“The Russian ballet style is elegant, expansive,” Alastair Macaulay, Chief Dance Critic, The New York Times

October 31, 2018 – Announcing the Moscow Ballet superstar ballerinas and danseurs who bring their Nutcracker ballet with a Russian flair to life for audiences from coast to coast! Olga Pasternak who is also a soloist of the Kiev Municipal Academic Theatre and Rustem Imangaliyev who has won Best Arabesque at the Perm International Ballet Competition. Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker is in Nampa on Mon., Nov. 5 at the Civic Center for just one performance this holiday season.

Olga Pasternak performs as Masha (aka Clara) who transforms from a teen into a young woman due to Uncle Drosslemeyer’s magical gift of the Nutcracker Prince, performed by Rustem Imangaliyev. This classic Christmas story is embellished by Moscow Ballet with Russian cultural icons such as life-sized Matryoshka/Nesting Dolls, a ride through the magical Snow Forest in a Troika Sleigh, to the Dove of Peace with a 20 ft wing span who welcomes the happy couple to Act II’s Land of Peace and Harmony. All ages appreciate the antics of the 10-foot-tall Elephant, Bear, Bull and more puppets and the Palace Garden with 1000 Champagne Pink Roses. Get tickets at www.nutcracker.com/buy-tickets.

“Expansive… transcendent music… the Russian style is elegantly generous, and so the experience is never meager,” Alastair Macaulay, Chief Dance Critic, NY Times

Principal Dancers – WEST TOUR

Principal Ballerina Olga Pasternak premieres with Moscow Ballet in 2018. She a soloist of the Kiev Municipal Academic Theatre and a graduate of the highly-regarded Kiev State Choreographic Institute as well as the Kiev National I.K. Karpenko-Kary Theatre, Cinema and Television University, a national university with a focus in performing arts, where she graduated with honors. Multi award-winning Partner Rustem Imangaliyev won Best Arabesque at the Perm International Ballet Competition in Russia and received an Honorary Award at the Asylmuratova International Ballet Competition in Kazakhstan. He also received Honorary Mention from the International Ballet Competition in Korea, was bestowed with the Special Prize and Diploma at the Nataliya Dudinskaya IBC in Kharkov and received an Honorary Award at the Astana Shabyt Competition.

Principal Ballerina Natalia Gubanova premieres on the 2018 Great Russian Nutcracker tour and is a prize-winner at the International Ballet Competition in Rieti, Italy in 2007 and 2009. She is a laureate of the 2010 International Ballet Competition in Athens and a participant in the International Ballet Competition of Romania 2010. Bolshoi Academy, regarded the best ballet academy in the world, Graduate Alexey Garasimov premieres with Moscow Ballet in 2018. He won Gold in the Hellas International Ballet Competition and Silver in the Romanian International Ballet Competition. In 2007, he took home Bronze at the Rieti International Ballet Competition.

Moscow Ballet – tours annually North America performing acclaimed ballets the Great Russian Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella and more. Known for presenting award-winning Ballerinas and Danseurs, from Lilia Sabitova in 1994 to Honored Artist of Russia Tatiana Predenia in 2002 to Andrey Batalov, former Principal Danseur with the Mariinsky Theatre in 2017, the company performs more than 100 engagements annually across Canada and the United States’ in the finest performing arts venues. In addition to public performances, Moscow Ballet’s North America tours include community engagement programs for all ages and interests. “Dance with Us” shares the Russian Vaganova ballet training with over 6000 American dance students annually bringing them on stage in ancillary roles to perform side-by-side with the professionals. Underwritten by Moscow Ballet, the program was developed by choreographer and co-producer Mary Giannone Talmi. “New Horizons – A Children’s Program for Life” is a cultural immersion program benefitting thousands of children across the country annually and

Musical Wunderkind has the Russian principal dancer performing with American youth musician accompaniment. Many Moscow Ballet performances have a fund-raising component for organizations such as hospitals, children’s museums and more. www.moscowballet.com.

Talmi Entertainment – is the exclusive representation for Moscow Ballet’s North American Tours which occur annually in more than 100 cities, from NYC to LA, and Miami to Calgary. Under Talmi Entertainment management Moscow Ballet delivers unparalleled Russian artistry in the classic story ballets Great Russian Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Swan Lake and more. Talmi Entertainment was founded by Richard Rodgers and Leonard Bernstein Metropolitan Opera Guild Award award-winning composer, conductor and producer, Akiva Talmi. www.talmientertainment.com