"Russian Seasons" by Evgeni Plushenko: from classics to modernity

Evgeni Plushenko knows how to surprise the audience. It has always been like this: during his performances as a figure skater, he made the audience stop breathing on jumps and rejoice at his victories, at the Sochi Olympics - to be sad and disappointed that he withdrew from the competition. Now it's time to be impressed by his skills as a director.

"Russian Seasons" is a new show created by the famous figure skater and his wife, producer Yana Rudkovskaya. In his production, created with references to the famous ballet "Russian Seasons" by Sergei Diaghilev, which thundered all over the world, Plushenko reveals young figure skaters and champions in images that are not typical for them. The accompaniment for the performances was classical music from the ballet.

“The plot is dedicated to the Russian Seasons, which Diaghilev showed in Paris 110 years ago and made a splash. There was an idea to do classic things on the ice, to revive some kind of Russian art and combine it with figure skating. Skaters often take other compositions. In dedication to Diaghilev, we made a compilation of the most famous ballets: The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Firebird,” Rudkovskaya said about the production.

Now the show is touring the country. Last weekend, the skaters performed at the VTB Arena - and almost sold out. A show where all numbers are united by one concept is still a rarity for figure skating. And this is a hook for the viewer.

For the participants of the show, new numbers were invented, which have nothing to do with free and short programs at competitions. Where else could figure skating fans see the duet of Dmitry Aliev and Mark Kondratyuk skating to "Tales Alive" and Makar Ignatov dancing with Veronika Zhilina to "Phantom of the Rose"?

"Russian Seasons" also partly engaged in the education of the public. The name of the classical pieces, under which the skaters performed, were announced between the numbers. So the audience could not shazam the works, but enjoy the classical sound - and know who it belongs to.

Another bright and distinctive feature of the Plushenko show, which you will not find in any other show, is the performance of synchronized swimmers. It so happened that few people follow the competitions in this discipline of figure skating. And in vain - watching how several athletes simultaneously do complex forms on ice is incredibly mesmerizing. In addition, real acrobats appeared on the ice, and the performances were supplemented with ballet - just real Russian Seasons!

Part of the production is like a show within a show. This is not part of the Russian Seasons, but an independent performance. In December, the premiere of the New Year's performance on ice "The Little Mermaid" is planned, and the audience has already been able to appreciate its almost twenty-minute fragment. In the title role, of course, Alexander Trusov. Who better than her - long-haired, red-haired, airy - to embody a strong but vulnerable heroine on the ice. Trusova did not immediately appear on the ice in skates, but appeared before the audience with a huge mermaid tail - she seemed to be really swimming. Well, then she put on a bright green jumpsuit and showed what everyone loves this skater for. Such a presentation of the future performance has already warmed up the interest of the audience, so there is no doubt that in December this production will make a splash.

Another number that was not included in the general ballet concept of the show was the performance of the Plushenko's Angels students dressed as Wednesday from the series of the same name. The famous dance became viral at popular youth venues, Kamila Valieva made a demonstrative number based on it. Apparently, that is why such a number became part of the Russian Seasons - firstly, to be in trend, and secondly, to attract a young audience who knows all the movements of Wednesday Addams by heart.

Of course, Evgeni Plushenko himself also took to the ice - he presented a number for the second concert of Rachmaninov. He performed alone - without other skaters, ballet or acrobats. The purest pleasure is to watch one of the best skaters in Russia without being distracted by anyone else. The main thing is not to forget to breathe.

"Russian Seasons" by Evgeni Plushenko combined the best of our country's theatrical and ballet past, modern trends and opened the veil to future shows. Plushenko is now not just a well-known figure skater and coach, but also a bright director who knows how to insert explosive and seemingly incongruous elements into a strict classical concept - and benefits from this.