The world renowned Kirov Ballet, also known as Ballet Company of the Mariinsky Theatre of St. Petersburg, Russia, returns to New York for a three-week engagement, April 1 – 20, performing for the first time at New York City Center. The season will be presented by Ardani Artists in association with New York City Center.

During its three-week season, the 200-year-old Russian company, under the Artistic Direction of Valery Gergiev and Director of the Ballet Makhar Vaziev, will be performing a wide range of works by the choreographers and artists who have made the Kirov one of the world's greatest ballet companies, as well as works by contemporary dance makers. The company's rich classical repertoire includes works by Marius Petipa, Michel Fokine and George Balanchine and more modern works by William Forsythe. The Kirov Ballet will bring some of its most acclaimed repertory classics: Petipa's The Kingdom of Shadows from La Bayadere; Fokine's Scheherazade and Chopiniana; Gorsky's The Grand Pas de Deux from Don Quixote; Rubies from Balanchine's Jewels, and Ballet Imperial; as well as Forsythe's Steptext.

It will be first appearance of the Kirov Ballet and Orchestra at New York City Center, home to some of the country's leading dance companies, including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre and Paul Taylor Dance Company.

Uliana Lopatkina & Daniil Koruntsev, Raymonda Photo © & courtesy of The Mariinsky Theater

Corps de Ballet, La Bayadere Photo © & courtesy of The Mariinsky Theater

Corps de Ballet, Chopianiana Photo © & courtesy of The Mariinsky Theater

Uliana Lopatkina, The Dying Swan Photo © & courtesy of The Mariinsky Theater

Diana Vishneva & Igor Kolb, Scheherezade Photo © & courtesy of The Mariinsky Theater

Diana Vishneva & Andrian Fadeev, Rubies (from Jewels) Photo © & courtesy of The Mariinsky Theater

Uliana Lopatkina, Le Corsaire Photo © & courtesy of The Mariinsky Theater

Leonid Sarafanov & Olesya Novikova, Don Quixote Photo © & courtesy of The Mariinsky Theater

Irina Golub & Maxim Zyuzin, The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude Photo © & courtesy of The Mariinsky Theater

Diana Vishneva & Igor Zelensky, Ballet Imperial Photo © & courtesy of The Mariinsky Theater