Russia

Since 2008, the Spanish company La Veronal has been putting on a country- or city-themed show almost every year. Sweden, Finland, Copenhagen, Maryland and Siena, for example, have all been explored in previous performances. 'Russia', created in 2011, now comes to the Chaillot theatre to complete the choreographic world tour. Set on the Lake Baikal, the deepest in the world, its protagonists are travellers stuck in their car, dropped into the vastness of the Russian landscape with its glacial temperatures.

The ambiance is threatening; sound effects include snatches of Russian dialogue, cries and whimpers set against a constant background of Tchaikovsky. Choreographer Marcos Morau has the performers reveal the dark side of the lake's clear waters – its 31,500 square kilometres make up another character on their own, immense and terrifying, which in the end the dancers never reach. Decked out in brightly-coloured tracksuits and gorgeous fur hats, they dance alone or together around the car beneath the glaring light of flares, under the snow, or simply in the grip of their own intoxication.