ATHENS — The UGA Performing Arts Center will present the State Ballet Theatre of Russia in two performances of "Romeo and Juliet" at 8 p.m. on Jan. 17 and 18 in the Fine Arts Theatre located at 255 Baldwin St. in Athens.

The popular story ballet will feature lavish sets, beautiful costumes and classic Russian choreography accompanied by the unforgettable music of Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev.

Prokofiev is renowned for writing the fairy tale set to music, "Peter and the Wolf," along with two of the greatest ballets of the 20th century, "Romeo and Juliet," composed in 1935, and "Cinderella," written in 1945.

The concept for "Romeo and Juliet" began when St. Petersburg’s Kirov Ballet approached Prokofiev with the idea of creating a new full-length ballet. The composer looked to Shakespeare’s tragic love story for inspiration.

However, the composer’s choice of subject matter proved controversial, and the project was taken over by the Bolshoi Ballet.

The problem was the ending of the story. As Prokofiev later put it, "Living people can dance, the dying cannot." It was the longest ballet Prokofiev had ever written and the most intensely dramatic.

Over the years, Romeo and Juliet has taken its place as one of the most beloved and frequently performed ballets in the world.

The State Ballet Theatre of Russia is the touring name of the Voronezh State Theatre of Opera and Ballet, which was established in 1961. The State Ballet Theatre is a company of more than 50 dancers and is recognized as one of Russia’s most distinguished ballet companies.

Lisa Fusillo, head of the UGA Department of Dance, will give a pre-concert lecture 45 minutes prior to each "Romeo and Juliet" performance. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Tickets for the State Ballet Theatre’s Romeo and Juliet are $45-$55 with special discounts for UGA students.

Tickets can be purchased online at pac.uga.edu or by calling the Performing Arts Center box office at 706-542-4400 or toll free at 888-289-8497.