Russian ballet troupe to present "One Thousand and One Nights"

December 19, 2006

GAINESVILLE, FL – The State Ballet Theatre of Russia will present “One Thousand and One Nights” at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 12 at the University of Florida’s Phillips Center. A pre-performance discussion with the company is scheduled for 6:45 p.m.

Based on “The Arabian Nights,” “One Thousand and One Nights” tells the story of Shahriyar and Scheherazade. When Shahriyar, a mythical kind, discovers that his wife has been unfaithful, he has her put to death. Believing that all women are equally unfaithful, he gives his vizier the order to procure him a new wife every night. After spending one night with his bride, the king has her executed at dawn.

The king’s actions threaten all of the women of the kingdom until the clever and beautiful Scheherazade volunteers to be the king’s next wife. She strikes a bargain with the king: He will not put her to death until she has told him a story. Each night, Scheherazade spins a fantastic tale, stopping with a cliffhanger at dawn, thus prolonging her life and the lives of all of the women of the kingdom.

Set to music by Fikret Amirov, the ballet “One Thousand and One Nights” was first staged at the Baku Theatre of Opera and Ballet in 1979. An outstanding Azerbaijani composer and one of the leading representatives of the country’s musical art, Amirov contributed greatly to the development of its multinational culture. His music has been performed often and successfully beyond his native Azerbaijan.

The State Ballet Theatre of Russia, hailing from Yekaterinburg, was established in 1912 and is one of the oldest and most respected ballet companies in Russia. Along with the Bolshoi Ballet Theatre, The Maryinsky (Kirov) Theatre, and the opera theater in Novosibirsk, The Yektaterinburg Opera and Ballet Theater is one of only four theaters in all of Russia to attain “Federal Status.”

Tickets are available by calling the Phillips Center Box Office at (352) 392-ARTS (2787) or (800) 905-ARTS (toll-free within Florida) or by calling Ticketmaster at (904) 353-3309. Orders also may be faxed to (352) 846-1562. Tickets are available in person at the Phillips Center Box Office, University Box Office at the University of Florida Reitz Student Union and all Ticketmaster outlets; and on the Web atwww.ticketmaster.com.

The Phillips Center Box Office is from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and two hours before performances. The box office will be closed Dec. 21 through Jan. 2, will reopen at noon on Jan. 3.