I heard about Elena Kunikova many years before we met. Her work is admired in Monaco, Paris, London, Tokyo, and her native Saint Petersburg. The talented missionary of elegant traditions of Russian classical ballet, critics all over the world are raving about her work. Robert Gottlieb of The New York Observer called her “one of our leading authorities on the Russian classical style.”
We met in New York City in January 2009, in a corner cafe on 28th and 3rd. She walked in wrapped in a white fur coat, carrying an antique lamp she had just bought for her upper Westside apartment.
As soon as we started talking, we felt as if we knew each other all our lives. I could understand her thoughts, even before she would complete them. We talked about Shostakovich and Prokofiev and Stalin’s era, which shook the world, and how the fear and pain of a whole generation translated into sarcasm and beauty in music and literature.
I told Elena that we would be honored to invite her to bring one of her productions to San Antonio. Then, we started thinking together of just what this production could be. I explained that Musical Bridges produces only one of a kind performances, so we would need something extremely fresh, unique, and innovative. And suddenly, she just came up with the idea of creating a ballet from scratch… yes I mean it! Totally from scratch, a brand new ballet for children and adults, a colorful fantasia on Aesop’s Fables. I found our GOLDEN TOES!
From this conversation, two years ago on the corner of 28th and 3rd, we are presenting the World Premiere of a one of a kind ballet, “Fables,” on December 11, 2011 at McAllister Auditorium. Guess what music two Russian artists are going to pick??? Of course: Shostakovich! — his Jazz preludes.
And as if that is not enough, former concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony, world famous violinist Emanuel Borok, will play the intermezzos between the Fables, and Italian director Roberto Prestigacomo, Artistic Director of AtticRep, will make sure that this production is unforgettable!
Do not miss it!
Love, Anya