February 2026 brought with it a flurry of new productions in both opera (Idomeneo, Boris Gudonov) and ballet (Khorovody to music by Rodion Schedrin, choreographed by Slava Samodurov), but one event in particular created a fury among balletomanes and Mariinsky followers worldwide. In honor of what would have been the late Vladimir Shklyarov’s birthday on …
It is with shock that we post about the loss of one of ballets biggest superstars, Vladimir Shklyarov, who passed away overnight. The Honored Artist of Russia, a superstar in the ballet world known for his electric onstage expression and virtuoso technique, was born in 1985 and joined the Mariinsky in 2003. Our condolences to …
As winter weather peeks in — with snow predicted this last week in October for Petersburg — the wintertime setting of Mikhail Fokine’s 1911 production of “Petrushka” seems an apt choice for October billing. As the first in a three-ballet program on the 24th of October, the rather dark tale of the puppet retains …