Victorian Winters at Sarasota Ballet
Fri Dec 14, 7:30 PM - Sat Dec 15, 10:00 PM

Carrying on the tribute to the 30th Anniversary of Ashton’s passing is the return of a beloved Sarasota Ballet classic, Les Patineurs, depicting a Victorian skating party that takes place on a frozen pond during a winter’s eve. The Sarasota Ballet’s performances of Les Patineurs has garnered the company great acclaim, for both the Company’s performances here in Sarasota, as well as during performances at Ballet Across America III at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and at New York City Center’s 2015 Fall For Dance Festival. After the performances at the Kennedy Center Sarah Kaufman hailed The Sarasota Ballet’s performance of Les Patineurs as “the jewel of this year’s Ballet Across America sampler.”

Continuing the program is another treasured Ashton work, Enigma Variations—which celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year. This extraordinary work brings to life the friends and family of Edward Elgar, who likewise formed the inspirations and basis for his seminal work of the same name. Ashton used Elgar’s original 1898 score and 1929 commentary to present an imaginary gathering of Elgar and his friends at his Worcestershire home as he waits for a telegram from the celebrated conductor Hans Richter for news of his latest creation, Enigma Variations. An immediate success, famed critic John Percival wrote, “There have been plenty of ballets about love, but friendship as a subject is rare, and Ashton finds rare and moving expression for it … What a pleasure it is.”

Closing this exceptional performance is the return, by popular demand, of Diamonds, the triumphant closing piece of George Balanchine’s remarkable abstract full-length ballet Jewels. With suitably diamantine costumes by Karinska, Diamonds is a glittering tribute to the 19th century grandeur and regality of Imperial Russia and a nod to Balanchine’s own heritage. Louise Levene wrote that “Diamonds joins forces with Tchaikovsky in an exultant hymn of praise to the classical ballerina,” and these performances continue the Season of Tributes by marking the 35th anniversary of George Balanchine’s passing.