<B>Stars Of The Bolshoi in New Zealand</B><P>Performing in Auckland, New Plymouth, Wellington, Hamilton, Wanganui, Napier, Tauranga, Palmerston North, Dunedin, Invercargill and Christchurch.<P>Featuring Nina Semizorova, Mark Peretokin, Irina Pyatkina and Ruslan Pronin, with Alexei Shanin & Tatyana Shanina from the St. Petersburg Ballet, and Dmitri Bugaev & Anna Kostina from the Russian Classical Ballet.<P><I>Programme</I>:<P>(1) Pas de deux from Sleeping Beauty<P>(2) Act II, Swan Lake<P>(3) The Dying Swan<P>(4) Festival of Flowers<P>(5) Gopak<P>(6) Walpurgis Night<P>(7) Esmeralda<P><BR>[Has anyone watched (4) to (7) before? They don't sound familiar to me at all. Any comments would be very much appreciated.]<p>[This message has been edited by Malcolm Tay (edited September 12, 2001).]

Malcolm, Esmeralda is based on Victor Hugo's "<I>Notre Dame de Paris</I>" and choreographed by Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa. As for (4), do you mean Flower Festival in Genzano? It could have been literally translated from the Italian name <I>Festa dei Fiori</I>. Flower Festival in Genzano is by Bournonville, with some very lovely music by Helsted. I have seen the tambourine solo from Esmeralda, as well as the full length Flower Festival on video, danced by the Kirov.<P>I think Walpurgis Night may be from the opera Faust by Gounod as I seem to recall a ballet in the scene of the same name. Possibly someone better informed may be able to tell you more.<P>In reply to your question from the previous thread, I'm from NUS, and I'm also absolutely envious you'll be watching the Bolshoi live.