LES BALLETS RUSSES À FLORENCE

For one unforgettable evening, the historic Teatro della Pergola will become the stage for Les Ballets Russes à Florence, a ballet gala that celebrates the groundbreaking vision of Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, the early 20th-century company that redefined classical ballet and ignited a new era of artistic collaboration.

Exemplifying the revolutionary artistry of the Ballets Russes in its synthesis of diverse artistic and cultural traditions, audiences will be transported to the dawn of modern ballet with two masterpieces: Les Sylphides, Michael Fokine’s poetic reverie set to Alexander Glazunov’s orchestral arrangements of Frédéric Chopin’s most stirring music, and selections from Raymonda, Alexander Glazunov and Marius Petipa’s dazzling showcase of classical virtuosity.

Les Ballets Russes à Florence will be staged by the remarkable company ‘Reunited in Dance’, a star-studded ensemble of dancers impacted by the war in Ukraine. Led by dancer and choreographer, Xander Parish OBE, a former principal at the Mariinsky Ballet in Saint Petersburg, the company features Russian and Ukrainian dancers who were previously part of Russia’s most elite dance companies. ‘Reunited in Dance’ hopes to show that dialogue and reconciliation can still be found through the arts and dance.