Performer: Marat Shemiunov

The short but intense visit the Mikhailovsky Ballet is paying to London this Easter is showing the high standards the company can reach in both classical and contemporary ballet. In addition to splendid versions of Giselle, Don Quixote and Laurencia, the St Petersburg-based ballet company has also offered two bills with works by its acclaimed artistic director Nacho Duato.

The Russian ballerina Galina Ulanova is a true legend in the world of classical ballet. Her dramatic interpretations plumbed deep into the human soul and revealed its full gamut of emotion and poetic beauty.