Laurencia

Laurencia, originally choreographed by Vakhtang Chabukiani, premiered in 1939 at the Kirov Theater in Leningrad (now St Petersburg). The story of a peasant revolution was an ideal subject in this era of Soviet ballet. The choreography was an innovative blend of classical and folk dance which featured the virile and heroic male dancing that Chabukiani personified. At the premiere, the leading roles were performed by prima ballerina Natalia Dudinskaya (Laurencia), Vakhtang Chabukiani (Frondoso), Elena Chikvaidze (Jacinta) and Tatiana Vecheslova (Pascuala). In 1956, the ballet was staged at the Bolshoi Theatre, with Chabukiani partnering Maya Plisetskaya. Laurencia had great success everywhere it was performed – especially in the former Soviet Union. The Trocks present an excerpt from the final act of the ballet.