Crowning Glory: A Night at the Ballet

Featuring Alexei Orohovsky – 2023 International Ballet Competition USA Gold Medalist, and the companies of Ballet Mississippi and South Mississippi Ballet

Presented in partnership with Arts Institute of Mississippi and Clyde Bryant State Farm

FestivalSouth welcomes our hometown gold medalist Alexei Orohovsky, joined by the companies of Ballet Mississippi and South Mississippi Ballet in an extraordinary evening of dance. Be a part of this homecoming evening as they perform the “Grand Pas Classique” from Paquita and two new and exciting contemporary works for the stage.

The ballet Paquita was originally choreographed by Joseph Mazilier to music by Édouard Deldevez and Ludwig Minkus. It premiered at the Paris Opera Ballet in 1846, and one year later was staged in Russia for the Imperial Ballet of St. Petersburg by Marius Petipa and Pierre-Frédéric Malavergne. Paquita takes place in Spain during the Napoleonic period. The story is of a young girl of noble birth, who having been abducted by Romani people when she was an infant, is unaware of her true family heritage. As the story unfolds, she saves the life of a young French officer and in the process discovers a royal medallion that proves that she is actually of noble birth. As a result of her newly discovered heritage, she is able to marry the French officer. Petipa’s additions to Paquita survived long after the full-length ballet left the stage, and today these sections are major cornerstones of the ballet repertory throughout the world. The section of Paquita that will be performed is the “Grand Pas Classique/”

Recognizing that the world of ballet is an ever-changing landscape, both Ballet Mississippi and the South Mississippi Ballet have a commitment to present cutting edge works that keep ballet relevant to modern society. The companies will also present two, short contemporary ballets that showcase new choreography by two emerging choreographers.