Eifman Ballet – Red Giselle – Chicago

EIFMAN BALLET OF ST. PETERSBURG BRINGS BORIS EIFMAN’S RENOWNED REDGISELLE TO CHICAGO FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 17 YEARS

RED GISELLE REIMAGINES THE STORY OF BALLERINA OLGA SPESSIVTSEVA

Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg – Red Gisselle

Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg, one of Russia’s premier ballet companies, returns to the Auditorium Theatre May 19­21 for three performances of Boris Eifman’s extraordinary and engrossing Red Giselle, which had its Chicago debut at the Auditorium in 2000.

“We are so excited to bring Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg back to Chicago to perform the captivating Red Giselle, Boris Eifman’s artistic interpretation of the famed ballerina Olga Spessivtseva’s story,” says Tania Castroverde Moskalenko, Auditorium Theatre CEO. “We are committed to bringing the best in international dance to Chicago and to our landmark stage, and Eifman Ballet is a reflection of that commitment.”

Red Gisselle is inspired by the story of Olga Spessivtseva, a famous Russian ballerina who portrayed the titular character in the classic ballet Red Gisselle many times. The story, which begins in revolutionary Petrograd, follows “the Ballerina” as she is introduced to the world of the Russian revolutionaries and caught between her art and the power of the Communists, who want to use artists as instruments for spreading their ideology. The Ballerina flees to Paris and reprises her role of Giselle in the famous story ballet while also dealing with unrequited love, mental illness, and ghosts from her past. Boris Eifman’s extraordinary, expressive choreography and inexhaustible imagination paired with opulent sets and costumes bring this tragic tale to life.

Reviews of Eifman’s Red Giselle:

“[One] has to admire the impact of Mr.Eifman’s choreography and the sheer originality of his theatrical vision.”
– The New York Times

“Diabolicallyexciting.”
Chicago Tribune

“Eifman’s two-act Red Giselle represents brilliant essay in large-scale pageant dancing.”
– Los Angeles Times

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About Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg

Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg was established in 1977 by Boris Eifman as a company that would serve as “a ballet theatre for one choreographer” that combines the rich traditions of Russian theatre with an original ballet repertoire. The company previously has performed Eifman’s original Up & Down, Rodin, The Seagull and Don Quoxote,

works, and, or Fantasies of a Madman, among others, at the Auditorium Theatre.

Performance and Ticket Information

Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg – Red Giselle

Friday, May 19 | 7:30PM

Saturday, May 20 | 7:30PM

Sunday, May 21 | 2PM

Tickets start at $33, and are available online at

AuditoriumTheatre.org, by phone at 312.341.2300, or in person at the Auditorium Theatre Box Office (50 E Congress Parkway). Discounts available for

groups of 10+.

hotos Courtesy of Auditorium Theatre