That same three-act ballet production, celebrating its 60th anniversary, is now on show until June 12 at the Royal Ballet and Opera in London. His character arrives in the Russian countryside from St. Petersburg with his friend, Lensky, for the upcoming birthday celebrations of Tatiana, whose sister Olga is engaged to.
Tatiana immediately falls in love with the elusive Onegin, who dismisses her. She writes him a heartfelt letter that backlashes on her during her birthday as Onegin tears the letter in her face and then flirts with Olga, which angers Lensky and in turn dares him to a duel.
The confident and haughty Onegin kills his friend in the duel and flees to travel the world to ruminate. Years later, on his return to St. Petersburg, he attends a ball at the palace of Prince Gremin, where he recognizes his wife, Princess Tatiana, the once subdued country girl, who has now grown into a beautiful woman.
A regretful Onegin has a change of heart and realizes how blind in love he has been. He writes Tatiana an earnest letter and confesses his love for her, to which she refuses him and mirrors his actions by tearing up the letter in his face. To bring the character down to earth, his leather boots have been swapped for black slippers, while Tatiana enters the act in an ankle-length ruby red gown that steals the limelight. When a principal dancer retires, their respective ballet company will gift them a few of their most memorable costumes.
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