What is the story of Onegin Ballet?
Michael Henderson
Published Feb 21, 2026
What is the story of Onegin Ballet?
The ballet is based on the narrative poem Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin and on Tchaikovsky’s opera of the same name. It is a tale of unrequited love in the tragic meeting of an innocent young girl and a cynical aristocrat.
Why did Onegin dance with Olga?
Annoyed to find himself trapped at an enormous party and bored by the occasion, Onegin takes his revenge on Lenski by flirting and dancing with Olga. Lenski’s jealousy is aroused to such a height that he challenges Onegin to a duel. The party breaks up.
Who choreographed Onegin?
choreographer John Cranko
Based on Alexander Pushkin’s passionate verse novel Eugene Onegin, Onegin was conceived and choreographed by genius choreographer John Cranko in 1965. Cranko selected music by Tchaikovsky to accompany the ballet, in a wonderful arrangement by Kurt Heinz-Stolze.
How long is Onegin ballet?
READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH THE NEXT ONEGIN, RYOICHI HIRANO, HERE
| What | The Royal Ballet, Onegin review |
|---|---|
| Nearest tube | Covent Garden (underground) |
| When | 18 Jan 20 – 29 Feb 20, 19:30 Sat 19:00, 18 Jan mat 13:30 Dur.: 2 hours 30 mins inc two intervals |
| Price | £5-£110 |
| Website | Click here to book |
When was Onegin written?
October 5, 1831
Eugene Onegin/Date written
How do you pronounce Eugene Onegin in Russian?
Pronunciation of Onegin If the stress is capable of being moved–“o-NEE-gin”–the possibilities are endless. Thanks. The way it’s pronounced in Russian is close to o-nE-gin (G as in ‘goose’).
What is the best translation of Eugene Onegin?
Arndt and Nabokov Arndt’s 1963 translation (ISBN 0-87501-106-3) was written keeping to the strict rhyme scheme of the Onegin stanza and won the Bollingen Prize for translation. It is still considered one of the best translations.
How old is Tatyana in Onegin?
All main characters are very young – at the beginning of the opera Onegin is 26, Lensky is 17, Tatyana is only 13 years old, Olga is even younger. By the end of the opera, Tatyana is probably about 17 years old.
What is the point of Eugene Onegin?
Eugene Onegin is a well-known example of lyric opera, to which Tchaikovsky added music of a dramatic nature. The story concerns a selfish hero who lives to regret his blasé rejection of a young woman’s love and his careless incitement of a fatal duel with his best friend.
