The Bolshoi Hits "Refresh" for Its New York City Tour

When the Bolshoi Ballet visited New York in 2014, Soviet-era productions like Yuri Grigorovich’s Swan Lake and Spartacus were on the menu. This summer, the company is taking a different approach under ballet director Makhar Vaziev, bringing fresh collaborations to the Lincoln Center Festival.

Ekaterina Krysanova and Vladimir Lantratov in “Shrew”
Photo by Jack Devant, Courtesy of Lincoln Center

First the Bolshoi participated in the 50th anniversary celebration of Balanchine’s Jewels last weekend alongside stars from New York City Ballet and the Paris Opéra Ballet. From July 26-30 Jean-Christophe Maillot’s The Taming of the Shrew, created in Moscow in 2014, will have its American premiere. With 10 soloist roles, the witty, fast-paced version of Shakespeare’s play is tailor-made for a brilliant new generation of Bolshoi stars, like Ekaterina Krysanova, Vladislav Lantratov and Olga Smirnova.The ballet was Maillot’s first creation in two decades for a company other than his Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo. “It has become emblematic of a form of renewal for the Bolshoi,” says Maillot. “It’s a showcase for these dancers.”

Get a sneak peak of the premiere with these two beautiful trailers.