Russian ballet moves like Jagger in Stones-inspired show

[March 27, 2019]  ST PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) - A ballet set to music by The Rolling Stones and choreographed by Mick Jagger's ballerina girlfriend has premiered in Russia.

The eight-minute "Porte Rouge" (Red Door) show, inspired by the veteran British singer's zany dance style, delighted a packed crowd at St Petersburg's famous Mariinsky Theatre on Tuesday night.

Jagger's partner Melanie Hamrick, a U.S. dancer, masterminded the production featuring classic Stones tracks "Paint it Black," "Sympathy for the Devil" and "She's a Rainbow".

"I tried to incorporate that feel of just the love of dance and the enjoyment when he is in concert," Hamrick said.

"He has a very unique way of moving, a very free way of moving, so I tried to capture the essence of that."

Jagger, now 75, curated the music and helped whittle down the tracklist from the Stones' litany of hits.

"Very impressive, it is interesting to see the songs we all know in this style. The choreography is original, so it was very cool, I think," said spectator and dancer Nicolas Mackay.

(Reporting by Alexander Сhizhenok; Writing by Tom Balmforth; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)

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