Tatjana Sedunova, Artistic Director of Ballet
Voldemaras Chlebinskas, Deputy Artistic Director of Ballet
Irena Baradokiene, Inspector of Ballet
Skaidra Sipariene, Assistant to Ballet Master
Danielius Kirsys, Assistant to Ballet Master

Ballet coaches Lidija Tamuleviciene Jonas Katakinas Borisas Martinkevicius Valentin Lebed

Rehearsal Pianists Egle Gabrenaite Marina Varemejeva Julija Antonova Danute Bernotaviciute

The court ballet in Lithuania was started in the 16th century. At the same time dance was encouraged at school theatres too (e.g. at the Vilnius College founded in 1570, which in 1579 was reorganized into the Vilnius University, at the Kraziai College and the Kaunas College, founded in the 17th century). Latin school drama, which survived more than 200 years, united all the branches of the arts. Traditional plots as well as taken from Lithuanian history were danced then.

On September 4, 1636 drama musicale "Il ratto di Elena" by playwright Virgilio Puccitellia and unknown composer was staged at the court theatre in Vilnius. The court theatre of Lithuania's Grand Duke and Poland's King Wladislaw Vaza, which had already performed in both capitals Warsaw and Vilnius, produced the premiere. There were 20 dancers in the theatre.

The ballet became particularly popular in the middle of the 18th century. Dramas, called ballets, were produced at the Vilnius University. The nobles of Lithuania supported ballet troupes and ballet schools, directed by Italian and French ballet masters. Then there were 10 theatres at the courts working for longer or shorter period of time. They survived up to the beginning of the 19th century. At the public town theatres, founded in Vilnius and Klaipėda in 1785, ballet has little developed. However, during the 19th century the ballet in Lithuania was extremely enriched by the guest performances of French, Italian, later Russian ballet troupes.

Ballet in Lithuania truly revived in the autumn of 1920, when Lithuanian Opera and Ballet Theatre was founded (it was opened on December 31, 1920 with the premiere of opera "La Traviata" by Verdi). On December 4, 1925 the Ballet Troupe of the Theatre showed its first full evening with L. Delibes "Coppelia" (up to then the troupe has danced only in the opera productions). Later, ballets by A. Adam, R. Drigo, P. L. Hertel, P. Tchaikovsky, L. Minkus, A. Glazunov, I. Stravinsky, G. Auric, etc., by Lithuanian composers J. Karnavičius, J. Gruodis, V. Bacevičius, B. Dvarionas, J. Pakalnis, and ballets with music by F. Chopin, R. Shumann, C. Debussy, M. Ravel, E. Satie, F. Poulenc, etc. have been produced. In 1935 Lithuanian Ballet guest performed in Monte Carlo (10 performances) and in London at Alhambra Theatre (32 performances). Material changes took place in the summer of 1944, when the Red Army once again occupied Lithuania. A lot of theatre artists, half of the ballet troupe among them, emigrated to the West. The ballet studio of the theatre has stopped its work (only in 1952 the Department of Choreography was founded at the Vilnius Art School, which is the present Vilnius Ballet School).

During the season (September - June) the troupe performs 15 - 20 productions and during the month it approximately dances 10 performances. Approximately 2 opening nights are produced during the season. The troupe also takes part in the opera performances (e.g. "Faust" by Ch. Gounod - the Valpurgis Night, "Wiener Blut" by J. Strauss, etc.). The current repertory of the ballet troupe includes "La Sylphide" by H. Lovenskjold, "Giselle" by A. Adam, "La Fille Mal Garde" by L.J.F. Herold (choreography by O. Vinogradov), "Coppelia" by L. Delibes (choreography by V. Brazdylis), "Swan Lake", "The Nutcracker" (choreography by A. Melanjin), "The Sleeping Beauty" by P. Tchaikovsky, "Don Quixote" by L.A. Minkus (choreography by V. Vasiliev), "Romeo and Juliet" (choreography by V. Vasiliev), "Cinderella" by S. Prokofiev, A. Rekašius "Medea" (choreography by A. Cholina), "Egle the Queen of Grass Snakes" by E. Balsys (choreography by E. Domeika), "Zorba the Greek" by M Theodorakis (choreography by Lorca Massine), "Carmen" by G. Bizet - R. Shchedrin and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" with music by F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (choreography by K. Pastor), "Carnival in Venice" with music by C. Goldmark, L. Delibes, etc. (choreography by A. Melanjin), "The Rite of Spring" by I. Stravinsky (choreography Xin Peng Wang), ballets for children, etc.

Some of the present day soloists have won many prizes in international competitions: Eglė Špokaitė won the first prize in the International Ballet Competition in Perm, the third prize in "Maya'94" in St. Petersburg, the first prize in Helsinki, the first prize in Nagoya; Rūta Jezerskytė was the first prize winner in Lausanne, the second prize winner in Jackson, the third prize winner in Nagoya; Živilė Baikštytė was the third prize winner in New York, Asta Bazevičiūtė and Iryna Tsymbal won the third prize in Varna, Bulgaria, Miki Hamanaka was the third prize winner in Tokyo, Japan.

The ballet company consists of 68 dancers and since 1992 the leader of the ballet troupe is Tatjana Sedunova.

The LNOBT ballet troupe often guest performs on world wide famous stages.

From the press:

"Lithuanian guest performance at the town theatre became a pleasant event. The company is very well prepared, musical and self-confident. The Lithuanian language is unique. It is one of the oldest of Indo-European languages. They can also express themselves in the dance specifically. Such are the thoughts after the appearance of the Vilnius Ballet." "Goteborg Posten", 02 03 1984, Sweden

"Lithuanian Ballet is a company of art, possessing original artistic face, uniform way of performing, distinctive style." "Sovietskij balet", 1987, No 1, Moscow

"The Vilnius Ballet means precision, subtlety, charm, acting full of feelings." "Perspektywy", 19 02 1988, Warsaw

"Lithuanian National Ballet has been on tour to the biggest stages of Europe and America. A group of 30 ballet dancers out of the 75 came to the festival of Lodz. They possess perfect classical dance technique, which can be proved by the scenes of the corps de ballet, the author of which is the former Lodz dweller K. Pastor." "Gazeta Wyborcza", 28 05 1999, Poland

"Lithuanian artists, led by the choreographer K. Pastor, demonstrated masterful classical dance, diversified with elements of modern dance (…) During the press conference K. Pastor stated, that the technical mastery of the Lithuanians can be easily compared to the best foreign companies he happened to work with." "Rzeczpospolita", 27 05 1999, Poland

Lorca Massine: "Your troupe is extremely strong and skilful. You have superb soloists. They are musical, dance well and create fully accomplished characters." "7 meno dienos", 17 04 1998, Vilnius