What's next?

The dance city St. Petersburg today, at the end of the 2005/2006 season, finds itself on the brink of changes that may lead to a completely unknown future, and, unfortunately, another huge wave of ballet emigration. The first wave, and the first 20th century Russian ballet revolution, happened around 1909, with the birth of Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. The second followed the October revolution of 1917. And in the 1960s-70s, St. Petersburg’s three most talented ballet soloists, Nureyev, Makarova and Baryshnikov, defected to the West.

Today, after celebrating the 120th anniversary of the company’s move from the Bolshoi Stone Theatre to the Mariinsky Theatre, the world-famous opera and ballet house is closing for reconstruction and to have a second stage built (the Mariinsky-II). According to information supplied by Valery Gergiev, this is due to take a year and a half, with the theatre closed from January 2007 until May 2008.
However, numerous doubts have arisen. First, it’s hard to believe that such an ambitious project can be realized in 18 months. Secondly, while Valery Gergiev is quickly building a concert hall for the orchestra, where will the ballet company perform during this ...