The Hvorostovsky Krasnoyarsk Opera and Ballet Theatre is in full swing preparing a new production — the ballet Pushkin by choreographer Nikita Dmitrievsky, set to music by contemporary composer Konstantin Borisov. The premiere performances are scheduled for March 13 (a preview for Pushkin Card holders), 14, and 15.

The choreography is by Nikita Dmitrievsky, well known to Siberian audiences for his contemporary ballet Dante’s Catharsis. In this production, he also serves as librettist, set designer, costume designer, and lighting designer. His new project titled Pushkin explores the life of Alexander Pushkin and the circle around him. Dmitrievsky and composer Konstantin Borisov make a bold attempt to enter the poet’s inner world of visions and dreams, thoughts and emotions. The story of Pushkin the poet and Pushkin the man is told through dance, music, light, and the full expressive toolkit of contemporary theatre.

The movement language of Pushkin draws on the stylistic traditions of contemporary dance pioneers such as Martha Graham, William Forsythe, Marie Rambert, and Jiří Kylián, while also incorporating pointe technique reimagined through a modern lens. The production will feature a live orchestra enhanced with specially synthesized sounds to give the overall score a distinctive texture.

“Alexander Sergeyevich is a towering figure surrounded by controversial characters. To this day, there are countless theories about a conspiracy against Pushkin, myths and legends about his relationship with Emperor Nicholas the First of Russia, and about how his family lived after the poet’s death. For me, he remains an enigma, and exploring his fate through a stage work is a fascinating journey across the centuries. I’m trying to create a kind of parallel universe in which Pushkin exists,” says Nikita Dmitrievsky. “The result is a two-act production with a dense inner narrative, rapid shifts between vivid scenes, constantly transforming stage machinery, and a rich, immersive score of light and music.”