Ukraine's Kiev Theater paid a visit to the city of Jinan, Shandong province, and performed the full-length ballet classicThe Nutcracker at the city's Lishan Theater, on Jan 7, which makes this the troupe's 10th run in China.

Ukraine's Kiev Ballet troupe performing the ballet classic The Nutcracker in the city of Jinan, Shandong province, on Jan 7. [Photo by Wang Qian/chinadaily.com.cn]

Co-sponsored by Qilu Evening News and Shandong Performing Arts Alliance Co, the ballet performance is the epilogue to New Year's concert of the city.

Ukraine's Kiev Ballet troupe performing the ballet classic The Nutcracker in the city of Jinan, Shandong province, on Jan 7. [Photo by Wang Qian/chinadaily.com.cn]

Founded during the reign of Czarist Russia, the Kiev Theater brought the original flavor of The Nutcracker, a rare exception by Pyotr Tchaikovsky featuring romance and innocence. The theater stayed neck in neck with Moscow's Bolshoi Theater and Mariinsky Theater during the Soviet era (1922-1991), consisting of opera troupe, ballet troupe, symphony orchestra and chorus.

Ukraine's Kiev Ballet troupe performing the ballet classic The Nutcracker in the city of Jinan, Shandong province, on Jan 7. [Photo by Wang Qian/chinadaily.com.cn]

Established in 1867, the ballet troupe, headed by world famous choreographer S.Lenchevs'ky, has built an international reputation in Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Italy, United States, Canada and Denmark with fine ballet performances and notable dancers, including Serge Lifar and Maya Pisetskaya.

Wang Qian contributed to the story