Iconic ballet company dances classics onto Chinese stages

Boris Eifman's iconic ballet company, the Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg, will tour China this November, bringing its emotionally charged productions Anna Karenina and Beyond Sin to China.

By visiting several Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou in Jiangsu province, and Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, the ballet company captivates its global audiences by fusing choreography, psychology, and philosophy. Eifman, 79, continues his deep dive into the complexities of human emotions, using dance to explore themes of passion, inner conflict and spiritual crisis.

"Over the years, we've developed a special connection with Chinese audiences," says Eifman. "Their emotional openness and warmth never cease to amaze me. Our production of Anna Karenina is so beloved here that it rivals Swan Lake in popularity. China has become a home for our works, and we are always welcomed with standing ovations."

Eifman believes that ballet transcends cultural and language barriers. "Dance is a universal language of spiritual communion," he says. "It speaks directly to the soul, bypassing the complexities of language and cultural differences. When people experience genuine emotion through performance, it connects them on a profound level."

This connection is evident during the ongoing tour, where the ballet company continues to build on its following across China. With sold-out performances, the company's emotionally charged storytelling has captured the imagination of local theatergoers, who are eager for more than just technical spectacle — they seek the raw, unfiltered emotion that Eifman's works evoke.

Anna Karenina stands as one of Eifman's most celebrated creations. His ballet adaptation of Tolstoy's tragic novel brings the complex inner world of Anna, torn between love, duty, and passion, to life onstage.

Equally powerful is Beyond Sin, Eifman's reimagining of The Brothers Karamazov, the final novel of Fyodor Dostoyevsky, which delves into the moral collapse and spiritual struggles of the Karamazov family.