BENTON TOWNSHIP — The Russian National Ballet Theatre returns to The Mendel Center at Lake Michigan College at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, with its adaptation of the classic folk tale of “Cinderella” performed on the Mainstage.
Backed by a classical musical score, the dancers of this internationally renowned troupe expertly interpret this story of good triumphing over evil. With a company boasting more than 50 dancers of singular instruction and vast experience, The Russian National Ballet Theatre will deliver a performance demonstrating the best in ballet artistry during their stop at The Mendel Center Mainstage on their four-month coast-to-coast tour of the United States.
The Russian National Ballet Theatre was founded in Moscow during the transitional period of Perestroika in the late 1980s. It was a time when many of the great dancers and choreographers of the Soviet Union’s ballet institutions were exercising their newfound creative freedom by starting new, vibrant companies. This movement was dedicated not only to the timeless tradition of classical Russian ballet, but to invigorating this tradition as the Russians began to accept new developments in dance from around the world.
The company, then titled the Soviet National Ballet, was founded by and incorporated graduates from the great Russian choreographic schools of Moscow, St. Petersburg and Perm.
The principal dancers of the company came from the upper ranks of the ballet companies and academies of Russia, and the companies of Riga, Kiev and even Warsaw.
Today, the Russian National Ballet Theatre is its own institution with more than 50 dancers of singular instruction and vast experience, many of who have been with the company since its inception.
A separately ticketed pre-show Prince and Princess Royal Dinner and Tea will be served in The Mendel Center North Lobby beginning at 6:30 p.m. Families are encouraged to dress their children in their finest royal or dance attire for the dinner and the ballet performance.
Tickets for the Russian National Ballet Theatre’s presentation of “Cinderella” are on sale now, starting at $32. Tickets for the dinner are $15 for people 13 and older; $10 for children ages 3 to 12; and free for children younger than 3.
Tickets for both events are available online at TheMendelCenter.com, and through The Mendel Center Box Office by calling (269) 927-1221 from 2 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Special discounts are available for groups of 10 or more, seniors, students and children, active military members and veterans. For information about group rates, pre-show party options and other special arrangements, contact the box office. While dinner tickets are not required for children younger than 3, ballet performance tickets are required for all attendees, including lap-sitting infants.

About The Mendel Center
at Lake Michigan College
The 1,573-seat Mendel Center Mainstage Theatre offers state-of-the-art acoustics and comfortable seating in elegant surroundings. Other amenities include free parking, handicap accessibility, and an array of special services including valet parking, catering and bar service for private pre- and post-show events, booster seats for children, hearing-assist devices, non-spill cups for beverages inside the theatre, and recently added premium seats in the Stage Side section.
The Mendel Center is a 30-minute drive from Niles and within a 40-minute drive from the Kalamazoo and South Bend areas. It is located on the Lake Michigan College campus at 2755 E. Napier Ave., Benton Harbor. The Mendel Center is one mile east of I-94 (Exit 30) and one mile west of the U.S. 31 Bypass (exit 24). Its GPS mapping address is 1100 Yore Ave., Benton Harbor.