Touching Down: Legendary Kirov Ballet takes spotlight at Aladdin

Friday, Sept. 5, 2003 | 8:35 a.m.

Ever since Tarragon West Entertainment began promoting this weekend's Blue Russian Festival, the phone has been ringing.

"People are calling and asking, 'Is it the real Kirov? Is it really the Kirov?'" Galina Kubrak, president of the entertainment company, said. "Yes. It's really the Kirov."

The performance by the Kirov Ballet in Las Vegas is not a first, however. "The Stars of the Kirov" performed in 1997 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Performing Arts Center, and the Russian dance company performed when the Guggenheim Hermitage opened at The Venetian in October 2001.

But bringing the Kirov's principal dancers, including two of the top dancers in the world, to perform vignettes from noted ballets has put an extra spring in the dance community's step.

"The Kirov doesn't do this very often," said Bruce Steivel, artistic director for the Nevada Ballet Theatre. "You're going to see the best dancers from the Kirov.

"Once every few years, they'll get a tour together in North America, but they don't do this very often."

The Saturday and Sunday performances at Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts are part of a weekend cultural festival commemorating the 300th Anniversary of St. Petersburg. The performance will feature dancers Igor Zelensky and Diana Vishneva in a cast of 16.

Included in the "Highlights Gala" are vignettes from such full-length ballets as "Don Quixote" and "Romeo and Juliet" and short complete works such as "The Dying Swan," a solo performance choreographed in the early 1900s by Michel Fokine for the famous ballerina Anna Pavlova.

The Blue Russian Festival, featuring Russian food, vodka, folk art and artifacts, will be held today and Saturday at the Aladdin Conference Center's Diamond Ballroom. A formal black-tie dinner will be held Saturday in the Grand Ballroom. Local and Russian dignitaries are scheduled to attend.

This is Tarragon West Entertainment's first production, Kubrak said. The company formed officially last September with the Russian festival as its flagship project. Kubrak, who orchestrated the event, was born and raised in Moscow. She worked as a fashion model before becoming a real estate agent and moved to the United States 12 years ago.

Kubrak teamed with Ari Levin, local actor and former director of "Star Trek: The Experience" at the Las Vegas Hilton. Using Kubrak's Moscow contacts and Levin's Las Vegas contacts, the two have been working on the project for the past year.

"I had a dream in my heart to give back to entertainment, to use my connections and my passions," Kubrak said. "Ballet is the love of my life. My goal is to let people touch something really beautiful -- international beauty, international culture.

"It's not only to bring real culture, but to bring 300 years of St. Petersburg. I want to share the best I have from my previous country."

Members of the Kirov have been unavailable to comment on the events. The Las Vegas mayor's office confirmed that Mayor Oscar Goodman is scheduled to meet with Vladimir Yakovlev, chairman of St. Petersburg Government and A.V. Prokhorenko, a vice-governor of St. Petersburg and delegates. Reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin would attend have not been confirmed.

Bringing in Russian politicians, Kubrack said, was not difficult because the event was culturally based.

The Kirov, Kubrak said, "It's the jewel of our festival."

Because of a cost disagreement with the Las Vegas Musicians Union, the ballet company will perform to taped music. Tarragon West does not see it as a problem.

"No problem at all," Levin, Tarragon West Entertainment's vice president, said. "The Kirov has done it before."