Andrei
Petrov

Jury member of Benois de la Danse

Andrei Petrov comes from a family of theatre people: his mother, Olga Petrova, is one of the stars of Moscow▓s “Romany” Gipsy Тheatre and his father was a Bolshoi theatre soloist. He is related to the famous ballet dynasty of the Kholfins: to the well-known ballet master Nicholas Kholfin, to the marvellous Russian dancers Anatoly Kholfin (stage name Tolsky) and Marina Sorokina and to Seraphima Kholfina, the well-known dancer and teacher.

After graduating from the Moscow Academy of Dance in 1965, Andrei Petrov danced for quarter of a century at the Bolshoi Theatre. He had about fifty roles in his repertoire, mainly character parts.

In 1977, Andrei Petrov graduated from the Balletmaster▓s Faculty of The State Institute of Theatre Art (GITIS — known today as RATI, the Russian Academy of Theatre Art). He then worked at the Bolshoi Theatre with Yuri Grigorovich. His created works at the Bolshoi include: “The Red Snow-ball Tree”, a contemporary tragedy (1979, by E. Svetlanov), “The Wooden Prince”, a philosophical parable (1981, B. Bartok) and “The Knight of Sad Mien”, a romantic novella (1985, R. Strauss). “Outlines”, a brilliant satirical work (1984) was created by Andrei Petrov in collaboration with composer Alfred Shnitke and Gennady Rozhdestvesky who conducted the premiere. Other ballets by Petrov include: “Twelve Chairs” (1986, G. Gladkov, Chelyabinsk Opera and Ballet Company); “The Spring Tale” (1987, Tchaikovsky, Sofia Opera). Andrei Petrov has frequently contributed to Boris Pokrovsky▓s opera productions. He arranged the dances for the Bolshoi Theatre 1988 production of C. Gluck▓s “Iphigenie en Aulide“, for Rimsky-Korsakov▓s opera-ballet „Mlada” (1989, Bolshoi) and for other productions.

In 1990, Andrei Petrov created the “Kremlin Ballet“ Company. In the eight seasons it has been in existence, the “Kremlin Ballet“ has acquired the reputation of a serious, highly professional company. Its repertoire includes: “Swan Lake”, „The Cavalry Halt” (I. Armsgeymer), „Ruslan and Ludmila” (Glinka — V. Agafonnikov), “Napoleon Buonaparte“ (T. Khrennikov), “Nevsky Prospekt“, a diptych (to music by D. Shostakovich and A. Shnitke), “Zeus“ (D. Arapis) a production done for the Athens Jubilee Festival, as well as the classical ballets „Don Quixote”, „Nutcracker” and „Cinderella”.

Andrei Petrov has been producer-in-chief of many gala concerts at the Kremlin Palace, where he was apointed director in 1993.

Gallery