New Years Eve at the Mariinsky

A truly remarkable New Years Eve in St Petersburgs fabled Mariinsky Theatre with Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky exKirov Ballet It was at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg that the ballet The Sleeping Beauty premiered in 1890 with a score by Tchaikovsky and choreography by Marius Petipa This New Years Eve programme revolves around Act III in which Princess Aurora is brought out of her long sleep by the prince of her dreams and marries him In addition prima ballerina Uliana Lopatkina dances Camille SaintSaëns famous Dying Swan first performed by Anna Pavlova In conclusion the soloists of the Mariinsky Theatres Young Singers Academy perform the finale of Rossinis Journey to Rheims in a joyous celebration of the coming of the New Year