Submitted Photo The Opera House will present the Bolshoi Ballet performing “Raymonda” on Saturday at 1 p.m.

The 1891 Fredonia Opera House will present one of the world’s greatest ballet companies — the Bolshoi Ballet — performing “Raymonda” on Saturday, Nov. 2, at 1 p.m. It will be presented in high definition, captured live via satellite from the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, as part of the Stage On Screen Series of programs.

In the ballet, “Raymonda” is betrothed to Jean de Brienne, a gallant knight who pledged to go on a crusade led by the King of Hungary. When her beloved leaves, Abderakhman, a foreign knight, makes a bid for the hand of Raymonda and threatens her fate when she rejects him.

A must-see of the Bolshoi repertoire, Raymonda is a work of living dance history showcasing the ballerina as the ultimate virtuoso. Being one of legendary choreographer Marius Petipa’s final works, he fully armed this ballet with beautiful court scenes, romantic corps de ballet dances, Hungarian czardas and a title role suited for the most outstanding ballerina.

Created by Petipa at the age of 80, “Raymonda” brings together everything that was the best of the best that Petipa had done in the course of his long career as a choreographer. The role of Raymonda is one of the most demanding in the classical ballet repertoire; the ballerina performs five variations as well as incredibly beautiful adagios, the Pas d’action and the Grand Pas. It runs three hours, with two intermissions.

Individual tickets to “Raymonda” are $15, ($10 students). A special Stage on Screen Series flexible subscription of eight tickets that can be used however you want – one at a time to eight different Series events, all at once for eight people, or anything in between – is $116. Tickets may be purchased in person at the Opera House Box Office or by phone at 716-679-1891, Tuesday-Friday, 1-5 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online anytime at www.fredopera.org.

This program is part of the Stage on Screen Series which is generously sponsored by Dr. James and Marcia Merrins.

The 1891 Fredonia Opera House is a member-supported not-for-profit organization located in Village Hall in downtown Fredonia. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.fredopera.org.