Romeo & Juliet and Carmen — Moscow Festival Ballet

Two full-length ballets for the price of one!

4 p.m. Sunday, April 24

The Moscow Festival Ballet will perform two ballet classics, "Carmen" and "Romeo and Juliet."

"Carmen," based on Bizet's most popular opera, is the tale of a fiery, independent young woman. After being imprisoned, she attempts to seduce Don José, a soldier, in order to ensure her escape; however, she soon finds herself caught in a love triangle between Don José and Escamillo, a popular bullfighter. In an exploration of fate, jealousy and unrequited love, "Carmen" exposes audiences to these emotional themes through the art of dance. This one-act ballet was created in 1967 by Cuban choreographer Alberto Alonso to music by Russian composer Rodion Shchedrin that was taken from Bizet's opera.

The Moscow Festival Ballet also will perform the ballet "Romeo and Juliet," based on Shakespeare's classic tragedy, with music composed by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. This presentation, choreographed by Elena Radchenko, brings a new artistic perspective to the familiar tale of the star-crossed lovers.