From Russia, with love of dance

The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming! We say it twice, not just because we love the 1966 movie about a Soviet submarine that runs aground in New England, but because they are coming -- two Russian dance companies.

First up is the State Ballet Theatre of Russia, performing tomorrow night at Tilles Center on the auspicious occasion of the first full day of Olympic competition in Sochi, Russia's heavily fortified Black Sea resort. The State Ballet is followed by the Krasnoyarsk National Dance Company of Siberia, Feb. 22 at Staller Center.

We asked Igor Levin, a California-based impresario for Russian troupes touring North America, if there's a connection. "I only represent Russian classical ballet," he retorted, adding, "Krasnoyarsk is a folk dance company."

Not that there's anything wrong with that -- Russian folk dance predates ballet by centuries -- but we detect a certain pride in the term "classical," not unlike a Viennese opera devotee discussing, say, Gilbert and Sullivan.

RUDOLF THE GREAT

To be sure, Russian classical ballet has a proud history. The State Ballet Theatre is among its foremost 21st century ambassadors. State Ballet Theatre is its touring name. In Russia, it's known as the Voronezh or the Rudolf Nureyev State Ballet Theatre -- the latter because the company is based in Ufa, hometown of arguably the greatest ballet star of the 20th century.

Nureyev remains revered in Russian dance circles, despite his defection in 1961 and death from AIDS complications in 1993. Like Nureyev, the State Ballet Theatre dances in the tradition established in 19th century imperial Russia during its so-called golden age -- 1889 to the turn of the 20th century -- when Alexander III lavished millions of rubles annually on the Imperial Ballet. Marius Petipa, premier maître de ballet of imperial theaters throughout this period, commissioned Russia's leading composers to create new ballets. Chief among them was Tchaikovsky, whose "Sleeping Beauty" was instantly regarded as a masterpiece. (Purists derided his "Nutcracker" follow-up as spectacle.)

CLASSIC AMONG CLASSICS

It's in the imperial tradition that the State Ballet Theatre operates, says Levin. In the best of that tradition, the dancers perform "Sleeping Beauty" at Tilles.

Gulsina Mavlyukasova dances the role of Princess Aurora, partnering with Ildar Manyapov as Prince Désiré. Choreography is by Yury Grigorovich, a legendary figure born into a family with Imperial Russian Ballet connections. He danced with the Kirov Ballet and choreographed for the Bolshoi.

"Real classical ballet comes only from Russia," according to Levin. "Dancers study from age 8 in a style unique to late-19th century St. Petersburg imperial ballet -- a way of moving, of standing, of projecting emotion."