Ballet company bring Swan Lake, Giselle, Coppélia to  Derbyshire on first UK tour

Varna International Ballet and Orchestra will present Coppelia, Giselle and Swan Lake on respective nights between January 10 and 12, 2023, at Buxton Opera House.

Renowned for its award-winning soloists and magnificent corps de ballet, the company has been delighting audiences for decades at home in Bulgaria and abroad.

Artistic director Daniela Dimova and music director and chief conductor Peter Tuleshkov said: “We are thrilled to be bringing our highly talented company of dancers and musicians to the UK for the very first time. We can’t wait to perform for British audiences and to bring these magical ballets to life on stage.”

Swan Lake, the greatest romantic ballet of all time, is brought to life by Tchaikovsky’s haunting and unforgettable score. From the impressive splendour of the Palace ballroom to the moonlit lake where swans glide in perfect formation, this compelling tale of tragic romance has it all. From Odile, the temptress in black tulle as she seduces the Prince by spinning with captivating precision to the spellbound purity of the swan queen, Odette as she flutters with emotional intensity, the dual role of Odette/Odile is one of ballet’s most unmissable technical challenges.

Coppélia is a witty combination of antics and abracadabra, set in a doll maker’s workshop. This lighthearted tale of mistaken identity and confused lovers follows mischievous Swanilda, her impetuous suitor Franz and the eccentric toymaker Dr.Coppelius as they are brought to life by sparkling choreography and the animated score of Delibes. Coppélia is perfect for first-time ballet goers, families and everyone in between.

Giselle, themost poignant of all classical ballets is filled with dramatic passion in a chilling and heart-rending tale of love, treachery and forgiveness from beyond the grave. The moving story of delicate Giselle and her aristocratic but duplicitous lover Albrecht is set to a glorious score. From the visual splendour of the rustic villagers happily gathering the harvest at the start of the story to the eerie moonlit forest haunted by beautifully drifting spirits, this production is unforgettable.

Varna State Opera was founded in 1947 by the renowned Bulgarian tenor Peter Raycheff. The main credit for the development of the ballet troupe goes to Galina and Stefan Yordanov who were artistic directors and choreographers for more than 25 years (1960-1985). They formed the image of the Varna Ballet and brought it to the international stage and founded the first and now world-famous Varna International Ballet Competition in 1964. Since 2010 Varna State Opera and Varna Drama Theatre are united in one cultural institute called Theatre and Music Production Centre Varna.

Important figures on the Varna ballet history are both prima ballerinas Svetlomira Mihailova and Ekaterina Cheshmedzhieva and also principal dancer Konstantin Iliev. Today’s outstanding ballet soloists include Iliyana Slavova, Pavel Kirchev, Claire Marie Gillard Lestan and Marco di Salvo.

Performances of Coppelia, Giselle and Swan Lake will start at 7pm with an additional performance of Swan Lake on Saturday, January 12, at 2pm.

Tickets for each show are priced from £35.50. To book, go to www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk or call 01298 72190.