There are some ballets that have such an enduring popularity, there is always demand for them.

Which is why some of the greatest classics will be performed by acclaimed dancers from the Russian State Ballet of Siberia when they arrive in Kent, according to Sergei Selivanov, head of international touring with Raymond Gubbay Ltd.

The company, which comes to the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury for a series of dates featuring four different ballets, will perform them with the Orchestra of the Russian State Ballet.

"Year after year we try to diversify the repertoire as much as we can," he said. "We listen to the venues and their preference of the repertoire. But it is not only down to us and the venue to decide what repertoire to bring next year. We look at productions the audience preferred in the past analysing sales. And guess what..? The Nutcracker and Swan Lake are unbeatable champions. We have to bring more popular repertoire because ticket sales for less known productions, such as Don Quixote or La Bayadére, do not cover our costs. We do bring other ballet productions, but Swan Lake and The Nutcracker inevitably remain in the repertoire."

The tour is the company’s 18th and will feature memorable performances of four of the world’s most popular ballets - Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia and The Nutcracker.

The company comprises more than 40 dancers and 30 musicians while the music director and chief conductor is Anatoly Tchepurnoi.

The productions merge traditional and digital worlds with an ever-changing colourful backdrop.

"This is the second year when we use digital technology in our performances," he said. "Digital background brings different dimension into performances and makes it easier to follow different scenes and dances on stage. For example, there are two scenes in each of two acts of Swan Lake. We can now quickly change the background say, from the castle park or the castle hall, to the lake scene just with a click of the button."

THE SHOWS

On Tuesday, February 11 and Wednesday, February 12 they will perform Swan Lake. The greatest romantic ballet of all time is brought to life by Tchaikovsky’s haunting and unforgettable score. From the impressive splendour of the palace ballroom to the moonlit lake where swans glide in formation, the compelling tale of tragic romance has it all. From Odile, the temptress in black tutu as she seduces the Prince by spinning with captivating precision to the spellbound purity of the swan queen, Odette, as she flutters with emotional intensity.

On Thursday, February 13, they will present the fairytale Sleeping Beauty.Set to Tchaikovsky’s sublime score, it feature a fantasy world in which the Lilac Fairy struggles against the evil Carabosse.

Coppélia on Friday, February 14 is a comedy of errors, a witty combination of antics and abracadabra, set in a doll maker's workshop.

And on Saturday, February 15, they will present The Nutcracker. This most famous of fantasy ballets for all the family begins as night falls on Christmas Eve. As snowflakes fall outside, the warm glow of the open fire sends flickering shadows across the boughs of the Christmas tree and all the presents beneath.

When midnight strikes, be swept away to a fairytale world where nothing is quite as it seems, toy dolls spring to life, the Mouse King and his mouse army battle with the Nutcracker Prince and we travel through the Land of Snow to an enchanted place where the magic really begins.

Book tickets at marlowetheatre.com or call 01227 787787.

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