Eifman Ballet perform Anna Karenina and Rodin in London

St Petersburg ballet company the Eifman Ballet is in London this week with performances of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina and the UK premiere of Boris Eifman’s Rodin. The namesake of the ballet company and a prolific choreographer, Eifman’s ballets are known for their depictions of love and anguish.

Anna Karenina, a story which follows the inner struggle between love and lust experienced by the protagonist, will be performed with a focus on her relationships with her husband, Karenin, and her lover, Vronsky. Set to the music of Tchaikovsky, the ballet is true to Eifman’s choreographic trademark, with the exploration of lust privileged over Karenina’s maternal affection for her son.

Rodin’s accompaniment takes a different approach, with music from French impressionist composers Maurice Ravel, Camille Saint-Saёns and Jules Massenet providing the score. The story is devoted to the work and fate of French sculptors Auguste Rodin and his student, lover and muse Camille Claudel.

The Eifman Ballet was established in 1977 under the name of the Leningrad New Ballet, and the company tour internationally with performances of Russian and world literature classics. Both performances will be at the London Coliseum, with Rodin performed from 15 to 17 April and Anna Karenina on 19 April.