Following the incredibly favored Anna Karenina, choreographer Yuri Possokhov and composer Ilya Demutsky have teamed up again for the Chicago premiere of Eugene Onegin, a full length-production inspired by Alexander Pushkin's poetic novel.

A tragic duel, a devastating loss, and a chance reunion force Eugene Onegin to confront the weight of his choices. Set against the backdrop of 19th-century Russian society, this cautionary tale follows the enigmatic and aloof aristocrat after his fateful encounter with the earnest Tatiana. Richly layered and deeply human, Eugene Onegin explores the fragility of the human heart and how unspoken words can shape destinies.

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Eugene Onegin

Lyric Opera House

One of the premier dance companies in the world today, The Joffrey Ballet boasts a reputation for boundary-breaking performances for more than 65 years. The company’s blockbuster, Anna Karenina, won the 2019 “Oscars of Dance” Benois de la Danse International Prize for Best Choreography. Love is all-consuming for the beautiful but married Anna, who, in the pursuit of passion, finds herself caught in a life-changing affair with the dashing Count Vronsky. Set in late 19th-century Imperial Russia, this adaptation unravels the profound power, desire and possession that shapes Leo Tolstoy’s epic novel. A breathtaking cinematic production with stunning costume design and captivating choreography, this famed psychological drama—set to an original composition—makes its debut at The Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

'Anna Karenina' at The Music Center

Los Angeles Music Center

An absurdist fable commemorating the October Revolution, Black Square is, as described by its creators, “a tragicomic love story that mixes intellectual traditions of Russian avant-garde and the fast pacing style of an action thriller." The work features music by Ilya Demutsky, celebrated composer of the ballets Anna Karenina and Eugene Onegin, and libretto by Olga Maslova and Igor Konyukov.

Black Square

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

Love is all-consuming for Anna, who is married but finds herself caught in the maelstrom of a life-changing love affair with the dashing Count Vronsky. The stunning dancers of the Joffrey Ballet return with Anna Karenina, a ravishing full-length story ballet by Yuri Possokhov based on Tolstoy’s timeless novel and featuring an original score by award-winning composer Ilya Demutsky, performed live by the Berkeley Symphony. When it premiered in 2019, the ballet won the “Oscars of Dance,” the Benois de la Danse International Prize for Best Choreography. Set in the late 19th century, the production styles Anna’s tragic tale as a psychological thriller, weaving together themes of love and loss, violence and betrayal. “A sweeping, cinematic and sometimes heart-pounding take with unfailingly superb dancing throughout” (Chicago Sun-Times).

Ilya Demutsky

Events

Past events

4 - 14 Jun, 2026

Eugene Onegin · Joffrey Ballet

21 - 23 Jun, 2024

'Anna Karenina' at The Music Center · Joffrey Ballet

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