Live, Video: Find classical music concert, opera, ballet and dance reviews | Svetlana Ivanova

How does one condense a Tolstoy epic for the stage? In Anna Karenina, choreographer Alexei Ratmansky focuses on the three central characters, filleting the novel to its bare essentials. 

The Mariinsky Ballet presents La Bayadère, here performed by a stellar cast with Diana Vishneva, Kimin Kim and Viktoria Tereshkina in the lead roles.

Ratmansky's Concerto DSCH proves the perfect show opener, before the Mariinsky Ballet reclaims Sasha Waltz's Sacre.

The Mariinsky dances Swan Lake beautifully, but the drama lacks characterisation. Performed at the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, in Japan.