy ballet season continues in August in London on the stage of the world famous Coliseum a theatre which is part of Great Britain’s theatrical heritage and which is the home of the English National Opera. The very last lap of this touring marathon will be the Irina Kolesnikova Season which will be extended by seven extra performances. Now the season is to begin a few days earlier and will last from 13 to 23 August. The London Coliseum is the capital’s biggest theatre seating around 2500 people. Konstantin Tachkin’s Prima Ballerina, Irina Kolesnikova will dance her favourite roles in the ballets Swan Lake and La Bayadère together with the company and specially invited star ballet partners

Japan is next for Konstantin Tachkin’s ballet company. From 2 to 6 September as part of the Irina Kolesnikova Season two masterpieces by Tchaikovsky (whose anniversary takes place this year) will be performed in Tokyo namely Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. The performances will take place on the stage of the Bunkamura Orchard Hall, one of the most prestigious venues in the Japanese capital.