Eifman Ballet's Tchaikovsky

Until two weeks ago Australia had never seen Russia's Eifman Ballet perform on local stages but what a stunning introduction. Choosing two very Russian stories, Anna Karenina, and a work about the famous Russian composer, Tchaikovsky, to bring here for their first visit the troupe will certainly head home with a lot of new fans. And not just because of the quality of their dancing.

The troupe's performance of Tchaikovsky was characterised by sumptuous sets and costumes and of course, pieces of the composer's stunning music, as it gracefully told the tale of an artist trying to reconcile his inner passions with a world he didn't seem to fit into. As Tchaikovsky, Oleg Markov had incredible poise and expression and seemed to particularly excel in the moments when he shared the stage with his 'inner-self', danced appropriately enough by another Oleg, Oleg Gabyshev.

Dancing as Tchaikovsky's wife, Natalia Povoroznyuk had a fluidity that at times seemed to make her an extension of Markov's lithe body. It's clear this is a pair well used to working with each other.

Choreographer Boris Eifman has won plaudits around the world and it's easy to see why. Fast-paced and telling a story that is poetically beautiful and that looked visually stunning, Tchaikovsky was a wonderful way to introduce his company to a new audience.