OVERVIEW
of Municipal Budgetary Institution of Culture
«The G.M. Petukhov Dance Ensemble «Yeniseiskie Zori»
The G.M. Petukhov Municipal Dance Ensemble «Yeniseiskie Zori» is considered to be
among the main cultural brands of Krasnoyarsk and a true keeper of Siberian dancing tradition.
Today, Yeniseiskie Zori is an established part of both Russian and world culture,
with the collective’s high skill and passion for authentic Siberian culture. The ensemble boasts of
having been on tours in more than thirty countries all over the world with even more to be visited in
the future. Moreover, invitations to such iconic international festivals as Harbin Summer Music and
Russian Culture in Japan have been a fine addition to the Yeniseiskie Zori’s portfolio for quite some
time.
The ensemble shows have it all – tales and legends, lyric poetry and comedy pieces,
yet something remains invariable: balance between high professionalism and emotion of its performance.
Every concert of the Yeniseiskie Zori dance ensemble is a big cultural event and a celebration, leaving
audiences an impression of powerful Siberia for years to come.
The journey of the legendary ensemble goes back to 1969 and is tied to the name of a
talented choreographer and dance director Gennady Petukhov, who was the first to single-handedly create
a dancing routine for a collective of gifted students from the Siberian State Institute of Technology.
Over the years of constant performing, Yeniseiskie Zori has evolved into the
professional dance company from an amateur group of college kids. During international tours, the
ensemble members were regarded and rated as professionals. Oftentimes, the public would not believe
these were young students dancing.
For both the high performance and idea- and thematically-oriented culture,
repertoire diversity and the great work on developing creative arts the ensemble was awarded the title
of the Lenin Komsomol Prize Laureate of Krasnoyarsk Region (1976).
In July 1995, by the Decree of the Krasnoyarsk city administration, the dance
ensemble Yeniseiskie Zori was registered as a Municipal Budgetary Institution of Culture. In March 1996,
the dance company was named after Gennady Mikhailovich Petukhov.
Yeniseiskie Zori has repeatedly performed on the stage of the State Kremlin Palace,
participated in the opening and closing ceremonies of the V and VI Winter Spartakiades of Peoples of the
USSR, the XXII Olympic Winter Games, and the XII World Festival of Youth and Students, the XXIX Winter
Universiade in Krasnoyarsk.
The sheer mastery of the talented Siberians has already left audiences from Hungary,
Romania, Poland, Germany, Bulgaria, the USA, Vietnam, Korea, the Philippines, Mongolia, the Czech
Republic, Slovakia, India, Austria, Italy, China, Japan and other countries absolutely thrilled.
In 2001, the soloist of the Mikhail Godenko Krasnoyarsk State Academic Dance
Ensemble of Siberia, Honoured Artist of Russia Igor Victorovich Gorlov and People's Artist of the
Russian Federation Lydia Dziobak became the artistic director and choreographer-stage director of the
ensemble respectively.
Today, the dance company carefully preserves the traditions of folk dance and
creates new choreography routines. The examples of said traditional folk culture are the productions
Golden Russia, Farewell to Winter, The Maiden Ornaments, the one-act ballet Sayan Legend, Siberian Play,
suites Krasny Yar and Domes of Russia.
The latest history of the ensemble is full of large-scale events. The project of the
ensemble the Siberian Dance Studio has become a landmark event for the Krasnoyarsk culture. Every year,
both the dancers and choreographers of the ensemble become mentors for amateur choreographic groups of
Krasnoyarsk. The members of the dance company introduce young and adult amateur dancers to the culture
of folk dance. The striking result of this practice and master classes is the collaboration concert
programme on the main stage of the Krasnoyarsk Region.
On the eve of its half-century anniversary, the ensemble prepared a large cultural
experiment. The play-reflection on the works of Vasily Surikov consists of eight performances based on
paintings by this legendary Krasnoyarsk artist. «Surikov. The Experiment» is an attempt at a
philosophical, dramatic conceptualization of Surikov’s heritage. This is an unforgettable show that is
using brand new choreographic vocabulary, video and light effects and other components of a true stage
play.
More than fifty years of the ensemble’s creative growth and enthusiasm have been
accompanied by the love of the audience and the devotion of Krasnoyarsk to the unique Siberian dance,
which has become a national heritage.
OVERVIEW of Municipal Budgetary Institution of Culture «The G.M. Petukhov Dance Ensemble «Yeniseiskie
Zori»