Beginning this October with an on-air Russian classical music festival and special appearances by Moscow Ballet’s Svetlana Todinova, the fund drive will earn revenue to help support KRCU’s mission. Entitled "Classical Vibrance," the project also serves as an important educational program devoted to sustaining the classical arts in southeast Missouri for future generations. Visit http://www.krcu.org/, or call (573) 651-5070 to learn more.

KRCU's fund drive will culminate with Moscow Ballet's "Great Russian Nutcracker" at the Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall on the River Campus of Southeast Missouri State University on Monday, Dec. 14, at 7:30 p.m. This event is open to the public, and patrons do not need to support the fund raiser to attend, though prime seating is very limited to those not supporting the drive. Regular tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at http://www.nutcracker.com/ , calling Metrotix at (800) 293-5949 or at the link listed below.

Principal artists Ekaterina Bortykova and Akzhol Mussakhanov star as Masha and the Nutcracker Prince. Bortykova won the Vaganova Prize in 1998 and the Prize for Artistic Inspiration at the International Kazan Ballet Competition in 2002.  She won a Diploma and the Best Couple Prize at the “Arabesque” International Ballet Competition in Perm.
 
Akzhol Mussakhanov graduated from the State Choreographic School of Kazakhstan in 2001. He competed at the IX International Ballet Competition in Moscow (2001) and the Serge Lifar International Ballet Competition in Kiev in 2004. He has toured internationally as a principal dancer with Swansee Ballet Russe in Wales, United Kingdom, and the State Opera and Ballet Theatre in Odessa, Ukraine. 
 
Praised for exquisite dancing and gorgeous costumes, the "Great Russian Nutcracker" is directed by Ballet Master Anatoli Emelianov. Set against Valentin Fedorov's spectacular hand-painted backdrops and life-sized dancing puppets, the "Great Russian Nutcracker" delights audiences with a visual tapestry rich in detail and whimsy.  Fedorov studied at the Moscow Artistic Academic Theater, under the legendary designer Valery Leventhal of the Bolshoi Theatre. An Honored Artist of Chuvashia, he is the art director at the Chuvashia State Theater and has designed more than 40 productions for opera and ballet. In 1991, his “Blackberry Along the Fence” won “Best Performances of Russia Festival.”
 
The performance is especially distinctive for its unique setting of Act II in the "Land of Peace and Harmony” and for the introduction of a new character, a Christmas Dove. Also new this year is a fantasy clock with wings of an owl that cast a shadow over the battle between the Soldiers and the Mice.
 
Moscow Ballet features top graduates of the Perm, Vaganova, Moscow State Academic, and Kiev schools. Critics rave that the "Great Russian Nutcracker" is “flawless,” “breathtaking” and “dazzling.”  Whimsical and imaginative storytelling blend with the richness of Russian classical ballet to make the "Great Russian Nutcracker" a memorable holiday treat for everyone. 
 

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