Artifact Suite Tickets

Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, Russia

All photos (1)

1 / 1

At the moment, no Artifact Suite events are scheduled in Bolshoi Theatre. Click here to check out the current Bolshoi Theatre events.

Important Info

Type: Ballet

City: Moscow, Russia

Acts: 1

Ticket delivery: E-Tickets

E-tickets: Print at home or at the box office of the event if so specified. You will find more information in your booking confirmation email.

Can I choose my seats?

You can only select the category, and not the exact seats.
If you order 2 or 3 tickets: your seats will be next to each other.
If you order 4 or more tickets: your seats will be next to each other, or, if this is not possible, we will provide a combination of groups of seats (at least in pairs, for example 2+2 or 2+3).

Cast

Performers

Choose the date to see the peformers

Overview

Run with one-act ballet Petrushka.

William Forsythe is a unique choreographer, who pushed classical dance to the breaking point and forced it to be modern, without abandoning pointe shoes. Forsythe discovers a new world of ballet, upgrades its choreographic language, explores how ballet can be combined with other forms of art. To dance Forsythe dancers have to get the thrill of exactitude, overcoming vertigo while turning the audience's heads.

In 1984 he staged Artifact. It was one of his first full-length ballets and the first one that he created being Artistic Director of the Frankfurt Ballet. “This is a ballet about ballet,” he describes this work.

“I had to find my way around Balanchine, Petipa, Cranko, MacMillan, the whole crowd. I realised I had to move on”.

The original two-hour four-act piece introduces fantastically cohesive corps de ballet dancers (“It is about the process of people imitating one another in dance and in life,” Forsythe explains. “I think it is not a bad metaphor”), a Woman in a Historical Costume who conducts the corps de ballet and talks in a kind of recitative with another “talker” (an allusion to the fact that ballet used to be a part of opera performances). The strictly ordered world of Bach (the music of the second part is based on the Chaconne from “Partita No. 2 for solo violin in D minor.”) is reflected in the choreography based on the fundamental elements of ballet technique. The other sections are set to a piano score by Eva Crossman-Hecht, a Concert Master of the Forsythe’s Company.

Those who considered ballet a frozen form, would have a radical change of beliefs: ballet can be forced to speak in a new way, still using the old alphabet.

It's not often Artifact was performed after the Frankfurt Ballet by other ballet companies. Much more popular was its condensed version – Artifact Suite, created by William Forsythe for the Scottish Ballet in 2004. It is a pure-dance ballet, an abstract work that distills the protocols and principles of classical ballet into a mesmerizing theatrical event. Two couples perform simultaneous dances of breathtaking beauty, full of off-balance extensions and unexpected shifts of weight. To perform this mini-ballet of great importance (wherever it is staged, every time critics with delight and amazement note its stunningly contemporary perspective) is an honor for every troupe, but also a great challenge that requires both courage and excellence.

History

Premiere of this production: 15 September 2004, Scottish National Ballet Glasgow

Artifact is not performed in its entirety very often, but a section of it, called Artifact Suite, is part of the repertory of many companies: The Royal Ballet of Flanders is well known for its Forsythe performances, and the Paris Opera Ballet also regularly performs Forsythe’s work. San Francisco Ballet got some great reviews when it last presented Artifact Suite.

Venue Info

Bolshoi Theatre - Moscow
Teatralnaya Square 1

The Bolshoi Theatre is one of the world’s most iconic cultural landmarks, renowned for its grandeur, history, and artistic excellence. Located in the heart of Moscow, this legendary theatre has been home to unforgettable performances of opera and ballet for over two centuries. Its majestic architecture, world-class acoustics, and rich tradition make every event at the Bolshoi a truly unforgettable experience.

On 28 March (17 according to the old style) 1776, Catherine II granted the prosecutor, Prince Pyotr Urusov, the "privilege" of "maintaining" theatre performances of all kinds, including masquerades, balls and other forms of entertainment, for a period of ten years. And it is from this date that Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre traces its history.

The Bolshoi building, which for many years now has been regarded as one of Moscow’s main sights, was opened on 20 October 1856, on Tsar Alexander II’s coronation day.

On 29 October 2002 the Bolshoi was given a New Stage and it was here it presented its performances during the years the Main Stage was undergoing massive reconstruction and refurbishment.

The reconstruction project lasted from l July 2005 to 28 October 2011. As a result of this reconstruction, many lost features of the historic building were reinstated and, at the same time, it has joined the ranks of most technically equipped theatre buildings in the world.

The Bolshoi Theatre is a symbol of Russia for all time. It was awarded this honor due to the major contribution it made to the history of the Russian performing arts. This history is on-going and today Bolshoi Theatre artists continue to contribute to it many bright pages.

The Bolshoi Ballet and Bolshoi Opera are among the oldest and best known ballet and opera companies in the world. It is by far the world's biggest ballet company, with more than 200 dancers.