Like the migrating swallows that foretell the coming autumn, the return of Eifman Ballet company marks the return of cultural routines after a long break.

This Russian ballet company had already visited Israel fifteen times, more than any other ballet company, by far. Although the company tours extensively around the world, here they have warm audience that awaits their return. The TAPAC auditorium was totally packed, predominantly by spectators that enjoyed airing their mother tongue at a reunion-like occasion.

Boris Eifman established his ensemble in 1977 and aspired to develop a modernized version of classical ballet as he envisioned it, different than the conservative ballet companies in the Soviet Union era at his homeland. Compensating for lack of exposure to dance's progress abroad and relying on what he heard from second hand rumors, he imagined and improvised by intuition.  

Eventually he concocted a mixture of balletic techniques without strict finesse and precision and replaced it with overt theatricalities, bold facial expressions and hand gestures to portray feelings.

After 30 years, Eifman already witnessed the diversity of contemporary dance, and could integrate new materials in his work and give up some of his previous stylistic fixations.

Currently he offered his audience a satisfying show, based on flimsier classical basis, more free style vocabulary including clowning and spectacular acrobatic positions, next to Latino Ball Room competitions and street gang mayhems.

Season by season his ballet company's productions reduced its commitment to previous perceptions and traditions and became a simile of an American Broadway musical. The smooth and easy music of Johan Strauss Jr. fitted like a glove. Now they only need lyrics to fit in the new rubric.

Eifman was raised on classical ballet which relied on linear stories, as did the traditional classical ballets. Among Eifman's creations inspired by books, come to mind Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, Chekhov's The Sea Gull, or Tender Is The Night by Scott Fitzgerald. A story is a safe crutch to lean on.

 In the process of expanding his artistic perceptions, Eifman treated the ancient story of Pygmalion, relating to an artist who fell in love with a woman that he sculptured, as an open option. He treated it as a story that allows for many variations, like the classical ballet Coppelia, where an old craftsman devised mechanical doll and fell for her.

Eifman imagined a talented girl of poor background which due to her environment, found that her life were like an emotional roller coaster; hard and often disappointing, actually an  obvious sharp social criticism.

This production with a cast of 35 dancers, portrayed an enjoyable entertainment with an un proportionally large group scenes, versus some stunning solos, duets and trios  by very capable and attractive dancers who surprised and delighted spectators with their humor and acting skilled. Kudos. to the captivating mega dancer Lyobov Andreyeva, multitalented Demitri Fisher, Oleg Gvishev and Igor Sobotin.

By connecting St. Petersburg to N.Y. it seems that Eifman reached his goal; creating a dance that could keep working for the masses.