The fantastical world of Petrushka

The spectacular world of Igor Stravinsky’s 19th century Russia comes alive when the Rockville Centre-based South Shore Symphony Orchestra joins the Leggz Ballet Company, also of Rockville Centre, to present the classic whimsical ballet, “Petrushka,” to area audiences on Saturday.
This performance, at Molloy College’s Madison Theatre, marks the first time the Leggz troupe, known for its annual holiday production of “The Nutcracker,” has performed Stravinksy’s innovative one-act ballet.
“It’s an enchanting piece with delightful music,” said Leggz Ballet Company’s Artistic Director Joan McNaughton, who created original choreography for the production, with Stephanie Godino.
“This is something new for us and it’s wonderful to have the orchestra join us to help tell the story,” McNaughton said. “The production is quite special, with a really good storyline. It’s actually a story accompanying dance with great music.”
The short ballet (approximately 30 minutes in length) in one act – one of the great masterworks of modern ballet theater – is the famous story of a Russian carnival puppet smitten with the love of the carnival's ballerina. Set in Admiralty Square in St. Petersburg, Russia, during the mid-winter Shrovetide pre-Lenten fair (the Russian equivalent of Mardi Gras), Petrushka tells the tale of a pathetic doll imbued with human emotions by an evil, magician-like charlatan who holds him prisoner along with two other dolls, the Ballerina and the Moor.
“The ballet is a love story where puppets come to life and townspeople dance, with a carnival-like atmosphere,” McNaughton said. “It’s a typical Stravinsky story and for those who are not familiar with it, it’s a lot of fun.”
The staging maintains the integrity of the original 1911 version of Stravinsky's ballet. Special guest artists, accompanied by local dance students, perform this enchanting work.