Bolshoi skipping Southand in ’04

In a departure from its past touring patterns, Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet will dance in Northern California this November, but not in the Southland. In 45 years of American visits, the company has never before bypassed Southern California on its West Coast tours.

Blame the lack of theater and company availability, says Jane Hermann, senior vice president and director of dance at ICM Artists, the American tour presenters. She explains that a key factor in the decision to skip this area was the feeling of the newly appointed Bolshoi artistic director, Alexei Ratmansky, that previous tours went on too long, leaving the dancers exhausted and below par by the final cities on the itinerary. Moreover, Hermann says, no suitable Southland venues were available during the company’s 2004 window of opportunity. However, negotiations continue to bring the Bolshoi to Orange County in July 2005.

In Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall, the Bolshoi Ballet and Orchestra will present a new version of “Romeo and Juliet” by British director Declan Donnellan and Moldavian choreographer Radu Poklitaru on Nov. 3 and 4, followed by Yuri Grigorovich’s staging of Marius Petipa’s “Raymonda,” Nov. 5-7.