Mikhailovsky Ballet: The Flames of Paris

The Segerstrom Center for the Arts once again proves itself to be the perfect host as it presents the U.S. debut of The Mikhailovsky Ballet and Orchestra's riveting production of "The Flames of Paris." This classic example of Russian ballet seldom performed in its entirety is an incredible treat for hardcore ballet fans and novices alike.

Originally produced in 1932 by the prolific choreographer Vasily Vainonen, "The Flames of Paris" was created to mirror and legitimize the political unrest of his time. Often performed piecemeal to show off particular skills and rarely whole, The Mikhailovsky Ballet company's chief choreographer Mikhail Messerer endeavored to not only put on the entire production, but also to do as accurate a reproduction as possible.

Interviewing the original cast, researching photographs, compiling notes and ransacking his own memory, Messerer was able to bring the vast majority of Vainonen's original production to the stage, filling in the blanks seamlessly with his own impeccable choreography.

Led by the insanely talented and painfully well-sculpted Ivan Vasiliev as Philippe, "The Flames of Paris" tells the story of the French Revolution. However, only in the world of ballet would scenes of revelry, romance, performance and celebration take precedence over violence. The production may be devoid of the blood and beheadings most associated with the French Revolution, but you really don't care.

You don't care that an example of courtly entertainment takes almost the entirety of the second act while the storming of the palace is over in under a minute, and that's because the portrayal of two actors falling in love as a tutu-ed cupid dances en pointe around them is far more impressive and elegant than the short attempts at ballet fencing (though it is beautiful in itself).

Vasiliev, with his extraordinary physique in extraordinarily tight tights, would be impressive to watch standing still, and is even more so galloping across the stage. His hyper-masculine and high energy style is greatly complimented by the light and elegant performance of his character's love interest Jeanne, played by Oksana Bondareva.

Yet what makes this production truly enchanting is its use of dichotomies. We are shown the height of aristocracy via dance, then the depths of the peasantry. We are treated with the fluid grace of the French closely followed by the stomping fierceness of the Basques. And perhaps most impressively, we're treated with the complexity of the ensemble piece, the intricacy of the duet and the display of the solo performance.

As if the dancing itself wasn't immersive enough, the costumes and sets were exemplary. Subtle blue-white-red color themed costumes of revolutionaries evolve into full on Tricolour ensembles as the story unfolds, and impressive, gorgeously painted backdrops frame the action as well as enhance it, while managing to stay out of the way.

Finally, the music, provided by the Mikhailovsky Orchestra and skillfully conducted by Pavel Bubelnikov rounded out the spectacle of the night.

"The Flames of Paris" provides an incredible night out, and while the Mikhailovsky Ballet Company is only here for a short while, I eagerly await their return to the States.

"The Flames of Paris" ran through Nov. 30 at Segerstrom Hall, 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa. For information or tickets, call 714-556-2787 or visit www.scfta.org.