Irina Kolesnikova and St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre Put Their Own Twist on 'Carmen'

World-renowned ballerina Irina Kolesnikova leads the St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre in a new rendition of Georges Bizet's beloved Carmen this month at the London Coliseum. The program, entitled Her Name Was Carmen, radically alters the atmosphere of Bizet's four-act opera.

BreakingNews.ie recently offered a behind-the-scenes look at Her Name Is Carmen, hinting at changes to the libretto (originally provided by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy) of the 1875 opera. Indeed, there is one important, scenic detail of the new production -- it places the opera among a refugee camp as opposed to the archetypical Spanish setting of Carmen:

"The St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre is giving Bizet's much-loved classic Carmen a very contemporary update in their new production Her Name Was Carmen at London's Coliseum. This ballet takes the action out of southern Spain, and instead sets it in a refugee camp on the outskirts of Europe."

As reported by Broadway World, the new spin on Carmen is charity-minded, with certain proceeds from the ballet's run earmarked as refugee aid via Oxfam International:

"Her Name Was Carmen marks an unprecedented collaboration between the SPBT and international aid agency Oxfam. One pound from every ticket sold will raise vital funds for Oxfam's Refugee Crisis Appeal, providing live-saving essentials like food, water and sanitation."

Her Name Was Carmen began showings at the Coliseum on Tuesday, Aug. 23. As of today, Thursday, Aug. 25, there are three evening performances remaining until this Sunday, Aug. 28. For more information and tickets, please visit the ballet's webpage at the English National Opera's website, www.eno.org/whats-on/her-name-was-carmen.

To view a video of dancer Irina Kolesnikova's preparations for the performance, see the Belfast Telegraph's recent feature on the opera. Directly below, you can watch a quick YouTube video of Ms. Kolesnikova in action from a 2006 DVD of her turn in Swan Lake.

We want to hear from you! Have you ever seen Irina Kolesnikova perform? Are you familiar with Carmen? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

TagsIrina Kolesnikova, St. Petersburg Ballet Theatre, Carmen, Her Name Was Carmen, Oxfam, Georges Bizet, English National Opera, Ludovic Halévy, Henri Meilhac