This choreographic interpretation of Anton Chekhov’s masterpiece could be entitled The Mysteries Behind the Curtain. This phrase, though, which could perhaps initially be seen as an encompassing résumé of the production, is in fact only a superficial reflection of its conception.

The Seagull. A Ballet Story plunges the audience into the unique world of backstage – filled with electrifying passion, enticing and striking in its contrasts. In this world love affairs are entangled with the torment of the creative process, personal dramas are entwined with the mysterious origins of the works of artists. “Discovering the unknown” in Chekhov’s iconic text, Boris Eifman explores how art emerges from the endless and diverse stream of life, which brings together the uplifting and the demeaning, the eternal and the ephemeral.

The ballet, produced in the year that marks the 45th anniversary of Eifman Ballet, is a credible outcome of the choreographer’s long-lasting artistic evolution, an effective synthesis of the accumulated aesthetic experience. At the same time, it also signifies the beginning of a new phase in the choreographer’s creative path.