Dance party

Eifman Ballet 8 tonight; 2, 8 p.m. Saturday;

2 p.m. Sunday

Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Congress

Tickets, $25-$55

(312) 902-1500

The dance experience in Chicago expands this weekend with the areadebut of the Eifman Ballet, a troupe hailed as Russia's mostinnovative contemporary dance company.

Founded by choreographer Boris Eifman in 1977 as the St.Petersburg Ballet Theater, the company is credited withrevolutionizing the concept of classical dance in Russia. Eifmanintroduced the concept of "dance-actor" to both dancers and audience.He used these artists to meld the art of avant garde dance with themethods of 20th century dramatic theater and film to create a multi-dimensional theater experience.

When the Eifman Ballet began touring outside of Russia in 1988, itwowed audiences around the world. Standing in sharp contrast to thestrict standards of classical ballet set by the infamous Russiantroupes such as the Bolshoi and Kirov, the company gathered criticalacclaim for its vibrant, original style.

For its Chicago appearances, the 44-member troupe will perform thefull-length "Red Giselle." Merging classical ballet, modern dance andeven the Charleston, Eifman captures the spirit of renowned Russianballerina Olga Spessivtseva and shows how her life mirrored the storyof "Giselle."

"Red Giselle" features music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, AlfredSchnittke and Georges Bizet, with choreography by Eifman and setdesign by Viacheslav Okunev. The role of Giselle will be danced inalternating performances by the company's principal dancers YelenaKuzmina and Vera Arbuzova.