RG Live presents the return of the celebrated Varna International Ballet and Orchestra to the UK following a breathtaking debut tour in 2023. The company will visit 20 venues around the UK in 2025, with beloved classics Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and Romeo and Juliet.
Founded in 1947, and renowned for its award-winning soloists and magnificent corps de ballet, Varna International Ballet has been delighting audiences for decades at home in Bulgaria and abroad with performances of the highest quality.
Led by Artistic Director Daniela Dimova, with Music Director and Chief Conductor Peter Tuleshkov, Varna International Ballet presents much-loved classics to charm audiences who are new to ballet and balletomanes alike.
The tour begins in Manchester on 2 January 2025, and visits Buxton, Bristol, Liverpool, Blackpool, Edinburgh, Basingstoke, Ipswich, Southend, Brighton, Nottingham, Reading, Oxford, Darlington, Wimbledon, Norwich, Hull, Sheffield, Leicester and Northampton, where it finishes on 5 March.
Artistic Director Daniela Dimova said, “We are thrilled to be bringing our highly talented company of dancers and musicians back to the UK. We can’t wait to perform for British audiences again and to bring these magical ballets to life on stage.”
The Nutcracker begins as night falls on Christmas Eve. When midnight strikes, we are swept away to a fairy-tale world where nothing is quite as it seems: toy dolls spring to life, the Mouse King and his army battle with the Nutcracker Prince and we travel through the Land of Snow to an enchanted place where the magic really begins. The spellbinding ballet features Tchaikovsky’s timeless score, and stunning choreography by Vasily Vainonen, revised by Sergey Bobrov.
Often considered the greatest romantic ballet of all time, Swan Lake is brought to life by Tchaikovsky’s haunting and unforgettable score, with choreography by Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, Sergey Bobrov and Natalia Matus-Marchuk. From the impressive splendour of the Palace ballroom to the moon-lit lake where swans glide in perfect formation, this compelling tale of tragic romance has it all.
Shakespeare’s tale of primal passion and timeless tragedy Romeo and Juliet is set to Prokofiev’s soaring score, with emotionally-charged choreography by Sergey Bobrov and Bakhytzhan Smagulov that befits the world’s greatest love story. From the grandeur of the masked ball to the intimacy of the lovers’ balcony, this story of duels, bitter family feuds and love that cannot be is unmissable.
For tickets and more information, visit www.rg.live/festivals/varna-international-ballet.
