On Christmas Eve, young Clara has a dream: she imagines her gift - a nutcracker - coming to life and taking her on fantastic adventures. The ensuing scenic fairy tale, created by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov in 1892, has entered the classical tradition. With its 50 dancers, the Yacobson Ballet offers an elegant version faithful to its Russian roots. The staging of the great Soviet choreographer Vassili Vainonen is articulated in the sets and costumes imagined in 2013 by Vladimir Firer and Alexander Khramtsov. The transparency effects they introduce into the colorful palette of The Nutcracker highlight the choreographic richness of scenes that have become famous, from the waltz of the snowflakes to the dolls that come alive. Clara herself becomes the ideal ballerina, worn by the legendary score of Tchaikovsky - the opportunity for the Yacobson Ballet, acclaimed worldwide by connoisseurs of Russian classical dance, to display her technical and stylistic mastery. 

Source: Maison de la Danse de Lyon

Russian dancer, choreographer and teacher, 1834 – 1901.

A graduate of the St Petersburg Theatre School, character dancer with the Mariinsky (the Russian ballet company attached St Petersburg's principal opera house) from 1852 to 1893, he performed many mimed roles, including Phoebus in “Esmeralda” and Conrad in “le Corsaire”.

As Marius Petipa's assistant at the St Petersburg Imperial Theatre, he devised around twenty ballets, some of them in collaboration. With Marius Petipa he co-wrote “Swan Lake” (acts II and IV) in 1895 and “Cinderella” (act II) with Cecchetti (1893). Alone, he choreographed a first version of “The Polovtsian Dances” (1980) from “Prince Igor” and “The Nutcracker” in 1892.

His choreography is characterised first and foremost by a profound understanding of the music. His success opened the way for choreography to use the symphonic or instrumental music that developed in the twentieth century.

Source: Dictionnaire de la Danse, Philippe Le Moal, Larousse, 1999

More information: larousse.fr

Born in 1977, Fabien Plasson is a video director specialized in the field of performing arts (dance , music, etc).

During his studies at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts de Lyon (joined in 1995) Fabien discovered video art. He was trained by various video artists (Joel Bartoloméo Pascal Nottoli , Eric Duyckaerts , etc).
He first experimented with the creation of installations and cinematic objects.

From 2001 to 2011, he was in charge of Ginger & Fred video Bar’s programming at La Maison de la Danse in Lyon. He discovered the choreographic field and the importance of this medium in the dissemination, mediation and pedagogical approach to dance alongside Charles Picq, who was a brilliant video director and the director of the video department at that time.

Today, Fabien Plasson is the video director at La Maison de la Danse and in charge of the video section of Numeridanse.tv, an online international  video library, and continues his creative activities, making videos of concerts, performances and also creating video sets for live performances.

Sources: Maison de la Danse ; Fabien Plasson website

More information: fabione.fr

Artistic direction: Andrian Fadeev

Creation: 1969

Yacobson Ballet was founded in 1969 by Ballet Master and famous choreographer Leonid Yacobson. It was the first Russian independent company - not associated with an Opera - it quickly created a buzz within the Russian ballet landscape and received the title of "Miniature Company", referring to the short lengths of the pieces created by its founder. During seven years as a director, Leonid Yacobson worked on the development of dance in Russia and collaborated with renowned dancers such as Natalia Makarova, Alla Osipenko, Maya Plisetskaya and Mikhail Baryshniko.
 

After Yacobson's death in 1976, his closest collaborator took the direction of the company and opened the repertoire to Russian and foreign choreographers, developing a repertoire of creations based on the founding technique of ballet. The company also began to export its excellent reputation outside of Russia.
 

Since 2011, the Yacobson Ballet has been directed by Andrian Fadeev, ex principal dancer of the Mariinsky Ballet. With his strength of conviction,
Fadeev wanted to bring the company - composed of 75 dancers with astonishing technique and soloists with strong personalities - to an international level. He rejuvenated ballets from the classical repertoire. And following tradition, he is commissioning and updating new stage productions and costume designs. Cutting the lengthy parts in order to keep what is essential; he gives spirit and rhythm to those historical pieces and modernizes them. The company is a beautiful way to rediscover traditional ballet repertoire, performed elegantly and with brio by excellent dancers.

Source:Trait d'union

More information : yacobsonballet.ru/en